diff --git a/src/js/start.js b/src/js/start.js
index fee730fc7..9ec14e7a6 100644
--- a/src/js/start.js
+++ b/src/js/start.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     Home: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock
 */
 
-/* global vAPI, µBlock */
+/* global publicSuffixList, vAPI, µBlock */
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
@@ -31,13 +31,15 @@ quickProfiler.start('start.js');
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
+var µb = µBlock;
+
+/******************************************************************************/
+
 // Final initialization steps after all needed assets are in memory.
 // - Initialize internal state with maybe already existing tabs.
 // - Schedule next update operation.
 
 var onAllReady = function() {
-    var µb = µBlock;
-
     // https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/issues/184
     // Check for updates not too far in the future.
     µb.assetUpdater.onStart.addEventListener(µb.updateStartHandler.bind(µb));
@@ -56,12 +58,18 @@ var onAllReady = function() {
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
+// Filtering engines dependencies:
+// - PSL
+
+var onPSLReady = function() {
+    µb.loadFilterLists(onAllReady);
+};
+
+/******************************************************************************/
+
 // To bring older versions up to date
 
-var onVersionReady = function(bin) {
-    var µb = µBlock;
-    var lastVersion = bin.version || '0.0.0.0';
-
+var onVersionReady = function(lastVersion) {
     // Whitelist some key scopes by default
     if ( lastVersion.localeCompare('0.8.6.0') < 0 ) {
         µb.netWhitelist = µb.whitelistFromString(
@@ -71,33 +79,25 @@ var onVersionReady = function(bin) {
         );
         µb.saveWhitelist();
     }
-
-    vAPI.storage.set({ version: vAPI.app.version });
-    onAllReady();
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
-// Filter lists
-// Whitelist
-
-var countdown = 2;
-var doCountdown = function() {
-    countdown -= 1;
-    if ( countdown !== 0 ) {
-        return;
+    if ( lastVersion !== vAPI.app.version ) {
+        vAPI.storage.set({ version: vAPI.app.version });
     }
-    // Last step: do whatever is necessary when version changes
-    vAPI.storage.get('version', onVersionReady);
 };
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
-// Filters are in memory.
-// Filter engines need PSL to be ready.
-
-var onFiltersReady = function() {
-    doCountdown();
+var onSelfieReady = function(selfie) {
+    if ( selfie === null || selfie.magic !== µb.systemSettings.selfieMagic ) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if ( publicSuffixList.fromSelfie(selfie.publicSuffixList) !== true ) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    //console.log('start.js/onSelfieReady: selfie looks good');
+    µb.remoteBlacklists = selfie.filterLists;
+    µb.staticNetFilteringEngine.fromSelfie(selfie.staticNetFilteringEngine);
+    µb.cosmeticFilteringEngine.fromSelfie(selfie.cosmeticFilteringEngine);
+    return true;
 };
 
 /******************************************************************************/
@@ -107,45 +107,25 @@ var onFiltersReady = function() {
 // Whitelist parser needs PSL to be ready.
 // gorhill 2014-12-15: not anymore
 
-var onWhitelistReady = function() {
-    doCountdown();
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
-// Load order because dependencies:
-// User settings -> PSL -> [filter lists]
-
-var onPSLReady = function() {
-    µBlock.loadFilterLists(onFiltersReady);
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
-// If no selfie available, take the long way, i.e. load and parse
-// raw data.
-
-var onSelfieReady = function(success) {
-    if ( success === true ) {
-        onFiltersReady();
-        return;
-    }
-    µBlock.loadPublicSuffixList(onPSLReady);
+var onNetWhitelistReady = function(netWhitelistRaw) {
+    µb.netWhitelist = µb.whitelistFromString(netWhitelistRaw);
+    µb.netWhitelistModifyTime = Date.now();
 };
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
 // User settings are in memory
 
-var onUserSettingsReady = function(userSettings) {
-    var µb = µBlock;
+var onUserSettingsReady = function(fetched) {
+    var userSettings = µb.userSettings;
+
+    fromFetch(userSettings, fetched);
 
     // https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/issues/426
     // Important: block remote fetching for when loading assets at launch
     // time.
     µb.assets.allowRemoteFetch = false;
     µb.assets.autoUpdate = userSettings.autoUpdate;
-    µb.fromSelfie(onSelfieReady);
 
     // https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/issues/540
     // Disabling local mirroring for the time being
@@ -163,32 +143,87 @@ var onUserSettingsReady = function(userSettings) {
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
-// Housekeeping, as per system setting changes
-
-var onSystemSettingsReady = function(system) {
-    var µb = µBlock;
-
-    var mustSaveSystemSettings = false;
-    if ( system.compiledMagic !== µb.systemSettings.compiledMagic ) {
-        µb.assets.purge(/^cache:\/\/compiled-/);
-        mustSaveSystemSettings = true;
-    }
-    if ( system.selfieMagic !== µb.systemSettings.selfieMagic ) {
-        µb.destroySelfie();
-        mustSaveSystemSettings = true;
-    }
-    if ( mustSaveSystemSettings ) {
-        µb.saveSystemSettings();
-    }
-
-    µb.loadUserSettings(onUserSettingsReady);
-    µb.loadWhitelist(onWhitelistReady);
-    µb.loadLocalSettings();
+var onLocalSettingsReady = function(fetched) {
+    fromFetch(µb.localSettings, fetched);
 };
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
-µBlock.loadSystemSettings(onSystemSettingsReady);
+// Housekeeping, as per system setting changes
+
+var onSystemSettingsReady = function(fetched) {
+    var mustSaveSystemSettings = false;
+    if ( fetched.compiledMagic !== µb.systemSettings.compiledMagic ) {
+        µb.assets.purge(/^cache:\/\/compiled-/);
+        mustSaveSystemSettings = true;
+    }
+    if ( fetched.selfieMagic !== µb.systemSettings.selfieMagic ) {
+        fetched.selfie = null;
+        µb.destroySelfie();
+        mustSaveSystemSettings = true;
+    }
+    if ( mustSaveSystemSettings ) {
+        vAPI.storage.set(µb.systemSettings, µb.noopFunc);
+    }
+};
+
+/******************************************************************************/
+
+var onFirstFetchReady = function(fetched) {
+
+    // Order is important -- do not change:
+    onSystemSettingsReady(fetched);
+    onLocalSettingsReady(fetched);
+    onUserSettingsReady(fetched);
+    onNetWhitelistReady(fetched.netWhitelist);
+    onVersionReady(fetched.version);
+
+    // If we have a selfie, skip loading PSL, filters
+    if ( onSelfieReady(fetched.selfie) ) {
+        onAllReady();
+        return;
+    }
+
+    µb.loadPublicSuffixList(onPSLReady);
+};
+
+/******************************************************************************/
+
+var fetchableProps = {
+    'compiledMagic': '',
+    'netWhitelist': '',
+    'selfie': null,
+    'selfieMagic': '',
+    'version': '0.0.0.0'
+};
+
+var toFetch = function(from, fetched) {
+    for ( var k in from ) {
+        if ( from.hasOwnProperty(k) === false ) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        fetched[k] = from[k];
+    }
+};
+
+var fromFetch = function(to, fetched) {
+    for ( var k in to ) {
+        if ( to.hasOwnProperty(k) === false ) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if ( fetched.hasOwnProperty(k) === false ) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        to[k] = fetched[k];
+    }
+};
+
+/******************************************************************************/
+
+toFetch(µb.localSettings, fetchableProps);
+toFetch(µb.userSettings, fetchableProps);
+
+vAPI.storage.get(fetchableProps, onFirstFetchReady);
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
diff --git a/src/js/storage.js b/src/js/storage.js
index b4e8a6911..9b21396d0 100644
--- a/src/js/storage.js
+++ b/src/js/storage.js
@@ -43,38 +43,13 @@
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
-µBlock.loadLocalSettings = function() {
-    var settingsLoaded = function(store) {
-        µBlock.localSettings = store;
-    };
-
-    vAPI.storage.get(this.localSettings, settingsLoaded);
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
-µBlock.saveSystemSettings = function() {
-    vAPI.storage.set(this.systemSettings, this.noopFunc);
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
-µBlock.loadSystemSettings = function(callback) {
-    vAPI.storage.get({
-        compiledMagic: '',
-        selfieMagic: ''
-    }, callback);
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
 // Save local settings regularly. Not critical.
 
 µBlock.asyncJobs.add(
     'autoSaveLocalSettings',
     null,
     µBlock.saveLocalSettings.bind(µBlock),
-    2 * 60 * 1000,
+    4 * 60 * 1000,
     true
 );
 
@@ -86,19 +61,6 @@
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
-µBlock.loadUserSettings = function(callback) {
-    var settingsLoaded = function(store) {
-        µBlock.userSettings = store;
-        if ( typeof callback === 'function' ) {
-            callback(µBlock.userSettings);
-        }
-    };
-
-    vAPI.storage.get(this.userSettings, settingsLoaded);
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
 µBlock.savePermanentFirewallRules = function() {
     this.userSettings.dynamicFilteringString = this.permanentFirewall.toString();
     this.XAL.keyvalSetOne('dynamicFilteringString', this.userSettings.dynamicFilteringString);
@@ -116,25 +78,6 @@
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
-µBlock.loadWhitelist = function(callback) {
-    var onWhitelistLoaded = function(store) {
-        var µb = µBlock;
-        µb.netWhitelist = µb.whitelistFromString(store.netWhitelist);
-        µb.netWhitelistModifyTime = Date.now();
-
-        if ( typeof callback === 'function' ) {
-            callback();
-        }
-    };
-
-    var bin = {
-        'netWhitelist': this.netWhitelistDefault
-    };
-    vAPI.storage.get(bin, onWhitelistLoaded);
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
 µBlock.saveUserFilters = function(content, callback) {
     return this.assets.put(this.userFiltersPath, content, callback);
 };
@@ -310,12 +253,13 @@
         µb.staticNetFilteringEngine.freeze();
         µb.cosmeticFilteringEngine.freeze();
         vAPI.storage.set({ 'remoteBlacklists': µb.remoteBlacklists });
+
+        //quickProfiler.stop(0);
+
         vAPI.messaging.broadcast({ what: 'allFilterListsReloaded' });
         callback();
 
         µb.toSelfieAsync();
-
-        //quickProfiler.stop(0);
     };
 
     var applyCompiledFilters = function(path, compiled) {
@@ -687,35 +631,6 @@
 
 /******************************************************************************/
 
-µBlock.fromSelfie = function(callback) {
-    var µb = this;
-
-    if ( typeof callback !== 'function' ) {
-        callback = this.noopFunc;
-    }
-
-    var onSelfieReady = function(store) {
-        var selfie = store.selfie;
-        if ( typeof selfie !== 'object' || selfie.magic !== µb.systemSettings.selfieMagic ) {
-            callback(false);
-            return;
-        }
-        if ( publicSuffixList.fromSelfie(selfie.publicSuffixList) !== true ) {
-            callback(false);
-            return;
-        }
-        //console.log('µBlock.fromSelfie> selfie looks good');
-        µb.remoteBlacklists = selfie.filterLists;
-        µb.staticNetFilteringEngine.fromSelfie(selfie.staticNetFilteringEngine);
-        µb.cosmeticFilteringEngine.fromSelfie(selfie.cosmeticFilteringEngine);
-        callback(true);
-    };
-
-    vAPI.storage.get('selfie', onSelfieReady);
-};
-
-/******************************************************************************/
-
 µBlock.destroySelfie = function() {
     vAPI.storage.remove('selfie');
     this.asyncJobs.remove('toSelfie');
diff --git a/src/lib/publicsuffixlist.js b/src/lib/publicsuffixlist.js
index 1e8a94c1c..fa1803704 100644
--- a/src/lib/publicsuffixlist.js
+++ b/src/lib/publicsuffixlist.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ var selfieMagic = 'iscjsfsaolnm';
 // This value dictate how the search will be performed:
 //    < this.cutoffLength = indexOf()
 //   >= this.cutoffLength = binary search
-var cutoffLength = 480;
+var cutoffLength = 256;
 var mustPunycode = /[^a-z0-9.-]/;
 
 /******************************************************************************/