diff --git a/include/util.js b/include/util.js
index f3efb43..62d48a6 100644
--- a/include/util.js
+++ b/include/util.js
@@ -57,6 +57,21 @@ if (!Array.prototype.map)
   };
 }
 
+// 
+// requestAnimationFrame shim with setTimeout fallback
+//
+
+window.requestAnimFrame = (function(){
+    return  window.requestAnimationFrame       || 
+            window.webkitRequestAnimationFrame || 
+            window.mozRequestAnimationFrame    || 
+            window.oRequestAnimationFrame      || 
+            window.msRequestAnimationFrame     || 
+            function(callback){
+                window.setTimeout(callback, 1000 / 60);
+            };
+})();
+
 /* 
  * ------------------------------------------------------
  * Namespaced in Util
@@ -131,6 +146,8 @@ Util.conf_default = function(cfg, api, defaults, v, mode, type, defval, desc) {
             }
         } else if (type in {'integer':1, 'int':1}) {
             val = parseInt(val, 10);
+        } else if (type === 'str') {
+            val = String(val);
         } else if (type === 'func') {
             if (!val) {
                 val = function () {};
diff --git a/include/webutil.js b/include/webutil.js
index ee6337a..2c82c73 100644
--- a/include/webutil.js
+++ b/include/webutil.js
@@ -37,14 +37,16 @@ if (!window.$D) {
  */
 
 // init log level reading the logging HTTP param
-WebUtil.init_logging = function() {
-    Util._log_level = (document.location.href.match(
-         /logging=([A-Za-z0-9\._\-]*)/) ||
-         ['', Util._log_level])[1];
-    
+WebUtil.init_logging = function(level) {
+    if (typeof level !== "undefined") {
+        Util._log_level = level;
+    } else {
+        Util._log_level = (document.location.href.match(
+            /logging=([A-Za-z0-9\._\-]*)/) ||
+            ['', Util._log_level])[1];
+    }
     Util.init_logging();
 };
-WebUtil.init_logging();
 
 
 WebUtil.dirObj = function (obj, depth, parent) {
@@ -75,9 +77,14 @@ WebUtil.dirObj = function (obj, depth, parent) {
 
 // Read a query string variable
 WebUtil.getQueryVar = function(name, defVal) {
-    var re = new RegExp('[?][^#]*' + name + '=([^&#]*)');
+    var re = new RegExp('[?][^#]*' + name + '=([^&#]*)'),
+        match = document.location.href.match(re);
     if (typeof defVal === 'undefined') { defVal = null; }
-    return (document.location.href.match(re) || ['',defVal])[1];
+    if (match) {
+        return decodeURIComponent(match[1]);
+    } else {
+        return defVal;
+    }
 };
 
 
@@ -113,6 +120,67 @@ WebUtil.eraseCookie = function(name) {
     WebUtil.createCookie(name,"",-1);
 };
 
+/*
+ * Setting handling.
+ */
+
+WebUtil.initSettings = function(callback) {
+    var callbackArgs = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 1);
+    if (window.chrome && window.chrome.storage) {
+        window.chrome.storage.sync.get(function (cfg) {
+            WebUtil.settings = cfg;
+            console.log(WebUtil.settings);
+            if (callback) {
+                callback.apply(this, callbackArgs);
+            }
+        });
+    } else {
+        // No-op
+        if (callback) {
+            callback.apply(this, callbackArgs);
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+// No days means only for this browser session
+WebUtil.writeSetting = function(name, value) {
+    if (window.chrome && window.chrome.storage) {
+        //console.log("writeSetting:", name, value);
+        if (WebUtil.settings[name] !== value) {
+            WebUtil.settings[name] = value;
+            window.chrome.storage.sync.set(WebUtil.settings);
+        }
+    } else {
+        localStorage.setItem(name, value);
+    }
+};
+
+WebUtil.readSetting = function(name, defaultValue) {
+    var value;
+    if (window.chrome && window.chrome.storage) {
+        value = WebUtil.settings[name];
+    } else {
+        value = localStorage.getItem(name);
+    }
+    if (typeof value === "undefined") {
+        value = null;
+    }
+    if (value === null && typeof defaultValue !== undefined) {
+        return defaultValue;
+    } else {
+        return value;
+    }
+};
+
+WebUtil.eraseSetting = function(name) {
+    if (window.chrome && window.chrome.storage) {
+        window.chrome.storage.sync.remove(name);
+        delete WebUtil.settings[name];
+    } else {
+        localStorage.removeItem(name);
+    }
+};
+
 /*
  * Alternate stylesheet selection
  */