diff --git a/include/networkmanager.h b/include/networkmanager.h
index 2e61291..1e1a60b 100644
--- a/include/networkmanager.h
+++ b/include/networkmanager.h
@@ -22,15 +22,16 @@ class NetworkManager : public QObject {
   Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-  NetworkManager(AOApplication *parent);
-  ~NetworkManager();
+  explicit NetworkManager(AOApplication *parent);
+  ~NetworkManager() = default;
 
   AOApplication *ao_app;
   QNetworkAccessManager *http;
   QTcpSocket *server_socket;
   QTimer *heartbeat_timer;
 
-  QString ms_baseurl = "https://servers.aceattorneyonline.com";
+  const QString DEFAULT_MS_BASEURL = "https://servers.aceattorneyonline.com";
+  QString ms_baseurl = DEFAULT_MS_BASEURL;
 
   const int heartbeat_interval = 60 * 5;
 
diff --git a/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp b/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp
index 5fd80b7..589bc92 100644
--- a/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/aooptionsdialog.cpp
@@ -382,10 +382,9 @@ AOOptionsDialog::AOOptionsDialog(QWidget *parent, AOApplication *p_ao_app)
 
   row += 1;
   ui_ms_lbl = new QLabel(ui_form_layout_widget);
-  ui_ms_lbl->setText(tr("Backup MS:"));
+  ui_ms_lbl->setText(tr("Alternate Server List:"));
   ui_ms_lbl->setToolTip(
-      tr("If the built-in server lookups fail, the game will try the "
-         "address given here and use it as a backup master server address."));
+      tr("Overrides the base URL to retrieve server information from."));
 
   ui_gameplay_form->setWidget(row, QFormLayout::LabelRole, ui_ms_lbl);
 
diff --git a/src/networkmanager.cpp b/src/networkmanager.cpp
index c1e8480..4c82385 100644
--- a/src/networkmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/networkmanager.cpp
@@ -23,15 +23,15 @@ NetworkManager::NetworkManager(AOApplication *parent) : QObject(parent)
 
   QString master_config =
       ao_app->configini->value("master", "").value<QString>();
-  if (!master_config.isEmpty())
+  if (!master_config.isEmpty() && QUrl(master_config).scheme().startsWith("http")) {
+    qInfo() << "using alternate master server" << master_config;
     ms_baseurl = master_config;
+  }
 
   connect(heartbeat_timer, &QTimer::timeout, this, &NetworkManager::send_heartbeat);
   heartbeat_timer->start(heartbeat_interval);
 }
 
-NetworkManager::~NetworkManager() {}
-
 void NetworkManager::get_server_list(const std::function<void()> &cb)
 {
   QNetworkRequest req(QUrl(ms_baseurl + "/servers"));
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ void NetworkManager::request_document(MSDocumentType document_type,
           << "Failed to get " << endpoint << " (" << reply->errorString() << ") "
           << "(http status " << http_status << ")";
       content = QString();
-    } cb(content);
+    }
+    cb(content);
     reply->deleteLater();
   });
 }
@@ -130,6 +131,9 @@ void NetworkManager::connect_to_server(server_type p_server)
   server_socket->close();
   server_socket->abort();
 
+  qInfo().nospace().noquote() << "connecting to " << p_server.ip << ":"
+                              << p_server.port;
+
   server_socket->connectToHost(p_server.ip, p_server.port);
 }