diff --git a/customize.dist/loading.js b/customize.dist/loading.js
index 8efca25fd..5d90f37f9 100644
--- a/customize.dist/loading.js
+++ b/customize.dist/loading.js
@@ -313,9 +313,30 @@ button:not(.btn).primary:hover{
     };
 
     var hasErrored = false;
+    var isOffline = false;
     var updateLoadingProgress = function (data) {
         if (!built || !data) { return; }
 
+        // If we receive a "offline" event, show the warning text
+        if (data.type === "offline") {
+            try {
+                isOffline = true;
+                Messages.offlineError = "OFFLINE MODE NOT AVAILABLE"; // XXX
+                document.querySelector('#cp-loading-message').setAttribute('style', 'display:block;');
+                document.querySelector('#cp-loading-message').innerText = Messages.offlineError;
+            } catch (e) { console.error(e); }
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // If we receive a new event and we were offline, remove
+        // the offline warning text
+        if (isOffline) {
+            try {
+                isOffline = false;
+                document.querySelector('#cp-loading-message').setAttribute('style', 'display:none;');
+            } catch (e) { console.error(e); }
+        }
+
         // Make sure progress doesn't go backward
         var c = types.indexOf(data.type);
         if (c < current) { return console.debug(data); }
diff --git a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
index d047c4d4b..4bd5171bf 100644
--- a/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
+++ b/www/common/cryptpad-common.js
@@ -492,23 +492,38 @@ define([
         });
     };
 
+    // This function is used when we want to open a pad. We first need
+    // to check if it exists. With the cached drive, we need to wait for
+    // the network to be available before we can continue.
     common.isNewChannel = function (href, password, _cb) {
         var cb = Util.once(Util.mkAsync(_cb));
         var channel = Hash.hrefToHexChannelId(href, password);
         var error;
+        var inCache = false;
         Nthen(function (waitFor) {
-            // If it's not in the cache or it's not a blob, try to get the value from the server
-            postMessage('IS_NEW_CHANNEL', {channel: channel}, waitFor(function (obj) {
-                if (obj && obj.error) { error = obj.error; return; }
-                if (!obj) { error = "INVALID_RESPONSE"; return; }
+            Cache.getChannelCache(channel, waitFor(function(err, data) {
+                if (err || !data) { return; }
                 waitFor.abort();
-                cb(undefined, obj.isNew);
+                cb(undefined, false);
             }));
         }).nThen(function () {
-            Cache.getChannelCache(channel, function(err, data) {
-                if (err || !data) { return void cb(error); }
-                cb(null, false);
-            });
+            // If it's not in the cache try to get the value from the server
+            var isNew = function () {
+                error = undefined;
+                postMessage('IS_NEW_CHANNEL', {channel: channel}, function (obj) {
+                    if (obj && obj.error) { error = obj.error; }
+                    if (!obj) { error = "INVALID_RESPONSE"; }
+
+                    if (error === "ANON_RPC_NOT_READY") {
+                        // Try again in 1s
+                        return void setTimeout(isNew, 100);
+                    } else if (error) {
+                        return void cb(error);
+                    }
+                    cb(undefined, obj.isNew);
+                }, {timeout: -1});
+            };
+            isNew();
         });
     };
 
diff --git a/www/common/outer/async-store.js b/www/common/outer/async-store.js
index 5d26534fb..0e9fbedd9 100644
--- a/www/common/outer/async-store.js
+++ b/www/common/outer/async-store.js
@@ -2762,6 +2762,22 @@ define([
                 store.realtime = info.realtime;
                 store.networkPromise = info.networkPromise;
                 store.cacheReturned = returned;
+
+                // Check if we can connect
+                var to = setTimeout(function () {
+                    console.error('TO');
+                    broadcast([], "LOADING_DRIVE", {
+                        type: "offline"
+                    });
+                }, 5000);
+
+                store.networkPromise.then(function () {
+                    clearTimeout(to);
+                }, function (err) {
+                    console.error(err);
+                    clearTimeout(to);
+                });
+
                 if (!data.cache) { return; }
 
                 // Make sure we have a valid user object before emitting cacheready