diff --git a/app/ui/__init__.py b/app/ui/__init__.py
index 58415d8d..e2ad08c7 100644
--- a/app/ui/__init__.py
+++ b/app/ui/__init__.py
@@ -82,8 +82,10 @@ def error(window, title, text):
 
 def find_children(container, *child_names):
 	assert container is not None
+	assert isinstance(container, Gtk.Container)
 
 	def _iterate_children(widget, names, result, count):
+		assert isinstance(widget, Gtk.Widget)
 		wname = widget.get_name()
 		if wname in names:
 			index = names.index(wname)
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ def find_children(container, *child_names):
 
 		if count > 0 and isinstance(widget, Gtk.Container):
 			for w in widget:
+				# if isinstance(w, Gtk.Widget):
 				count = _iterate_children(w, names, result, count)
 				if count == 0:
 					break
diff --git a/app/ui/config_panel.py b/app/ui/config_panel.py
index 732b5893..b3eb7455 100644
--- a/app/ui/config_panel.py
+++ b/app/ui/config_panel.py
@@ -33,11 +33,10 @@ def _process_apply_queue():
 			_, setting, value, sbox = task
 			GObject.idle_add(_write_start, sbox)
 			value = setting.write(value)
-			GObject.idle_add(_update_setting_item, sbox, value)
 		elif task[0] == 'read':
-			_, setting, sbox, cached = task
+			_, setting, cached, sbox = task
 			value = setting.read(cached)
-			GObject.idle_add(_update_setting_item, sbox, value)
+		GObject.idle_add(_update_setting_item, sbox, value)
 
 from threading import Thread as _Thread
 _queue_processor = _Thread(name='SettingsProcessor', target=_process_apply_queue)
@@ -159,19 +158,25 @@ def update(frame):
 		# nothing to do here
 		return
 
+	if not box.get_visible():
+		# no point in doing this, is there?
+		return
+
+	force_read = False
 	items = box.get_children()
 	if not items:
 		if device.status:
 			items = _add_settings(box, device)
 			assert len(device.settings) == len(list(items))
+			force_read = True
 		else:
 			# don't bother adding settings for offline devices,
 			# they're useless and might not guess all of them anyway
 			return
 
 	device_active = bool(device.status)
-	was_inactive = not box.get_sensitive()
+	force_read |= device_active and not box.get_sensitive()
 	box.set_sensitive(device_active)
 	if device_active:
 		for sbox, s in zip(items, device.settings):
-			_apply_queue.put(('read', s, sbox, was_inactive))
+			_apply_queue.put(('read', s, force_read, sbox))
diff --git a/app/ui/main_window.py b/app/ui/main_window.py
index 40aaaea6..5f3c33a5 100644
--- a/app/ui/main_window.py
+++ b/app/ui/main_window.py
@@ -239,26 +239,6 @@ def _make_device_box(index):
 	return frame
 
 
-def toggle(window, trigger):
-	if window.get_visible():
-		position = window.get_position()
-		window.hide()
-		window.move(*position)
-	else:
-		if trigger and type(trigger) == Gtk.StatusIcon:
-			x, y = window.get_position()
-			if x == 0 and y == 0:
-				x, y, _ = Gtk.StatusIcon.position_menu(Gtk.Menu(), trigger)
-				window.move(x, y)
-		window.present()
-	return True
-
-
-def _popup(window, trigger=None):
-	if not window.get_visible():
-		toggle(window, trigger)
-
-
 def create(title, name, max_devices, systray=False):
 	window = Gtk.Window()
 	window.set_title(title)
@@ -284,16 +264,39 @@ def create(title, name, max_devices, systray=False):
 	window.set_geometry_hints(vbox, geometry, Gdk.WindowHints.MIN_SIZE)
 	window.set_resizable(False)
 
-	window.toggle_visible = lambda i: toggle(window, i)
-	window.popup = lambda i=None: _popup(window, i)
+	def _toggle_visible(w, trigger):
+		if w.get_visible():
+			# hiding moves the window to 0,0
+			position = w.get_position()
+			w.hide()
+			w.move(*position)
+		else:
+			if isinstance(trigger, Gtk.StatusIcon):
+				x, y = w.get_position()
+				if x == 0 and y == 0:
+					# if the window hasn't been shown yet, position it next to the status icon
+					x, y, _ = Gtk.StatusIcon.position_menu(Gtk.Menu(), trigger)
+					w.move(x, y)
+			w.present()
+			w.deiconify()
+		return True
+
+	def _popup(w, trigger=None):
+		if not w.get_visible():
+			w.toggle_visible(trigger)
+
+	from types import MethodType
+	window.toggle_visible = MethodType(_toggle_visible, window)
+	window.popup = MethodType(_popup, window)
+	del MethodType
 
 	if systray:
 		window.set_keep_above(True)
 		# window.set_decorated(False)
 		# window.set_type_hint(Gdk.WindowTypeHint.TOOLTIP)
-		# window.set_skip_taskbar_hint(True)
-		# window.set_skip_pager_hint(True)
-		window.connect('delete-event', toggle)
+		window.set_skip_taskbar_hint(True)
+		window.set_skip_pager_hint(True)
+		window.connect('delete-event', _toggle_visible)
 	else:
 		window.connect('delete-event', Gtk.main_quit)
 
@@ -333,7 +336,7 @@ def _update_receiver_box(frame, receiver):
 		pairing_icon.set_visible(False)
 		toolbar.set_sensitive(False)
 		toolbar.get_children()[0].set_active(False)
-		ui.find_children('info-label').set_text('')
+		ui.find_children(frame, 'info-label').set_text('')
 
 
 def _update_device_box(frame, dev):