diff --git a/ui/constants/action_types.js b/ui/constants/action_types.js
index 4a1d2e46d..c2f85b14f 100644
--- a/ui/constants/action_types.js
+++ b/ui/constants/action_types.js
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ export const SYNC_APPLY_FAILED = 'SYNC_APPLY_FAILED';
 export const SYNC_APPLY_BAD_PASSWORD = 'SYNC_APPLY_BAD_PASSWORD';
 export const SYNC_RESET = 'SYNC_RESET';
 export const SYNC_FATAL_ERROR = 'SYNC_FATAL_ERROR';
-export const USER_STATE_POPULATE = 'USER_STATE_POPULATE';
+export const SYNC_STATE_POPULATE = 'SYNC_STATE_POPULATE';
 
 export const REACTIONS_LIST_STARTED = 'REACTIONS_LIST_STARTED';
 export const REACTIONS_LIST_FAILED = 'REACTIONS_LIST_FAILED';
diff --git a/ui/redux/actions/app.js b/ui/redux/actions/app.js
index 098aea012..342cccb71 100644
--- a/ui/redux/actions/app.js
+++ b/ui/redux/actions/app.js
@@ -575,19 +575,13 @@ export function doGetAndPopulatePreferences() {
     const syncEnabled = makeSelectClientSetting(SETTINGS.ENABLE_SYNC)(state);
     const hasVerifiedEmail = state.user && state.user.user && state.user.user.has_verified_email;
     let preferenceKey;
-    // @if TARGET='app'
     preferenceKey = syncEnabled && hasVerifiedEmail ? 'shared' : 'local';
-    // @endif
-    // @if TARGET='web'
-    preferenceKey = 'shared';
-    // @endif
 
     function successCb(savedPreferences) {
       const successState = getState();
       const daemonSettings = selectDaemonSettings(successState);
       if (savedPreferences !== null) {
         dispatch(doPopulateSharedUserState(savedPreferences));
-        // @if TARGET='app'
 
         const { settings } = savedPreferences.value;
         if (settings) {
@@ -602,9 +596,9 @@ export function doGetAndPopulatePreferences() {
                 }
               }
             }
+            // probably set commentServer here instead of in doPopulateSharedUserState()
           });
         }
-        // @endif
       } else {
         dispatch(doSetPrefsReady());
       }
diff --git a/ui/redux/actions/sync.js b/ui/redux/actions/sync.js
index 95a95b149..b5d410d1e 100644
--- a/ui/redux/actions/sync.js
+++ b/ui/redux/actions/sync.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // @flow
 import * as ACTIONS from 'constants/action_types';
 import * as SETTINGS from 'constants/settings';
+import * as SHARED_PREFERENCES from 'constants/shared_preferences';
 import { Lbryio } from 'lbryinc';
 import Lbry from 'lbry';
 import { doWalletEncrypt, doWalletDecrypt } from 'redux/actions/wallet';
@@ -14,12 +15,14 @@ import { makeSelectClientSetting } from 'redux/selectors/settings';
 import { getSavedPassword } from 'util/saved-passwords';
 import { doAnalyticsTagSync, doHandleSyncComplete } from 'redux/actions/app';
 import { selectUserVerifiedEmail } from 'redux/selectors/user';
+import Comments from 'comments';
+import { getSubsetFromKeysArray } from 'util/sync-settings';
 
 let syncTimer = null;
 const SYNC_INTERVAL = 1000 * 60 * 5; // 5 minutes
 const NO_WALLET_ERROR = 'no wallet found for this user';
 const BAD_PASSWORD_ERROR_NAME = 'InvalidPasswordError';
-
+const { CLIENT_SYNC_KEYS } = SHARED_PREFERENCES;
 export function doSetDefaultAccount(success: () => void, failure: (string) => void) {
   return (dispatch: Dispatch) => {
     dispatch({
@@ -429,8 +432,14 @@ function extractUserState(rawObj: SharedData) {
   return {};
 }
 
+/* This action function should anything SYNC_STATE_POPULATE needs to trigger */
 export function doPopulateSharedUserState(sharedSettings: any) {
-  return (dispatch: Dispatch) => {
+  return (dispatch: Dispatch, getState: GetState) => {
+    const state = getState();
+    const {
+      settings: { clientSettings: currentClientSettings },
+    } = state;
+
     const {
       subscriptions,
       following,
@@ -445,15 +454,25 @@ export function doPopulateSharedUserState(sharedSettings: any) {
       builtinCollections,
       savedCollections,
     } = extractUserState(sharedSettings);
+    const selectedSettings = settings ? getSubsetFromKeysArray(settings, CLIENT_SYNC_KEYS) : {};
+    const mergedClientSettings = { ...currentClientSettings, ...selectedSettings };
+    // possibly move to doGetAndPopulate... in success callback
+    Comments.setServerUrl(
+      mergedClientSettings[SETTINGS.CUSTOM_COMMENTS_SERVER_ENABLED]
+        ? mergedClientSettings[SETTINGS.CUSTOM_COMMENTS_SERVER_URL]
+        : undefined
+    );
+
     dispatch({
-      type: ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE,
+      type: ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE,
       data: {
         subscriptions,
         following,
         tags,
         blocked,
         coinSwapCodes: coin_swap_codes,
-        settings,
+        walletPrefSettings: settings,
+        mergedClientSettings,
         welcomeVersion: app_welcome_version,
         allowAnalytics: sharing_3P,
         unpublishedCollections,
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/app.js b/ui/redux/reducers/app.js
index 66bb53ed6..6b805dcca 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/app.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/app.js
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ reducers[ACTIONS.SET_INCOGNITO] = (state, action) => {
   };
 };
 
-reducers[ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE] = (state, action) => {
+reducers[ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE] = (state, action) => {
   const { welcomeVersion, allowAnalytics } = action.data;
   return {
     ...state,
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/blocked.js b/ui/redux/reducers/blocked.js
index b1ed5b887..28a202b41 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/blocked.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/blocked.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export default handleActions(
         blockedChannels: newBlockedChannels,
       };
     },
-    [ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE]: (state: BlocklistState, action: { data: { blocked: ?Array<string> } }) => {
+    [ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE]: (state: BlocklistState, action: { data: { blocked: ?Array<string> } }) => {
       const { blocked } = action.data;
       const sanitizedBlocked = blocked && blocked.filter((e) => typeof e === 'string');
       return {
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/coinSwap.js b/ui/redux/reducers/coinSwap.js
index 57c9f6f35..3d5983a59 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/coinSwap.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/coinSwap.js
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export default handleActions(
         coinSwaps: newCoinSwaps,
       };
     },
-    [ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE]: (state: CoinSwapState, action: { data: { coinSwapCodes: ?Array<string> } }) => {
+    [ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE]: (state: CoinSwapState, action: { data: { coinSwapCodes: ?Array<string> } }) => {
       const { coinSwapCodes } = action.data;
       const newCoinSwaps = [];
 
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/collections.js b/ui/redux/reducers/collections.js
index 7747169a0..856111d9e 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/collections.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/collections.js
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ const collectionsReducer = handleActions(
         isResolvingCollectionById: newResolving,
       });
     },
-    [ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE]: (state, action) => {
+    [ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE]: (state, action) => {
       const { builtinCollections, savedCollections, unpublishedCollections, editedCollections } = action.data;
       return {
         ...state,
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/settings.js b/ui/redux/reducers/settings.js
index c52635966..9c2d5d027 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/settings.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/settings.js
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import moment from 'moment';
 import { getSubsetFromKeysArray } from 'util/sync-settings';
 import { getDefaultLanguage } from 'util/default-languages';
 import { UNSYNCED_SETTINGS } from 'config';
-import Comments from 'comments';
 
 const { CLIENT_SYNC_KEYS } = SHARED_PREFERENCES;
 const settingsToIgnore = (UNSYNCED_SETTINGS && UNSYNCED_SETTINGS.trim().split(' ')) || [];
@@ -167,18 +166,9 @@ reducers[ACTIONS.SYNC_CLIENT_SETTINGS] = (state, action) => {
   return Object.assign({}, state, { sharedPreferences: data });
 };
 
-reducers[ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE] = (state, action) => {
-  const { clientSettings: currentClientSettings } = state;
-  const { settings: sharedPreferences } = action.data;
-  const selectedSettings = sharedPreferences ? getSubsetFromKeysArray(sharedPreferences, clientSyncKeys) : {};
-  const mergedClientSettings = { ...currentClientSettings, ...selectedSettings };
-  const newSharedPreferences = sharedPreferences || {};
-
-  Comments.setServerUrl(
-    mergedClientSettings[SETTINGS.CUSTOM_COMMENTS_SERVER_ENABLED]
-      ? mergedClientSettings[SETTINGS.CUSTOM_COMMENTS_SERVER_URL]
-      : undefined
-  );
+reducers[ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE] = (state, action) => {
+  const { walletPrefSettings, mergedClientSettings } = action.data;
+  const newSharedPreferences = walletPrefSettings || {};
 
   return Object.assign({}, state, {
     sharedPreferences: newSharedPreferences,
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/subscriptions.js b/ui/redux/reducers/subscriptions.js
index 9e42e9c75..cfabff449 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/subscriptions.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/subscriptions.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export default handleActions(
       ...state,
       viewMode: action.data,
     }),
-    [ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE]: (
+    [ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE]: (
       state: SubscriptionState,
       action: { data: { subscriptions: ?Array<string>, following: ?Array<Subscription> } }
     ) => {
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/sync.js b/ui/redux/reducers/sync.js
index a53817f0d..df9807209 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/sync.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/sync.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const defaultState = {
   fatalError: false,
 };
 
-reducers[ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE] = (state) => {
+reducers[ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE] = (state) => {
   const { syncReady } = state;
   if (!syncReady) {
     return Object.assign({}, state, {
diff --git a/ui/redux/reducers/tags.js b/ui/redux/reducers/tags.js
index c3be1baf2..06a1aec76 100644
--- a/ui/redux/reducers/tags.js
+++ b/ui/redux/reducers/tags.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export default handleActions(
         followedTags: newFollowedTags,
       };
     },
-    [ACTIONS.USER_STATE_POPULATE]: (state: TagState, action: { data: { tags: ?Array<string> } }) => {
+    [ACTIONS.SYNC_STATE_POPULATE]: (state: TagState, action: { data: { tags: ?Array<string> } }) => {
       const { tags } = action.data;
       if (Array.isArray(tags)) {
         const next = tags && tags.filter((tag) => typeof tag === 'string');