diff --git a/app/scripts/popup-core.js b/app/scripts/popup-core.js
index b1e521a7a..1e5d70e8b 100644
--- a/app/scripts/popup-core.js
+++ b/app/scripts/popup-core.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 const EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter
+const async = require('async')
 const Dnode = require('dnode')
 const Web3 = require('web3')
-const MetaMaskUi = require('../../ui')
+const launchMetamaskUi = require('../../ui')
 const StreamProvider = require('web3-stream-provider')
 const setupMultiplex = require('./lib/stream-utils.js').setupMultiplex
 
@@ -9,9 +10,13 @@ const setupMultiplex = require('./lib/stream-utils.js').setupMultiplex
 module.exports = initializePopup
 
 
-function initializePopup (connectionStream) {
+function initializePopup ({ container, connectionStream }, cb) {
   // setup app
-  connectToAccountManager(connectionStream, setupApp)
+  async.waterfall([
+    (cb) => connectToAccountManager(connectionStream, cb),
+    (accountManager, cb) => launchMetamaskUi({ container, accountManager }, cb),
+  ], cb)
+
 }
 
 function connectToAccountManager (connectionStream, cb) {
@@ -47,19 +52,3 @@ function setupControllerConnection (connectionStream, cb) {
     cb(null, accountManager)
   })
 }
-
-function setupApp (err, accountManager) {
-  var container = document.getElementById('app-content')
-  if (err) {
-    container.innerHTML = '<div class="critical-error">The MetaMask app failed to load: please open and close MetaMask again to restart.</div>'
-    container.style.height = '80px'
-    log.error(err.stack)
-    throw err
-  }
-
-
-  MetaMaskUi({
-    container: container,
-    accountManager: accountManager,
-  })
-}
diff --git a/app/scripts/popup.js b/app/scripts/popup.js
index 6606c9584..f6dcb829b 100644
--- a/app/scripts/popup.js
+++ b/app/scripts/popup.js
@@ -5,23 +5,37 @@ const PortStream = require('./lib/port-stream.js')
 const isPopupOrNotification = require('./lib/is-popup-or-notification')
 const extension = require('extensionizer')
 const NotificationManager = require('./lib/notification-manager')
-
 const notificationManager = new NotificationManager()
 
-var css = MetaMaskUiCss()
+// inject css
+const css = MetaMaskUiCss()
 injectCss(css)
 
-var name = isPopupOrNotification()
-closePopupIfOpen(name)
-window.METAMASK_UI_TYPE = name
+// identify window type (popup, notification)
+const windowType = isPopupOrNotification()
+global.METAMASK_UI_TYPE = windowType
+closePopupIfOpen(windowType)
+
+// setup stream to background
+const extensionPort = extension.runtime.connect({ windowType })
+const connectionStream = new PortStream(extensionPort)
 
-var pluginPort = extension.runtime.connect({ name })
-var portStream = new PortStream(pluginPort)
+// start ui
+const container = document.getElementById('app-content')
+startPopup({ container, connectionStream }, (err, store) => {
+  if (err) return displayCriticalError(err)
+})
 
-startPopup(portStream)
 
-function closePopupIfOpen (name) {
-  if (name !== 'notification') {
+function closePopupIfOpen (windowType) {
+  if (windowType !== 'notification') {
     notificationManager.closePopup()
   }
 }
+
+function displayCriticalError(err) {
+  container.innerHTML = '<div class="critical-error">The MetaMask app failed to load: please open and close MetaMask again to restart.</div>'
+  container.style.height = '80px'
+  log.error(err.stack)
+  throw err
+}
diff --git a/ui/app/reducers/app.js b/ui/app/reducers/app.js
index e0c001546..46b27fe25 100644
--- a/ui/app/reducers/app.js
+++ b/ui/app/reducers/app.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ function reduceApp (state, action) {
     seedWords,
   }
 
+  // default state
   var appState = extend({
     menuOpen: false,
     currentView: seedWords ? seedConfView : defaultView,
diff --git a/ui/index.js b/ui/index.js
index 1a65f813c..e3648c374 100644
--- a/ui/index.js
+++ b/ui/index.js
@@ -4,27 +4,28 @@ const Root = require('./app/root')
 const actions = require('./app/actions')
 const configureStore = require('./app/store')
 const txHelper = require('./lib/tx-helper')
-module.exports = launchApp
+global.log = require('loglevel')
 
-let debugMode = window.METAMASK_DEBUG
-const log = require('loglevel')
-window.log = log
-log.setLevel(debugMode ? 'debug' : 'warn')
+module.exports = launchMetamaskUi
 
-function launchApp (opts) {
+
+log.setLevel(global.METAMASK_DEBUG ? 'debug' : 'warn')
+
+function launchMetamaskUi (opts, cb) {
   var accountManager = opts.accountManager
   actions._setBackgroundConnection(accountManager)
 
   // check if we are unlocked first
   accountManager.getState(function (err, metamaskState) {
-    if (err) throw err
-    startApp(metamaskState, accountManager, opts)
+    if (err) return cb(err)
+    const store = startApp(metamaskState, accountManager, opts)
+    cb(null, store)
   })
 }
 
 function startApp (metamaskState, accountManager, opts) {
   // parse opts
-  var store = configureStore({
+  const store = configureStore({
 
     // metamaskState represents the cross-tab state
     metamask: metamaskState,
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ function startApp (metamaskState, accountManager, opts) {
   })
 
   // if unconfirmed txs, start on txConf page
-  var unapprovedTxsAll = txHelper(metamaskState.unapprovedTxs, metamaskState.unapprovedMsgs, metamaskState.unapprovedPersonalMsgs, metamaskState.network)
+  const unapprovedTxsAll = txHelper(metamaskState.unapprovedTxs, metamaskState.unapprovedMsgs, metamaskState.unapprovedPersonalMsgs, metamaskState.network)
   if (unapprovedTxsAll.length > 0) {
     store.dispatch(actions.showConfTxPage())
   }
@@ -53,4 +54,6 @@ function startApp (metamaskState, accountManager, opts) {
       store: store,
     }
   ), opts.container)
+
+  return store
 }