diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt
index a64ecaef..8a48f2b4 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Kobalt.kt
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ public class Kobalt {
 
         private val KOBALT_PROPERTIES = "kobalt.properties"
         private val PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION = "kobalt.version"
-        private val PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMEOUT = "kobalt.version.check_timeout"  // ISO-8601
+        private val PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMEOUT = "kobalt.version.checkTimeout"  // ISO-8601
 
         /** kobalt.properties */
         private val kobaltProperties: Properties by lazy { readProperties() }
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ public class Kobalt {
         }
 
         val version = kobaltProperties.getProperty(PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION)
-        val versionCheckTimeout = Duration.parse(kobaltProperties.getProperty(PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMEOUT))
+        val versionCheckTimeout = Duration.parse(
+                kobaltProperties.getProperty(PROPERTY_KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMEOUT) ?: "P1D2H")
 
         fun findPlugin(name: String) = Plugins.findPlugin(name)
     }
diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/build/VersionCheckTimestampFile.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/build/VersionCheckTimestampFile.kt
index ecb23bd6..ea0ff924 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/build/VersionCheckTimestampFile.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/build/VersionCheckTimestampFile.kt
@@ -7,17 +7,16 @@ import java.time.Instant
 class VersionCheckTimestampFile {
     companion object {
         private val KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMESTAMP_FILE = "versionCheckTimestamp.txt"
-        private val checkTimestampFile = File(KFiles.KOBALT_DOT_DIR, KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMESTAMP_FILE)
+        private val CHECK_TIMESTAMP_FILE = File(KFiles.KOBALT_DOT_DIR, KOBALT_VERSION_CHECK_TIMESTAMP_FILE)
 
-        fun updateTimestamp(timestamp: Instant) = KFiles.saveFile(checkTimestampFile, timestamp.toString())
+        fun updateTimestamp(timestamp: Instant) = KFiles.saveFile(CHECK_TIMESTAMP_FILE, timestamp.toString())
 
-        fun getTimestamp(): Instant {
-            return if(checkTimestampFile.exists())
-                Instant.parse(checkTimestampFile.readText())
-            else {
+        val timestamp : Instant
+            get() = if (CHECK_TIMESTAMP_FILE.exists()) {
+                Instant.parse(CHECK_TIMESTAMP_FILE.readText())
+            } else {
                 updateTimestamp(Instant.MIN)
                 Instant.MIN
             }
-        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/app/UpdateKobalt.kt b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/app/UpdateKobalt.kt
index 488c0d30..5bc0d72c 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/app/UpdateKobalt.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/app/UpdateKobalt.kt
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ public class UpdateKobalt @Inject constructor(val github: GithubApi, val wrapper
      * Accepts Future<String> as `latestVersionFuture` to allow getting `latestVersion` in the background
      * */
     fun checkForNewVersion(latestVersionFuture: Future<String>) {
-        if(Kobalt.versionCheckTimeout
-                > Duration.between(VersionCheckTimestampFile.getTimestamp(), Instant.now()))
+        if (Kobalt.versionCheckTimeout > Duration.between(VersionCheckTimestampFile.timestamp, Instant.now())) {
             return  // waits `Kobalt.versionCheckTimeout` before the next check
+        }
 
         try {
             val latestVersionString = latestVersionFuture.get()
diff --git a/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties b/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties
index 182ef21c..0f994c0b 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties
+++ b/src/main/resources/kobalt.properties
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 kobalt.version=0.401
-kobalt.version.check_timeout=P1DT2H