diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/course_settings.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/course_settings.py
index a58fc9042e..d9876677d6 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/course_settings.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/course_settings.py
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ class Settings(object):
         # Load the course settings as a dictionary
         course_settings = {}
         try:
+            # TODO: this doesn't work with multicourse
             with open( settings.DATA_DIR + "/course_settings.json") as course_settings_file:
                 course_settings_string = course_settings_file.read()
             course_settings = json.loads(course_settings_string)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views.py
index f043c3bc8c..b0cc639d29 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/courseware/views.py
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ def get_course(request, course):
         if not settings.ENABLE_MULTICOURSE:
             course = "edx4edx"
         elif 'coursename' in request.session:
-            course = request.session['coursename']
+            # use multicourse_settings, so that settings.COURSE_TITLE is set properly
+            course = multicourse_settings.get_coursename_from_request(request)
         else:
             course = settings.COURSE_DEFAULT
     return course
@@ -287,6 +288,17 @@ def index(request, course=None, chapter=None, section=None,
     # keep track of current course being viewed in django's request.session
     request.session['coursename'] = course
 
+    # get default chapter & section from multicourse settings, if not provided
+    if chapter is None:
+        defchapter = multicourse_settings.get_course_default_chapter(course)
+        defsection = multicourse_settings.get_course_default_section(course)
+        if defchapter and defsection:
+            # jump there using redirect, so the user gets the right URL in their browser
+            return redirect('%s/courseware/%s/%s/%s/' % (settings.MITX_ROOT_URL,
+                                                         get_course(request, course),
+                                                         defchapter,
+                                                         defsection))
+
     chapter = clean(chapter)
     section = clean(section)
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/multicourse/multicourse_settings.py b/lms/djangoapps/multicourse/multicourse_settings.py
index 924d8448e6..5b8ca8a1bf 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/multicourse/multicourse_settings.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/multicourse/multicourse_settings.py
@@ -80,5 +80,11 @@ def get_course_number(coursename):
 
 def get_course_github_url(coursename):
     return get_course_property(coursename,'github_url')
+
+def get_course_default_chapter(coursename):
+    return get_course_property(coursename,'default_chapter')
+
+def get_course_default_section(coursename):
+    return get_course_property(coursename,'default_section')
     
 
diff --git a/lms/envs/dev_ike.py b/lms/envs/dev_ike.py
index d9ae073c24..6d4d276501 100644
--- a/lms/envs/dev_ike.py
+++ b/lms/envs/dev_ike.py
@@ -42,51 +42,67 @@ MAKO_TEMPLATES['course'] = [DATA_DIR, EDX4EDX_ROOT ]
 MITX_FEATURES['DISPLAY_HISTOGRAMS_TO_STAFF'] = False
 MITX_FEATURES['DISPLAY_EDIT_LINK'] = True
 
-COURSE_SETTINGS =  {'6.002_Spring_2012': {'number' : '6.002x',
+COURSE_SETTINGS =  {'6.002_Fall_2012': {'number' : '6.002x',
                                           'title'  :  'Circuits and Electronics',
-                                          'xmlpath': '/6002x/',
+                                          'xmlpath': '/6002x-fall-2012/',
                                           'active' : True,
+                                          'default_chapter' : 'Week_1',
+                                          'default_section' : 'Administrivia_and_Circuit_Elements',
                                           },
                     '8.02_Spring_2013': {'number' : '8.02x',
                                          'title'  : 'Electricity & Magnetism',
                                          'xmlpath': '/802x/',
                                          'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/8.02x',
                                          'active' : True,
+                                         'default_chapter' : 'Introduction',
+                                         'default_section' : 'Introduction_%28Lewin_2002%29',
                                          },
                     '6.189_Spring_2013': {'number' : '6.189x',
                                          'title'  : 'IAP Python Programming',
                                          'xmlpath': '/6.189x/',
                                          'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/6.189x',
                                          'active' : True,
+                                         'default_chapter' : 'Week_1',
+                                         'default_section' : 'Variables_and_Binding',
                                          },
                     '8.01_Fall_2012': {'number' : '8.01x',
                                          'title'  : 'Mechanics',
                                          'xmlpath': '/8.01x/',
                                          'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/8.01x',
                                          'active': True,
+                                         'default_chapter' : 'MIT_8.011_Spring_2012',
+                                         'default_section' : 'Introduction_to_the_course',
                                          },
                     'edx4edx': {'number' : 'edX.01',
                                     'title'  : 'edx4edx: edX Author Course',
                                     'xmlpath': '/edx4edx/',
                                     'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/edx4edx',
                                     'active' : True,
+                                    'default_chapter' : 'Introduction',
+                                    'default_section' : 'edx4edx_Course',
                                     },
                     '7.03x_Fall_2012': {'number' : '7.03x',
                                     'title'  : 'Genetics',
                                     'xmlpath': '/7.03x/',
                                     'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/7.03x',
                                     'active' : True,
+                                    'default_chapter' : 'Week_2',
+                                    'default_section' : 'ps1_question_1',
                                     },
                     '3.091x_Fall_2012': {'number' : '3.091x',
                                     'title'  : 'Introduction to Solid State Chemistry',
                                     'xmlpath': '/3.091x/',
                                     'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/3.091x',
                                     'active' : True,
+                                    'default_chapter' : 'Week_1',
+                                    'default_section' : 'Problem_Set_1',
                                     },
                     '18.06x_Linear_Algebra': {'number' : '18.06x',
                                     'title'  : 'Linear Algebra',
                                     'xmlpath': '/18.06x/',
                                     'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/18.06x',
+                                    'default_chapter' : 'Unit_1',
+                                    'default_section' : 'Midterm_1',
                                     'active' : True,
                                     },
                     '6.00x_Fall_2012': {'number' : '6.00x',
@@ -94,6 +110,8 @@ COURSE_SETTINGS =  {'6.002_Spring_2012': {'number' : '6.002x',
                                     'xmlpath': '/6.00x/',
                                     'github_url': 'https://github.com/MITx/6.00x',
                                     'active' : True,
+                                    'default_chapter' : 'Week_0',
+                                    'default_section' : 'Problem_Set_0',
                                     },
                     }