diff --git a/frontend/src/animations.js b/frontend/src/animations.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..878ab11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/animations.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { fade, fly } from "svelte/transition";
+import { getItem } from "./storage";
+
+export function maybeFly(...e) {
+    if (getItem("doAnimations"))
+        return fly(...e);
+}
+
+export function maybeFade(...e) {
+    if (getItem("doAnimations"))
+        return fade(...e);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte b/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte
index d07e1be..20450b8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Message.svelte
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 <div class="message">
     <span class="author">{ message.author_username }</span>
     <span class="message-content" class:pending={ message._isPending }>{ message.content }</span>
-    {#if $userInfoStore && message.author_id === $userInfoStore.id}
+    {#if userInfoStore.value && message.author_id === userInfoStore.value.id}
         <button class="icon-button icon-button-auto edit-message" on:click="{ () => overlayStore.open('editMessage', { message }) }">
             <MoreVerticalIcon />
         </button>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.svelte b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.svelte
index 62b019f..aab85d6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Sidebar.svelte
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
     import { HashIcon, PlusIcon, MoreVerticalIcon, SettingsIcon } from "svelte-feather-icons";
     import { quadInOut } from "svelte/easing";
     import { fly } from "svelte/transition";
+import { maybeFade } from "../animations";
     import { channels, overlayStore, selectedChannel, showChannelView, showSidebar, smallViewport, userInfoStore } from "../stores";
     import UserTopBar from "./UserTopBar.svelte";
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@
     };
 </script>
 
-<div class="sidebar-container" transition:fly="{{ duration: 200, easing: quadInOut, x: -10 }}" on:outroend="{ outroEnd }">
+<div class="sidebar-container" transition:maybeFade="{{ duration: 200, easing: quadInOut, x: -10 }}" on:outroend="{ outroEnd }">
     <UserTopBar />
     <div class="sidebar">
         {#each $channels as channel (channel.id)}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateAccount.svelte b/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateAccount.svelte
index 0ce8650..0dd7e65 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateAccount.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateAccount.svelte
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     import { overlayStore } from "../../stores";
     import request from "../../request";
     import { apiRoute } from "../../storage";
+import { maybeFly } from "../../animations";
 
     let username = "";
     let password = "";
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@
 </style>
 
 <div class="modal-backdrop modal-backdrop-opaque">
-    <div class="modal" transition:fly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation on:outroend="{ outroEnd }">
+    <div class="modal" transition:maybeFly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation on:outroend="{ outroEnd }">
         <div class="modal-header">
             <span class="h4">Create an Account</span>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateChannel.svelte b/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateChannel.svelte
index 79b5cbd..11b0b14 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateChannel.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/overlays/CreateChannel.svelte
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     import { overlayStore } from "../../stores";
     import request from "../../request";
     import { apiRoute } from "../../storage";
+import { maybeFade, maybeFly } from "../../animations";
 
     let channelName = "";
     let createButtonEnabled = true;
@@ -29,8 +30,8 @@
     }
 </style>
 
-<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:fade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
-    <div class="modal" transition:fly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
+<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:maybeFade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
+    <div class="modal" transition:maybeFly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
         <div class="modal-header">
             <span class="h4">Create Channel</span>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditChannel.svelte b/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditChannel.svelte
index b586658..d32dce9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditChannel.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditChannel.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <script>
     import { fade, fly } from "svelte/transition";
+    import { maybeFade, maybeFly } from "../../animations";
     import { quintInOut } from "svelte/easing";
     import { overlayStore } from "../../stores";
     import request from "../../request";
@@ -45,8 +46,8 @@
     }
 </style>
 
-<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:fade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
-    <div class="modal" transition:fly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
+<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:maybeFade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
+    <div class="modal" transition:maybeFly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
         <div class="modal-header">
             <span class="h4">Edit Channel</span>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditMessage.svelte b/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditMessage.svelte
index ffa3f62..f6c5a8d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditMessage.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/overlays/EditMessage.svelte
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     import { overlayStore } from "../../stores";
     import request from "../../request";
     import { apiRoute } from "../../storage";
+import { maybeFade, maybeFly } from "../../animations";
 
     export let message;
 
@@ -45,8 +46,8 @@
     }
 </style>
 
-<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:fade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
-    <div class="modal" transition:fly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
+<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:maybeFade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
+    <div class="modal" transition:maybeFly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
         <div class="modal-header">
             <span class="h4">Edit Message</span>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/overlays/Login.svelte b/frontend/src/components/overlays/Login.svelte
index 5bbd231..06504f0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/overlays/Login.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/overlays/Login.svelte
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     import request from "../../request";
     import { apiRoute } from "../../storage";
     import { authWithToken } from "../../auth";
+import { maybeFly } from "../../animations";
 
     let username = "";
     let password = "";
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@
 </style>
 
 <div class="modal-backdrop modal-backdrop-opaque">
-    <div class="modal" transition:fly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation on:outroend="{ outroEnd }">
+    <div class="modal" transition:maybeFly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation on:outroend="{ outroEnd }">
         <div class="modal-header">
             <span class="h4">Welcome back!</span>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/overlays/Settings.svelte b/frontend/src/components/overlays/Settings.svelte
index f44905d..8cf8b49 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/overlays/Settings.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/overlays/Settings.svelte
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
     import { AtSignIcon } from "svelte-feather-icons";
     import { overlayStore, userInfoStore, smallViewport } from "../../stores";
     import { logOut } from "../../auth";
+import { maybeFade, maybeFly } from "../../animations";
 
     const close = () => overlayStore.close("settings");
 
@@ -44,8 +45,8 @@
     }
 </style>
 
-<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:fade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
-    <div class="modal" class:large-settings="{ !$smallViewport }" transition:fly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
+<div class="modal-backdrop" transition:maybeFade="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut }}" on:click="{ close }">
+    <div class="modal" class:large-settings="{ !$smallViewport }" transition:maybeFly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}" on:click|stopPropagation>
         <span class="h4">Account</span>
 
         <div class="separator" />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/overlays/Toast.svelte b/frontend/src/components/overlays/Toast.svelte
index 5ec6ad5..4efd291 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/overlays/Toast.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/overlays/Toast.svelte
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
     import { XIcon } from "svelte-feather-icons";
     import { quintInOut } from "svelte/easing";
     import { fly } from "svelte/transition";
+import { maybeFly } from "../../animations";
     import { overlayStore } from "../../stores";
 
     export let message;
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@
 </style>
 
 {#key message}
-    <div class="toast" transition:fly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}">
+    <div class="toast" transition:maybeFly="{{ duration: 300, easing: quintInOut, y: 10 }}">
         <span>{ message }</span>
         <button class="icon-button icon-button-auto" on:click="{ () => overlayStore.close('toast') }">
             <XIcon />
diff --git a/frontend/src/gateway.js b/frontend/src/gateway.js
index 54e20ec..b886ad4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/gateway.js
+++ b/frontend/src/gateway.js
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@ export default {
 
             log("close");
         };
+        this.ws.onerror = (e) => {
+            log("websocket: onerror", e);
+        };
 
         return true;
     },
diff --git a/frontend/src/storage.js b/frontend/src/storage.js
index c28c99c..4f32b95 100644
--- a/frontend/src/storage.js
+++ b/frontend/src/storage.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const defaults = {
     apiBase: `${window.location.origin}/api/v1`,
-    gatewayBase: `${location.protocol === "https:" ? "wss" : "ws"}://${location.host}/gateway`
+    gatewayBase: `${location.protocol === "https:" ? "wss" : "ws"}://${location.host}/gateway`,
+    doAnimations: true
 };
 
 const dummyProvider = {
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ export function apiRoute(fragment) {
 
 export function setItemIfNull(key, value) {
     const provider = getProvider();
-    if (!provider.getItem(key)) {
+    if (provider.getItem(key) === undefined) {
         provider.setItem(key, value);
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/frontend/src/stores.js b/frontend/src/stores.js
index 06ebe54..c6a0d3e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/stores.js
+++ b/frontend/src/stores.js
@@ -3,19 +3,20 @@ import logging from "./logging";
 import request from "./request";
 import { apiRoute } from "./storage";
 
-const storeLog = logging.logger("Store");
+const storeLog = logging.logger("Store", true);
 
 class Store {
-    constructor(value=null) {
+    constructor(value=null, name="[unnamed]") {
         this._handlers = [];
         this.value = value;
+        this.name = name;
     }
 
     subscribe(handler) {
         const newLength = this._handlers.push(handler);
         const handlerIndex = newLength - 1;
+        storeLog(`(${this.name}) Calling handler (initial)`, this.value);
         handler(this.value);
-        storeLog("Subscription initialized with value", this.value);
         return () => {
             this._handlers.splice(handlerIndex, 1);
         };
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ class Store {
     }
 
     updated() {
-        storeLog(`updated(): calling ${this._handlers.length} handlers - value changed`, this.value);
+        storeLog(`(${this.name}) Calling all (${this._handlers.length}) handlers (updated)`, this.value);
         this._handlers.forEach(e => {
             e(this.value);
         });
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ class Store {
 
 class ChannelsStore extends Store {
     constructor() {
-        super(gateway.channels || []);
+        super(gateway.channels || [], "ChannelsStore");
 
         gateway.subscribe(GatewayEventType.Ready, ({ channels }) => {
             this.value = channels;
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ class ChannelsStore extends Store {
 
 class GatewayStatusStore extends Store {
     constructor() {
-        super({ open: gateway.open, ready: gateway.authenticated });
+        super({ open: gateway.open, ready: gateway.authenticated }, "GatewayStatusStore");
 
         gateway.subscribe(GatewayEventType.Open, () => {
             this.value.open = true;
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ class GatewayStatusStore extends Store {
 
 class UserInfoStore extends Store {
     constructor() {
-        super(null);
+        super(null, "UserInfoStore");
 
         gateway.subscribe(GatewayEventType.Ready, ({ user }) => {
             this.value = user;
@@ -121,7 +122,7 @@ class UserInfoStore extends Store {
 
 class MessageStore extends Store {
     constructor(channelId) {
-        super([]);
+        super([], `MessageStore[channelId=${channelId}]`);
         this.channelId = channelId;
         this.isCollectingOldMessages = true;
         this.didDoInitialLoad = false;
@@ -271,7 +272,7 @@ class OverlayStore extends Store {
             login: null,
             createAccount: null,
             settings: null
-        });
+        }, "OverlayStore");
     }
 
     open(name, props={}) {
@@ -285,10 +286,10 @@ class OverlayStore extends Store {
     }
 }
 
-export const selectedChannel = new Store({ id: -1, name: "none", creator_id: -1 });
-export const showSidebar = new Store(false);
-export const showChannelView = new Store(true);
-export const smallViewport = new Store(false);
+export const selectedChannel = new Store({ id: -1, name: "none", creator_id: -1 }, "selectedChannel");
+export const showSidebar = new Store(false, "showSidebar");
+export const showChannelView = new Store(true, "showChannelView");
+export const smallViewport = new Store(false, "smallViewport");
 export const channels = new ChannelsStore();
 export const gatewayStatus = new GatewayStatusStore();
 export const messagesStoreProvider = new MessagesStoreProvider();