diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/init.go b/cmd/ipfs/init.go
index fc21f2bc142e44fd7d04bf61d2dfca96872ebe7b..18fbaa134e0e9122e9b93b27c83a90e2985e3f3d 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/init.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/init.go
@@ -136,10 +136,7 @@ func initCmd(c *commander.Command, inp []string) error {
 	}
 
 	// tracking ipfs version used to generate the init folder and adding update checker default setting.
-	cfg.Version = config.Version{
-		Check:   "error",
-		Current: updates.Version,
-	}
+	cfg.Version = config.VersionDefaultValue()
 
 	err = config.WriteConfigFile(filename, cfg)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/config/version.go b/config/version.go
index bbdcece3af437dceb1d12e01aef53e0029375086..feb354b189e2937de332b905585f5c52311655e3 100644
--- a/config/version.go
+++ b/config/version.go
@@ -127,8 +127,18 @@ func RecordUpdateCheck(cfg *Config, filename string) {
 
 	if cfg.Version.CheckPeriod == "" {
 		// CheckPeriod was not initialized for some reason (e.g. config file broken)
-		cfg.Version.CheckPeriod = strconv.Itoa(int(defaultCheckPeriod))
+		log.Error("config.Version.CheckPeriod not set. config broken?")
 	}
 
 	WriteConfigFile(filename, cfg)
 }
+
+// VersionDefaultValue returns the default version config value (for init).
+func VersionDefaultValue() Version {
+	return Version{
+		Current:     CurrentVersionNumber,
+		Check:       "error",
+		CheckPeriod: strconv.Itoa(int(defaultCheckPeriod)),
+		AutoUpdate:  AutoUpdateMinor,
+	}
+}