diff --git a/lib/file_store/s3_store.rb b/lib/file_store/s3_store.rb
index 4ee0da7f2bc..846a5083698 100644
--- a/lib/file_store/s3_store.rb
+++ b/lib/file_store/s3_store.rb
@@ -39,7 +39,12 @@ module FileStore
     end
 
     def absolute_base_url
-      @absolute_base_url ||= "//#{s3_bucket}.s3-#{s3_region}.amazonaws.com"
+      # cf. http://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/rande.html#s3_region
+      @absolute_base_url ||= if SiteSetting.s3_region == "us-east-1"
+        "//#{s3_bucket}.s3.amazonaws.com"
+      else
+        "//#{s3_bucket}.s3-#{SiteSetting.s3_region}.amazonaws.com"
+      end
     end
 
     def external?
@@ -156,11 +161,6 @@ module FileStore
         raise Discourse::SiteSettingMissing.new("s3_upload_bucket") if SiteSetting.s3_upload_bucket.blank?
         @s3_bucket = SiteSetting.s3_upload_bucket.downcase
       end
-
-      def s3_region
-        SiteSetting.s3_region
-      end
-
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/spec/components/file_store/s3_store_spec.rb b/spec/components/file_store/s3_store_spec.rb
index c0ce1dc160d..2f56bafe68a 100644
--- a/spec/components/file_store/s3_store_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/file_store/s3_store_spec.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe FileStore::S3Store do
       upload.stubs(:id).returns(42)
       upload.stubs(:extension).returns(".png")
       s3_helper.expects(:upload)
-      expect(store.store_upload(uploaded_file, upload)).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/e/9/e9d71f5ee7c92d6dc9e92ffdad17b8bd49418f98.png")
+      expect(store.store_upload(uploaded_file, upload)).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/original/e/9/e9d71f5ee7c92d6dc9e92ffdad17b8bd49418f98.png")
     end
 
   end
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ describe FileStore::S3Store do
     it "returns an absolute schemaless url" do
       optimized_image.stubs(:id).returns(42)
       s3_helper.expects(:upload)
-      expect(store.store_optimized_image(optimized_image_file, optimized_image)).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/optimized/8/6/86f7e437faa5a7fce15d1ddcb9eaeaea377667b8_100x200.png")
+      expect(store.store_optimized_image(optimized_image_file, optimized_image)).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/optimized/8/6/86f7e437faa5a7fce15d1ddcb9eaeaea377667b8_100x200.png")
     end
 
   end
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@ describe FileStore::S3Store do
   describe ".has_been_uploaded?" do
 
     it "identifies S3 uploads" do
-      expect(store.has_been_uploaded?("//s3_upload_bucket.s3-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/1337.png")).to eq(true)
+      expect(store.has_been_uploaded?("//s3_upload_bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/1337.png")).to eq(true)
     end
 
     it "does not match other s3 urls" do
-      expect(store.has_been_uploaded?("//s3_upload_bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/1337.png")).to eq(false)
+      expect(store.has_been_uploaded?("//s3_upload_bucket.s3-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/1337.png")).to eq(false)
       expect(store.has_been_uploaded?("//s3.amazonaws.com/s3_upload_bucket/1337.png")).to eq(false)
       expect(store.has_been_uploaded?("//s4_upload_bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/1337.png")).to eq(false)
     end
@@ -77,7 +77,15 @@ describe FileStore::S3Store do
   describe ".absolute_base_url" do
 
     it "returns a lowercase schemaless absolute url" do
-      expect(store.absolute_base_url).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3-us-east-1.amazonaws.com")
+      expect(store.absolute_base_url).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3.amazonaws.com")
+    end
+
+    it "uses the proper endpoint" do
+      SiteSetting.stubs(:s3_region).returns("us-east-1")
+      expect(FileStore::S3Store.new(s3_helper).absolute_base_url).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3.amazonaws.com")
+
+      SiteSetting.stubs(:s3_region).returns("us-east-2")
+      expect(FileStore::S3Store.new(s3_helper).absolute_base_url).to eq("//s3_upload_bucket.s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com")
     end
 
   end
diff --git a/spec/controllers/user_avatars_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/user_avatars_controller_spec.rb
index 124580ee034..d897954a848 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/user_avatars_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/user_avatars_controller_spec.rb
@@ -14,19 +14,19 @@ describe UserAvatarsController do
       GlobalSetting.expects(:cdn_url).returns("http://awesome.com/boom")
 
 
-      upload = Fabricate(:upload, url: "//test.s3-#{SiteSetting.s3_region}.amazonaws.com/something")
+      upload = Fabricate(:upload, url: "//test.s3.amazonaws.com/something")
       Fabricate(:optimized_image,
                               sha1: SecureRandom.hex << "A"*8,
                               upload: upload,
                               width: 98,
                               height: 98,
-                              url: "//test.s3-#{SiteSetting.s3_region}.amazonaws.com/something/else")
+                              url: "//test.s3.amazonaws.com/something/else")
 
       user = Fabricate(:user, uploaded_avatar_id: upload.id)
 
       get :show, size: 97, username: user.username, version: upload.id, hostname: 'default'
 
-      # 98 is closese which is 49 * 2 for retina
+      # 98 is closest which is 49 * 2 for retina
       expect(response).to redirect_to("http://awesome.com/boom/user_avatar/default/#{user.username_lower}/98/#{upload.id}.png")
 
       get :show, size: 98, username: user.username, version: upload.id, hostname: 'default'