diff --git a/admin/settings.php b/admin/settings.php
index 3c0107d967c..9aec4ca7a44 100644
--- a/admin/settings.php
+++ b/admin/settings.php
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@ if ($data = data_submitted()) {
     } else {
         error(get_string('confirmsesskeybad', 'error'));
     }
-    //update $COURSE to match changed $SITE
+    // now update $SITE - it might have been changed
+    $SITE = get_record('course', 'id', $SITE->id);
     $COURSE = clone($SITE);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/adminlib.php b/lib/adminlib.php
index f12edf77391..f5c3cb289df 100644
--- a/lib/adminlib.php
+++ b/lib/adminlib.php
@@ -1693,10 +1693,7 @@ class admin_setting_sitesettext extends admin_setting_configtext {
         $record->id = $this->id;
         $record->{$this->name} = $data;
         $record->timemodified = time();
-        $status = update_record('course', $record) ? '' : get_string('errorsetting', 'admin') . $this->visiblename . '<br />';
-        //now update $SITE
-        global $SITE;
-        $SITE = get_record('course', 'id', $SITE->id);
+        return (update_record('course', $record) ? '' : get_string('errorsetting', 'admin') . $this->visiblename . '<br />');
     }
 
 }