diff --git a/routes/_components/Timeline.html b/routes/_components/Timeline.html
index 1219627c..3e1fd849 100644
--- a/routes/_components/Timeline.html
+++ b/routes/_components/Timeline.html
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 <script>
   import { store } from '../_utils/store'
   import { getTimeline } from '../_utils/mastodon/timelines'
+  import { getInstanceInfo } from '../_utils/mastodon/instance'
   import StatusListItem from './StatusListItem.html'
   import LoadingFooter from './LoadingFooter.html'
   import VirtualList from './virtualList/VirtualList.html'
@@ -40,12 +41,15 @@
   export default {
     async oncreate() {
       let timeline = this.get('timeline')
+      let instanceName = this.store.get('currentInstance')
       let cachedStatusIds = cachedTimelines[timeline]
       if (cachedStatusIds) {
         this.set({statusIds: cachedStatusIds})
       } else {
         this.addStatuses(await this.fetchStatusesAndPossiblyFallBack())
       }
+      /* no await */ getInstanceInfo(instanceName).then(instanceInfo => database.setInstanceInfo(instanceName, instanceInfo))
+      let instanceInfo = await database.getInstanceInfo(instanceName)
     },
     ondestroy() {
       cachedTimelines[this.get('timeline')] = this.get('statusIds')
diff --git a/routes/_utils/database/databaseCore.js b/routes/_utils/database/databaseCore.js
index a1ddb8d4..3b68b948 100644
--- a/routes/_utils/database/databaseCore.js
+++ b/routes/_utils/database/databaseCore.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import QuickLRU from 'quick-lru'
 
 const statusesCache = new QuickLRU({maxSize: 100})
 const accountsCache = new QuickLRU({maxSize: 50})
+const metaCache = new QuickLRU({maxSize: 20})
 
 if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
   window.cacheStats = {
@@ -29,10 +30,19 @@ if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
       cache: accountsCache,
       hits: 0,
       misses: 0
+    },
+    meta: {
+      cache: accountsCache,
+      hits: 0,
+      misses: 0
     }
   }
 }
 
+//
+// timelines/statuses
+//
+
 export async function getTimeline(instanceName, timeline, maxId = null, limit = 20) {
   const db = await getDatabase(instanceName, timeline)
   return await dbPromise(db, [TIMELINE_STORE, STATUSES_STORE], 'readonly', (stores, callback) => {
@@ -82,25 +92,81 @@ export async function insertStatuses(instanceName, timeline, statuses) {
   })
 }
 
-export async function getInstanceVerifyCredentials(instanceName) {
+export async function getStatus(instanceName, statusId) {
+  if (statusesCache.has(statusId)) {
+    if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+      window.cacheStats.statuses.hits++
+    }
+    return statusesCache.get(statusId)
+  }
   const db = await getDatabase(instanceName)
-  return await dbPromise(db, META_STORE, 'readonly', (store, callback) => {
-    store.get('verifyCredentials').onsuccess = (e) => {
+  let result = await dbPromise(db, STATUSES_STORE, 'readonly', (store, callback) => {
+    store.get(statusId).onsuccess = (e) => {
+      callback(e.target.result && e.target.result)
+    }
+  })
+  statusesCache.set(statusId, result)
+  if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+    window.cacheStats.statuses.misses++
+  }
+  return result
+}
+
+//
+// meta
+//
+
+async function getMetaProperty(instanceName, key) {
+  if (metaCache.has(key)) {
+    if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+      window.cacheStats.meta.hits++
+    }
+    return metaCache.get(key)
+  }
+  const db = await getDatabase(instanceName)
+  let result = await dbPromise(db, META_STORE, 'readonly', (store, callback) => {
+    store.get(key).onsuccess = (e) => {
       callback(e.target.result && e.target.result.value)
     }
   })
+  metaCache.set(key, result)
+  if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
+    window.cacheStats.meta.misses++
+  }
+  return result
 }
 
-export async function setInstanceVerifyCredentials(instanceName, verifyCredentials) {
+async function setMetaProperty(instanceName, key, value) {
+  metaCache.set(key, value)
   const db = await getDatabase(instanceName)
   return await dbPromise(db, META_STORE, 'readwrite', (store) => {
     store.put({
-      key: 'verifyCredentials',
-      value: verifyCredentials
+      key: key,
+      value: value
     })
   })
 }
 
+export async function getInstanceVerifyCredentials(instanceName) {
+  return await getMetaProperty(instanceName, 'verifyCredentials')
+}
+
+export async function setInstanceVerifyCredentials(instanceName, value) {
+  return await setMetaProperty(instanceName, 'verifyCredentials', value)
+}
+
+export async function getInstanceInfo(instanceName) {
+  return await getMetaProperty(instanceName, 'instance')
+}
+
+export async function setInstanceInfo(instanceName, value) {
+  return await setMetaProperty(instanceName, 'instance', value)
+}
+
+//
+// accounts
+//
+
 export async function getAccount(instanceName, accountId) {
   if (accountsCache.has(accountId)) {
     if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
@@ -120,26 +186,10 @@ export async function getAccount(instanceName, accountId) {
   return result
 }
 
+//
+// lifecycle
+//
+
 export async function clearDatabaseForInstance(instanceName) {
   await deleteDatabase(instanceName)
-}
-
-export async function getStatus(instanceName, statusId) {
-  if (statusesCache.has(statusId)) {
-    if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
-      window.cacheStats.statuses.hits++
-    }
-    return statusesCache.get(statusId)
-  }
-  const db = await getDatabase(instanceName)
-  let result = await dbPromise(db, STATUSES_STORE, 'readonly', (store, callback) => {
-    store.get(statusId).onsuccess = (e) => {
-      callback(e.target.result && e.target.result)
-    }
-  })
-  statusesCache.set(statusId, result)
-  if (process.browser && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
-    window.cacheStats.statuses.misses++
-  }
-  return result
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/routes/_utils/mastodon/instance.js b/routes/_utils/mastodon/instance.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b98eba35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/routes/_utils/mastodon/instance.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import { get } from '../ajax'
+import { basename } from './utils'
+
+export function getInstanceInfo(instanceName) {
+  let url = `${basename(instanceName)}/api/v1/instance`
+  return get(url)
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/routes/settings/instances/add.html b/routes/settings/instances/add.html
index 67acc7d4..30f5034b 100644
--- a/routes/settings/instances/add.html
+++ b/routes/settings/instances/add.html
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
   import SettingsLayout from '../_components/SettingsLayout.html'
   import { registerApplication, generateAuthLink, getAccessTokenFromAuthCode } from '../../_utils/mastodon/oauth'
   import { getVerifyCredentials } from '../../_utils/mastodon/user'
+  import { getInstanceInfo } from '../../_utils/mastodon/instance'
   import { store } from '../../_utils/store'
   import { goto } from 'sapper/runtime.js'
   import { switchToTheme } from '../../_utils/themeEngine'
@@ -125,7 +126,10 @@
           this.set({error: `You've already logged in to ${instanceName}`})
           return
         }
-        let instanceData = await registerApplication(instanceName, REDIRECT_URI)
+        let registrationPromise = registerApplication(instanceName, REDIRECT_URI)
+        let instanceInfo = await getInstanceInfo(instanceName)
+        await database.setInstanceInfo(instanceName, instanceInfo) // cache for later
+        let instanceData = await registrationPromise
         this.store.set({
           currentRegisteredInstanceName: instanceName,
           currentRegisteredInstance: instanceData
@@ -177,7 +181,7 @@
         })
         this.store.save()
         switchToTheme('default')
-        // fire off request for account so it's cached in the SW
+        // fire off request for account so it's cached
         getVerifyCredentials(currentRegisteredInstanceName, instanceData.access_token).then(verifyCredentials => {
           database.setInstanceVerifyCredentials(currentRegisteredInstanceName, verifyCredentials)
         })