diff --git a/include/econfig-spec.h b/include/econfig-spec.h
index c0352022..78055d38 100644
--- a/include/econfig-spec.h
+++ b/include/econfig-spec.h
@@ -291,6 +291,8 @@ EMPCFBOTH("trade_ally_cut", trade_ally_cut, float, NSC_FLOAT, 0,
 EMPCF_COMMENT("\n\n### Misc.")
 EMPCFBOTH("anno_keep_days", anno_keep_days, int, NSC_INT, KM_INTERNAL,
 	  "How long until announcements expire (<0 means never)")
+EMPCFBOTH("news_keep_days", news_keep_days, int, NSC_INT, KM_INTERNAL,
+	  "How long until news expire")
 EMPCFBOTH("fuel_mult", fuel_mult, int, NSC_INT, 0,
     "Multiplier for fuel to mobility calculation")
 EMPCFBOTH("lost_items_timeout", lost_items_timeout, int, NSC_INT, KM_INTERNAL,
diff --git a/include/news.h b/include/news.h
index c48a8013..ffd21d6f 100644
--- a/include/news.h
+++ b/include/news.h
@@ -157,8 +157,6 @@ struct rptstr {
 #define N_TELE          11
 #define	N_MAX_PAGE	11
 
-#define	NEWS_PERIOD	days(10)
-
 #define getnews(n, p) \
 	ef_read(EF_NEWS, n, p)
 #define putnews(n, p) \
diff --git a/src/lib/global/constants.c b/src/lib/global/constants.c
index 4cd8964a..f89c110b 100644
--- a/src/lib/global/constants.c
+++ b/src/lib/global/constants.c
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ int sect_mob_neg_factor = 2;	/* ETU/neg_factor = negative amount of mobility
 				   a sector has after being taken */
 
 int anno_keep_days = 7;		/* How long until annos expire (<0 never) */
+int news_keep_days = 10;	/* How long until news expire (<0 never) */
 int lost_items_timeout = 172800;	/* How long before removing from database */
 
 double combat_mob = 5.0;	/* how much mob do units spend for combat? */
diff --git a/src/lib/subs/nreport.c b/src/lib/subs/nreport.c
index 5907276f..264e5c80 100644
--- a/src/lib/subs/nreport.c
+++ b/src/lib/subs/nreport.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "file.h"
 #include "empio.h"
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include "optlist.h"
 #include "prototypes.h"
 
 static void filereport(int, int, int, int);
@@ -105,13 +106,11 @@ addfree(int n)
 static void
 findfree(void)
 {
-    register time_t oldnewstime;
-    register int n;
+    time_t oldnewstime;
+    int n;
     struct nwsstr news;
-    time_t newstime;
 
-    (void)time(&newstime);
-    oldnewstime = newstime - NEWS_PERIOD;
+    oldnewstime = time(NULL) - days(news_keep_days);
     for (n = 0; getnews(n, &news); n++) {
 	if (news.nws_when < oldnewstime)
 	    addfree(n);