diff --git a/background.html b/background.html
index 59fc3bab..baccbe84 100644
--- a/background.html
+++ b/background.html
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@
 
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/chromium.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/bimap.js"></script>
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="js/conversation_controller.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/panel_controller.js"></script>
 
   <script type="text/javascript" src="js/views/whisper_view.js"></script>
diff --git a/js/background.js b/js/background.js
index 7410bb40..78b04b17 100644
--- a/js/background.js
+++ b/js/background.js
@@ -18,6 +18,18 @@
 
     textsecure.protocol_wrapper.startWorker();
 
+    ConversationController.updateInbox();
+
+    extension.onLaunched(function() {
+        storage.onready(function() {
+            if (textsecure.registration.isDone()) {
+                openInbox();
+            } else {
+                extension.install();
+            }
+        });
+    });
+
     storage.fetch();
     storage.onready(function() {
         var messageReceiver;
@@ -27,6 +39,8 @@
         }
         extension.on('registration_done', init);
 
+        setUnreadCount(storage.get("unreadCount", 0));
+
         window.getSocketStatus = function() {
             if (messageReceiver) {
                 return messageReceiver.getStatus();
diff --git a/js/conversation_controller.js b/js/conversation_controller.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8aa817c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/conversation_controller.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/*global $, Whisper, Backbone, textsecure, extension*/
+/*
+ * vim: ts=4:sw=4:expandtab
+ */
+
+// This script should only be included in background.html
+(function () {
+    'use strict';
+
+    window.Whisper = window.Whisper || {};
+
+    var conversations = new Whisper.ConversationCollection();
+    var inboxCollection = new (Backbone.Collection.extend({
+        initialize: function() {
+            this.on('change:active_at', this.sort);
+            this.on('change:unreadCount', this.updateUnreadCount);
+
+            this.listenTo(conversations, 'add change:active_at', this.addActive);
+        },
+        comparator: function(model) {
+            return -model.get('active_at');
+        },
+        addActive: function(model) {
+            if (model.get('active_at')) {
+                this.add(model);
+            } else {
+                this.remove(model);
+            }
+        },
+        updateUnreadCount: function(model, count) {
+            var prev = model.previous('unreadCount') || 0;
+            if (count < prev) { // decreased
+                var newUnreadCount = storage.get("unreadCount", 0) - (prev - count);
+                setUnreadCount(newUnreadCount);
+                storage.put("unreadCount", newUnreadCount);
+            }
+        }
+    }))();
+
+    window.getInboxCollection = function() {
+        return inboxCollection;
+    };
+
+    window.ConversationController = {
+        get: function(id) {
+            return conversations.get(id);
+        },
+        create: function(attrs) {
+            var conversation = conversations.add(attrs);
+            return conversation;
+        },
+        findOrCreatePrivateById: function(id) {
+            var conversation = conversations.add({ id: id, type: 'private' });
+            return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
+                conversation.fetch().then(function() {
+                    resolve(conversation);
+                }).fail(function() {
+                    var saved = conversation.save(); // false or indexedDBRequest
+                    if (saved) {
+                        saved.then(function() {
+                            resolve(conversation);
+                        }).fail(reject);
+                    } else {
+                        reject();
+                    }
+                });
+            });
+        },
+        updateInbox: function() {
+            conversations.fetchActive();
+        }
+    };
+})();
diff --git a/js/panel_controller.js b/js/panel_controller.js
index 3aca9ced..692c771c 100644
--- a/js/panel_controller.js
+++ b/js/panel_controller.js
@@ -9,78 +9,13 @@
 
     window.Whisper = window.Whisper || {};
 
-    var conversations = new Whisper.ConversationCollection();
-    var inboxCollection = new (Backbone.Collection.extend({
-        initialize: function() {
-            this.on('change:active_at', this.sort);
-            this.on('change:unreadCount', this.updateUnreadCount);
-
-            this.listenTo(conversations, 'add change:active_at', this.addActive);
-        },
-        comparator: function(model) {
-            return -model.get('active_at');
-        },
-        addActive: function(model) {
-            if (model.get('active_at')) {
-                this.add(model);
-            } else {
-                this.remove(model);
-            }
-        },
-        updateUnreadCount: function(model, count) {
-            var prev = model.previous('unreadCount') || 0;
-            if (count < prev) { // decreased
-                var newUnreadCount = storage.get("unreadCount", 0) - (prev - count);
-                setUnreadCount(newUnreadCount);
-                storage.put("unreadCount", newUnreadCount);
-            }
-        }
-    }))();
-
-    window.getInboxCollection = function() {
-        return inboxCollection;
-    };
-
-    window.ConversationController = {
-        get: function(id) {
-            return conversations.get(id);
-        },
-        create: function(attrs) {
-            var conversation = conversations.add(attrs);
-            return conversation;
-        },
-        findOrCreatePrivateById: function(id) {
-            var conversation = conversations.add({ id: id, type: 'private' });
-            return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
-                conversation.fetch().then(function() {
-                    resolve(conversation);
-                }).fail(function() {
-                    var saved = conversation.save(); // false or indexedDBRequest
-                    if (saved) {
-                        saved.then(function() {
-                            resolve(conversation);
-                        }).fail(reject);
-                    } else {
-                        reject();
-                    }
-                });
-            });
-        },
-        updateInbox: function() {
-            conversations.fetchActive();
-        }
-    };
-
-    ConversationController.updateInbox();
-    setUnreadCount(storage.get("unreadCount", 0));
-
-    function setUnreadCount(count) {
+    window.setUnreadCount = function(count) {
         if (count > 0) {
             extension.navigator.setBadgeText(count);
         } else {
             extension.navigator.setBadgeText("");
         }
-    }
+    };
 
     window.notifyConversation = function(message) {
         var conversationId = message.get('conversationId');
@@ -176,14 +111,4 @@
         open = null;
         return o;
     };
-
-    extension.onLaunched(function() {
-        storage.onready(function() {
-            if (textsecure.registration.isDone()) {
-                openInbox();
-            } else {
-                extension.install();
-            }
-        });
-    });
 })();