diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 89b33da60..0025a86f5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ gpg/diaspora-production/*.gpg
 gpg/*/random_seed
 public/uploads/*
 .rvmrc
+config/app_config.yml
diff --git a/app/models/user.rb b/app/models/user.rb
index 87f11fc29..928a02173 100644
--- a/app/models/user.rb
+++ b/app/models/user.rb
@@ -239,6 +239,9 @@ class User
 
   ###Helpers############
   def self.instantiate!( opts = {} )
+    terse_url = APP_CONFIG[:pod_url].gsub(/(https?:|www\.)\/\//, '')
+    terse_url.chop! if terse_url[-1, 1] == '/'
+
     opts[:person][:diaspora_handle] = "#{opts[:username]}@#{terse_url}"
     opts[:person][:url] = APP_CONFIG[:pod_url]
     opts[:person][:serialized_key] = generate_key
diff --git a/config/app_config.yml b/config/app_config.yml
index 5ee07c405..bd306725e 100644
--- a/config/app_config.yml
+++ b/config/app_config.yml
@@ -1,23 +1,17 @@
-#   Copyright (c) 2010, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
-#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3.  See
-#   the COPYRIGHT file.
-
-
-default:
-  pod_url: "http://example.org/"
-  debug: false
-  socket_debug : false
+--- 
+default: 
   socket_host: 0.0.0.0
-  socket_port: 8080
-  socket_collection_name: 'websocket'
-  pubsub_server: 'https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'
-  mongo_host: 'localhost'
+  socket_debug: false
+  pod_url: tom.joindiaspora.com
   mongo_post: 27017
-  
-development:
-
-test:
-  pod_url: "http://example.org/"
+  socket_collection_name: websocket
+  socket_port: 8080
+  pubsub_server: https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/
+  mongo_host: localhost
+  debug: false
+production: 
+development: 
+  pod_url: tom.joindiaspora.com
+test: 
+  pod_url: http://example.org/
   socket_port: 8081
-
-production:
diff --git a/config/app_config_example.yml b/config/app_config_example.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ee07c405
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/app_config_example.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#   Copyright (c) 2010, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
+#   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3.  See
+#   the COPYRIGHT file.
+
+
+default:
+  pod_url: "http://example.org/"
+  debug: false
+  socket_debug : false
+  socket_host: 0.0.0.0
+  socket_port: 8080
+  socket_collection_name: 'websocket'
+  pubsub_server: 'https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'
+  mongo_host: 'localhost'
+  mongo_post: 27017
+  
+development:
+
+test:
+  pod_url: "http://example.org/"
+  socket_port: 8081
+
+production:
diff --git a/config/deploy.rb b/config/deploy.rb
index c84d25556..2f8065134 100644
--- a/config/deploy.rb
+++ b/config/deploy.rb
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ namespace :deploy do
     run "ln -s -f #{shared_path}/bundle #{current_path}/vendor/bundle"
   end
 
+  task :symlink_config do
+    run "touch #{shared_path}/app_config.yml"
+    run "ln -s -f #{shared_path}/app_config.yml #{current_path}/config/app_config.yml"
+  end
+
    task :start do
       start_mongo
       start_thin
@@ -150,4 +155,4 @@ namespace :db do
 
 end
 
-after "deploy:symlink", "deploy:symlink_images", "deploy:symlink_bundle"
+after "deploy:symlink", "deploy:symlink_images", "deploy:symlink_bundle", 'deploy:symlink_config'
diff --git a/db/seeds/backer.rb b/db/seeds/backer.rb
index 9ebe1248f..1730ee202 100644
--- a/db/seeds/backer.rb
+++ b/db/seeds/backer.rb
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ def create
 end
 
 def set_app_config username
-  current_config = YAML.load(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config.yml')).symbolize_keys
-  current_config[Rails.env] ||= {}
-  current_config[Rails.env][:pod_url] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
-  current_config[:default][:pod_url] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
-  file = File.new(Rails.root.join('config','app_config.yml'),'w')
+  current_config = YAML.load(File.read(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config_example.yml')))
+  current_config[Rails.env.to_s] ||= {}
+  current_config[Rails.env.to_s]['pod_url'] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
+  current_config['default']['pod_url'] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
+  file = File.new(Rails.root.join('..','shared','app_config.yml'),'w')
   file.write(current_config.to_yaml)
   file.close
 end
diff --git a/db/seeds/dev.rb b/db/seeds/dev.rb
index ef9dddecf..4ffa947e7 100644
--- a/db/seeds/dev.rb
+++ b/db/seeds/dev.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,19 @@
 
 require 'config/environment'
 
+def set_app_config username
+  current_config = YAML.load(File.read(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config_example.yml')))
+  current_config[Rails.env.to_s] ||= {}
+  current_config[Rails.env.to_s]['pod_url'] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
+  current_config['default']['pod_url'] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
+  file = File.new(Rails.root.join('config','app_config.yml'),'w')
+  file.write(current_config.to_yaml)
+  file.close
+end
+
 username = "tom"
+set_app_config username
+
 # Create seed user
 user = User.instantiate!( :email => "tom@tom.joindiaspora.com",
                      :username => "tom",
diff --git a/db/seeds/tom.rb b/db/seeds/tom.rb
index c35058bf7..d8152a33b 100644
--- a/db/seeds/tom.rb
+++ b/db/seeds/tom.rb
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 require 'config/environment'
 
 def set_app_config username
-  current_config = YAML.load(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config.yml')).symbolize_keys
-  current_config[Rails.env] ||= {}
-  current_config[Rails.env][:pod_url] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
-  current_config[:default][:pod_url] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
-  file = File.new(Rails.root.join('config','app_config.yml'),'w')
+  current_config = YAML.load(File.read(Rails.root.join('config', 'app_config_example.yml')))
+  current_config[Rails.env.to_s] ||= {}
+  current_config[Rails.env.to_s]['pod_url'] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
+  current_config['default']['pod_url'] = "#{username}.joindiaspora.com"
+  file = File.new(Rails.root.join('..','shared','app_config.yml'),'w')
   file.write(current_config.to_yaml)
   file.close
 end