diff --git a/background/style-manager.js b/background/style-manager.js
index 44c215e0..d772c59b 100644
--- a/background/style-manager.js
+++ b/background/style-manager.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint no-eq-null: 0, eqeqeq: [2, "smart"] */
 /* global createCache db calcStyleDigest db tryRegExp styleCodeEmpty styleSectionGlobal
-  getStyleWithNoCode msg sync uuidv4 URLS */
+  getStyleWithNoCode msg prefs sync uuidv4 URLS */
 /* exported styleManager */
 'use strict';
 
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ const styleManager = (() => {
     return result;
   }
 
-  function getSectionsByUrl(url, id) {
+  function getSectionsByUrl(url, id, isInitialApply) {
     let cache = cachedStyleForUrl.get(url);
     if (!cache) {
       cache = {
@@ -495,13 +495,13 @@ const styleManager = (() => {
           .map(i => styles.get(i))
       );
     }
-    if (id) {
-      if (cache.sections[id]) {
-        return {[id]: cache.sections[id]};
-      }
-      return {};
-    }
-    return cache.sections;
+    const res = id
+      ? cache.sections[id] ? {[id]: cache.sections[id]} : {}
+      : cache.sections;
+    // Avoiding flicker of needlessly applied styles by providing both styles & pref in one API call
+    return isInitialApply && prefs.get('disableAll')
+      ? Object.assign({disableAll: true}, res)
+      : res;
 
     function buildCache(styleList) {
       const query = createMatchQuery(url);
diff --git a/background/style-via-xhr.js b/background/style-via-xhr.js
index a278bd0a..dc7dc1bc 100644
--- a/background/style-via-xhr.js
+++ b/background/style-via-xhr.js
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ CHROME && (async () => {
       const {responseHeaders} = req;
       responseHeaders.push({
         name: 'Set-Cookie',
-        value: `${chrome.runtime.id}=${blobId}`,
+        value: `${chrome.runtime.id}=${prefs.get('disableAll') ? 1 : 0}${blobId}`,
       });
       return {responseHeaders};
     }
diff --git a/content/apply.js b/content/apply.js
index 1d378347..7f2f5d3a 100644
--- a/content/apply.js
+++ b/content/apply.js
@@ -59,22 +59,33 @@ self.INJECTED !== 1 && (() => {
     if (STYLE_VIA_API) {
       await API.styleViaAPI({method: 'styleApply'});
     } else {
-      const styles = chrome.app && getStylesViaXhr() || await API.getSectionsByUrl(getMatchUrl());
+      const styles = chrome.app && getStylesViaXhr() ||
+        await API.getSectionsByUrl(getMatchUrl(), null, true);
+      if (styles.disableAll) {
+        delete styles.disableAll;
+        styleInjector.toggle(false);
+      }
       await styleInjector.apply(styles);
     }
   }
 
   function getStylesViaXhr() {
     if (new RegExp(`(^|\\s|;)${chrome.runtime.id}=\\s*([-\\w]+)\\s*(;|$)`).test(document.cookie)) {
-      const url = 'blob:' + chrome.runtime.getURL(RegExp.$2);
-      const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+      const data = RegExp.$2;
+      const disableAll = data[0] === '1';
+      const url = 'blob:' + chrome.runtime.getURL(data.slice(1));
       document.cookie = `${chrome.runtime.id}=1; max-age=0`; // remove our cookie
+      let res;
       try {
-        xhr.open('GET', url, false); // synchronous
-        xhr.send();
+        if (!disableAll) { // will get the styles asynchronously
+          const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+          xhr.open('GET', url, false); // synchronous
+          xhr.send();
+          res = JSON.parse(xhr.response);
+        }
         URL.revokeObjectURL(url);
-        return JSON.parse(xhr.response);
       } catch (e) {}
+      return res;
     }
   }