diff --git a/core/config-loader.js b/core/config-loader.js
index 9bf238264c..74575ae129 100644
--- a/core/config-loader.js
+++ b/core/config-loader.js
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ function validateConfigEnvironment() {
     }
 
     // Check that our url is valid
-    parsedUrl = url.parse(config.url || 'invalid');
-    if (!parsedUrl.protocol || !parsedUrl.host) {
+    parsedUrl = url.parse(config.url || 'invalid', false, true);
+    if (!parsedUrl.host) {
         errors.logError(new Error('Your site url in config.js is invalid.'), config.url, 'Please make sure this is a valid url before restarting');
         return when.reject();
     }
diff --git a/core/server/views/user-error.hbs b/core/server/views/user-error.hbs
index 49e1b0a5df..3d7d5d4c5c 100644
--- a/core/server/views/user-error.hbs
+++ b/core/server/views/user-error.hbs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 		<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico">
 		<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on">
 
-		<link rel="stylesheet" type='text/css' href='http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,300,700'>
+		<link rel="stylesheet" type='text/css' href='//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,300,700'>
 		<link rel="stylesheet" href="/ghost/css/screen.css">
 		{{{block "pageStyles"}}}
 	</head>