diff --git a/common.inc.php b/common.inc.php
index 171e197..ebf3a1d 100644
--- a/common.inc.php
+++ b/common.inc.php
@@ -209,7 +209,8 @@ if(is_array($nav)) {
 ?>
 <ul class="primarynav">
 <?
- /*
+//if they arent logged in, we need _some_ sort of navigation
+if(!is_array($_SESSION['roles'])) {
  if ($config['website']) {
 	if ($config['website_name']) {
 		echo "<li><a href=\"{$config['website']}\">{$config['website_name']}</a></li>";
@@ -236,6 +237,9 @@ if(is_array($nav)) {
 
  echo "<li><a href=\"{$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']}/important_dates.php\">".i18n("Important Dates").'</a></li>';
  echo $registrationconfirmationlink;
+}
+
+ /*
  echo "<li><a href=\"{$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']}/register_participants.php\">".i18n("Participant Registration").'</a></li>';
  echo "<li><a href=\"{$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']}/user_login.php?type=judge\">".i18n("Judges Registration").'</a></li>';
  if($config['volunteer_enable'] == 'yes') {
diff --git a/user.inc.php b/user.inc.php
index f297ccb..b66f132 100644
--- a/user.inc.php
+++ b/user.inc.php
@@ -759,6 +759,9 @@ function try_login($user, $pass)
 
 function user_conference_load($accounts_id,$conferences_id) {
 	global $config;
+	if(! ($accounts_id && $conferences_id))
+		return $config['SFIABDIRECTORY']."/index.php";
+
 	/* Use the active conference to find the user id to load */
 	/* FIXME: Need to be able to handle the case where there is no
 	 * active conference, but one step at a time */
diff --git a/user_login.php b/user_login.php
index 86f12a3..12dc581 100644
--- a/user_login.php
+++ b/user_login.php
@@ -108,14 +108,27 @@ if(isset($_SESSION['accounts_id'])) {
 	$val=null;
 
 	if($val=user_conference_load($accounts_id,$_SESSION['conferences_id'])) {
-		header("Location: $status");
-	}
- } else if($_GET['action']=="switchconference") {
-	 //get rid of their current roles, and load their record for the new conference
-	$_SESSION['roles']=array();
-	if($val=user_conference_load($_SESSION['accounts_id'],$_SESSION['conferences_id'])) {
 		header("Location: $val");
 	}
+	else
+		header("Location: ".$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']."/index.php");
+	exit;
+
+ } else if($_GET['action']=="switchconference") {
+	 //get rid of their current roles, and load their record for the new conference
+	 if(is_array($_SESSION['roles'])) {
+		$_SESSION['roles']=array();
+		if($val=user_conference_load($_SESSION['accounts_id'],$_SESSION['conferences_id'])) {
+			header("Location: $val");
+			exit;
+		}
+		else {
+			header("Location: ".$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']."/index.php");
+		}
+	 }
+	 else {
+		header("Location: ".$config['SFIABDIRECTORY']."/index.php");
+	 }
  } else if($_GET['action']=='logout') {
  	/* Session keys to skip on logout */
  	$skip = array('debug', 'lang', 'messages');