diff --git a/management/daemon.py b/management/daemon.py
index b48b9030..ced39d59 100755
--- a/management/daemon.py
+++ b/management/daemon.py
@@ -402,23 +402,19 @@ def backup_status():
 	from backup import backup_status
 	return json_response(backup_status(env))
 
-@app.route('/system/privacy/enable', methods=["POST"])
+@app.route('/system/privacy', methods=["GET"])
 @authorized_personnel_only
-def privacy_status_enable():
-	config = utils.load_settings()
-	config["PRIVACY"] = 'True'
-	utils.write_settings(config)
+def privacy_status_get():
+	config = utils.load_settings(env)
+	return json_response(config.get("privacy", True))
 
-	return "Ok"
-
-@app.route('/system/privacy/disable', methods=["POST"])
+@app.route('/system/privacy', methods=["POST"])
 @authorized_personnel_only
-def privacy_status_disable():
-	config = utils.load_settings()
-	config["PRIVACY"] = 'False'
-	utils.write_settings(config)
-
-	return "Ok"
+def privacy_status_set():
+	config = utils.load_settings(env)
+	config["privacy"] = (request.form.get('value') == "private")
+	utils.write_settings(config, env)
+	return "OK"
 
 # MUNIN
 
diff --git a/management/status_checks.py b/management/status_checks.py
index 2e227cc3..e5df11f1 100755
--- a/management/status_checks.py
+++ b/management/status_checks.py
@@ -820,15 +820,18 @@ def get_latest_miab_version():
 	return re.search(b'TAG=(.*)', urllib.request.urlopen("https://mailinabox.email/bootstrap.sh?ping=1").read()).group(1).decode("utf8")
 
 def check_miab_version(env, output):
+	config = load_settings(env)
 
-	config = load_settings()
-
-	if config['PRIVACY'] == 'True':
-		output.print_warning("Mail-in-a-Box version check disabled.")
-	elif what_version_is_this(env) != get_latest_miab_version():
-		output.print_error("Mail-in-a-Box is outdated. To find the latest version and for upgrade instructions, see https://mailinabox.email/. ")
+	if config.get("privacy", True):
+		output.print_warning("Mail-in-a-Box version check disabled by privacy setting.")
 	else:
-		output.print_ok("Mail-in-a-Box is up to date. You are running version %s." % what_version_is_this(env))
+		this_ver = what_version_is_this(env)
+		latest_ver = get_latest_miab_version()
+		if this_ver == latest_ver:
+			output.print_ok("Mail-in-a-Box is up to date. You are running version %s." % this_ver)
+		else:
+			output.print_error("A new version of Mail-in-a-Box is available. You are running version %s. The latest version is %s. For upgrade instructions, see https://mailinabox.email. "
+				% (this_ver, latest_ver))
 
 def run_and_output_changes(env, pool, send_via_email):
 	import json
diff --git a/management/templates/system-status.html b/management/templates/system-status.html
index 3e71e5e2..9fe9d08e 100644
--- a/management/templates/system-status.html
+++ b/management/templates/system-status.html
@@ -34,8 +34,20 @@
   font-family: monospace;
   white-space: pre-wrap;
 }
+
+#system-privacy-setting {
+  float: right;
+  max-width: 20em;
+  margin-bottom: 1em;
+}
 </style>
 
+<div id="system-privacy-setting" style="display: none">
+	<div><a onclick="return enable_privacy(!current_privacy_setting)" href="#"><span>Enable/Disable</span> New-Version Check</a></div>
+	<p style="line-height: 125%"><small>(When enabled, status checks phone-home to check for a new release of Mail-in-a-Box.)</small></p>
+</div>
+
+
 <table id="system-checks" class="table" style="max-width: 60em">
   <thead>
   </thead>
@@ -43,13 +55,21 @@
   </tbody>
 </table>
 
-<h4>Privacy Setting</h4>
-<p>By deactivating the advanced privacy feature your Mail-in-a-Box will contact a remote server to check if a new version got released.</p>
-<p>Advanced Privacy <a onclick="enable_privacy()" href="">On</a> | <a onclick="disable_privacy()" href="">Off</a></p>
-
 <script>
 function show_system_status() {
   $('#system-checks tbody').html("<tr><td colspan='2' class='text-muted'>Loading...</td></tr>")
+
+  api(
+    "/system/privacy",
+    "GET",
+    { },
+    function(r) {
+      current_privacy_setting = r;
+      $('#system-privacy-setting').show();
+      $('#system-privacy-setting a span').text(r ? "Enable" : "Disable");
+      $('#system-privacy-setting p').toggle(r);
+    });
+
   api(
     "/system/status",
     "POST",
@@ -86,17 +106,20 @@ function show_system_status() {
         }
       }
     })
+
 }
-function enable_privacy() {
+
+var current_privacy_setting = null;
+function enable_privacy(status) {
   api(
-    "/system/privacy/enable",
-    "Post",
-    { });
-}
-function disable_privacy() {
-  api(
-    "/system/privacy/disable",
-    "Post",
-    { });
+    "/system/privacy",
+    "POST",
+    {
+      value: (status ? "private" : "off")
+    },
+    function(res) {
+      show_system_status();
+    });
+  return false; // disable link
 }
 </script>
diff --git a/management/utils.py b/management/utils.py
index 0fcb3bf2..b19f9721 100644
--- a/management/utils.py
+++ b/management/utils.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os.path
+import rtyaml
 
-CONF_DIR = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../conf")
+# THE ENVIRONMENT FILE AT /etc/mailinabox.conf
 
 def load_environment():
     # Load settings from /etc/mailinabox.conf.
@@ -13,33 +14,29 @@ def load_env_vars_from_file(fn):
     for line in open(fn): env.setdefault(*line.strip().split("=", 1))
     return env
 
-# Settings
-settings_root = os.path.join(load_environment()["STORAGE_ROOT"], '/')
-default_settings = {
-	"PRIVACY": 'TRUE'
-}
-
-def write_settings(newconfig):
-	with open(os.path.join(settings_root, 'settings.yaml'), "w") as f:
-		f.write(rtyaml.dump(newconfig))
-
-def load_settings():
-    try:
-        config = rtyaml.load(open(os.path.join(settings_root, 'settings.yaml'), "w"))
-        if not isinstance(config, dict): raise ValueError() # caught below
-    except:
-        return default_settings
-
-        merged_config = default_settings.copy()
-        merged_config.update(config)
-
-        return config
-
 def save_environment(env):
     with open("/etc/mailinabox.conf", "w") as f:
         for k, v in env.items():
             f.write("%s=%s\n" % (k, v))
 
+# THE SETTINGS FILE AT STORAGE_ROOT/settings.yaml.
+
+def write_settings(config, env):
+    fn = os.path.join(env['STORAGE_ROOT'], 'settings.yaml')
+    with open(fn, "w") as f:
+        f.write(rtyaml.dump(config))
+
+def load_settings(env):
+    fn = os.path.join(env['STORAGE_ROOT'], 'settings.yaml')
+    try:
+        config = rtyaml.load(open(fn, "r"))
+        if not isinstance(config, dict): raise ValueError() # caught below
+        return config
+    except:
+        return { }
+
+# UTILITIES
+
 def safe_domain_name(name):
     # Sanitize a domain name so it is safe to use as a file name on disk.
     import urllib.parse