diff --git a/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf b/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
index cefe3d798..70ca42791 100644
--- a/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
+++ b/Shorewall/configfiles/shorewall.conf
@@ -28,10 +28,9 @@ VERBOSITY=1
 
 ###############################################################################
 #                              C O M P I L E R
-#      (setting this to 'perl' requires installation of Shorewall-perl)
 ###############################################################################
 
-SHOREWALL_COMPILER=
+SHOREWALL_COMPILER=perl
 
 ###############################################################################
 #			       L O G G I N G
diff --git a/Shorewall/shorewall b/Shorewall/shorewall
index 28cc7c1e9..80c6b82c9 100755
--- a/Shorewall/shorewall
+++ b/Shorewall/shorewall
@@ -216,11 +216,11 @@ get_config() {
 	    perl|Perl)
 		;;
 	    shell|Shell)
-		echo "   ERROR: SHOREWALL_COMPILER=shell is no longer supported"
+		echo "   ERROR: SHOREWALL_COMPILER=shell is no longer supported" >&2
 		exit 2
 		;;
 	    *)
-		echo "   ERROR: Invalid value ($SHOREWALL_COMPILER) for SHOREWALL_COMPILER"
+		echo "   ERROR: Invalid value ($SHOREWALL_COMPILER) for SHOREWALL_COMPILER" >&2
 		exit 2
 		;;
 	esac