diff --git a/frontend/controller/service-worker.js b/frontend/controller/service-worker.js
index 574fa4d42..8d73ff37c 100644
--- a/frontend/controller/service-worker.js
+++ b/frontend/controller/service-worker.js
@@ -51,6 +51,34 @@ sbp('sbp/selectors/register', {
       await swRegistration.update()
       setInterval(() => sbp('service-worker/update'), HOURS_MILLIS)
 
+      // Send a 'ready' message to the SW and wait back for a response
+      // This way we ensure that Chelonia has been set up
+      await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        const messageChannel = new MessageChannel()
+        messageChannel.port1.onmessage = (event) => {
+          if (event.data.type === 'ready') {
+            resolve()
+          } else {
+            reject(event.data.error)
+          }
+          messageChannel.port1.close()
+        }
+        messageChannel.port1.onmessageerror = () => {
+          reject(new Error('Message error'))
+          messageChannel.port1.close()
+        }
+
+        navigator.serviceWorker.ready.then((worker) => {
+          worker.active.postMessage({
+            type: 'ready',
+            port: messageChannel.port2
+          }, [messageChannel.port2])
+        }).catch((e) => {
+          reject(e)
+          messageChannel.port1.close()
+        })
+      })
+
       // Keep the service worker alive while the window is open
       // The default idle timeout on Chrome and Firefox is 30 seconds. We send
       // a ping message every 5 seconds to ensure that the worker remains
@@ -92,6 +120,7 @@ sbp('sbp/selectors/register', {
       })
     } catch (e) {
       console.error('error setting up service worker:', e)
+      throw e
     }
   },
   // We call this when the notification permission changes, to create a push
diff --git a/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/push.js b/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/push.js
index 0af7c66c1..d6eea834a 100644
--- a/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/push.js
+++ b/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/push.js
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export default (sbp('sbp/selectors/register', {
         const pubsub = sbp('okTurtles.data/get', PUBSUB_INSTANCE)
         if (!pubsub) reject(new Error('Missing pubsub instance'))
 
-        const readyState = pubsub.socket.readyState
+        const readyState = pubsub.socket?.readyState
         if (readyState !== WebSocket.OPEN) {
           reject(new Error('WebSocket connection is not open'))
         }
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export default (sbp('sbp/selectors/register', {
       const pubsub = sbp('okTurtles.data/get', PUBSUB_INSTANCE)
       if (!pubsub) throw new Error('Missing pubsub instance')
 
-      const readyState = pubsub.socket.readyState
+      const readyState = pubsub.socket?.readyState
       if (readyState !== WebSocket.OPEN) {
         throw new Error('WebSocket connection is not open')
       }
diff --git a/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/sw-primary.js b/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/sw-primary.js
index 3c3f9b83d..c4e3e7910 100644
--- a/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/sw-primary.js
+++ b/frontend/controller/serviceworkers/sw-primary.js
@@ -244,6 +244,26 @@ self.addEventListener('message', function (event) {
       case 'event':
         sbp('okTurtles.events/emit', event.data.subtype, ...deserializer(event.data.data))
         break
+      case 'ready': {
+        // The 'ready' message is sent by a client (i.e., a tab or window) to
+        // ensure that Chelonia has been setup
+        const port = event.data.port
+        Promise.race([
+          setupChelonia(),
+          new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            setTimeout(() => {
+              reject(new Error('Timed out setting up Chelonia'))
+            }, 30e3)
+          })
+        ]).then(() => {
+          port.postMessage({ type: 'ready' })
+        }, (e) => {
+          port.postMessage({ type: 'error', error: e })
+        }).finally(() => {
+          port.close()
+        })
+        break
+      }
       default:
         console.error('[sw] unknown message type:', event.data)
         break
diff --git a/frontend/main.js b/frontend/main.js
index cd9306bef..2acc28f83 100644
--- a/frontend/main.js
+++ b/frontend/main.js
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ async function startApp () {
       new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         setTimeout(() => {
           reject(new Error('Timed out setting up service worker'))
-        }, 16e3)
+        }, 8e3)
       })]
   ).catch(e => {
     console.error('[main] Error setting up service worker', e)
diff --git a/frontend/setupChelonia.js b/frontend/setupChelonia.js
index 625c3880f..dde4dab1e 100644
--- a/frontend/setupChelonia.js
+++ b/frontend/setupChelonia.js
@@ -295,9 +295,12 @@ const setupChelonia = async (): Promise<*> => {
     if (cheloniaState.loggedIn?.identityContractID !== identityContractID) return
     // it is important we first login before syncing any contracts here since that will load the
     // state and the contract sideEffects will sometimes need that state, e.g. loggedIn.identityContractID
-    await sbp('chelonia/contract/sync', identityContractID)
-    const contractIDs = groupContractsByType(cheloniaState.contracts)
-    await syncContractsInOrder(contractIDs)
+    await sbp('chelonia/contract/sync', identityContractID).then(async () => {
+      const contractIDs = groupContractsByType(cheloniaState.contracts)
+      await syncContractsInOrder(contractIDs)
+    }).catch(e => {
+      console.error('[setupChelonia] Error syncing identity contract and groups', e)
+    })
   })
 }
 
@@ -310,6 +313,7 @@ export default ((() => {
   return () => {
     if (!promise) {
       promise = setupChelonia().catch((e) => {
+        console.error('[setupChelonia] Error during chelonia setup', e)
         promise = undefined // Reset on error
         throw e // Re-throw the error
       })