diff --git a/files/etc/init.d/local b/files/etc/init.d/local
index 8f2354a4..12255f66 100755
--- a/files/etc/init.d/local
+++ b/files/etc/init.d/local
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ boot() {
   fi
   /usr/local/bin/usb_passthrough "${usbvalue}"
 
-  # package repositorys
+  # package repositories
   local repos="core base arednpackages packages luci routing telephony"
   set -- $repos
   while [ -n "$1" ]; do
@@ -95,4 +95,11 @@ boot() {
     fi
     shift
   done
+
+  # set local alerts if available
+  local alertslocalpath=$(uci -q get aredn.@alerts[0].localpath)
+  if [ -z "$alertslocalpath" ]; then
+      uci -q add aredn alerts
+      uci -q commit aredn
+  fi
 }
diff --git a/files/usr/local/bin/aredn_message.sh b/files/usr/local/bin/aredn_message.sh
index 91e297f5..c0d66edc 100755
--- a/files/usr/local/bin/aredn_message.sh
+++ b/files/usr/local/bin/aredn_message.sh
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ ping -q -W10 -c1 downloads.arednmesh.org > /dev/null &&
   [ -f /tmp/aredn_message ] && 
   rm /tmp/aredn_message
 
+nodename=$(echo "$HOSTNAME" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
 
 if [ $online = "true" ] 
 then
   # fetch node specific message file
   # nodename=$(echo "$HOSTNAME" | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z')
-  nodename=$(echo "$HOSTNAME" | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z')
   wget -q -O aredn_message -P /tmp http://downloads.arednmesh.org/messages/"${nodename}".txt
   echo "<strong>(${nodename}):</strong>"|cat - /tmp/aredn_message > /tmp/out && mv /tmp/out /tmp/aredn_message
   if [ $? -ne 0 ] # no node specific file
@@ -62,3 +62,28 @@ then
   fi
 fi
 
+# are local alerts enabled?   uci:  aredn.alerts.localpath != NULL
+#
+alertslocalpath=$(uci -q get aredn.@alerts[0].localpath)
+if [ ! -z "$alertslocalpath" ]; then
+  # fetch node specific message file
+  wget -q -O local_message -P /tmp "${alertslocalpath}/${nodename}".txt
+  echo "<strong>(LOCAL ${nodename}):</strong>"|cat - /tmp/local_message > /tmp/out && mv /tmp/out /tmp/local_message
+  if [ $? -ne 0 ] # no node specific file
+  then
+    # fetch broadcast message file
+    wget -q -O local_message -P /tmp "${alertslocalpath}/all.txt"
+    echo "<strong>(LOCAL QST):</strong>"|cat - /tmp/local_message > /tmp/out && mv /tmp/out /tmp/local_message
+  else
+    # need to append to node file
+    wget -q -O local_message_all -P /tmp "${alertslocalpath}/all.txt" &&
+      echo "<strong>(LOCAL QST):</strong>"|cat - /tmp/local_message_all > /tmp/out && mv /tmp/out /tmp/local_message_all
+      echo "<br />" >> /tmp/local_message;
+      [ -f /tmp/local_message_all ] && 
+      cat /tmp/local_message_all >> /tmp/local_message && 
+      rm /tmp/local_message_all;
+  fi
+fi
+
+
+
diff --git a/files/www/cgi-bin/advancedconfig b/files/www/cgi-bin/advancedconfig
index 76a5911d..16f8b8d3 100755
--- a/files/www/cgi-bin/advancedconfig
+++ b/files/www/cgi-bin/advancedconfig
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 =for comment
 
   Part of AREDN -- Used for creating Amateur Radio Emergency Data Networks
-  Copyright (C) 2018 - Darryl Quinn
+  Copyright (C) 2020 - Darryl Quinn
    See Contributors file for additional contributors
 
   Copyright (c) 2013 David Rivenburg et al. BroadBand-HamNet
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ push @setting, {
   desc => "Value doesn't matter.  Will attempt to pull any AREDN Alert messages.",
   postcallback => "aam_refresh()"
 };
+push @setting, {
+  key => "aredn.\@alerts[0].localpath", 
+  type => "string", 
+  desc => "Specifies the URL of the location from which local AREDN Alerts can be downloaded.", 
+  default => ""
+};
 
 # ----------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/files/www/cgi-bin/perlfunc.pm b/files/www/cgi-bin/perlfunc.pm
index c17470f0..220eaa28 100644
--- a/files/www/cgi-bin/perlfunc.pm
+++ b/files/www/cgi-bin/perlfunc.pm
@@ -1908,6 +1908,7 @@ sub alert_banner
 {
   # if /tmp/aredn_message file exists, then read and set $aredn_message to contents
   $aredn_message = `cat /tmp/aredn_message` if( -f "/tmp/aredn_message");
+  $local_message = `cat /tmp/local_message` if( -f "/tmp/local_message");
 
   print "<div class=\"TopBanner\">";
 
@@ -1927,6 +1928,7 @@ sub alert_banner
     }
   }
   print "<div style=\"padding:5px;background-color:#FFFF00;border:1px solid #ccc;width:600px;\"><strong>AREDN Alert(s):</strong><br /><div style=\"text-align:left;\">$aredn_message</div></div>\n" if $aredn_message;
+  print "<div style=\"padding:5px;background-color:#FFFF00;border:1px solid #ccc;width:600px;\"><strong>Local Alert(s):</strong><br /><div style=\"text-align:left;\">$local_message</div></div>\n" if $local_message;
 
   #TopBanner
   print "</div>";