diff --git a/deluge/main.py b/deluge/main.py
index 5e065e60b..b087ffef4 100644
--- a/deluge/main.py
+++ b/deluge/main.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import sys
 from optparse import OptionParser
 
 import deluge.common
+import deluge.configmanager
 
 def start_ui():
     """Entry point for ui script"""
@@ -58,10 +59,22 @@ def start_ui():
         help="Set the log level: none, info, warning, error, critical, debug", action="store", type="str")
     parser.add_option("-q", "--quiet", dest="quiet",
         help="Sets the log level to 'none', this is the same as `-L none`", action="store_true", default=False)
+    parser.add_option("-s", "--set-default-ui", dest="default_ui",
+        help="Sets the default UI to be run when no UI is specified", action="store", type="str")
 
     # Get the options and args from the OptionParser
     (options, args) = parser.parse_args()
 
+    if options.default_ui:
+        if options.config:
+            deluge.configmanager.set_config_dir(options.config)
+
+        config = deluge.configmanager.ConfigManager("ui.conf")
+        config["default_ui"] = options.default_ui
+        config.save()
+        print "The default UI has been changed to", options.default_ui
+        sys.exit(0)
+
     if options.quiet:
         options.loglevel = "none"
 
diff --git a/deluge/ui/ui.py b/deluge/ui/ui.py
index 5f4ac949a..a27a98e22 100644
--- a/deluge/ui/ui.py
+++ b/deluge/ui/ui.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 # 	Boston, MA    02110-1301, USA.
 #
 
-
+import sys
 import deluge.configmanager
 
 from deluge.log import LOG as log
@@ -48,19 +48,19 @@ class UI:
         config.save()
         del config
 
-        if selected_ui == "gtk":
-            log.info("Starting GtkUI..")
-            from deluge.ui.gtkui.gtkui import GtkUI
-            ui = GtkUI(args)
-        elif selected_ui == "web":
-            log.info("Starting WebUI..")
-            from deluge.ui.webui.webui import WebUI
-            ui = WebUI(args)
-        elif selected_ui == "null":
-            log.info("Starting NullUI..")
-            from deluge.ui.null.deluge_shell import NullUI
-            ui = NullUI(args)
-        elif selected_ui == "console":
-            log.info("Starting ConsoleUI..")
-            from deluge.ui.console.main import ConsoleUI
-            ui = ConsoleUI(ui_args).run()
+        try:
+            if selected_ui == "gtk":
+                log.info("Starting GtkUI..")
+                from deluge.ui.gtkui.gtkui import GtkUI
+                ui = GtkUI(args)
+            elif selected_ui == "web":
+                log.info("Starting WebUI..")
+                from deluge.ui.webui.webui import WebUI
+                ui = WebUI(args)
+            elif selected_ui == "console":
+                log.info("Starting ConsoleUI..")
+                from deluge.ui.console.main import ConsoleUI
+                ui = ConsoleUI(ui_args).run()
+        except ImportError:
+            log.error("Unable to find the requested UI.  Please select a different UI with the '-u' option or alternatively use the '-s' option to select a different default UI.")
+            sys.exit(0)