diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
index 02357112edb..242d47beccf 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ def get(self):
             base_project_url=u'/', base_kernel_url=u'/',
             kill_kernel=False,
             read_only=False,
-            enable_mathjax=self.application.ipython_app.enable_mathjax,
+            mathjax_url=self.application.ipython_app.mathjax_url,
         )
 
 
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ def get(self, notebook_id):
             base_project_url=u'/', base_kernel_url=u'/',
             kill_kernel=False,
             read_only=self.read_only,
-            enable_mathjax=self.application.ipython_app.enable_mathjax,
+            mathjax_url=self.application.ipython_app.mathjax_url,
         )
 
 
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
index f7851963235..d2bdcf6d0cb 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
@@ -252,6 +252,31 @@ def _ip_changed(self, name, old, new):
         When disabled, equations etc. will appear as their untransformed TeX source.
         """
     )
+    def _enable_mathjax_changed(self, name, old, new):
+        """set mathjax url to empty if mathjax is disabled"""
+        if not new:
+            self.mathjax_url = u''
+    
+    mathjax_url = Unicode("", config=True,
+        help="""The url for MathJax.js."""
+    )
+    def _mathjax_url_default(self):
+        if not self.enable_mathjax:
+            return u''
+        static_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "static")
+        if os.path.exists(os.path.join(static_path, 'mathjax', "MathJax.js")):
+            self.log.info("Using local MathJax")
+            return u"static/mathjax/MathJax.js"
+        else:
+            self.log.info("Using MathJax from CDN")
+            return u"http://cdn.mathjax.org/mathjax/latest/MathJax.js"
+    
+    def _mathjax_url_changed(self, name, old, new):
+        if new and not self.enable_mathjax:
+            # enable_mathjax=False overrides mathjax_url
+            self.mathjax_url = u''
+        else:
+            self.log.info("Using MathJax: %s", new)
 
     def parse_command_line(self, argv=None):
         super(NotebookApp, self).parse_command_line(argv)
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebookmain.js b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebookmain.js
index 7d1f49bf466..1d9d041c88f 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebookmain.js
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebookmain.js
@@ -11,48 +11,8 @@
 
 
 $(document).ready(function () {
-
-    if (window.MathJax == undefined){
-        // MathJax undefined, but expected.  Draw warning.
-        window.MathJax = null;
-        var dialog = $('<div></div>').html(
-            "<p class='dialog'>"+
-            "We were unable to retrieve MathJax. Math/LaTeX rendering will be disabled."+
-            "</p>"+
-            "<p class='dialog'>"+
-            "With a working internet connection, you can run the following at a Python"+
-            " or IPython prompt, which will install a local copy of MathJax:"+
-            "</p>"+
-            "<pre class='dialog'>"+
-            ">>> from IPython.external import mathjax; mathjax.install_mathjax()"+
-            "</pre>"+
-            "<p class='dialog'>"+
-            "This will try to install MathJax into the directory where you installed"+
-            " IPython. If you installed IPython to a location that requires"+
-            " administrative privileges to write, you will need to make this call as"+
-            " an administrator."+
-            "</p>"+
-            "<p class='dialog'>"+
-            "On OSX/Linux/Unix, this can be done at the command-line via:"+
-            "</p>"+
-            "<pre class='dialog'>"+
-            "$ sudo python -c 'from IPython.external import mathjax; mathjax.install_mathjax()'"+
-            "</pre>"+
-            "<p class='dialog'>"+
-            "Or you can instruct the notebook server to start without MathJax support, with:"+
-            "<pre class='dialog'>"+
-            "</p>"+
-            "$ ipython notebook --no-mathjax"+
-            "</pre>"+
-            "<p class='dialog'>"+
-            "in which case, equations will not be rendered."+
-            "</p>"
-            ).dialog({
-                title: 'MathJax disabled',
-                width: "70%",
-                modal: true,
-            })
-    }else if (window.MathJax){
+    if (window.MathJax){ 
+        // MathJax loaded
         MathJax.Hub.Config({
             tex2jax: {
                 inlineMath: [ ['$','$'], ["\\(","\\)"] ],
@@ -63,9 +23,49 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
                 styles: {'.MathJax_Display': {"margin": 0}}
             }
         });
+    }else if (window.mathjax_url != ""){
+        // Don't have MathJax, but should. Show dialog.
+        var dialog = $('<div></div>')
+            .append(
+                $("<p></p>").addClass('dialog').html(
+                    "Math/LaTeX equation rendering will be disabled."
+                )
+            ).append(
+                $("<p></p>").addClass('dialog').html(
+                    "With a working internet connection, you can install a local copy" +
+                    " of MathJax for offline use with the following command at a Python" +
+                    " or IPython prompt:"
+                )
+            ).append(
+                $("<pre></pre>").addClass('dialog').html(
+                    ">>> from IPython.external import mathjax; mathjax.install_mathjax()"
+                )
+            ).append(
+                $("<p></p>").addClass('dialog').html(
+                    "This will try to install MathJax into the directory where you installed"+
+                    " IPython. If you installed IPython to a location that requires"+
+                    " administrative privileges to write, you will need to make this call as"+
+                    " an administrator, via 'sudo'."
+                )
+            ).append(
+                $("<p></p>").addClass('dialog').html(
+                    "Or you can instruct the notebook server to disable MathJax support altogether:"
+                )
+            ).append(
+                $("<pre></pre>").addClass('dialog').html(
+                    "$ ipython notebook --no-mathjax"
+                )
+            ).append(
+                $("<p></p>").addClass('dialog').html(
+                    "which will prevent this dialog from appearing."
+                )
+            ).dialog({
+                title: "Failed to retrieve MathJax from '" + window.mathjax_url + "'",
+                width: "70%",
+                modal: true,
+            })
     }else{
-        // window.MathJax == null
-        // --no-mathjax mode
+        // No MathJax, but none expected. No dialog.
     }
     
     IPython.markdown_converter = new Markdown.Converter();
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html
index 95e4de49552..7049b5c9bca 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html
@@ -6,24 +6,14 @@
 
     <title>IPython Notebook</title>
 
-    {% if enable_mathjax %}
-    <!-- <script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.mathjax.org/mathjax/latest/MathJax.js?config=TeX-AMS_HTML" charset="utf-8"></script> -->
-    <script type='text/javascript' src='static/mathjax/MathJax.js?config=TeX-AMS_HTML' charset='utf-8'></script>
-    <script type="text/javascript">
-    if (typeof(MathJax) == 'undefined') {
-        console.log("No local MathJax, loading from CDN");
-        document.write(unescape("%3Cscript type='text/javascript' src='http://cdn.mathjax.org/mathjax/latest/MathJax.js%3Fconfig=TeX-AMS_HTML' charset='utf-8'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
-    }else{
-        console.log("Using local MathJax");
-    }
-    </script>
-    {% else %}
+    {% if mathjax_url %}
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="{{mathjax_url}}?config=TeX-AMS_HTML" charset="utf-8"></script>
+    {% end %}
     <script type="text/javascript">
     // MathJax disabled, set as null to distingish from *missing* MathJax,
     // where it will be undefined, and should prompt a dialog later.
-    window.MathJax = null;
+    window.mathjax_url = "{{mathjax_url}}";
     </script>
-    {% end %}
 
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="static/jquery/css/themes/aristo/jquery-wijmo.css" type="text/css" />
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="static/codemirror/lib/codemirror.css">