diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Login.js b/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Login.js
index 192645dd3c..702043c6c8 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Login.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Login.js
@@ -29,21 +29,28 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'Login',
     mixins: [LoginController],
 
-    getInitialState: function() {
-        return {
-            serverConfigVisible: false
-        };
-    },
-
     componentWillMount: function() {
+        // TODO: factor out all localstorage stuff into its own home.
+        // This is common to Login, Register and MatrixClientPeg
+        var localStorage = window.localStorage;
+        if (localStorage) {
+            var hs_url = localStorage.getItem("mx_hs_url");
+            var is_url = localStorage.getItem("mx_is_url");
+        }
+
+        this.setState({
+            customHsUrl: hs_url || config.default_hs_url,
+            customIsUrl: is_url || config.default_is_url,
+            serverConfigVisible: (hs_url !== config.default_hs_url ||
+                                  is_url !== config.default_is_url)
+        });
+
         this.onHSChosen();
-        this.customHsUrl = config.default_hs_url;
-        this.customIsUrl = config.default_is_url;
     },
 
     getHsUrl: function() {
         if (this.state.serverConfigVisible) {
-            return this.customHsUrl;
+            return this.state.customHsUrl;
         } else {
             return config.default_hs_url;
         }
@@ -51,7 +58,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     getIsUrl: function() {
         if (this.state.serverConfigVisible) {
-            return this.customIsUrl;
+            return this.state.customIsUrl;
         } else {
             return config.default_is_url;
         }
@@ -60,7 +67,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     onServerConfigVisibleChange: function(ev) {
         this.setState({
             serverConfigVisible: ev.target.checked
-        }, this.onHsUrlChanged);
+        }, this.onHSChosen);
     },
 
     /**
@@ -77,16 +84,22 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         var newHsUrl = this.refs.serverConfig.getHsUrl().trim();
         var newIsUrl = this.refs.serverConfig.getIsUrl().trim();
 
-        if (newHsUrl == this.customHsUrl &&
-            newIsUrl == this.customIsUrl)
+        if (newHsUrl == this.state.customHsUrl &&
+            newIsUrl == this.state.customIsUrl)
         {
             return;
         }
         else {
-            this.customHsUrl = newHsUrl;
-            this.customIsUrl = newIsUrl;
+            this.setState({
+                customHsUrl: newHsUrl,
+                customIsUrl: newIsUrl,
+            });
         }
 
+        // XXX: why are we replacing the MatrixClientPeg here when we're about
+        // to do it again 1s later in the setTimeout to onHSChosen? -- matthew
+        // Commenting it out for now to see what breaks.
+        /*
         MatrixClientPeg.replaceUsingUrls(
             this.getHsUrl(),
             this.getIsUrl()
@@ -95,6 +108,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             hs_url: this.getHsUrl(),
             is_url: this.getIsUrl()
         });
+        */
+
         // XXX: HSes do not have to offer password auth, so we
         // need to update and maybe show a different component
         // when a new HS is entered.
@@ -121,7 +136,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                         <label className="mx_Login_label" htmlFor="advanced">Use custom server options (advanced)</label>
                         <div style={serverConfigStyle}>
                             <ServerConfig ref="serverConfig"
-                                defaultHsUrl={this.customHsUrl} defaultIsUrl={this.customIsUrl}
+                                defaultHsUrl={this.state.customHsUrl} defaultIsUrl={this.state.customIsUrl}
                                 onHsUrlChanged={this.onHsUrlChanged}
                             />
                         </div>
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Register.js b/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Register.js
index f3c81737a2..28ae9ffc63 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Register.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/templates/Register.js
@@ -29,15 +29,21 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'Register',
     mixins: [RegisterController],
 
-    getInitialState: function() {
-        return {
-            serverConfigVisible: false
-        };
-    },
-
     componentWillMount: function() {
-        this.customHsUrl = config.default_hs_url;
-        this.customIsUrl = config.default_is_url;
+        // TODO: factor out all localstorage stuff into its own home.
+        // This is common to Login, Register and MatrixClientPeg
+        var localStorage = window.localStorage;
+        if (localStorage) {
+            var hs_url = localStorage.getItem("mx_hs_url");
+            var is_url = localStorage.getItem("mx_is_url");
+        }
+
+        this.setState({
+            customHsUrl: hs_url || config.default_hs_url,
+            customIsUrl: is_url || config.default_is_url,
+            serverConfigVisible: (hs_url !== config.default_hs_url ||
+                                  is_url !== config.default_is_url)
+        });
     },
 
     getRegFormVals: function() {
@@ -51,7 +57,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     getHsUrl: function() {
         if (this.state.serverConfigVisible) {
-            return this.customHsUrl;
+            return this.state.customHsUrl;
         } else {
             return config.default_hs_url;
         }
@@ -59,7 +65,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     getIsUrl: function() {
         if (this.state.serverConfigVisible) {
-            return this.customIsUrl;
+            return this.state.customIsUrl;
         } else {
             return config.default_is_url;
         }
@@ -72,8 +78,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     onServerUrlChanged: function(newUrl) {
-        this.customHsUrl = this.refs.serverConfig.getHsUrl();
-        this.customIsUrl = this.refs.serverConfig.getIsUrl();
+        this.setState({
+            customHsUrl: this.refs.serverConfig.getHsUrl(),
+            customIsUrl: this.refs.serverConfig.getIsUrl(),
+        });
         this.forceUpdate();
     },
 
@@ -99,7 +107,7 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                         <label htmlFor="advanced">Use custom server options (advanced)</label>
                         <div style={serverConfigStyle}>
                         <ServerConfig ref="serverConfig"
-                            defaultHsUrl={this.customHsUrl} defaultIsUrl={this.customIsUrl}
+                            defaultHsUrl={this.state.customHsUrl} defaultIsUrl={this.state.customIsUrl}
                             onHsUrlChanged={this.onServerUrlChanged} onIsUrlChanged={this.onServerUrlChanged} />
                         </div>
                         <br />