diff --git a/zproject/local_settings.py b/zproject/local_settings.py
index 4a4c41e18f..0b2524eb3f 100644
--- a/zproject/local_settings.py
+++ b/zproject/local_settings.py
@@ -173,3 +173,7 @@ ZULIP_ADMINISTRATOR = 'support@zulip.com'
 API_SUPER_USERS = set(["tabbott/extra@mit.edu",
                        "irc-bot@zulip.com",
                        "bot1@customer35.invalid"])
+
+ADMINS = (
+    ('Zulip Error Reports', 'errors@zulip.com'),
+)
diff --git a/zproject/settings.py b/zproject/settings.py
index abe45707e3..a36b7b7973 100644
--- a/zproject/settings.py
+++ b/zproject/settings.py
@@ -49,12 +49,6 @@ elif DEPLOYED:
 else:
     ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['localhost']
 
-ADMINS = (
-    ('Zulip Error Reports', 'errors@zulip.com'),
-)
-
-MANAGERS = ADMINS
-
 DATABASES = {"default": {
     'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
     'NAME': 'zulip',
@@ -262,6 +256,7 @@ DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {'TWITTER_CONSUMER_KEY': '',
                     'FEEDBACK_BOT': 'feedback@zulip.com',
                     'FEEDBACK_BOT_NAME': 'Zulip Feedback Bot',
                     'API_SUPER_USERS': set(),
+                    'ADMINS': '',
                     'ENABLE_FEEDBACK': True,
                     }
 
@@ -269,6 +264,10 @@ for setting_name, setting_val in DEFAULT_SETTINGS.iteritems():
     if not setting_name in vars():
         vars()[setting_name] = setting_val
 
+if ADMINS == "":
+    ADMINS = (("Zulip Administrator", ZULIP_ADMINISTRATOR),)
+MANAGERS = ADMINS
+
 # These are the settings that manage.py checkconfig will check that
 # user has filled in before starting the app.  It consists of a series
 # of pairs of (setting name, default value that it must be changed from)