diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/forms/GeneralPreferences.php b/airtime_mvc/application/forms/GeneralPreferences.php
index 9bca14349..76144df05 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/forms/GeneralPreferences.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/forms/GeneralPreferences.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class Application_Form_GeneralPreferences extends Zend_Form_SubForm
 
         $defaultFade = Application_Model_Preference::GetDefaultFade();
         if ($defaultFade == "") {
-            $defaultFade = '0.500000';
+            $defaultFade = '0.5';
         }
 
         //Station name
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ class Application_Form_GeneralPreferences extends Zend_Form_SubForm
             'required'   => false,
             'filters'    => array('StringTrim'),
             'validators' => array(array('regex', false,
-                array('/^[0-9]{1,2}(\.\d{1,6})?$/',
-                'messages' => 'enter a time in seconds 0{.000000}'))),
+                array('/^[0-9]{1,2}(\.\d{1})?$/',
+                'messages' => 'enter a time in seconds 0{.0}'))),
             'value' => $defaultFade,
             'decorators' => array(
                 'ViewHelper'
diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php b/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
index e65151ce4..115ea4aa0 100644
--- a/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/models/Preference.php
@@ -189,8 +189,8 @@ class Application_Model_Preference
         $fade = self::getValue("default_fade");
 
         if ($fade === "") {
-            // the default value of the fade is 00.500000
-            return "00.500000";
+            // the default value of the fade is 00.5
+            return "00.5";
         }
 
         // we need this function to work with 2.0 version on default_fade value in cc_pref
@@ -204,9 +204,9 @@ class Application_Model_Preference
             $fade = $out;
         }
 
-        $fade = number_format($fade, 6);
+        $fade = number_format($fade, 2);
         //fades need 2 leading zeros for DateTime conversion
-        $fade = str_pad($fade, 9, "0", STR_PAD_LEFT);
+        $fade = rtrim(str_pad($fade, 5, "0", STR_PAD_LEFT), "0");
 
         return $fade;
     }