diff --git a/packages/api/src/controllers/config.js b/packages/api/src/controllers/config.js
index 4935b337..f96877d5 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/controllers/config.js
+++ b/packages/api/src/controllers/config.js
@@ -59,13 +59,10 @@ module.exports = {
 
   getSettings_meta: true,
   async getSettings() {
-    try {
-      return this.fillMissingSettings(
-        JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(datadir(), 'settings.json'), { encoding: 'utf-8' }))
-      );
-    } catch (err) {
-      return this.fillMissingSettings({});
-    }
+    const res = await lock.acquire('settings', async () => {
+      return await this.loadSettings();
+    });
+    return res;
   },
 
   fillMissingSettings(value) {
@@ -79,12 +76,21 @@ module.exports = {
     return res;
   },
 
+  async loadSettings() {
+    try {
+      const settingsText = await fs.readFile(path.join(datadir(), 'settings.json'), { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+      return this.fillMissingSettings(JSON.parse(settingsText));
+    } catch (err) {
+      return this.fillMissingSettings({});
+    }
+  },
+
   updateSettings_meta: true,
   async updateSettings(values, req) {
     if (!hasPermission(`settings/change`, req)) return false;
 
-    const res = await lock.acquire('update', async () => {
-      const currentValue = await this.getSettings();
+    const res = await lock.acquire('settings', async () => {
+      const currentValue = await this.loadSettings();
       try {
         const updated = {
           ...currentValue,
diff --git a/packages/web/src/stores.ts b/packages/web/src/stores.ts
index 785ab080..4f24fe84 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/stores.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/stores.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@ export function writableWithStorage<T>(defaultValue: T, storageName) {
 }
 
 export function writableSettingsValue<T>(defaultValue: T, storageName) {
-  const res = derived(useSettings(), $settings => ($settings || {})[storageName] ?? defaultValue);
+  const res = derived(useSettings(), $settings => {
+    const obj = $settings || {};
+    // console.log('GET SETTINGS', $settings, storageName, obj[storageName]);
+    return obj[storageName] ?? defaultValue;
+  });
   return {
     ...res,
     set: value => apiCall('config/update-settings', { [storageName]: value }),
diff --git a/packages/web/src/utility/metadataLoaders.ts b/packages/web/src/utility/metadataLoaders.ts
index f3428d3b..4d64ae9a 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/utility/metadataLoaders.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/utility/metadataLoaders.ts
@@ -189,25 +189,29 @@ async function getCore(loader, args) {
 function useCore(loader, args) {
   const { url, params, reloadTrigger, transform, onLoaded } = loader(args);
   const cacheKey = stableStringify({ url, ...params });
-  let closed = false;
+  let openedCount = 0;
 
   return {
     subscribe: onChange => {
       async function handleReload() {
         const res = await getCore(loader, args);
-        if (!closed) {
+        if (openedCount > 0) {
           onChange(res);
         }
       }
-
+      openedCount += 1;
       handleReload();
 
       if (reloadTrigger) {
         subscribeCacheChange(reloadTrigger, cacheKey, handleReload);
         return () => {
-          closed = true;
+          openedCount -= 1;
           unsubscribeCacheChange(reloadTrigger, cacheKey, handleReload);
         };
+      } else {
+        return () => {
+          openedCount -= 1;
+        };
       }
     },
   };