diff --git a/app/controllers/changeset_controller.rb b/app/controllers/changeset_controller.rb
index b905ae663..9b09549d0 100644
--- a/app/controllers/changeset_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/changeset_controller.rb
@@ -348,8 +348,10 @@ class ChangesetController < ApplicationController
     # support 'bbox' param or alternatively 'minlon', 'minlat' etc	  
     if params['bbox']
        bbox = params['bbox']
-    elsif params['minlon'] and params['minlat'] and params['maxlon'] and params['maxlat']	    
+    elsif params['minlon'] and params['minlat'] and params['maxlon'] and params['maxlat']
        bbox = params['minlon'] + ',' + params['minlat'] + ',' + params['maxlon'] + ',' + params['maxlat']
+    else
+      redirect_to :action => 'list'
     end
        
     conditions = conditions_bbox(bbox);
diff --git a/app/views/changeset/list.rhtml b/app/views/changeset/list.rhtml
index 0edd951ce..aa0d92758 100644
--- a/app/views/changeset/list.rhtml
+++ b/app/views/changeset/list.rhtml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <h1>Recent Changes</h1>
+<p>Recently closed changesets:</p>
 
-Recently closed changesets:
 <table id="keyvalue" cellpadding="3">
   <tr>
     <th>ID</th>
@@ -16,4 +16,4 @@ Recently closed changesets:
 <p>
 For more changesets, select a user and view their edits, or see the editing 'history' of a specific area.
 </p>
-<br>	
+
diff --git a/app/views/changeset/list_bbox.rhtml b/app/views/changeset/list_bbox.rhtml
index f1d8633f0..4f90d185b 100644
--- a/app/views/changeset/list_bbox.rhtml
+++ b/app/views/changeset/list_bbox.rhtml
@@ -33,18 +33,6 @@ Changsets within the area:
 
 <%= render :partial => 'changeset_paging_nav' %>
 
-<%
-	end
-
-else 
-	#bbox is nil. happens if the user surfs to this page directly.
-%>
-
-<p>No area specified</p>
-<p>First use the <a href="/" title="view the map">view tab</a> to pan and zoom to an area of interest, then click the history tab</p>
-
-<%
-end
-%>
+<% end %>
 <br>
 <br>