diff --git a/changelog.d/boot-improvements.change b/changelog.d/boot-improvements.change
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8007d2332
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/boot-improvements.change
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Speed up initial boot.
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 63f071aac..7fe3d3806 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
   <head>
     <meta charset="utf-8">
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1,user-scalable=no">
+    <link rel="preload" href="/static/config.json" as="fetch" crossorigin />
+    <link rel="preload" href="/api/pleroma/frontend_configurations" as="fetch" crossorigin />
+    <link rel="preload" href="/nodeinfo/2.1.json" as="fetch" crossorigin />
+    <link rel="preload" href="/api/v1/instance" as="fetch" crossorigin />
+    <link rel="preload" href="/static/pleromatan_apology_fox_small.webp" as="image" />
     <!-- putting styles here to avoid having to wait for styles to load up -->
     <style id="splashscreen">
      #splash {
@@ -148,7 +153,7 @@
             <div class="chunk" id="chunk-E">
             </div>
           </div>
-          <img id="mascot" src="/static/pleromatan_apology.png">
+          <img id="mascot" src="/static/pleromatan_apology_small.webp">
         </div>
         <div id="status" class="css-ok">
           <!-- (｡>﹏<) -->
diff --git a/src/App.scss b/src/App.scss
index fa02ad929..34cb590a2 100644
--- a/src/App.scss
+++ b/src/App.scss
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ option {
 
 #splash {
   pointer-events: none;
-  transition: opacity 2s;
+  transition: opacity 0.5s;
   opacity: 1;
 
   &.hidden {
@@ -960,7 +960,7 @@ option {
 
     &.dead {
       animation-name: dead;
-      animation-duration: 2s;
+      animation-duration: 0.5s;
       animation-iteration-count: 1;
       transform: rotateX(90deg) rotateY(0) rotateZ(-45deg);
     }
diff --git a/src/boot/after_store.js b/src/boot/after_store.js
index ada812739..8e27d7457 100644
--- a/src/boot/after_store.js
+++ b/src/boot/after_store.js
@@ -230,12 +230,16 @@ const getStickers = async ({ store }) => {
 const getAppSecret = async ({ store }) => {
   const { state, commit } = store
   const { oauth, instance } = state
-  return getOrCreateApp({ ...oauth, instance: instance.server, commit })
-    .then((app) => getClientToken({ ...app, instance: instance.server }))
-    .then((token) => {
-      commit('setAppToken', token.access_token)
-      commit('setBackendInteractor', backendInteractorService(store.getters.getToken()))
-    })
+  if (oauth.userToken) {
+    commit('setBackendInteractor', backendInteractorService(store.getters.getToken()))
+  } else {
+    return getOrCreateApp({ ...oauth, instance: instance.server, commit })
+      .then((app) => getClientToken({ ...app, instance: instance.server }))
+      .then((token) => {
+        commit('setAppToken', token.access_token)
+        commit('setBackendInteractor', backendInteractorService(store.getters.getToken()))
+      })
+  }
 }
 
 const resolveStaffAccounts = ({ store, accounts }) => {
@@ -377,10 +381,9 @@ const afterStoreSetup = async ({ pinia, store, storageError, i18n }) => {
     getInstanceConfig({ store })
   ]).catch(e => Promise.reject(e))
 
-  await store.dispatch('loadDrafts')
-
   // Start fetching things that don't need to block the UI
   store.dispatch('fetchMutes')
+  store.dispatch('loadDrafts')
   useAnnouncementsStore().startFetchingAnnouncements()
   getTOS({ store })
   getStickers({ store })
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 3ef6e1b38..985bc4c2b 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ const persistedStateOptions = {
       console.error('Storage error', e)
       storageError = e
     }
-    document.querySelector('#mascot').src = `/static/pleromatan_apology${isFox}.png`
+    document.querySelector('#mascot').src = `/static/pleromatan_apology${isFox}_small.webp`
     document.querySelector('#status').removeAttribute('class')
     document.querySelector('#status').textContent = i18n.global.t('splash.loading')
     document.querySelector('#splash-credit').textContent = i18n.global.t('update.art_by', { linkToArtist: 'pipivovott' })
diff --git a/static/pleromatan_apology_fox_small.webp b/static/pleromatan_apology_fox_small.webp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eacbf3cbf
Binary files /dev/null and b/static/pleromatan_apology_fox_small.webp differ
diff --git a/static/pleromatan_apology_small.webp b/static/pleromatan_apology_small.webp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e27e06d06
Binary files /dev/null and b/static/pleromatan_apology_small.webp differ
