diff --git a/config/config.sample.php b/config/config.sample.php
index e91ca40293d8b..8bb0fcb5c2bcd 100644
--- a/config/config.sample.php
+++ b/config/config.sample.php
@@ -500,6 +500,11 @@
  */
 'updater.server.url' => 'https://updates.nextcloud.org/server/',
 
+/**
+ * Release channel to use for updates
+ */
+'updater.release.channel' => 'stable',
+
 /**
  * Is Nextcloud connected to the Internet or running in a closed network?
  */
diff --git a/lib/private/repair.php b/lib/private/repair.php
index 098d4e7eb9369..a7c451c123938 100644
--- a/lib/private/repair.php
+++ b/lib/private/repair.php
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 use OC\Repair\CopyRewriteBaseToConfig;
 use OC\Repair\DropOldJobs;
 use OC\Repair\EncryptionCompatibility;
+use OC\Repair\MoveChannelToSystemConfig;
 use OC\Repair\OldGroupMembershipShares;
 use OC\Repair\RemoveGetETagEntries;
 use OC\Repair\SqliteAutoincrement;
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ public static function getRepairSteps() {
 			new UpdateOutdatedOcsIds(\OC::$server->getConfig()),
 			new RepairInvalidShares(\OC::$server->getConfig(), \OC::$server->getDatabaseConnection()),
 			new AvatarPermissions(\OC::$server->getDatabaseConnection()),
+			new MoveChannelToSystemConfig(\OC::$server->getConfig()),
 		];
 	}
 
diff --git a/lib/private/repair/movechanneltosystemconfig.php b/lib/private/repair/movechanneltosystemconfig.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..edc5748a6e7d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/private/repair/movechanneltosystemconfig.php
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * @copyright Copyright (c) 2016 Lukas Reschke <lukas@statuscode.ch>
+ *
+ * @license GNU AGPL version 3 or any later version
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the
+ * License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+namespace OC\Repair;
+
+use OC\Hooks\BasicEmitter;
+use OCP\IConfig;
+
+/**
+ * Class MoveChannelToSystemConfig moves the defined OC_Channel in the app config
+ * to the system config to be compatible with the Nextcloud updater.
+ *
+ * @package OC\Repair
+ */
+class MoveChannelToSystemConfig extends BasicEmitter implements \OC\RepairStep {
+	/** @var IConfig */
+	private $config;
+
+	public function __construct(IConfig $config) {
+		$this->config = $config;
+	}
+
+	public function getName() {
+		return 'Moves the stored release channel to the config file';
+	}
+
+	public function run() {
+		$channel = $this->config->getAppValue('core', 'OC_Channel', '');
+		if($channel !== '') {
+			$this->config->setSystemValue('updater.release.channel', $channel);
+			$this->config->deleteAppValue('core', 'OC_Channel');
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/private/util.php b/lib/private/util.php
index b2ef5b463e794..74a944e085051 100644
--- a/lib/private/util.php
+++ b/lib/private/util.php
@@ -384,7 +384,8 @@ public static function getEditionString() {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * @description get the update channel of the current installed of ownCloud.
+	 * Get the currently configured release channel
+	 *
 	 * @return string
 	 */
 	public static function getChannel() {
@@ -421,7 +422,7 @@ private static function loadVersion() {
 			// Allow overriding update channel
 			
 			if (\OC::$server->getSystemConfig()->getValue('installed', false)) {
-				$channel = \OC::$server->getAppConfig()->getValue('core', 'OC_Channel');
+				$channel = \OC::$server->getConfig()->getSystemValue('updater.release.channel', null);
 			} else {
 				/** @var $OC_Channel string */
 				$channel = $OC_Channel;
diff --git a/lib/public/util.php b/lib/public/util.php
index 82c8cdbca7efe..bed36e0c4bea6 100644
--- a/lib/public/util.php
+++ b/lib/public/util.php
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ public static function getVersion() {
 	 */
 	public static function setChannel($channel) {
 		//Flush timestamp to reload version.php
+		\OC::$server->getConfig()->setSystemValue('updater.release.channel', $channel);
 		\OC::$server->getSession()->set('OC_Version_Timestamp', 0);
-		\OC::$server->getAppConfig()->setValue('core', 'OC_Channel', $channel);
 	}
 	
 	/**