diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
index fdb4d9b..dc9b2fd 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: Application.java,v 1.18 2004/07/26 22:57:03 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Application.java,v 1.19 2004/07/26 23:27:46 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.getdown.data;
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public class Application
         public String name;
 
         /** The dimensions of the progress bar. */
-        public Rectangle progress;
+        public Rectangle progress = new Rectangle(5, 5, 300, 15);
 
         /** The color of the progress text. */
         public Color progressText = Color.black;
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class Application
         public Color progressBar = new Color(0x6699CC);
 
         /** The dimensions of the status display. */
-        public Rectangle status;
+        public Rectangle status = new Rectangle(5, 25, 300, 100);
 
         /** The color of the status text. */
         public Color statusText = Color.black;
@@ -276,12 +276,12 @@ public class Application
         // parse and return our application config
         UpdateInterface ui = new UpdateInterface();
         ui.name = (String)cdata.get("ui.name");
-        ui.progress = parseRect(cdata, "ui.progress");
+        ui.progress = parseRect(cdata, "ui.progress", ui.progress);
         ui.progressText = parseColor(
             cdata, "ui.progress_text", ui.progressText);
         ui.progressBar = parseColor(
             cdata, "ui.progress_bar", ui.progressBar);
-        ui.status = parseRect(cdata, "ui.progress");
+        ui.status = parseRect(cdata, "ui.status", ui.status);
         ui.statusText = parseColor(cdata, "ui.status_text", ui.statusText);
         ui.textShadow = parseColor(cdata, "ui.text_shadow", ui.textShadow);
         ui.background = (String)cdata.get("ui.background");
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ public class Application
     }
 
     /** Used to parse rectangle specifications from the config file. */
-    protected Rectangle parseRect (HashMap cdata, String name)
+    protected Rectangle parseRect (HashMap cdata, String name, Rectangle def)
     {
         String value = (String)cdata.get(name);
         if (!StringUtil.blank(value)) {
@@ -661,11 +661,11 @@ public class Application
                             value + "'.");
             }
         }
-        return null;
+        return def;
     }
 
     /** Used to parse color specifications from the config file. */
-    protected Color parseColor (HashMap cdata, String name, Color defcolor)
+    protected Color parseColor (HashMap cdata, String name, Color def)
     {
         String value = (String)cdata.get(name);
         if (!StringUtil.blank(value)) {
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ public class Application
                             value + "'.");
             }
         }
-        return defcolor;
+        return def;
     }
 
     protected File _appdir;
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
index 2a44843..330ae5a 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 //
-// $Id: Getdown.java,v 1.18 2004/07/26 22:57:03 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Getdown.java,v 1.19 2004/07/26 23:27:46 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.getdown.launcher;
 
 import java.awt.BorderLayout;
 import java.awt.EventQueue;
-import java.awt.Rectangle;
 import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
 
 import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
@@ -261,18 +260,12 @@ public class Getdown extends Thread
             return;
         }
 
-        Rectangle ppos = (_ifc.progress == null) ? DEFAULT_PPOS : _ifc.progress;
-        Rectangle spos = (_ifc.status == null) ? DEFAULT_STATUS : _ifc.status;
-        Rectangle bounds = ppos.union(spos);
-        bounds.grow(5, 5);
-
         // if we have a background image, load it up
         BufferedImage bgimg = null;
         if (!StringUtil.blank(_ifc.background)) {
             File bgpath = _app.getLocalPath(_ifc.background);
             try {
                 bgimg = ImageIO.read(bgpath);
-                bounds.setRect(0, 0, bgimg.getWidth(), bgimg.getHeight());
             } catch (IOException ioe) {
                 Log.warning("Failed to read UI background [path=" + bgpath +
                             ", error=" + ioe + "].");
@@ -288,7 +281,7 @@ public class Getdown extends Thread
             _frame.getContentPane().removeAll();
         }
         _frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
-        _status = new StatusPanel(_msgs, bounds, bgimg, ppos, spos, _ifc);
+        _status = new StatusPanel(_msgs, _ifc, bgimg);
         _frame.getContentPane().add(_status, BorderLayout.CENTER);
         _frame.pack();
         SwingUtil.centerWindow(_frame);
@@ -373,9 +366,4 @@ public class Getdown extends Thread
 
     protected static final int MAX_LOOPS = 5;
     protected static final long MIN_EXIST_TIME = 5000L;
-
-    protected static final Rectangle DEFAULT_PPOS =
-        new Rectangle(5, 5, 300, 15);
-    protected static final Rectangle DEFAULT_STATUS =
-        new Rectangle(5, 25, 300, 100);
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java
index db746d2..f0b9224 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/StatusPanel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: StatusPanel.java,v 1.11 2004/07/26 22:57:03 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: StatusPanel.java,v 1.12 2004/07/26 23:27:46 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.getdown.launcher;
 
@@ -31,16 +31,19 @@ import com.threerings.getdown.data.Application.UpdateInterface;
  */
 public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
 {
-    public StatusPanel (ResourceBundle msgs, Rectangle bounds,
-                        BufferedImage bgimg, Rectangle ppos, Rectangle spos,
-                        UpdateInterface ifc)
+    public StatusPanel (ResourceBundle msgs, UpdateInterface ifc,
+                        BufferedImage bgimg)
     {
         _msgs = msgs;
-        _bgimg = bgimg;
-        _psize = new Dimension(bounds.width, bounds.height);
-        _ppos = ppos;
-        _spos = spos;
         _ifc = ifc;
+        _bgimg = bgimg;
+        if (bgimg == null) {
+            Rectangle bounds = ifc.progress.union(ifc.status);
+            bounds.grow(5, 5);
+            _psize = bounds.getSize();
+        } else {
+            _psize = new Dimension(bgimg.getWidth(), bgimg.getHeight());
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
     {
         status = xlate(status);
         _newlab = new Label(status, _ifc.statusText, _font);
-        _newlab.setTargetWidth(_spos.width);
+        _newlab.setTargetWidth(_ifc.status.width);
         if (_ifc.textShadow != null) {
             _newlab.setAlternateColor(_ifc.textShadow);
             _newlab.setStyle(Label.SHADOW);
@@ -131,13 +134,15 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
         }
 
         gfx.setColor(_ifc.progressBar);
-        gfx.fillRect(_ppos.x, _ppos.y, _progress * _ppos.width / 100,
-                     _ppos.height);
+        gfx.fillRect(_ifc.progress.x, _ifc.progress.y,
+                     _progress * _ifc.progress.width / 100,
+                     _ifc.progress.height);
 
         if (_plabel != null) {
-            int xmarg = (_ppos.width - _plabel.getSize().width)/2;
-            int ymarg = (_ppos.height - _plabel.getSize().height)/2;
-            _plabel.render(gfx, _ppos.x + xmarg, _ppos.y + ymarg);
+            int xmarg = (_ifc.progress.width - _plabel.getSize().width)/2;
+            int ymarg = (_ifc.progress.height - _plabel.getSize().height)/2;
+            _plabel.render(gfx, _ifc.progress.x + xmarg,
+                           _ifc.progress.y + ymarg);
         }
 
         if (_label != null) {
@@ -145,12 +150,14 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
             // want to align the label with the bottom of its region
             // rather than the top
             int ly;
-            if (_spos.y > _ppos.y) {
-                ly = _spos.y;
+            if (_ifc.status.y > _ifc.progress.y) {
+                ly = _ifc.status.y;
             } else {
-                ly = _spos.y + (_spos.height - _label.getSize().height);
+                ly = _ifc.status.y + (_ifc.status.height -
+                                      _label.getSize().height);
             }
-            _label.render(gfx, _spos.x, ly);
+            System.out.println("Rendering " + _ifc.status + "/" + ly);
+            _label.render(gfx, _ifc.status.x, ly);
         }
 
         SwingUtil.restoreAntiAliasing(gfx, oalias);
@@ -224,7 +231,6 @@ public class StatusPanel extends JComponent
 
     protected BufferedImage _bgimg;
     protected Dimension _psize;
-    protected Rectangle _ppos, _spos;
 
     protected ResourceBundle _msgs;