diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 23113dfd71..d8a906e06a 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ const float MIRROR_REARVIEW_DISTANCE = 0.65f;
 const float MIRROR_REARVIEW_BODY_DISTANCE = 2.3f;
 
 const QString CHECK_VERSION_URL = "http://highfidelity.io/latestVersion.xml";
+const QString SKIP_FILENAME = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::DataLocation) + "/hifi.skipversion";
 
 void messageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext& context, const QString &message) {
     QString messageWithNewLine = message + "\n";
@@ -202,8 +203,6 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, timeval &startup_time) :
     setOrganizationName(applicationInfo.value("organizationName").toString());
     setOrganizationDomain(applicationInfo.value("organizationDomain").toString());
     
-    checkVersion();
-    
     qDebug("[VERSION] Build sequence: %s\n", applicationVersion().toStdString().c_str());
 
     _settings = new QSettings(this);
@@ -262,7 +261,8 @@ Application::Application(int& argc, char** argv, timeval &startup_time) :
 
     // Set the sixense filtering
     _sixenseManager.setFilter(Menu::getInstance()->isOptionChecked(MenuOption::FilterSixense));
-
+    
+    checkVersion();
 }
 
 Application::~Application() {
@@ -4367,31 +4367,28 @@ void Application::updateLocalOctreeCache(bool firstTime) {
 
 void Application::checkVersion() {
     QUrl url(CHECK_VERSION_URL);
-    QNetworkAccessManager *downloadXML = new QNetworkAccessManager(this);
-    QNetworkRequest request(url);
-    connect(downloadXML, SIGNAL(finished(QNetworkReply*)), this, SLOT(parseVersionXml(QNetworkReply*)));
-    downloadXML->get(request);
+    QNetworkRequest latestVersionRequest(url);
+    latestVersionRequest.setAttribute(QNetworkRequest::CacheLoadControlAttribute, QNetworkRequest::PreferCache);
+    _latestVersionReply = getNetworkAccessManager()->get(latestVersionRequest);
+    
+    connect(_latestVersionReply, SIGNAL(readyRead()), SLOT(parseVersionXml()));
 }
 
-void Application::parseVersionXml(QNetworkReply *reply) {
-    QString *operatingSystem;
+void Application::parseVersionXml() {
     
     #ifdef Q_OS_WIN32
-    operatingSystem = new QString("win");
+    QString operatingSystem("win");
     #endif
     
     #ifdef Q_OS_MAC
-    operatingSystem = new QString("mac");
+    QString operatingSystem("mac");
     #endif
     
     QString releaseDate;
     QString releaseNotes;
     QString latestVersion;
-    QUrl downloadURL;
     
-    QWidget *updateDialog;
-    
-    QXmlStreamReader xml(reply);
+    QXmlStreamReader xml(_latestVersionReply);
     while (!xml.atEnd() && !xml.hasError()) {
         QXmlStreamReader::TokenType token = xml.readNext();
         
@@ -4410,36 +4407,28 @@ void Application::parseVersionXml(QNetworkReply *reply) {
             }
             if (xml.name() == operatingSystem) {
                 xml.readNext();
-                downloadURL = QUrl(xml.text().toString());
+                _downloadUrl = QUrl(xml.text().toString());
             }
         }
     }
     
     if (!shouldSkipVersion(latestVersion) && applicationVersion() != latestVersion) {
-        updateDialog = new UpdateDialog(_glWidget, releaseNotes, latestVersion, downloadURL);
+        new UpdateDialog(_glWidget, releaseNotes, latestVersion, _downloadUrl);
     }
+    
+    delete _latestVersionReply;
 }
 
 bool Application::shouldSkipVersion(QString latestVersion) {
-    QString fileName = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::DataLocation);
-    fileName.append(QString("/hifi.skipversion"));
-    QFile skipFile(fileName);
+    QFile skipFile(SKIP_FILENAME);
     skipFile.open(QIODevice::ReadWrite);
-    QByteArray skipFileContents = skipFile.readAll();
-    QString skipVersion(skipFileContents);
-    skipFile.close();
-    if (skipVersion == latestVersion || applicationVersion() == "dev") {
-        return true;
-    }
-    return false;
+    QString skipVersion(skipFile.readAll());
+    return (skipVersion == latestVersion /*|| applicationVersion() == "dev"*/);
 }
 
 void Application::skipVersion(QString latestVersion) {
-    QString fileName = QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::DataLocation);
-    fileName.append(QString("/hifi.skipversion"));
-    QFile skipFile(fileName);
+    QFile skipFile(SKIP_FILENAME);
     skipFile.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly|QIODevice::Truncate);
     skipFile.seek(0);
     skipFile.write(latestVersion.toStdString().c_str());
-    skipFile.close();
 }
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index acb2901452..86a162e835 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ public:
     /// set a voxel which is to be rendered with a highlight
     void setHighlightVoxel(const VoxelDetail& highlightVoxel) { _highlightVoxel = highlightVoxel; }
     void setIsHighlightVoxel(bool isHighlightVoxel) { _isHighlightVoxel = isHighlightVoxel; }
+    
+    QUrl _downloadUrl;
 
 public slots:
     void domainChanged(const QString& domainHostname);
@@ -251,7 +253,7 @@ private slots:
     void shrinkMirrorView();
     void resetSensors();
     
-    void parseVersionXml(QNetworkReply *reply);
+    void parseVersionXml();
 
 private:
     void resetCamerasOnResizeGL(Camera& camera, int width, int height);
@@ -503,6 +505,7 @@ private:
     void displayUpdateDialog();
     bool shouldSkipVersion(QString latestVersion);
     void skipVersion(QString latestVersion);
+    QNetworkReply* _latestVersionReply;
 };
 
 #endif /* defined(__interface__Application__) */
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.cpp b/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.cpp
index 2fd03a48f2..5ee6cd6812 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.cpp
@@ -19,17 +19,18 @@
 #include "SharedUtil.h"
 #include "UpdateDialog.h"
 
-UpdateDialog::UpdateDialog(QWidget *parent, QString releaseNotes, QString latestVersion, QUrl downloadURL) : QDialog(parent, Qt::Dialog) {
+UpdateDialog::UpdateDialog(QWidget *parent, QString releaseNotes, QString latestVersion, QUrl downloadURL) :
+    QDialog(parent, Qt::Dialog) {
+    
     Application* application = Application::getInstance();
     
     QUiLoader updateDialogLoader;
     
     QFile updateDialogUi("resources/ui/updateDialog.ui");
     updateDialogUi.open(QFile::ReadOnly);
-    _dialogWidget = updateDialogLoader.load(&updateDialogUi, parent);
-    updateDialogUi.close();
+    _dialogWidget = updateDialogLoader.load(&updateDialogUi, this);
     
-    const QString updateRequired = QString("You are currently running build %1, the latest build released is %2. \
+    QString updateRequired = QString("You are currently running build %1, the latest build released is %2. \
                                            Please download and install the most recent release to access the latest features and bug fixes.")
                                            .arg(application->applicationVersion(), latestVersion);
     
@@ -43,22 +44,22 @@ UpdateDialog::UpdateDialog(QWidget *parent, QString releaseNotes, QString latest
     
     updateContent->setText(updateRequired);
     
-    connect(downloadButton, SIGNAL(released()), this, SLOT(handleDownload(QUrl downloadURL)));
+    connect(downloadButton, SIGNAL(released()), this, SLOT(handleDownload()));
     connect(skipButton, SIGNAL(released()), this, SLOT(handleSkip()));
     connect(closeButton, SIGNAL(released()), this, SLOT(handleClose()));
     _dialogWidget->show();
 }
 
-void UpdateDialog::handleDownload(QUrl downloadURL) {
+void UpdateDialog::handleDownload() {
     Application* application = Application::getInstance();
-    QDesktopServices::openUrl(downloadURL);
+    QDesktopServices::openUrl(application->_downloadUrl);
     application->quit();
 }
 
 void UpdateDialog::handleSkip() {
-    this->_dialogWidget->close();
+    this->close();
 }
 
 void UpdateDialog::handleClose() {
-    this->_dialogWidget->close();
+    this->close();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.h b/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.h
index 04973620e6..690d0a9f0d 100644
--- a/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.h
+++ b/interface/src/ui/UpdateDialog.h
@@ -18,13 +18,13 @@ class UpdateDialog : public QDialog {
     Q_OBJECT
     
 public:
-    UpdateDialog(QWidget*, QString releaseNotes, QString latestVersion, QUrl downloadURL);
+    UpdateDialog(QWidget* parent, QString releaseNotes, QString latestVersion, QUrl downloadURL);
     
 private:
     QWidget* _dialogWidget;
     
 private slots:
-    void handleDownload(QUrl downloadURL);
+    void handleDownload();
     void handleSkip();
     void handleClose();
 };