diff --git a/src/test/settings-test.js b/src/test/settings-test.js
index b7ad338fc..b56d620e7 100644
--- a/src/test/settings-test.js
+++ b/src/test/settings-test.js
@@ -54,16 +54,8 @@ describe('Settings', function () {
             });
         });
 
-        it('can get default app_autoupdate_pattern', function (done) {
-            settings.getAppAutoupdatePattern(function (error, pattern) {
-                expect(error).to.be(null);
-                expect(pattern).to.be('00 15 1,3,5,23 * * *');
-                done();
-            });
-        });
-
-        it('can get default box_autoupdate_pattern', function (done) {
-            settings.getBoxAutoupdatePattern(function (error, pattern) {
+        it('can get default autoupdate_pattern', function (done) {
+            settings.getAutoupdatePattern(function (error, pattern) {
                 expect(error).to.be(null);
                 expect(pattern).to.be('00 00 1,3,5,23 * * *');
                 done();
@@ -119,8 +111,7 @@ describe('Settings', function () {
             settings.getAll(function (error, allSettings) {
                 expect(error).to.be(null);
                 expect(allSettings[settings.TIME_ZONE_KEY]).to.be.a('string');
-                expect(allSettings[settings.APP_AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_KEY]).to.be.a('string');
-                expect(allSettings[settings.BOX_AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_KEY]).to.be.a('string');
+                expect(allSettings[settings.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_KEY]).to.be.a('string');
                 expect(allSettings[settings.CLOUDRON_NAME_KEY]).to.be.a('string');
                 expect(allSettings[settings.UNSTABLE_APPS_KEY]).to.be.a('boolean');
                 done();
diff --git a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
index 19b460fb9..0cbdfa72d 100644
--- a/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
+++ b/src/test/updatechecker-test.js
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ var USER_0 = {
     permissions: null
 };
 
+const ADMIN_DOMAIN = 'updatechecker-test.example.com';
+
 const DOMAIN_0 = {
     domain: 'example.com',
     zoneName: 'example.com',
@@ -78,11 +80,12 @@ describe('updatechecker - box - manual (email)', function () {
             database.initialize,
             database._clear,
             settings._setApiServerOrigin.bind(null, 'http://localhost:4444'),
+            settings.setAdminLocation.bind(null, ADMIN_DOMAIN, 'my.' + ADMIN_DOMAIN),
             cron.startJobs,
             domains.add.bind(null, DOMAIN_0.domain, DOMAIN_0, AUDIT_SOURCE),
             settings.setAdminLocation.bind(null, DOMAIN_0.domain, 'my.' + DOMAIN_0.domain),
             users.createOwner.bind(null, USER_0.username, USER_0.password, USER_0.email, USER_0.displayName, AUDIT_SOURCE),
-            settings.setBoxAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, constants.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_NEVER),
+            settings.setAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, constants.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_NEVER),
             settingsdb.set.bind(null, settings.CLOUDRON_TOKEN_KEY, 'atoken'),
         ], done);
     });
@@ -252,7 +255,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - manual (email)', function () {
             settings.setAdminLocation.bind(null, DOMAIN_0.domain, 'my.' + DOMAIN_0.domain),
             users.createOwner.bind(null, USER_0.username, USER_0.password, USER_0.email, USER_0.displayName, AUDIT_SOURCE),
             appdb.add.bind(null, APP_0.id, APP_0.appStoreId, APP_0.manifest, APP_0.location, APP_0.domain, apps._translatePortBindings(APP_0.portBindings, APP_0.manifest), APP_0),
-            settings.setAppAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, constants.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_NEVER),
+            settings.setAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, constants.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_NEVER),
             settingsdb.set.bind(null, settings.CLOUDRON_TOKEN_KEY, 'atoken'),
         ], done);
     });
@@ -267,7 +270,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - manual (email)', function () {
             .query({ boxVersion: constants.VERSION, accessToken: 'atoken', appId: APP_0.appStoreId, appVersion: APP_0.manifest.version, automatic: false })
             .reply(204, { } );
 
-        updatechecker.checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
+        updatechecker._checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
             expect(!error).to.be.ok();
             expect(updatechecker.getUpdateInfo().apps).to.eql({});
             expect(scope.isDone()).to.be.ok();
@@ -284,7 +287,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - manual (email)', function () {
             .query({ boxVersion: constants.VERSION, accessToken: 'atoken', appId: APP_0.appStoreId, appVersion: APP_0.manifest.version, automatic: false })
             .reply(500, { update: { manifest: { version: '1.0.0', changelog: '* some changes' } } } );
 
-        updatechecker.checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
+        updatechecker._checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
             expect(!error).to.be.ok();
             expect(updatechecker.getUpdateInfo().apps).to.eql({});
             expect(scope.isDone()).to.be.ok();
@@ -301,7 +304,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - manual (email)', function () {
             .query({ boxVersion: constants.VERSION, accessToken: 'atoken', appId: APP_0.appStoreId, appVersion: APP_0.manifest.version, automatic: false })
             .reply(200, { manifest: { version: '2.0.0', changelog: '* some changes' } } );
 
-        updatechecker.checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
+        updatechecker._checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
             expect(!error).to.be.ok();
             expect(updatechecker.getUpdateInfo().apps).to.eql({ 'appid-0': { manifest: { version: '2.0.0', changelog: '* some changes' }, unstable: false } });
             expect(scope.isDone()).to.be.ok();
@@ -313,7 +316,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - manual (email)', function () {
     it('does not offer old version', function (done) {
         nock.cleanAll();
 
-        updatechecker.checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
+        updatechecker._checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
             expect(!error).to.be.ok();
             expect(updatechecker.getUpdateInfo().apps).to.eql({ });
             checkMails(0, done);
@@ -361,7 +364,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic (no email)', function () {
             settings.setAdminLocation.bind(null, DOMAIN_0.domain, 'my.' + DOMAIN_0.domain),
             users.createOwner.bind(null, USER_0.username, USER_0.password, USER_0.email, USER_0.displayName, AUDIT_SOURCE),
             appdb.add.bind(null, APP_0.id, APP_0.appStoreId, APP_0.manifest, APP_0.location, APP_0.domain, apps._translatePortBindings(APP_0.portBindings, APP_0.manifest), APP_0),
-            settings.setAppAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, '00 00 1,3,5,23 * * *'),
+            settings.setAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, '00 00 1,3,5,23 * * *'),
             settingsdb.set.bind(null, settings.CLOUDRON_TOKEN_KEY, 'atoken'),
         ], done);
     });
@@ -376,7 +379,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic (no email)', function () {
             .query({ boxVersion: constants.VERSION, accessToken: 'atoken', appId: APP_0.appStoreId, appVersion: APP_0.manifest.version, automatic: false })
             .reply(200, { manifest: { version: '2.0.0', changelog: 'c' } } );
 
-        updatechecker.checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
+        updatechecker._checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
             expect(!error).to.be.ok();
             expect(updatechecker.getUpdateInfo().apps).to.eql({ 'appid-0': { manifest: { version: '2.0.0', changelog: 'c' }, unstable: false } });
             expect(scope.isDone()).to.be.ok();
@@ -426,7 +429,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic free (email)', function () {
             settings.setAdminLocation.bind(null, DOMAIN_0.domain, 'my.' + DOMAIN_0.domain),
             users.createOwner.bind(null, USER_0.username, USER_0.password, USER_0.email, USER_0.displayName, AUDIT_SOURCE),
             appdb.add.bind(null, APP_0.id, APP_0.appStoreId, APP_0.manifest, APP_0.location, APP_0.domain, apps._translatePortBindings(APP_0.portBindings, APP_0.manifest), APP_0),
-            settings.setAppAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, '00 00 1,3,5,23 * * *'),
+            settings.setAutoupdatePattern.bind(null, '00 00 1,3,5,23 * * *'),
             settingsdb.set.bind(null, settings.CLOUDRON_TOKEN_KEY, 'atoken'),
         ], done);
     });
@@ -441,7 +444,7 @@ describe('updatechecker - app - automatic free (email)', function () {
             .query({ boxVersion: constants.VERSION, accessToken: 'atoken', appId: APP_0.appStoreId, appVersion: APP_0.manifest.version, automatic: false })
             .reply(200, { manifest: { version: '2.0.0', changelog: 'c' } } );
 
-        updatechecker.checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
+        updatechecker._checkAppUpdates({ automatic: false }, function (error) {
             expect(!error).to.be.ok();
             expect(updatechecker.getUpdateInfo().apps).to.eql({ 'appid-0': { manifest: { version: '2.0.0', changelog: 'c' }, unstable: false } });
             expect(scope.isDone()).to.be.ok();
diff --git a/src/updatechecker.js b/src/updatechecker.js
index 97cac6f31..52a952128 100644
--- a/src/updatechecker.js
+++ b/src/updatechecker.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ exports = module.exports = {
     resetUpdateInfo,
     resetAppUpdateInfo,
 
-    _setUpdateInfo: setUpdateInfo
+    _setUpdateInfo: setUpdateInfo,
+    _checkAppUpdates: checkAppUpdates
 };
 
 var apps = require('./apps.js'),
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ function checkAppUpdates(options, callback) {
     var oldState = loadState();
     var newState = { };  // create new state so that old app ids are removed
 
-    settings.getAppAutoupdatePattern(function (error, result) {
+    settings.getAutoupdatePattern(function (error, result) {
         if (error) return callback(error);
         const autoupdatesEnabled = (result !== constants.AUTOUPDATE_PATTERN_NEVER);
 
@@ -175,13 +176,13 @@ function checkForUpdates(options, callback) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
     assert.strictEqual(typeof callback, 'function');
 
-    checkBoxUpdates(options, function (error) {
-        if (error) debug('checkForUpdates: error checking for box updates:', error);
+    checkBoxUpdates(options, function (boxError) {
+        if (boxError) debug('checkForUpdates: error checking for box updates:', boxError);
 
-        checkAppUpdates(options, function (error) {
-            if (error) debug('checkForUpdates: error checking for app updates:', error);
+        checkAppUpdates(options, function (appError) {
+            if (appError) debug('checkForUpdates: error checking for app updates:', appError);
 
-            callback();
+            callback(boxError || appError || null);
         });
     });