diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index 36c636fcc72..65bd5714615 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
-To build the docs locally, you need to have docker installed.  The docs are built using a custom [docker](https://www.docker.com/)
-image and [mkdocs](http://www.mkdocs.org/).
+# Building The Docs
 
-Build the `grafana/docs-base:latest` image:
+To build the docs locally, you need to have docker installed.  The
+docs are built using a custom [docker](https://www.docker.com/) image
+and the [mkdocs](http://www.mkdocs.org/) tool.
+
+**Prepare the Docker Image**:
+
+Build the `grafana/docs-base:latest` image. Run these commands in the
+same directory this file is in. **Note** that you may require ``sudo``
+when running ``make docs-build`` depending on how your system's docker
+service is configured):
 
 ```
 $ git clone https://github.com/grafana/docs-base
@@ -9,10 +17,45 @@ $ cd docs-base
 $ make docs-build
 ```
 
-To build the docs:
+**Build the Documentation**:
+
+Now that the docker image has been prepared we can build the
+docs. Switch your working directory back to the directory this file
+(README.md) is in and run (possibly with ``sudo``):
+
 ```
-$ cd docs
 $ make docs
 ```
 
+This command will not return control of the shell to the user. Instead
+the command is now running a new docker container built from the image
+we created in the previous step.
+
 Open [localhost:8180](http://localhost:8180) to view the docs.
+
+**Note** that after running ``make docs`` you may notice a message
+like this in the console output
+
+> Running at: http://0.0.0.0:8000/
+
+This is misleading. That is **not** the port the documentation is
+served from. You must browse to port **8180** to view the new
+documentation.
+
+
+# Adding a New Page
+
+Adding a new page requires updating the ``mkdocs.yml`` file which is
+located in this directory.
+
+For example, if you are adding documentation for a new HTTP API called
+``preferences`` you would:
+
+1. Create the file ``docs/sources/http_api/preferences.md``
+1. Add a reference to it in ``docs/sources/http_api/overview.md``
+1. Update the list under the **pages** key in the ``docs/mkdocs.yml`` file with a reference to your new page:
+
+
+```yaml
+- ['http_api/preferences.md', 'API', 'Preferences API']
+```
diff --git a/docs/mkdocs.yml b/docs/mkdocs.yml
index ff88133dfdd..c969a568906 100644
--- a/docs/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/docs/mkdocs.yml
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ pages:
 - ['http_api/user.md', 'API', 'User API']
 - ['http_api/admin.md', 'API', 'Admin API']
 - ['http_api/snapshot.md', 'API', 'Snapshot API']
+- ['http_api/preferences.md', 'API', 'Preferences API']
 - ['http_api/other.md', 'API', 'Other API']
 
 - ['plugins/index.md', 'Plugins', 'Overview']
diff --git a/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js b/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js
index b79713ebbb4..be553509be2 100644
--- a/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js
+++ b/public/app/features/templating/templateValuesSrv.js
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ function (angular, _, kbn) {
           return op.text === urlValue || op.value === urlValue;
         });
 
+        option = option || { text: urlValue, value: urlValue };
+
         self.updateAutoInterval(variable);
         return self.setVariableValue(variable, option, true);
       });