diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index da0c9b6f38..695e237091 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -1082,3 +1082,19 @@ David  Feb 2 2008
         forum_moderate_thread.php
         forum_moderate_thread_action.php
         forum_thread.php
+
+David  Feb 3 2008
+    - client: limit global prefs mod time to now
+    - server: limit global prefs mod time to now
+        These changes address the situation where a server
+        sends out prefs with mod time far in the future,
+        and there's no way to undo them
+
+    client/
+        app_start.C
+    lib/
+        prefs.C,h
+    sched/
+        handle_request.C
+        server_types.C,h
+        show_shmem.C
diff --git a/client/app_start.C b/client/app_start.C
index 5c17a4a7a6..92d4d07ad1 100644
--- a/client/app_start.C
+++ b/client/app_start.C
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ int ACTIVE_TASK::start(bool first_time) {
     }
 
     if (wup->project->verify_files_on_app_start) {
-        FILE_INFO* fip=0;
+        fip=0;
         retval = gstate.input_files_available(result, true, &fip);
         if (retval) {
             if (fip) {
diff --git a/lib/prefs.C b/lib/prefs.C
index dfcf4b0ec7..e6370a1489 100644
--- a/lib/prefs.C
+++ b/lib/prefs.C
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "parse.h"
+#include "util.h"
 
 #include "error_numbers.h"
 #include "prefs.h"
@@ -434,7 +435,13 @@ int GLOBAL_PREFS::parse_override(
         if (xp.parse_str(tag, "source_scheduler", source_scheduler, sizeof(source_scheduler))) {
             continue;
         }
-        if (xp.parse_int(tag, "mod_time", mod_time)) continue;
+        if (xp.parse_double(tag, "mod_time", mod_time)) {
+            double now = dtime();
+            if (mod_time > now) {
+                mod_time = now;
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
         if (xp.parse_bool(tag, "run_on_batteries", run_on_batteries)) {
             mask.run_on_batteries = true;
             continue;
@@ -598,7 +605,7 @@ int GLOBAL_PREFS::parse_file(
 int GLOBAL_PREFS::write(MIOFILE& f) {
     f.printf(
         "<global_preferences>\n"
-        "   <mod_time>%d</mod_time>\n"
+        "   <mod_time>%f</mod_time>\n"
         "%s%s"
         "   <suspend_if_no_recent_input>%f</suspend_if_no_recent_input>\n"
         "   <start_hour>%f</start_hour>\n"
diff --git a/lib/prefs.h b/lib/prefs.h
index ae1b66f473..2a85b242ad 100644
--- a/lib/prefs.h
+++ b/lib/prefs.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ public:
 
 
 struct GLOBAL_PREFS {
-    int mod_time;
+    double mod_time;
     bool run_on_batteries;
         // poorly named; what it really means is:
         // if false, suspend while on batteries
diff --git a/sched/handle_request.C b/sched/handle_request.C
index 2be13dc094..d782d4633d 100644
--- a/sched/handle_request.C
+++ b/sched/handle_request.C
@@ -689,12 +689,14 @@ int handle_global_prefs(SCHEDULER_REQUEST& sreq, SCHEDULER_REPLY& reply) {
     bool same_account = !strcmp(
         sreq.global_prefs_source_email_hash, reply.email_hash
     );
-    int master_mod_time=0, db_mod_time=0;
+    double master_mod_time=0, db_mod_time=0;
     if (have_master_prefs) {
-        parse_int(sreq.global_prefs_xml, "<mod_time>", master_mod_time);
+        parse_double(sreq.global_prefs_xml, "<mod_time>", master_mod_time);
+        if (master_mod_time > dtime()) master_mod_time = dtime();
     }
     if (have_db_prefs) {
-        parse_int(reply.user.global_prefs, "<mod_time>", db_mod_time);
+        parse_double(reply.user.global_prefs, "<mod_time>", db_mod_time);
+        if (db_mod_time > dtime()) db_mod_time = dtime();
     }
 
     //log_messages.printf(SCHED_MSG_LOG::MSG_DEBUG, "have_master:%d have_working: %d have_db: %d\n", have_master_prefs, have_working_prefs, have_db_prefs);
@@ -755,7 +757,7 @@ int handle_global_prefs(SCHEDULER_REQUEST& sreq, SCHEDULER_REPLY& reply) {
 
     // decide whether to send DB prefs in reply msg
     //
-    //log_messages.printf(SCHED_MSG_LOG::MSG_DEBUG, "have db %d; dbmod %d; global mod %d\n", have_db_prefs, db_mod_time, sreq.global_prefs.mod_time);
+    //log_messages.printf(SCHED_MSG_LOG::MSG_DEBUG, "have db %d; dbmod %f; global mod %f\n", have_db_prefs, db_mod_time, sreq.global_prefs.mod_time);
     if (have_db_prefs && db_mod_time > master_mod_time) {
         log_messages.printf(SCHED_MSG_LOG::MSG_DEBUG, "sending db prefs in reply\n");
         reply.send_global_prefs = true;
diff --git a/sched/server_types.C b/sched/server_types.C
index 51f9e33dc1..b23678b5cc 100644
--- a/sched/server_types.C
+++ b/sched/server_types.C
@@ -1029,7 +1029,10 @@ void GLOBAL_PREFS::parse(const char* buf, const char* venue) {
 
     defaults();
 
-    parse_int(buf, "<mod_time>", mod_time);     // mod_time is outside of venue
+    if (parse_double(buf, "<mod_time>", mod_time)) {
+        // mod_time is outside of venue
+        if (mod_time > dtime()) mod_time = dtime();
+    }
     extract_venue(buf, venue, buf2);
     parse_double(buf2, "<disk_max_used_gb>", disk_max_used_gb);
     parse_double(buf2, "<disk_max_used_pct>", disk_max_used_pct);
diff --git a/sched/server_types.h b/sched/server_types.h
index 7b4b7c0962..9a8d33211d 100644
--- a/sched/server_types.h
+++ b/sched/server_types.h
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ struct CLIENT_APP_VERSION {
 // subset of global prefs used by scheduler
 //
 struct GLOBAL_PREFS {
-    int mod_time;
+    double mod_time;
     double disk_max_used_gb;
     double disk_max_used_pct;
     double disk_min_free_gb;
diff --git a/sched/show_shmem.C b/sched/show_shmem.C
index 2b6f2c12a7..662aba7df7 100644
--- a/sched/show_shmem.C
+++ b/sched/show_shmem.C
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 int main() {
     SCHED_SHMEM* ssp;
-    int retval, i;
+    int retval;
     void* p;
     SCHED_CONFIG config;