diff --git a/client/app.cpp b/client/app.cpp
index abc4d46885..7f5882e449 100644
--- a/client/app.cpp
+++ b/client/app.cpp
@@ -533,7 +533,6 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::write(MIOFILE& fout) {
         "    <active_task_state>%d</active_task_state>\n"
         "    <app_version_num>%d</app_version_num>\n"
         "    <slot>%d</slot>\n"
-        "    <pid>%d</pid>\n"
         "    <checkpoint_cpu_time>%f</checkpoint_cpu_time>\n"
         "    <checkpoint_elapsed_time>%f</checkpoint_elapsed_time>\n"
         "    <fraction_done>%f</fraction_done>\n"
@@ -547,7 +546,6 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::write(MIOFILE& fout) {
         task_state(),
         app_version->version_num,
         slot,
-        pid,
         checkpoint_cpu_time,
         checkpoint_elapsed_time,
         fraction_done,
diff --git a/client/cs_notice.cpp b/client/cs_notice.cpp
index 83c90cb316..b8dc7f58e5 100644
--- a/client/cs_notice.cpp
+++ b/client/cs_notice.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "filesys.h"
 
 #include "client_state.h"
+#include "client_msgs.h"
 #include "file_names.h"
 
 #include "cs_notice.h"
@@ -111,9 +112,15 @@ void RSS_FEED::read_feed_file() {
 int RSS_FEED::parse_desc(XML_PARSER& xp) {
     char tag[256];
     bool is_tag;
+    strcpy(url, "");
+    poll_interval = 0;
     while (!xp.get(tag, sizeof(tag), is_tag)) {
         if (!is_tag) continue;
-        if (!strcmp(tag, "/notice_feed")) return 0;
+        if (!strcmp(tag, "/notice_feed")) {
+            if (!poll_interval) return ERR_XML_PARSE;
+            if (!strlen(url)) return ERR_XML_PARSE;
+            return 0;
+        }
         if (xp.parse_str(tag, "url", url, sizeof(url))) continue;
         if (xp.parse_double(tag, "poll_interval", poll_interval)) continue;
     }
@@ -229,7 +236,13 @@ int parse_notice_feeds(MIOFILE& fin, vector<RSS_FEED>& feeds) {
         if (!strcmp(tag, "notice_feed")) {
             RSS_FEED rf;
             retval = rf.parse_desc(xp);
-            if (!retval) {
+            if (retval) {
+                if (log_flags.sched_op_debug) {
+                    msg_printf(0, MSG_INFO,
+                        "[sched_op_debug] error in <notice_feed> element"
+                     );
+                }
+            } else {
                 feeds.push_back(rf);
             }
         }
@@ -355,39 +368,39 @@ void handle_sr_feeds(vector<RSS_FEED>& feeds, PROJECT* p) {
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 // compensate for lameness
-static int month_index(char* x) {
-    if (strstr(x, "Jan")) return 0;
-    if (strstr(x, "Feb")) return 1;
-    if (strstr(x, "Mar")) return 2;
-    if (strstr(x, "Apr")) return 3;
-    if (strstr(x, "May")) return 4;
-    if (strstr(x, "Jun")) return 5;
-    if (strstr(x, "Jul")) return 6;
-    if (strstr(x, "Aug")) return 7;
-    if (strstr(x, "Sep")) return 8;
-    if (strstr(x, "Oct")) return 9;
-    if (strstr(x, "Nov")) return 10;
-    if (strstr(x, "Dev")) return 11;
-    return 0;
-}
-
-static int parse_rss_time(char* buf) {
-    char day_name[64], month_name[64];
-    int day_num, year, h, m, s;
-    int n = sscanf(buf, "%s %d %s %d %d:%d:%d",
-        day_name, &day_num, month_name, &year, &h, &m, &s
-    );
-    printf("n: %d\n", n);
-
-    struct tm tm;
-    tm.tm_sec = s;
-    tm.tm_min = m;
-    tm.tm_hour = h;
-    tm.tm_mday = day_num;
-    tm.tm_mon = month_index(month_name);
-    tm.tm_year = year-1900;
-    tm.tm_wday = 0;
-    tm.tm_yday = 0;
+static int month_index(char* x) {
+    if (strstr(x, "Jan")) return 0;
+    if (strstr(x, "Feb")) return 1;
+    if (strstr(x, "Mar")) return 2;
+    if (strstr(x, "Apr")) return 3;
+    if (strstr(x, "May")) return 4;
+    if (strstr(x, "Jun")) return 5;
+    if (strstr(x, "Jul")) return 6;
+    if (strstr(x, "Aug")) return 7;
+    if (strstr(x, "Sep")) return 8;
+    if (strstr(x, "Oct")) return 9;
+    if (strstr(x, "Nov")) return 10;
+    if (strstr(x, "Dev")) return 11;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int parse_rss_time(char* buf) {
+    char day_name[64], month_name[64];
+    int day_num, year, h, m, s;
+    int n = sscanf(buf, "%s %d %s %d %d:%d:%d",
+        day_name, &day_num, month_name, &year, &h, &m, &s
+    );
+    printf("n: %d\n", n);
+
+    struct tm tm;
+    tm.tm_sec = s;
+    tm.tm_min = m;
+    tm.tm_hour = h;
+    tm.tm_mday = day_num;
+    tm.tm_mon = month_index(month_name);
+    tm.tm_year = year-1900;
+    tm.tm_wday = 0;
+    tm.tm_yday = 0;
     tm.tm_isdst = 0;
 
     int t = mktime(&tm);