diff --git a/cmd/origin_serve.go b/cmd/origin_serve.go
index 16ec364b3..884a6b989 100644
--- a/cmd/origin_serve.go
+++ b/cmd/origin_serve.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -355,6 +356,29 @@ func checkDefaults() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Check that OriginUrl is defined in the config file. Make sure it parses.
+	// Fail if either condition isn't met, although note that url.Parse doesn't
+	// generate errors for many things that are not recognizable urls.
+	originUrlStr := viper.GetString("OriginUrl")
+	if originUrlStr == "" {
+		return errors.New("OriginUrl must be configured to serve an origin")
+	}
+	originUrlParsed, err := url.Parse(originUrlStr)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "Could not parse the provided OriginUrl")
+	}
+
+	if originUrlParsed.Port() == "" {
+		// No port was specified, let's tack on whatever was passed in the
+		// command line argument
+		viper.Set("OriginUrl", originUrlParsed.String()+":"+viper.GetString("WebPort"))
+	} else if originUrlParsed.Port() != viper.GetString("WebPort") {
+		// The web port configured via the config file and the webport configured
+		// via commandline don't match. Perhaps the user is confused?
+		return errors.New("Mismatched webports: from command line: " + viper.GetString("WebPort") +
+			", from config file: " + originUrlParsed.Port() + ". Please ensure these match")
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/origin_ui/advertise.go b/origin_ui/advertise.go
index d9d02b7ed..91df7e897 100644
--- a/origin_ui/advertise.go
+++ b/origin_ui/advertise.go
@@ -57,13 +57,16 @@ func AdvertiseOrigin() error {
 	if name == "" {
 		return errors.New("Origin name isn't set")
 	}
+
 	// TODO: waiting on a different branch to merge origin URL generation
-	originUrl := "https://localhost:8444"
+	// The checkdefaults func that runs before the origin is served checks for and
+	// parses the originUrl, so it should be safe to just grab it as a string here.
+	originUrl := viper.GetString("OriginUrl")
 
 	// Here we instantiate the namespaceAd slice, but we still need to define the namespace
 	namespaceUrl, err := url.Parse(viper.GetString("NamespaceUrl"))
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.New("Bad namespaceUrl")
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "Bad NamespaceUrl")
 	}
 	if namespaceUrl.String() == "" {
 		return errors.New("No NamespaceUrl is set")