--- a/testing/firefox-ui/harness/firefox_ui_harness/testcases.py
+++ b/testing/firefox-ui/harness/firefox_ui_harness/testcases.py
@@ -377,18 +377,17 @@ class UpdateTestCase(PuppeteerMixin, Mar
             self.logger.error('Failed to reset the default mar channels.',
                               exc_info=True)
 
     def set_preferences_defaults(self):
         """Set the default value for specific preferences to force its usage."""
         if self.update_channel:
             self.software_update.update_channel = self.update_channel
         if self.update_url:
-            self.puppeteer.prefs.set_pref("app.update.url", self.update_url,
-                                          default_branch=True)
+            self.software_update.update_url = self.update_url
 
     def wait_for_download_finished(self, window, timeout=TIMEOUT_UPDATE_DOWNLOAD):
         """ Waits until download is completed.
 
         :param window: Instance of :class:`AboutWindow` or :class:`UpdateWizardDialog`.
         :param timeout: How long to wait for the download to finish. Optional,
          default to 360 seconds.
         """

--- a/testing/firefox-ui/tests/puppeteer/test_software_update.py
+++ b/testing/firefox-ui/tests/puppeteer/test_software_update.py
@@ -53,20 +53,20 @@ class TestSoftwareUpdate(PuppeteerMixin,
             self.software_update.force_fallback()
             with open(status_file, 'r') as f:
                 content = f.read()
             self.assertEqual(content, 'failed: 6\n')
         finally:
             os.remove(status_file)
 
     def test_get_update_url(self):
-        update_url = self.software_update.get_update_url()
+        update_url = self.software_update.get_formatted_update_url()
         self.assertIn('Firefox', update_url)
         self.assertNotIn('force=1', update_url)
-        update_url = self.software_update.get_update_url(True)
+        update_url = self.software_update.get_formatted_update_url(True)
         self.assertIn('Firefox', update_url)
         self.assertIn('force=1', update_url)
 
     def test_os_version(self):
         self.assertTrue(self.software_update.os_version)
 
     def test_staging_directory(self):
         self.assertTrue(self.software_update.staging_directory)

--- a/testing/puppeteer/firefox/firefox_puppeteer/api/software_update.py
+++ b/testing/puppeteer/firefox/firefox_puppeteer/api/software_update.py
@@ -160,17 +160,16 @@ class MARChannels(BaseLib):
 
 
 class SoftwareUpdate(BaseLib):
     """The SoftwareUpdate API adds support for an easy access to the update process."""
     PREF_APP_DISTRIBUTION = 'distribution.id'
     PREF_APP_DISTRIBUTION_VERSION = 'distribution.version'
     PREF_APP_UPDATE_CHANNEL = 'app.update.channel'
     PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL = 'app.update.url'
-    PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL_OVERRIDE = 'app.update.url.override'
     PREF_DISABLED_ADDONS = 'extensions.disabledAddons'
 
     def __init__(self, marionette):
         BaseLib.__init__(self, marionette)
 
         self.app_info = AppInfo(marionette)
         self.prefs = Preferences(marionette)
 
@@ -214,17 +213,17 @@ class SoftwareUpdate(BaseLib):
         """)
 
     @property
     def build_info(self):
         """Return information of the current build version
 
         :returns: A dictionary of build information
         """
-        update_url = self.get_update_url(True)
+        update_url = self.get_formatted_update_url(True)
 
         return {
             'buildid': self.app_info.appBuildID,
             'channel': self.update_channel,
             'disabled_addons': self.prefs.get_pref(self.PREF_DISABLED_ADDONS),
             'locale': self.app_info.locale,
             'mar_channels': self.mar_channels.channels,
             'update_url': update_url,
@@ -326,16 +325,30 @@ class SoftwareUpdate(BaseLib):
         """Set the update channel to be used for update checks.
 
         :param channel: New update channel to use
 
         """
         self.prefs.set_pref(self.PREF_APP_UPDATE_CHANNEL, channel, default_branch=True)
 
     @property
+    def update_url(self):
+        """Return the update URL used for update checks."""
+        return self.prefs.get_pref(self.PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL, default_branch=True)
+
+    @update_url.setter
+    def update_url(self, url):
+        """Set the update URL to be used for update checks.
+
+        :param url: New update URL to use
+
+        """
+        self.prefs.set_pref(self.PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL, url, default_branch=True)
+
+    @property
     def update_type(self):
         """Returns the type of the active update."""
         return self.active_update.type
 
     def force_fallback(self):
         """Update the update.status file and set the status to 'failed:6'"""
         with open(os.path.join(self.staging_directory, 'update.status'), 'w') as f:
             f.write('failed: 6\n')
@@ -350,34 +363,29 @@ class SoftwareUpdate(BaseLib):
             import urllib2
             response = urllib2.urlopen(update_url)
             snippet = response.read()
         except Exception:
             pass
 
         return snippet
 
-    def get_update_url(self, force=False):
-        """Retrieve the AUS update URL the update snippet is retrieved from.
+    def get_formatted_update_url(self, force=False):
+        """Retrieve the formatted AUS update URL the update snippet is retrieved from.
 
         :param force: Boolean flag to force an update check
 
         :returns: The URL of the update snippet
         """
-        url = self.prefs.get_pref(self.PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL_OVERRIDE)
-        if not url:
-            url = self.prefs.get_pref(self.PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL)
-
         # Format the URL by replacing placeholders
         url = self.marionette.execute_script("""
           Components.utils.import("resource://gre/modules/UpdateUtils.jsm")
           return UpdateUtils.formatUpdateURL(arguments[0]);
-        """, script_args=[url])
+        """, script_args=[self.update_url])
 
         if force:
             if '?' in url:
                 url += '&'
             else:
                 url += '?'
             url += 'force=1'
 
         return url
-