diff --git a/snap/hooks/configure b/snap/hooks/configure
index fa0bb1d7f..f51eff1dd 100644
--- a/snap/hooks/configure
+++ b/snap/hooks/configure
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
+#
+# This hook reads snap options set via `snap set`, writes them to
+# landscape-client.conf, and then unsets them.
+# The landscape-client.conf file is the single source of truth,
+# snap options are transient inputs only.
 
 import os
 import subprocess
@@ -6,14 +11,11 @@ import subprocess
 from landscape.client.deployment import Configuration
 
 
-def _snapctl(action, setting):
-    snapctl = subprocess.run(
-        ["snapctl", action, setting],
-        capture_output=True,
-        text=True,
-    )
+def _snapctl(*args):
+    snapctl = subprocess.run(["snapctl", *args], capture_output=True, text=True)
     return snapctl.stdout
 
+
 def update_ssl_cert(cert: str) -> str | None:
     cert_path = os.path.join(os.getenv("SNAP_COMMON"), "etc/ssl/certs")
     if not os.path.isdir(cert_path):
@@ -28,12 +30,13 @@ def update_ssl_cert(cert: str) -> str | None:
 config = Configuration()
 config.load([])
 
+# Each entry in config_entries maps a snap option to a landscape
+# config key, with an optional mapping applied to the value.
 config_entries = [
-    # (snapctl key, landscape client config key, mapping function)
     ("account-name", "account_name", None),
     ("computer-title", "computer_title", None),
-    ("landscape-url", "url", lambda url: f"{url}/message-system"),
-    ("landscape-ping-url", "ping_url", lambda url: f"{url}/ping"),
+    ("url", "url", None),
+    ("ping-url", "ping_url", None),
     ("ssl-public-key", "ssl_public_key", update_ssl_cert),
     ("log-level", "log_level", None),
     ("script-users", "script_users", None),
@@ -51,8 +54,15 @@ config_entries = [
     ("cloud", "cloud", None),
 ]
 
+# Deprecated keys kept for backward compatibility.
+# New keys take precedence.
+legacy_config_entries = [
+    ("landscape-url", "url", lambda url: f"{url}/message-system"),
+    ("landscape-ping-url", "ping_url", lambda url: f"{url}/ping"),
+]
+
 changed = set()
-for snapctl_key, landscape_key, mapping_fn in config_entries:
+for snapctl_key, landscape_key, mapping_fn in [*legacy_config_entries, *config_entries]:
     value = _snapctl("get", snapctl_key).strip()
     if not value:
         # empty, value has not changed
@@ -66,7 +76,6 @@ for snapctl_key, landscape_key, mapping_fn in config_entries:
 
 config.write()
 
-# unset the values from snapctl so that in the next run
-#  we know what has changed
-# the landscape-client.conf file is still the main source of truth
-_snapctl("unset", " ".join(changed))
+# Unset changed keys so that on the next run we know what has changed.
+if changed:
+    _snapctl("unset", *changed)
diff --git a/snap/hooks/default-configure b/snap/hooks/default-configure
index d5a6c60a3..bac3a7198 100644
--- a/snap/hooks/default-configure
+++ b/snap/hooks/default-configure
@@ -6,14 +6,19 @@ _access_group=$(snapctl get access-group)
 _account=$(snapctl get account-name)
 _registration_key=$(snapctl get registration-key)
 _title=$(snapctl get computer-title)
-_url=$(snapctl get landscape-url)
+_url=$(snapctl get url)
+_ping_url=$(snapctl get ping-url)
 _log_level=$(snapctl get log-level)
 _script_users=$(snapctl get script-users)
 _manager_plugins=$(snapctl get manager-plugins)
 _monitor_plugins=$(snapctl get monitor-plugins)
 
 if [ -z "$_url" ]; then
-  _url="https://landscape.canonical.com"
+  _url="https://landscape.canonical.com/message-system"
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$_ping_url" ]; then
+  _ping_url="http://landscape.canonical.com/ping"
 fi
 
 if [ -z "$_log_level" ]; then
@@ -36,8 +41,8 @@ cat > "$CLIENT_CONF" << EOF
 [client]
 account_name = $_account
 computer_title = $_title
-url = ${_url}/message-system
-ping_url = ${_url}/ping
+url = $_url
+ping_url = $_ping_url
 log_level = $_log_level
 script_users = $_script_users
 manager_plugins = $_manager_plugins