diff --git a/web/app.js b/web/app.js
index 156367f5f..350f21b18 100644
--- a/web/app.js
+++ b/web/app.js
@@ -193,9 +193,124 @@ var PDFViewerApplication = {
 
   // called once when the document is loaded
   initialize: function pdfViewInitialize(appConfig) {
+    var self = this;
+    var PDFJS = pdfjsLib.PDFJS;
+
     configure(pdfjsLib.PDFJS);
     this.appConfig = appConfig;
 
+    Preferences.initialize();
+    this.preferences = Preferences;
+
+    this._initializeViewerComponents();
+
+    return this._readPreferences().then(function () {
+      if (self.isViewerEmbedded && !PDFJS.isExternalLinkTargetSet()) {
+        // Prevent external links from "replacing" the viewer,
+        // when it's embedded in e.g. an iframe or an object.
+        PDFJS.externalLinkTarget = PDFJS.LinkTarget.TOP;
+      }
+
+      self.initialized = true;
+    });
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * @private
+   */
+  _readPreferences: function () {
+    var self = this;
+    var PDFJS = pdfjsLib.PDFJS;
+
+    return Promise.all([
+      Preferences.get('enableWebGL').then(function resolved(value) {
+        PDFJS.disableWebGL = !value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('sidebarViewOnLoad').then(function resolved(value) {
+        self.preferenceSidebarViewOnLoad = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('pdfBugEnabled').then(function resolved(value) {
+        self.preferencePdfBugEnabled = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('showPreviousViewOnLoad').then(function resolved(value) {
+        self.preferenceShowPreviousViewOnLoad = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('defaultZoomValue').then(function resolved(value) {
+        self.preferenceDefaultZoomValue = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('enhanceTextSelection').then(function resolved(value) {
+        // TODO: Move the initialization and fetching of `Preferences` to occur
+        //       before the various viewer components are initialized.
+        //
+        // This was attempted in: https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/pull/7586,
+        // but it had to be backed out since it violated implicit assumptions
+        // about some viewer components being synchronously available.
+        //
+        // NOTE: This hack works since the `enhanceTextSelection` option is not
+        //       needed until `PDFViewer.setDocument` has been called.
+        self.pdfViewer.enhanceTextSelection = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('disableTextLayer').then(function resolved(value) {
+        if (PDFJS.disableTextLayer === true) {
+          return;
+        }
+        PDFJS.disableTextLayer = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('disableRange').then(function resolved(value) {
+        if (PDFJS.disableRange === true) {
+          return;
+        }
+        PDFJS.disableRange = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('disableStream').then(function resolved(value) {
+        if (PDFJS.disableStream === true) {
+          return;
+        }
+        PDFJS.disableStream = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('disableAutoFetch').then(function resolved(value) {
+        PDFJS.disableAutoFetch = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('disableFontFace').then(function resolved(value) {
+        if (PDFJS.disableFontFace === true) {
+          return;
+        }
+        PDFJS.disableFontFace = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('useOnlyCssZoom').then(function resolved(value) {
+        PDFJS.useOnlyCssZoom = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('externalLinkTarget').then(function resolved(value) {
+        if (PDFJS.isExternalLinkTargetSet()) {
+          return;
+        }
+        PDFJS.externalLinkTarget = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('renderer').then(function resolved(value) {
+        // TODO: Like the `enhanceTextSelection` preference, move the
+        //       initialization and fetching of `Preferences` to occur
+        //       before the various viewer components are initialized.
+        self.pdfViewer.renderer = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('renderInteractiveForms').then(function resolved(value) {
+        // TODO: Like the `enhanceTextSelection` preference, move the
+        //       initialization and fetching of `Preferences` to occur
+        //       before the various viewer components are initialized.
+        self.pdfViewer.renderInteractiveForms = value;
+      }),
+      Preferences.get('disablePageLabels').then(function resolved(value) {
+        self.preferenceDisablePageLabels = value;
+      }),
+      // TODO move more preferences and other async stuff here
+    ]).catch(function (reason) { });
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * @private
+   */
+  _initializeViewerComponents: function () {
+    var appConfig = this.appConfig;
+
     var eventBus = appConfig.eventBus || getGlobalEventBus();
     this.eventBus = eventBus;
     this.bindEvents();
@@ -235,9 +350,6 @@ var PDFViewerApplication = {
     });
     pdfRenderingQueue.setThumbnailViewer(this.pdfThumbnailViewer);
 
-    Preferences.initialize();
-    this.preferences = Preferences;
-
     this.pdfHistory = new PDFHistory({
       linkService: pdfLinkService,
       eventBus: this.eventBus
@@ -317,100 +429,6 @@ var PDFViewerApplication = {
     sidebarConfig.eventBus = this.eventBus;
     this.pdfSidebar = new PDFSidebar(sidebarConfig);
     this.pdfSidebar.onToggled = this.forceRendering.bind(this);
-
-    var self = this;
-    var PDFJS = pdfjsLib.PDFJS;
-    var initializedPromise = Promise.all([
-      Preferences.get('enableWebGL').then(function resolved(value) {
-        PDFJS.disableWebGL = !value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('sidebarViewOnLoad').then(function resolved(value) {
-        self.preferenceSidebarViewOnLoad = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('pdfBugEnabled').then(function resolved(value) {
-        self.preferencePdfBugEnabled = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('showPreviousViewOnLoad').then(function resolved(value) {
-        self.preferenceShowPreviousViewOnLoad = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('defaultZoomValue').then(function resolved(value) {
-        self.preferenceDefaultZoomValue = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('enhanceTextSelection').then(function resolved(value) {
-        // TODO: Move the initialization and fetching of `Preferences` to occur
-        //       before the various viewer components are initialized.
-        //
-        // This was attempted in: https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/pull/7586,
-        // but it had to be backed out since it violated implicit assumptions
-        // about some viewer components being synchronously available.
-        //
-        // NOTE: This hack works since the `enhanceTextSelection` option is not
-        //       needed until `PDFViewer.setDocument` has been called.
-        self.pdfViewer.enhanceTextSelection = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('disableTextLayer').then(function resolved(value) {
-        if (PDFJS.disableTextLayer === true) {
-          return;
-        }
-        PDFJS.disableTextLayer = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('disableRange').then(function resolved(value) {
-        if (PDFJS.disableRange === true) {
-          return;
-        }
-        PDFJS.disableRange = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('disableStream').then(function resolved(value) {
-        if (PDFJS.disableStream === true) {
-          return;
-        }
-        PDFJS.disableStream = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('disableAutoFetch').then(function resolved(value) {
-        PDFJS.disableAutoFetch = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('disableFontFace').then(function resolved(value) {
-        if (PDFJS.disableFontFace === true) {
-          return;
-        }
-        PDFJS.disableFontFace = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('useOnlyCssZoom').then(function resolved(value) {
-        PDFJS.useOnlyCssZoom = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('externalLinkTarget').then(function resolved(value) {
-        if (PDFJS.isExternalLinkTargetSet()) {
-          return;
-        }
-        PDFJS.externalLinkTarget = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('renderer').then(function resolved(value) {
-        // TODO: Like the `enhanceTextSelection` preference, move the
-        //       initialization and fetching of `Preferences` to occur
-        //       before the various viewer components are initialized.
-        self.pdfViewer.renderer = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('renderInteractiveForms').then(function resolved(value) {
-        // TODO: Like the `enhanceTextSelection` preference, move the
-        //       initialization and fetching of `Preferences` to occur
-        //       before the various viewer components are initialized.
-        self.pdfViewer.renderInteractiveForms = value;
-      }),
-      Preferences.get('disablePageLabels').then(function resolved(value) {
-        self.preferenceDisablePageLabels = value;
-      }),
-      // TODO move more preferences and other async stuff here
-    ]).catch(function (reason) { });
-
-    return initializedPromise.then(function () {
-      if (self.isViewerEmbedded && !PDFJS.isExternalLinkTargetSet()) {
-        // Prevent external links from "replacing" the viewer,
-        // when it's embedded in e.g. an iframe or an object.
-        PDFJS.externalLinkTarget = PDFJS.LinkTarget.TOP;
-      }
-
-      self.initialized = true;
-    });
   },
 
   run: function pdfViewRun(config) {