diff --git a/lib/tvdb_api/tvdb_api.py b/lib/tvdb_api/tvdb_api.py
index ecf0fe29..bb81599d 100644
--- a/lib/tvdb_api/tvdb_api.py
+++ b/lib/tvdb_api/tvdb_api.py
@@ -471,13 +471,11 @@ class Tvdb:
         if cache is True:
             self.config['cache_enabled'] = True
             self.config['cache_location'] = self._getTempDir()
-            self.sess = CacheControl(cache=caches.FileCache(self.config['cache_location']))
         elif cache is False:
             self.config['cache_enabled'] = False
         elif isinstance(cache, basestring):
             self.config['cache_enabled'] = True
             self.config['cache_location'] = cache
-            self.sess = CacheControl(cache=caches.FileCache(self.config['cache_location']))
         else:
             raise ValueError("Invalid value for Cache %r (type was %s)" % (cache, type(cache)))
 
@@ -565,14 +563,15 @@ class Tvdb:
 
             # get response from TVDB
             if self.config['cache_enabled']:
+                session = CacheControl(cache=caches.FileCache(self.config['cache_location']))
                 if self.config['proxy']:
                     log().debug("Using proxy for URL: %s" % url)
-                    self.sess.proxies = {
+                    session.proxies = {
                         "http": self.config['proxy'],
                         "https": self.config['proxy'],
                     }
 
-                resp = self.sess.get(url, cache_auto=True, params=params)
+                resp = session.get(url, cache_auto=True, params=params)
             else:
                 resp = requests.get(url, params=params)
         except requests.exceptions.HTTPError, e:
@@ -630,7 +629,7 @@ class Tvdb:
         """
         try:
             src = self._loadUrl(url, params=params, language=language)
-            src = [src[item] for item in src][0]
+            src = [src[item] for item in src][0] if src else []
         except:
             errormsg = "There was an error with the XML retrieved from thetvdb.com:"
 
diff --git a/lib/tvrage_api/tvrage_api.py b/lib/tvrage_api/tvrage_api.py
index 86194f86..734b5ab3 100644
--- a/lib/tvrage_api/tvrage_api.py
+++ b/lib/tvrage_api/tvrage_api.py
@@ -305,7 +305,6 @@ class TVRage:
 
         self.shows = ShowContainer()  # Holds all Show classes
         self.corrections = {}  # Holds show-name to show_id mapping
-        self.sess = requests.session()  # HTTP Session
 
         self.config = {}
 
@@ -323,13 +322,11 @@ class TVRage:
         if cache is True:
             self.config['cache_enabled'] = True
             self.config['cache_location'] = self._getTempDir()
-            self.sess = CacheControl(cache=caches.FileCache(self.config['cache_location']))
         elif cache is False:
             self.config['cache_enabled'] = False
         elif isinstance(cache, basestring):
             self.config['cache_enabled'] = True
             self.config['cache_location'] = cache
-            self.sess = CacheControl(cache=caches.FileCache(self.config['cache_location']))
         else:
             raise ValueError("Invalid value for Cache %r (type was %s)" % (cache, type(cache)))
 
@@ -396,6 +393,7 @@ class TVRage:
             except ImportError:
                 return os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "tvrage_api")
 
+
         return os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "tvrage_api-%s" % (uid))
 
     #@retry(tvrage_error)
@@ -405,14 +403,15 @@ class TVRage:
 
             # get response from TVRage
             if self.config['cache_enabled']:
+                session = CacheControl(cache=caches.FileCache(self.config['cache_location']))
                 if self.config['proxy']:
                     log().debug("Using proxy for URL: %s" % url)
-                    self.sess.proxies = {
+                    session.proxies = {
                         "http": self.config['proxy'],
                         "https": self.config['proxy'],
                     }
 
-                resp = self.sess.get(url.strip(), cache_auto=True, params=params)
+                resp = session.get(url.strip(), cache_auto=True, params=params)
             else:
                 resp = requests.get(url.strip(), params=params)
 
@@ -488,7 +487,7 @@ class TVRage:
 
         try:
             src = self._loadUrl(url, params)
-            src = [src[item] for item in src][0]
+            src = [src[item] for item in src][0] if src else []
         except:
             errormsg = "There was an error with the XML retrieved from tvrage.com"
 
diff --git a/sickbeard/versionChecker.py b/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
index 1bd4da29..a276961b 100644
--- a/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
+++ b/sickbeard/versionChecker.py
@@ -200,10 +200,11 @@ class WindowsUpdateManager(UpdateManager):
 
         sickbeard.NEWEST_VERSION_STRING = newest_text
 
-    def update(self, branch='windows_binaries'):
+    def update(self, branch=None):
 
         # set branch version
-        self.branch = branch
+        if branch:
+            self.branch = branch
 
         zip_download_url = self._find_newest_version(True)
         logger.log(u"new_link: " + repr(zip_download_url), logger.DEBUG)
@@ -505,14 +506,15 @@ class GitUpdateManager(UpdateManager):
 
         return False
 
-    def update(self, branch=sickbeard.version.SICKBEARD_VERSION):
+    def update(self, branch=None):
         """
         Calls git pull origin <branch> in order to update SickRage. Returns a bool depending
         on the call's success.
         """
 
         # set branch version
-        self.branch = branch
+        if branch:
+            self.branch = branch
 
         if self.branch == sickbeard.version.SICKBEARD_VERSION:
             output, err, exit_status = self._run_git(self._git_path, 'pull -f origin ' + self.branch)  # @UnusedVariable
@@ -645,13 +647,14 @@ class SourceUpdateManager(UpdateManager):
 
         sickbeard.NEWEST_VERSION_STRING = newest_text
 
-    def update(self, branch=sickbeard.version.SICKBEARD_VERSION):
+    def update(self, branch=None):
         """
         Downloads the latest source tarball from github and installs it over the existing version.
         """
 
         # set branch version
-        self.branch = branch
+        if branch:
+            self.branch = branch
 
         base_url = 'http://github.com/' + self.github_repo_user + '/' + self.github_repo
         tar_download_url = base_url + '/tarball/' + self.branch