diff --git a/clients/desktop-shell.c b/clients/desktop-shell.c
index 7116a7d5..a6a61477 100644
--- a/clients/desktop-shell.c
+++ b/clients/desktop-shell.c
@@ -95,10 +95,10 @@ struct unlock_dialog {
 	struct desktop *desktop;
 };
 
-static char *key_background_image;
-static char *key_background_type;
-static uint32_t key_panel_color;
-static uint32_t key_background_color;
+static char *key_background_image = DATADIR "/weston/pattern.png";
+static char *key_background_type = "tile";
+static uint32_t key_panel_color = 0xaa000000;
+static uint32_t key_background_color = 0xff002244;
 static char *key_launcher_icon;
 static char *key_launcher_path;
 static void launcher_section_done(void *data);
@@ -690,11 +690,23 @@ launcher_section_done(void *data)
 	key_launcher_path = NULL;
 }
 
+static void
+add_default_launcher(struct desktop *desktop)
+{
+	struct output *output;
+
+	wl_list_for_each(output, &desktop->outputs, link)
+		panel_add_launcher(output->panel,
+				   DATADIR "/weston/terminal.png",
+				   "/usr/bin/weston-terminal");
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct desktop desktop = { 0 };
 	char *config_file;
 	struct output *output;
+	int ret;
 
 	desktop.unlock_task.run = unlock_dialog_finish;
 	wl_list_init(&desktop.outputs);
@@ -721,10 +733,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	config_file = config_file_path("weston-desktop-shell.ini");
-	parse_config_file(config_file,
-			  config_sections, ARRAY_LENGTH(config_sections),
-			  &desktop);
+	ret = parse_config_file(config_file,
+				config_sections, ARRAY_LENGTH(config_sections),
+				&desktop);
 	free(config_file);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		add_default_launcher(&desktop);
 
 	signal(SIGCHLD, sigchild_handler);
 
diff --git a/data/COPYING b/data/COPYING
index b9d6c37d..430a864d 100644
--- a/data/COPYING
+++ b/data/COPYING
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
+For the DMZ cursors:
+
 (c) 2007-2010 Novell, Inc.
 
 This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
 United States License. To view a copy of this licence, visit
 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative
 Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California 94105, USA.
+
+The terminal icon is taken from the gnome-icon-theme collection which
+is also distributed under the Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 license.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/data/Makefile.am b/data/Makefile.am
index c9193813..a05989cf 100644
--- a/data/Makefile.am
+++ b/data/Makefile.am
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ dist_westondata_DATA =				\
 	top_side.png				\
 	xterm.png				\
 	wayland.svg				\
-	$(wayland_icon_png)
+	$(wayland_icon_png)			\
+	pattern.png				\
+	terminal.png
 
 if HAVE_RSVG_CONVERT
 wayland_icon_png = wayland.png
diff --git a/data/pattern.png b/data/pattern.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ac8986d
Binary files /dev/null and b/data/pattern.png differ
diff --git a/data/terminal.png b/data/terminal.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3c02dd21
Binary files /dev/null and b/data/terminal.png differ
diff --git a/src/shell.c b/src/shell.c
index 522a2730..cf94e8e1 100644
--- a/src/shell.c
+++ b/src/shell.c
@@ -110,10 +110,9 @@ struct weston_move_grab {
 	int32_t dx, dy;
 };
 
-static int
+static void
 shell_configuration(struct wl_shell *shell)
 {
-	int ret;
 	char *config_file;
 	char *path = NULL;
 	int duration = 60;
@@ -128,13 +127,11 @@ shell_configuration(struct wl_shell *shell)
 	};
 
 	config_file = config_file_path("weston-desktop-shell.ini");
-	ret = parse_config_file(config_file, cs, ARRAY_LENGTH(cs), shell);
+	parse_config_file(config_file, cs, ARRAY_LENGTH(cs), shell);
 	free(config_file);
 
 	shell->screensaver.path = path;
 	shell->screensaver.duration = duration;
-
-	return ret;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1447,8 +1444,7 @@ shell_init(struct weston_compositor *ec)
 	wl_list_init(&shell->panels);
 	wl_list_init(&shell->screensaver.surfaces);
 
-	if (shell_configuration(shell) < 0)
-		return -1;
+	shell_configuration(shell);
 
 	if (wl_display_add_global(ec->wl_display, &wl_shell_interface,
 				  shell, bind_shell) == NULL)