diff --git a/_locales/en/messages.json b/_locales/en/messages.json
index 4ea59264..a5b09863 100644
--- a/_locales/en/messages.json
+++ b/_locales/en/messages.json
@@ -104,9 +104,9 @@
 		"message": "An error has occurred using the Stylish database. Would you like to visit a web page with possible solutions?",
 		"description": "Prompt when a DB error is encountered"
 	},
-	"default": {
+	"defaultTheme": {
 		"message": "default",
-		"description": "Default item in various lists"
+		"description": "Default CodeMirror CSS theme option on the edit style page"
 	},
 	"deleteStyleLabel": {
 		"message": "Delete",
diff --git a/apply.js b/apply.js
index 6d31bf5a..cc8fc8a0 100644
--- a/apply.js
+++ b/apply.js
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 requestStyles();
 
 function requestStyles() {
+	// If this is a Stylish page (Edit Style or Manage Styles),
+	// we'll request the styles directly to minimize delay and flicker,
+	// unless Chrome still starts up and the background page isn't fully loaded.
+	// (Note: in this case the function may be invoked again from applyStyles.)
 	var request = {method: "getStyles", matchUrl: location.href, enabled: true, asHash: true};
 	if (location.href.indexOf(chrome.extension.getURL("")) == 0) {
 		var bg = chrome.extension.getBackgroundPage();
diff --git a/edit.js b/edit.js
index 64cb30ba..aa957415 100644
--- a/edit.js
+++ b/edit.js
@@ -176,22 +176,22 @@ function initCodeMirror() {
 
 	// initialize global editor controls
 	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() {
-		function concatOption(html, option) {
-			return html + "<option>" + option + "</option>";
+		function optionsHtmlFromArray(options) {
+			return options.map(function(opt) { return "<option>" + opt + "</option>"; }).join("");
 		}
-		var bg = chrome.extension.getBackgroundPage();
 		var themeControl = document.getElementById("editor.theme");
+		var bg = chrome.extension.getBackgroundPage();
 		if (bg && bg.codeMirrorThemes) {
-			themeControl.innerHTML = bg.codeMirrorThemes.reduce(concatOption, "");
+			themeControl.innerHTML = optionsHtmlFromArray(bg.codeMirrorThemes);
 		} else {
 			// Chrome is starting up and shows our edit.html, but the background page isn't loaded yet
-			themeControl.innerHTML = concatOption("", theme == "default" ? t(theme) : theme);
+			themeControl.innerHTML = optionsHtmlFromArray([theme == "default" ? t("defaultTheme") : theme]);
 			getCodeMirrorThemes(function(themes) {
-				themeControl.innerHTML = themes.reduce(concatOption, "");
+				themeControl.innerHTML = optionsHtmlFromArray(themes);
 				themeControl.selectedIndex = Math.max(0, themes.indexOf(theme));
 			});
 		}
-		document.getElementById("editor.keyMap").innerHTML = Object.keys(CM.keyMap).sort().reduce(concatOption, "");
+		document.getElementById("editor.keyMap").innerHTML = optionsHtmlFromArray(Object.keys(CM.keyMap).sort());
 		var controlPrefs = {};
 		document.querySelectorAll("#options *[data-option][id^='editor.']").forEach(function(option) {
 			controlPrefs[option.id] = CM.defaults[option.dataset.option];
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ function acmeEventListener(event) {
 		case "theme":
 			var themeLink = document.getElementById("cm-theme");
 			// use non-localized "default" internally
-			if (!value || value == "default" || value == t("default")) {
+			if (!value || value == "default" || value == t("defaultTheme")) {
 				value = "default";
 				if (prefs.getPref(el.id) != value) {
 					prefs.setPref(el.id, value);
diff --git a/storage.js b/storage.js
index 945c4632..6e03b152 100644
--- a/storage.js
+++ b/storage.js
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ function getCodeMirrorThemes(callback) {
 	chrome.runtime.getPackageDirectoryEntry(function(rootDir) {
 		rootDir.getDirectory("codemirror/theme", {create: false}, function(themeDir) {
 			themeDir.createReader().readEntries(function(entries) {
-				var themes = [chrome.i18n.getMessage("default")];
+				var themes = [chrome.i18n.getMessage("defaultTheme")];
 				entries
 					.filter(function(entry) { return entry.isFile })
 					.sort(function(a, b) { return a.name < b.name ? -1 : 1 })