diff --git a/include/class.topic.php b/include/class.topic.php
index e4ac4c98cd2be7de94ea02a0e2aa5b7c6e2c1349..ee5ffc7194b78851bff6a12e912bd76f36b664ff 100644
--- a/include/class.topic.php
+++ b/include/class.topic.php
@@ -224,11 +224,8 @@ class Topic {
         if(!$vars['dept_id'])
             $errors['dept_id']='You must select a department';
 
-        if(!$vars['priority_id'])
-            $errors['priority_id']='You must select a priority';
-
         if($errors) return false;
-        
+
         foreach (array('sla_id','form_id','page_id','pid') as $f)
             if (!isset($vars[$f]))
                 $vars[$f] = 0;
@@ -237,7 +234,8 @@ class Topic {
             .',topic='.db_input($vars['topic'])
             .',topic_pid='.db_input($vars['pid'])
             .',dept_id='.db_input($vars['dept_id'])
-            .',priority_id='.db_input($vars['priority_id'])
+            .',priority_id='.db_input(isset($vars['priority_id'])
+                ? $vars['priority_id'] : 0)
             .',sla_id='.db_input($vars['sla_id'])
             .',form_id='.db_input($vars['form_id'])
             .',page_id='.db_input($vars['page_id'])
diff --git a/include/staff/helptopic.inc.php b/include/staff/helptopic.inc.php
index 39de0b76e4bcf48af7b9c82de365834fbcd38c00..9e9a34d142369997a3ccc32cc499045b4716de9e 100644
--- a/include/staff/helptopic.inc.php
+++ b/include/staff/helptopic.inc.php
@@ -106,12 +106,12 @@ $info=Format::htmlchars(($errors && $_POST)?$_POST:$info);
            </td>
        </tr>
         <tr>
-            <td width="180" class="required">
+            <td width="180">
                 Priority:
             </td>
             <td>
                 <select name="priority_id">
-                    <option value="">&mdash; Select Priority &mdash;</option>
+                    <option value="">&mdash; System Default &mdash;</option>
                     <?php
                     $sql='SELECT priority_id,priority_desc FROM '.PRIORITY_TABLE.' pri ORDER by priority_urgency DESC';
                     if(($res=db_query($sql)) && db_num_rows($res)){
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ $info=Format::htmlchars(($errors && $_POST)?$_POST:$info);
                     }
                     ?>
                 </select>
-                &nbsp;<span class="error">*&nbsp;<?php echo $errors['priority_id']; ?></span>
+                &nbsp;<span class="error">&nbsp;<?php echo $errors['priority_id']; ?></span>
             </td>
         </tr>
         <tr>