diff --git a/client/app.cpp b/client/app.cpp
index cbe15ee119..6bdd9343b3 100644
--- a/client/app.cpp
+++ b/client/app.cpp
@@ -850,7 +850,7 @@ void ACTIVE_TASK_SET::report_overdue() {
         atp = active_tasks[i];
         double diff = (gstate.now - atp->result->report_deadline)/86400;
         if (diff > 0) {
-            msg_printf(atp->result->project, MSG_USER_ALERT,
+            msg_printf(atp->result->project, MSG_INFO,
                 "Task %s is %.2f days overdue; you may not get credit for it.  Consider aborting it.", atp->result->name, diff
             );
         }
diff --git a/client/client_state.cpp b/client/client_state.cpp
index 89a008dc5c..2b1deb7c97 100644
--- a/client/client_state.cpp
+++ b/client/client_state.cpp
@@ -195,6 +195,8 @@ int CLIENT_STATE::init() {
     client_start_time = now;
     scheduler_op->url_random = drand();
 
+    notices.init();
+    
     detect_platforms();
     time_stats.start();
 
@@ -212,7 +214,7 @@ int CLIENT_STATE::init() {
     );
 
     if (core_client_version.prerelease) {
-        msg_printf(NULL, MSG_USER_ALERT,
+        msg_printf(NULL, MSG_INFO,
             "This a development version of BOINC and may not function properly"
         );
     }
@@ -462,8 +464,6 @@ int CLIENT_STATE::init() {
 
     http_ops->cleanup_temp_files();
 
-    notices.init();
-    
     initialized = true;
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/client/cs_notice.cpp b/client/cs_notice.cpp
index 10c758f2ff..5e3056d7cf 100644
--- a/client/cs_notice.cpp
+++ b/client/cs_notice.cpp
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ void NOTICES::write_archive(char* url) {
         strcpy(path, NOTICES_DIR"/archive.xml");
     }
     FILE* f = fopen(path, "w");
+    if (!f) return;
     MIOFILE fout;
     fout.init_file(f);
     fout.printf("<notices>\n");