diff --git a/conf/cassandra.yaml b/conf/cassandra.yaml
index 74eef746b8..c34b44d1a3 100644
--- a/conf/cassandra.yaml
+++ b/conf/cassandra.yaml
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ rpc_timeout_in_ms: 10000
 # org.apache.cassandra.locator.PropertyFileSnitch:
 #  - Proximity is determined by rack and data center, which are
 #    explicitly configured in cassandra-topology.properties.
-endpoint_snitch: org.apache.cassandra.locator.PropertyFileSnitch
+endpoint_snitch: org.apache.cassandra.locator.SimpleSnitch
 
 # dynamic_snitch -- This boolean controls whether the above snitch is
 # wrapped with a dynamic snitch, which will monitor read latencies
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/AbstractCassandraDaemon.java b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/AbstractCassandraDaemon.java
index 6a57826eca..823ddabb96 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/AbstractCassandraDaemon.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/cassandra/service/AbstractCassandraDaemon.java
@@ -55,11 +55,6 @@ import org.apache.cassandra.utils.Mx4jTool;
  */
 public abstract class AbstractCassandraDaemon implements CassandraDaemon
 {
-    public AbstractCassandraDaemon()
-    {
-        StorageService.instance.registerDaemon(this);
-    }
-
     //Initialize logging in such a way that it checks for config changes every 10 seconds.
     static
     {
@@ -183,6 +178,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractCassandraDaemon implements CassandraDaemon
         SystemTable.purgeIncompatibleHints();
 
         // start server internals
+        StorageService.instance.registerDaemon(this);
         try
         {
             StorageService.instance.initServer();