diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e859f5df..40577945 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 mobile/IngressIntelTC/bin
 build
+localbuildsettings.py
 *.pyc
diff --git a/build.py b/build.py
index 34cf2588..dd8b87c5 100755
--- a/build.py
+++ b/build.py
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ import shutil
 # load settings file
 from buildsettings import buildSettings
 
+# load option local settings file
+try:
+    from localbuildsettings import buildSettings as localBuildSettings
+    buildSettings.update(localBuildSettings)
+except ImportError:
+    pass
+
 
 # build name from command line
 if len(sys.argv) != 2:	# argv[0] = program, argv[1] = buildname, len=2
@@ -103,8 +110,8 @@ shutil.copytree('dist', outDir)
 # load main.js, parse, and create main total-conversion-build.user.js
 main = readfile('main.js')
 
-downloadUrl = distUrlBase + '/total-conversion-build.user.js'
-updateUrl = distUrlBase + '/total-conversion-build.meta.js'
+downloadUrl = distUrlBase and distUrlBase + '/total-conversion-build.user.js' or 'none'
+updateUrl = distUrlBase and distUrlBase + '/total-conversion-build.meta.js' or 'none'
 main = doReplacements(main,downloadUrl=downloadUrl,updateUrl=updateUrl)
 
 saveScriptAndMeta(main, os.path.join(outDir,'total-conversion-build.user.js'), os.path.join(outDir,'total-conversion-build.meta.js'))
@@ -116,8 +123,8 @@ os.mkdir(os.path.join(outDir,'plugins'))
 for fn in glob.glob("plugins/*.user.js"):
     script = readfile(fn)
 
-    downloadUrl = distUrlBase + '/' + fn.replace("\\","/")
-    updateUrl = downloadUrl.replace('.user.js', '.meta.js')
+    downloadUrl = distUrlBase and distUrlBase + '/' + fn.replace("\\","/") or 'none'
+    updateUrl = distUrlBase and downloadUrl.replace('.user.js', '.meta.js') or 'none'
     script = doReplacements(script, downloadUrl=downloadUrl, updateUrl=updateUrl)
 
     metafn = fn.replace('.user.js', '.meta.js')
diff --git a/buildsettings.py b/buildsettings.py
index 6245b574..2edefe9f 100644
--- a/buildsettings.py
+++ b/buildsettings.py
@@ -1,20 +1,30 @@
-# settings file for builds. 
+# settings file for builds.
+
+# if you want to have custom builds, copy this file to "localbuildsettings.py" and make changes there.
 
 buildSettings = {
-    'jonatkins': {
+    # local: use this build if you're not modifying external resources
+    # external resources will be loaded from the public live release
+    'local': {
         'resourceUrlBase': 'http://iitc.jonatkins.com/release',
-        'distUrlBase': 'https://secure.jonatkins.com/iitc/release',
+        'distUrlBase': None,
     },
 
-    'jonatkins-dev': {
-        'resourceUrlBase': 'http://iitc.jonatkins.com/dev',
-        'distUrlBase': 'https://secure.jonatkins.com/iitc/dev',
-    },
-
-
+    # local8000: if you need to modify external resources, this build will load them from
+    # the web server at http://0.0.0.0:8000/dist
     'local8000': {
         'resourceUrlBase': 'http://0.0.0.0:8000/dist',
-        'distUrlBase': 'http://nohost.invalid/nopath',
+        'distUrlBase': None,
     },
 
+
+    # if you want to publish your own fork of the project, and host it on your own web site
+    # create a localbuildsettings.py file containing something similar to this
+    # note: Firefox+Greasemonkey require the distUrlBase to be "https" - they won't check for updates on regular "http" URLs
+    #'example': {
+    #    'resourceBaseUrl': 'http://www.example.com/iitc/dist',
+    #    'distUrlBase': 'https://secure.example.com/iitc/dist',
+    #},
+
+
 }