diff --git a/package.cordovabuild.json b/package.cordovabuild.json
index c8fa65973..bc2a3f15b 100644
--- a/package.cordovabuild.json
+++ b/package.cordovabuild.json
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
     "cordova-plugin-app-version": "0.1.14",
     "cordova-plugin-customurlscheme": "5.0.2",
     "cordova-plugin-device": "2.1.0",
-    "cordova-plugin-em-datacollection": "git+https://github.com/e-mission/e-mission-data-collection.git#v1.9.2",
+    "cordova-plugin-em-datacollection": "git+https://github.com/e-mission/e-mission-data-collection.git#v1.9.3",
     "cordova-plugin-em-opcodeauth": "git+https://github.com/e-mission/cordova-jwt-auth.git#v1.7.2",
     "cordova-plugin-em-server-communication": "git+https://github.com/e-mission/cordova-server-communication.git#v1.2.7",
     "cordova-plugin-em-serversync": "git+https://github.com/e-mission/cordova-server-sync.git#v1.3.3",
diff --git a/www/js/TimelineContext.ts b/www/js/TimelineContext.ts
index 9b53d2a27..63a43f1ce 100644
--- a/www/js/TimelineContext.ts
+++ b/www/js/TimelineContext.ts
@@ -25,9 +25,12 @@ import useAppStateChange from './useAppStateChange';
 import { isoDateRangeToTsRange, isoDateWithOffset } from './datetimeUtil';
 import { base_modes } from 'e-mission-common';
 
-const TODAY_DATE = DateTime.now().toISODate();
+const getTodayDate = () => DateTime.now().toISODate();
 // initial date range is the past week: [TODAY - 6 days, TODAY]
-const INITIAL_DATE_RANGE: [string, string] = [isoDateWithOffset(TODAY_DATE, -6), TODAY_DATE];
+const getPastWeekDateRange = (): [string, string] => {
+  const todayDate = getTodayDate();
+  return [isoDateWithOffset(todayDate, -6), todayDate];
+};
 
 type ContextProps = {
   labelOptions: LabelOptions | null;
@@ -60,7 +63,7 @@ export const useTimelineContext = (): ContextProps => {
   // date range (inclusive) that has been loaded into the UI [YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM-DD]
   const [queriedDateRange, setQueriedDateRange] = useState<[string, string] | null>(null);
   // date range (inclusive) chosen by datepicker [YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM-DD]
-  const [dateRange, setDateRange] = useState<[string, string]>(INITIAL_DATE_RANGE);
+  const [dateRange, setDateRange] = useState<[string, string]>(getPastWeekDateRange);
   // map of timeline entries (trips, places, untracked time), ids to objects
   const [timelineMap, setTimelineMap] = useState<TimelineMap | null>(null);
   const [timelineIsLoading, setTimelineIsLoading] = useState<string | false>('replace');
@@ -176,15 +179,15 @@ export const useTimelineContext = (): ContextProps => {
 
   function loadDateRange(range: [string, string]) {
     logDebug('Timeline: loadDateRange with newDateRange = ' + range);
-    if (!pipelineRange) {
-      logWarn('No pipelineRange yet - early return from loadDateRange');
+    if (!pipelineRange?.start_ts) {
+      logWarn('No pipelineRange start_ts yet - early return from loadDateRange');
       return;
     }
     const pipelineStartDate = DateTime.fromSeconds(pipelineRange.start_ts).toISODate();
     // clamp range to ensure it is within [pipelineStartDate, TODAY_DATE]
     const clampedDateRange: [string, string] = [
       new Date(range[0]) < new Date(pipelineStartDate) ? pipelineStartDate : range[0],
-      new Date(range[1]) > new Date(TODAY_DATE) ? TODAY_DATE : range[1],
+      new Date(range[1]) > new Date(getTodayDate()) ? getTodayDate() : range[1],
     ];
     if (clampedDateRange[0] != dateRange?.[0] || clampedDateRange[1] != dateRange?.[1]) {
       logDebug('Timeline: loadDateRange setting new date range = ' + clampedDateRange);
@@ -220,8 +223,10 @@ export const useTimelineContext = (): ContextProps => {
   }
 
   async function fetchTripsInRange(dateRange: [string, string]) {
-    if (!pipelineRange?.start_ts || !pipelineRange?.end_ts)
-      return logWarn('No pipelineRange yet - early return');
+    if (!pipelineRange?.start_ts || !pipelineRange?.end_ts) {
+      logDebug('No pipelineRange yet, returning empty lists');
+      return [[], []];
+    }
     logDebug('Timeline: fetchTripsInRange from ' + dateRange[0] + ' to ' + dateRange[1]);
 
     const [startTs, endTs] = isoDateRangeToTsRange(dateRange);
@@ -257,7 +262,7 @@ export const useTimelineContext = (): ContextProps => {
     try {
       logDebug('timelineContext: refreshTimeline');
       setTimelineIsLoading('replace');
-      setDateRange(INITIAL_DATE_RANGE);
+      setDateRange(getPastWeekDateRange());
       setQueriedDateRange(null);
       setTimelineMap(null);
       setRefreshTime(new Date());
diff --git a/www/js/diary/list/TimelineScrollList.tsx b/www/js/diary/list/TimelineScrollList.tsx
index e640b2b11..577df712e 100644
--- a/www/js/diary/list/TimelineScrollList.tsx
+++ b/www/js/diary/list/TimelineScrollList.tsx
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ const TimelineScrollList = ({ listEntries }: Props) => {
     </LoadMoreButton>
   );
 
-  const pipelineEndDate = pipelineRange && DateTime.fromSeconds(pipelineRange.end_ts).toISODate();
+  const pipelineEndDate =
+    pipelineRange?.end_ts && DateTime.fromSeconds(pipelineRange.end_ts).toISODate();
   const noTravelBanner = (
     <Banner visible={true} icon={({ size }) => <Icon source="alert-circle" size={size} />}>
       <View style={{ width: '100%' }}>
diff --git a/www/js/usePermissionStatus.ts b/www/js/usePermissionStatus.ts
index 636d9c5e9..63ee47e55 100644
--- a/www/js/usePermissionStatus.ts
+++ b/www/js/usePermissionStatus.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { useAppTheme } from './appTheme';
 import { logDebug, logWarn } from './plugin/logger';
 import { AlertManager } from './components/AlertBar';
+import { storageGet } from './plugin/storage';
+
+const HAS_REQUESTED_NOTIFS_KEY = 'HasRequestedNotificationPermission';
 
 let DEVICE_PLATFORM: 'android' | 'ios';
 let DEVICE_VERSION: number;
@@ -224,7 +227,7 @@ const usePermissionStatus = () => {
     }
   }
 
-  function setupNotificationChecks() {
+  function setupNotificationChecks(hasRequestedNotifs) {
     let fixPerms = () => {
       logDebug('fix and refresh notification permissions');
       appAndChannelNotificationsCheck.wasRequested = true;
@@ -252,7 +255,7 @@ const usePermissionStatus = () => {
       fix: fixPerms,
       refresh: checkPerms,
       isOptional: true,
-      wasRequested: false,
+      wasRequested: hasRequestedNotifs,
     };
     let tempChecks = checkList;
     tempChecks.push(appAndChannelNotificationsCheck);
@@ -344,7 +347,7 @@ const usePermissionStatus = () => {
     logDebug('Explanation = ' + explanationList);
   }
 
-  function createChecklist() {
+  function createChecklist(hasRequestedNotifs) {
     setupLocChecks();
     setupFitnessChecks();
     if (DEVICE_PLATFORM == 'android') {
@@ -353,7 +356,7 @@ const usePermissionStatus = () => {
       }
       setupAndroidBackgroundRestrictionChecks();
     }
-    setupNotificationChecks();
+    setupNotificationChecks(hasRequestedNotifs);
     refreshAllChecks(checkList);
   }
 
@@ -365,11 +368,13 @@ const usePermissionStatus = () => {
   //load when ready
   useEffect(() => {
     if (appConfig && window['device']?.platform) {
-      DEVICE_PLATFORM = window['device'].platform.toLowerCase();
-      DEVICE_VERSION = window['device'].version.split('.')[0];
-      setupPermissionText();
-      logDebug('setting up permissions');
-      createChecklist();
+      storageGet(HAS_REQUESTED_NOTIFS_KEY).then((hasRequestedNotifs) => {
+        DEVICE_PLATFORM = window['device'].platform.toLowerCase();
+        DEVICE_VERSION = window['device'].version.split('.')[0];
+        setupPermissionText();
+        logDebug('setting up permissions');
+        createChecklist(hasRequestedNotifs);
+      });
     }
   }, [appConfig]);