diff --git a/src/generic_core/globals.ts b/src/generic_core/globals.ts
index bad86b8b78..b41495d4a3 100644
--- a/src/generic_core/globals.ts
+++ b/src/generic_core/globals.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ export var settings :uproxy_core_api.GlobalSettings = {
   stunServers: DEFAULT_STUN_SERVERS.slice(0),
   hasSeenSharingEnabledScreen: false,
   hasSeenWelcome: false,
+  hasSeenMetrics: false,
   allowNonUnicast: false,
   mode: user_interface.Mode.GET,
   version: STORAGE_VERSION,
diff --git a/src/generic_core/uproxy_core.ts b/src/generic_core/uproxy_core.ts
index b682703f37..817b03f83c 100644
--- a/src/generic_core/uproxy_core.ts
+++ b/src/generic_core/uproxy_core.ts
@@ -197,22 +197,28 @@ export class uProxyCore implements uproxy_core_api.CoreApi {
     if (newSettings.stunServers.length === 0) {
       newSettings.stunServers = globals.DEFAULT_STUN_SERVERS;
     }
+    var oldDescription = globals.settings.description;
     globals.storage.save('globalSettings', newSettings)
       .catch((e) => {
         log.error('Could not save globalSettings to storage', e.stack);
       });
 
-    // Clear the existing servers and add in each new server.
-    // Trying globalSettings = newSettings does not correctly update
-    // pre-existing references to stunServers (e.g. from RemoteInstances).
-    globals.settings.stunServers
-        .splice(0, globals.settings.stunServers.length);
-    for (var i = 0; i < newSettings.stunServers.length; ++i) {
-      globals.settings.stunServers.push(newSettings.stunServers[i]);
-    }
+    _.merge(globals.settings, newSettings, (a :Object, b :Object) => {
+        // ensure we do not merge the arrays and that the reference remains intact
+        if (_.isArray(a) && _.isArray(b)) {
+          var arrayA = <Object[]>a;
+          arrayA.splice(0, arrayA.length);
+          for (var i in b) {
+            arrayA.push((<Object[]>b)[i]);
+          }
+          return a;
+        }
+
+        // this causes us to fall back to the default merge behaviour
+        return undefined;
+    });
 
-    if (newSettings.description != globals.settings.description) {
-      globals.settings.description = newSettings.description;
+    if (globals.settings.description !== oldDescription) {
       // Resend instance info to update description for logged in networks.
       for (var networkName in social_network.networks) {
         for (var userId in social_network.networks[networkName]) {
@@ -221,21 +227,9 @@ export class uProxyCore implements uproxy_core_api.CoreApi {
       }
     }
 
-    globals.settings.hasSeenSharingEnabledScreen =
-        newSettings.hasSeenSharingEnabledScreen;
-    globals.settings.hasSeenWelcome = newSettings.hasSeenWelcome;
-    globals.settings.allowNonUnicast = newSettings.allowNonUnicast;
-    globals.settings.mode = newSettings.mode;
-    globals.settings.statsReportingEnabled = newSettings.statsReportingEnabled;
-    globals.settings.splashState = newSettings.splashState;
-    globals.settings.consoleFilter = newSettings.consoleFilter;
     loggingController.setDefaultFilter(
       loggingTypes.Destination.console,
       globals.settings.consoleFilter);
-    globals.settings.language = newSettings.language;
-    globals.settings.force_message_version = newSettings.force_message_version;
-    globals.settings.quiverUserName = newSettings.quiverUserName;
-    globals.settings.showCloud = newSettings.showCloud;
   }
 
   public getFullState = () :Promise<uproxy_core_api.InitialState> => {
diff --git a/src/generic_ui/polymer/splash.ts b/src/generic_ui/polymer/splash.ts
index 199dbc6f09..85a293fd15 100644
--- a/src/generic_ui/polymer/splash.ts
+++ b/src/generic_ui/polymer/splash.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ var splash = {
     if (this.supportsQuiver && model.globalSettings.splashState
         == this.SPLASH_STATES.METRICS_OPT_IN) {
       ui.view = ui_constants.View.ROSTER;
-    } else if (model.globalSettings.hasSeenWelcome &&
+    } else if (model.globalSettings.hasSeenMetrics &&
         model.globalSettings.splashState == this.SPLASH_STATES.INTRO) {
         // Skip metrics opt-in if we've seen it before.
         this.setState(this.SPLASH_STATES.NETWORKS);
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ var splash = {
     }
   },
   prev: function() {
-    if (model.globalSettings.hasSeenWelcome &&
+    if (model.globalSettings.hasSeenMetrics &&
         model.globalSettings.splashState == this.SPLASH_STATES.NETWORKS) {
         // Skip metrics opt-in if we've seen it before.
         this.setState(this.SPLASH_STATES.INTRO);
@@ -69,15 +69,17 @@ var splash = {
       window.location.reload();
     }
   },
-  enableStats: function() {
-    model.globalSettings.statsReportingEnabled = true;
+  updateSeenMetrics: function(val :Boolean) {
+    model.globalSettings.hasSeenMetrics = true;
+    model.globalSettings.statsReportingEnabled = val;
     core.updateGlobalSettings(model.globalSettings);
     this.next();
   },
+  enableStats: function() {
+    return this.updateSeenMetrics(true);
+  },
   disableStats: function() {
-    model.globalSettings.statsReportingEnabled = false;
-    core.updateGlobalSettings(model.globalSettings);
-    this.next();
+    return this.updateSeenMetrics(false);
   },
   observe: {
     'model.networkNames': 'updateNetworkButtonNames',
diff --git a/src/generic_ui/scripts/ui.ts b/src/generic_ui/scripts/ui.ts
index e4bc650899..aac803ca3f 100644
--- a/src/generic_ui/scripts/ui.ts
+++ b/src/generic_ui/scripts/ui.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export class Model {
     description: '',
     stunServers: [],
     hasSeenSharingEnabledScreen: false,
+    hasSeenMetrics: false,
     hasSeenWelcome: false,
     splashState : 0,
     mode : ui_constants.Mode.GET,
diff --git a/src/integration/core.spec.ts b/src/integration/core.spec.ts
index 291e13df12..c571bf2748 100644
--- a/src/integration/core.spec.ts
+++ b/src/integration/core.spec.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ describe('uproxy core', function() {
         stunServers: <any>[],
         hasSeenSharingEnabledScreen: true,
         hasSeenWelcome: false,
+        hasSeenMetrics: false,
         allowNonUnicast: true,
         statsReportingEnabled: false
       };
diff --git a/src/interfaces/uproxy_core_api.ts b/src/interfaces/uproxy_core_api.ts
index 1a482dd0a0..1d5a6eb98f 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/uproxy_core_api.ts
+++ b/src/interfaces/uproxy_core_api.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export interface GlobalSettings {
   stunServers      :freedom.RTCPeerConnection.RTCIceServer[];
   hasSeenSharingEnabledScreen :boolean;
   hasSeenWelcome   :boolean;
+  hasSeenMetrics   :boolean;
   allowNonUnicast  :boolean;
   mode             :ui.Mode;
   statsReportingEnabled :boolean;