diff --git a/src/main/java/org/nrg/xnat/security/XnatInitCheckFilter.java b/src/main/java/org/nrg/xnat/security/XnatInitCheckFilter.java
index cd2826f9b4c75d8918e599d4894842864aefc73e..1960e057270a5954e951e0ea662ac613953b4f9c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/nrg/xnat/security/XnatInitCheckFilter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/nrg/xnat/security/XnatInitCheckFilter.java
@@ -10,25 +10,23 @@
  */
 package org.nrg.xnat.security;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.List;
+import org.nrg.xdat.XDAT;
+import org.nrg.xdat.security.helpers.Roles;
+import org.nrg.xft.security.UserI;
+import org.nrg.xnat.utils.XnatHttpUtils;
+import org.springframework.jdbc.core.JdbcTemplate;
+import org.springframework.web.filter.GenericFilterBean;
 
+import javax.inject.Inject;
 import javax.servlet.FilterChain;
 import javax.servlet.ServletException;
 import javax.servlet.ServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.ServletResponse;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
-
-import org.nrg.xdat.XDAT;
-import org.nrg.xdat.om.ArcArchivespecification;
-import org.nrg.xdat.security.helpers.Roles;
-import org.nrg.xdat.turbine.utils.TurbineUtils;
-import org.nrg.xft.security.UserI;
-import org.nrg.xnat.turbine.utils.ArcSpecManager;
-import org.nrg.xnat.utils.XnatHttpUtils;
-import org.springframework.web.filter.GenericFilterBean;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
 
 public class XnatInitCheckFilter extends GenericFilterBean {
 
@@ -37,11 +35,11 @@ public class XnatInitCheckFilter extends GenericFilterBean {
         final HttpServletRequest request = (HttpServletRequest) req;
         final HttpServletResponse response = (HttpServletResponse) res;
 
-        // MIGRATION: Get rid of the arcspec!!!
-        final ArcArchivespecification arcSpec = ArcSpecManager.GetInstance();
-
-        if (arcSpec != null && arcSpec.isComplete()) {
-            //If arc spec has already been set, do not redirect.
+        // In this case, the count of siteUrl is a proxy for whether the system has been initialized.
+        @SuppressWarnings({"SqlDialectInspection", "SqlNoDataSourceInspection"})
+        final boolean initialized = _template.queryForObject("select count(*) from xhbm_preference p, xhbm_tool t where t.tool_id = 'siteConfig' and p.tool = t.id and p.name = 'siteUrl';", Integer.class) > 0;
+        if (initialized) {
+            // If the site URL has already been set, do not redirect.
             chain.doFilter(req, res);
         } else {
             final UserI user = XDAT.getUserDetails();
@@ -50,7 +48,8 @@ public class XnatInitCheckFilter extends GenericFilterBean {
             if (user == null) {
                 String header = request.getHeader("Authorization");
                 if (header != null && header.startsWith("Basic ") && !uri.contains(_initializationPath)) {
-                    //Users that authenticated using basic authentication receive an error message informing them that the arc spec is not set.
+                    // Users that authenticated using basic authentication receive an error message informing
+                    // them that the system is not yet initialized.
                     response.sendError(HttpServletResponse.SC_FORBIDDEN, "Site has not yet been configured.");
                     return;
                 }
@@ -66,25 +65,20 @@ public class XnatInitCheckFilter extends GenericFilterBean {
                 // the request is not for another page (preventing the user from navigating away from the Configuration page via the menu bar).
                 chain.doFilter(req, res);
             } else {
-                try {
-                    if(user == null) {
-                	// user not authenticated, let another filter handle the redirect
-                	// (NB: I tried putting this check up with the basic auth check, 
-                	// but you get this weird redirect with 2 login pages on the same screen.  Seems to work here).
-                        chain.doFilter(req, res);
+                if(user == null) {
+                // user not authenticated, let another filter handle the redirect
+                // (NB: I tried putting this check up with the basic auth check,
+                // but you get this weird redirect with 2 login pages on the same screen.  Seems to work here).
+                    chain.doFilter(req, res);
+                } else {
+                    final String serverPath = XnatHttpUtils.getServerRoot(request);
+                    if (Roles.isSiteAdmin(user)) {
+                        //Otherwise, if the user has administrative permissions, direct the user to the configuration page.
+                        response.sendRedirect(serverPath + _configurationPath);
                     } else {
-                        final String serverPath = XnatHttpUtils.getServerRoot(request);
-                        if (Roles.isSiteAdmin(user)) {
-                            //Otherwise, if the user has administrative permissions, direct the user to the configuration page.
-                            response.sendRedirect(serverPath + _configurationPath);
-                        } else {
-                            //The arc spec is not set but the user does not have administrative permissions. Direct the user to an error page.
-                            response.sendRedirect(serverPath + _nonAdminErrorPath);
-                        }
+                        //The system is not initialized but the user does not have administrative permissions. Direct the user to an error page.
+                        response.sendRedirect(serverPath + _nonAdminErrorPath);
                     }
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    logger.error("Error checking user role in the Arc Spec Filter.", e);
-                    response.sendRedirect(TurbineUtils.GetFullServerPath() + _nonAdminErrorPath);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -116,6 +110,9 @@ public class XnatInitCheckFilter extends GenericFilterBean {
         return false;
     }
 
+    @Inject
+    private JdbcTemplate _template;
+
     private String _initializationPath = "";
     private String _configurationPath = "";
     private String _nonAdminErrorPath = "";