diff --git a/cmd/geth/consolecmd_test.go b/cmd/geth/consolecmd_test.go
index 14fe578a8f..3a1c24c3ff 100644
--- a/cmd/geth/consolecmd_test.go
+++ b/cmd/geth/consolecmd_test.go
@@ -139,7 +139,9 @@ func testAttachWelcome(t *testing.T, geth *testgeth, endpoint, apis string) {
 	attach.SetTemplateFunc("gover", runtime.Version)
 	attach.SetTemplateFunc("gethver", func() string { return params.VersionWithCommit("", "") })
 	attach.SetTemplateFunc("etherbase", func() string { return geth.Etherbase })
-	attach.SetTemplateFunc("niltime", func() string { return time.Unix(0, 0).Format(time.RFC1123) })
+	attach.SetTemplateFunc("niltime", func() string {
+		return time.Unix(0, 0).Format("Mon Jan 02 2006 15:04:05 GMT-0700 (MST)")
+	})
 	attach.SetTemplateFunc("ipc", func() bool { return strings.HasPrefix(endpoint, "ipc") })
 	attach.SetTemplateFunc("datadir", func() string { return geth.Datadir })
 	attach.SetTemplateFunc("apis", func() string { return apis })
diff --git a/console/console.go b/console/console.go
index 6f3e6a963f..834c29ee73 100644
--- a/console/console.go
+++ b/console/console.go
@@ -206,14 +206,14 @@ func (c *Console) init(preload []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 	// The admin.sleep and admin.sleepBlocks are offered by the console and not by the RPC layer.
-	admin := c.jsre.Get("admin")
-	if admin == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("could not find admin")
-	}
-	if obj := admin.ToObject(c.runtime); obj != nil { // make sure the admin api is enabled over the interface
-		obj.Set("sleepBlocks", bridge.SleepBlocks)
-		obj.Set("sleep", bridge.Sleep)
-		obj.Set("clearHistory", c.clearHistory)
+	admin := c.jsre.Get("admin") // Could be `nil`
+	if admin != nil {
+		// make sure the admin api is enabled over the interface
+		if obj := admin.ToObject(c.runtime); obj != nil {
+			obj.Set("sleepBlocks", bridge.SleepBlocks)
+			obj.Set("sleep", bridge.Sleep)
+			obj.Set("clearHistory", c.clearHistory)
+		}
 	}
 	// Preload any JavaScript files before starting the console
 	for _, path := range preload {