diff --git a/include/vere/vere.h b/include/vere/vere.h
index 79baaf16f..093982ceb 100644
--- a/include/vere/vere.h
+++ b/include/vere/vere.h
@@ -606,7 +606,7 @@
         c3_c*   raf_c;                      //  -r, raft flotilla
         c3_o    has;                        //  -S, Skip battery hashes
         c3_o    git;                        //  -s, pill url from arvo git hash
-        c3_o    etn;                        //  -t, use snapshot exclusively to boot
+        c3_o    etn;                        //  -t, trust snapshot for pre-boot
         c3_c*   url_c;                      //  -u, pill url
         c3_o    vno;                        //  -V, replay without reboots
         c3_o    veb;                        //  -v, verbose (inverse of -q)
diff --git a/vere/dawn.c b/vere/dawn.c
index 607175525..368d91384 100644
--- a/vere/dawn.c
+++ b/vere/dawn.c
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ u3_dawn_vent(u3_noun seed)
   //
   c3_c* url_c = ( 0 != u3_Host.ops_u.eth_c ) ?
     u3_Host.ops_u.eth_c :
-    "https://ropsten.infura.io/v3/196a7f37c7d54211b4a07904ec73ad87";
+    "https://mainnet.infura.io/v3/196a7f37c7d54211b4a07904ec73ad87";
 
   //  pin block number
   //
diff --git a/vere/main.c b/vere/main.c
index c908e9ccd..727a8525b 100644
--- a/vere/main.c
+++ b/vere/main.c
@@ -218,18 +218,6 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
 
   c3_t imp_t = ( (0 != u3_Host.ops_u.who_c) && (4 == strlen(u3_Host.ops_u.who_c)) );
 
-  if ( u3_Host.ops_u.ets_c == 0 && c3y == u3_Host.ops_u.etn ) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "can't trust Ethereum snapshot without specifying "
-                    "snapshot with -E\n");
-    return c3n;
-  }
-
-  if ( (0 == u3_Host.ops_u.fak_c) && (0 == u3_Host.ops_u.eth_c) && imp_t ) {
-    fprintf(stderr, "can't create a new galaxy without specifying "
-                    "the Ethereum gateway with -e\n");
-    return c3n;
-  }
-
   if ( u3_Host.ops_u.gen_c != 0 && u3_Host.ops_u.nuu == c3n ) {
     fprintf(stderr, "-G only makes sense when bootstrapping a new instance\n");
     return c3n;
@@ -283,6 +271,10 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
     return c3n;
   }
 
+  if ( u3_Host.ops_u.eth_c == 0 && imp_t ) {
+    u3_Host.ops_u.eth_c = "http://eth-mainnet.urbit.org:8545";
+  }
+
   if ( u3_Host.ops_u.sap_c == 0 && u3_Host.ops_u.can == c3n ) {
 
     u3_Host.ops_u.sap_c =