diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Accounting.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Accounting.pm
index ae8e1764d..23ec1bf0b 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Accounting.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Accounting.pm
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ sub process_accounting_rule( ) {
 	$rule .= do_ipsec( $dir , $ipsec );
     }
 
+    fatal_error "$chain is not an accounting chain" unless $chainref->{accounting};
+    
     $restriction = $dir eq 'in' ? INPUT_RESTRICT : OUTPUT_RESTRICT if $dir;
 
     expand_rule
diff --git a/docs/NewRelease.xml b/docs/NewRelease.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..020c5b21b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/NewRelease.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN"
+"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd">
+<article>
+  <!--$Id$-->
+
+  <articleinfo>
+    <title>Shorewall Release Model</title>
+
+    <authorgroup>
+      <author>
+        <firstname>Tom</firstname>
+
+        <surname>Eastep</surname>
+      </author>
+    </authorgroup>
+
+    <pubdate><?dbtimestamp format="Y/m/d"?></pubdate>
+
+    <copyright>
+      <year>2011</year>
+
+      <holder>Thomas M. Eastep</holder>
+    </copyright>
+
+    <legalnotice>
+      <para>Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
+      document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version
+      1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with
+      no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover, and with no Back-Cover
+      Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled
+      <quote><ulink url="GnuCopyright.htm">GNU Free Documentation
+      License</ulink></quote>.</para>
+    </legalnotice>
+  </articleinfo>
+
+  <section>
+    <title>Identification</title>
+
+    <para>Shorewall releases are identified by three numbers separated by
+    periods (e.g., 4.4.16). The first two digits (e.g., 4.4) specify the
+    <firstterm>major release number</firstterm>. The third numbere (e.g., 16)
+    is the <firstterm>minor release number</firstterm>.</para>
+  </section>
+
+  <section>
+    <title>Release Schedule</title>
+
+    <para>Traditionally, major releases have occurred roughly every two years,
+    but as Shorewall has matured, new enhancements are routinely released in
+    minor releases. Minor releases occur every 4 to 6 weeks.</para>
+
+    <para>If a defect is discovered in a minor release for which there is no
+    easy workaround or which can affect a large number of users, a
+    <firstterm>bug-fix</firstterm> or <firstterm>point</firstterm> release is
+    made.</para>
+
+    <para>New minor and point releases are announced on the <ulink
+    url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-announce">Shorewall
+    Announcements mailing list</ulink> and on the <ulink
+    url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-users">Shorewall
+    Users mailing list</ulink>. Current release information is also available
+    on the <ulink url="http://shorewall.net">Shorewall Home
+    Page</ulink>.</para>
+  </section>
+
+  <section>
+    <title>Beta Releases and Release Candidates</title>
+
+    <para>Beta releases have their three-number identifaction follow by
+    "-Beta<emphasis>N</emphasis>" (e.g., 4.4.17-Beta3). Beta releases are made
+    approximately weekly and are announced on the <ulink
+    url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-devel">Shorewall
+    Development mailing list</ulink> and on the <ulink
+    url="https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/shorewall-users">Shorewall
+    Users mailing list</ulink>.</para>
+
+    <para>At the point where the new features in a release are frozen, the
+    Beta releases give way to <firstterm>release candidates</firstterm>. These
+    have the three-number identification followed by
+    "-RC<emphasis>N</emphasis>" (e.g., 4.4.17-RC1). They are announced in the
+    same way as the betas.</para>
+  </section>
+</article>