diff --git a/content/commands.js b/content/commands.js
index a0240cd7..0d15f1c8 100644
--- a/content/commands.js
+++ b/content/commands.js
@@ -914,6 +914,7 @@ vimperator.Commands = function() //{{{
             for (var option in vimperator.options)
             {   
                 // TODO: options should be queried for this info
+                // TODO: string/list options might need escaping in future
                 if (!/fullscreen|usermode/.test(option.name) && option.value != option.default_value)
                 {
                     if (option.type == "boolean")
@@ -932,7 +933,7 @@ vimperator.Commands = function() //{{{
             short_help: "Write current keymappings and changed options to [file]",
             help: "If no <code class=\"argument\">[file]</code> is specified then ~/.vimperatorrc is written unless this file already exists. " +
                   "The special version will overwrite <code class=\"argument\">[file]</code> if it exists.<br/>" +
-                  "WARNING: this differs from Vim's behaviour which defaults to writing the file in the current directory."
+                  "WARNING: this differs from Vim's behavior which defaults to writing the file in the current directory."
         }
     ));
     addDefaultCommand(new vimperator.Command(["noh[lsearch]"],
@@ -1249,17 +1250,16 @@ vimperator.Commands = function() //{{{
                 val = "";
 
             // reset a variable to its default value
-            // TODO: remove the value from about:config instead of setting it to the current default value
             if (reset)
             {
                 if (all)
                 {
                     for (let opt in vimperator.options)
-                        opt.value = opt.default_value;
+                        opt.reset();
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    option.value = option.default_value;
+                    option.reset();
                 }
             }
             // read access
diff --git a/content/options.js b/content/options.js
index 042a62b8..eaa94a50 100644
--- a/content/options.js
+++ b/content/options.js
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@ vimperator.Option = function(names, type, extra_info) //{{{
         }
         return false;
     }
+
+    this.reset = function()
+    {
+        this.value = this.default_value;
+    }
 } //}}}
 
 vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
@@ -112,12 +117,14 @@ vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
     ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     ////////////////////// PRIVATE SECTION /////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{{{
-
     var firefox_prefs = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"]
         .getService(Components.interfaces.nsIPrefBranch);
     var vimperator_prefs = firefox_prefs.getBranch("extensions.vimperator.");
     var options = [];
 
+    // save if we already changed a GUI related option, used for setInitialGUI
+    var guioptions_done = false, showtabline_done = false, laststatus_done = false;
+
     function optionsIterator()
     {
         for (var i = 0; i < options.length; i++)
@@ -199,17 +206,19 @@ vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
     function setGuiOptions(value)
     {
         // hide menubar
-        //document.getElementById("toolbar-menubar").collapsed = value.indexOf("m") > -1 ? false : true;
-        //document.getElementById("toolbar-menubar").hidden = value.indexOf("m") > -1 ? false : true;
+        document.getElementById("toolbar-menubar").collapsed = value.indexOf("m") > -1 ? false : true;
+        document.getElementById("toolbar-menubar").hidden = value.indexOf("m") > -1 ? false : true;
         // and main toolbar
         document.getElementById("nav-bar").collapsed = value.indexOf("T") > -1 ? false : true;
         document.getElementById("nav-bar").hidden = value.indexOf("T") > -1 ? false : true;
         // and bookmarks toolbar
         document.getElementById("PersonalToolbar").collapsed = value.indexOf("b") > -1 ? false : true;
         document.getElementById("PersonalToolbar").hidden = value.indexOf("b") > -1 ? false : true;
+
+        guioptions_done = true;
     }
 
-    function setStatusLine(value)
+    function setLastStatus(value)
     {
         if (value == 0)
         {
@@ -225,6 +234,8 @@ vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
             document.getElementById("status-bar").collapsed = false;
             document.getElementById("status-bar").hidden = false;
         }
+
+        laststatus_done = true;
     }
 
     function setShowTabline(value)
@@ -247,6 +258,8 @@ vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
             storePreference("browser.tabs.autoHide", false);
             tabs.collapsed = false;
         }
+
+        showtabline_done = true;
     }
 
     function setTitleString(value)
@@ -358,7 +371,18 @@ vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
 
         list += "</table>";
 
-        vimperator.commandline.echo(list, vimperator.commandline.HL_NORMAL, true);
+        vimperator.commandline.echo(list, vimperator.commandline.HL_NORMAL, vimperator.commandline.FORCE_MULTILINE);
+    }
+
+    // this hack is only needed, because we need to do asynchronous loading of the .vimperatorrc
+    this.setInitialGUI = function()
+    {
+        if (!guioptions_done)
+            this.get("guioptions").reset();
+        if (!laststatus_done)
+            this.get("laststatus").reset();
+        if (!showtabline_done)
+            this.get("showtabline").reset();
     }
 
     // TODO: separate Preferences from Options? Would these utility functions
@@ -522,7 +546,7 @@ vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
                   "</ul>" +
                   "NOTE: laststatus=1 not implemented yet.",
             default_value: 2,
-            setter: function(value) { setStatusLine(value); },
+            setter: function(value) { setLastStatus(value); },
             validator: function (value) { if (value >= 0 && value <= 2) return true; else return false; }
         }
     ));
@@ -717,9 +741,13 @@ vimperator.Options = function() //{{{
     ));
     //}}}
 
-    setShowTabline(this.showtabline);
-    setGuiOptions(this.guioptions);
-    setStatusLine(this.laststatus);
+    // we start with an "empty" GUI so that no toolbars or tabbar is shown if the user
+    // sets them to empty in the .vimperatorrc, which is sourced asynchronously
+    setShowTabline(0);
+    setGuiOptions("");
+    setLastStatus(0);
+    guioptions_done = showtabline_done = laststatus_done = false;
+
     setTitleString(this.titlestring);
     setPopups(this.popups);
 } //}}}
diff --git a/content/vimperator.js b/content/vimperator.js
index 564f6006..0a3c85f2 100644
--- a/content/vimperator.js
+++ b/content/vimperator.js
@@ -753,11 +753,9 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
                     vimperator.log("No user RC file found", 3);
 
                 // also source plugins in ~/.vimperator/plugin/
-                var entries = [];
                 try
                 {
                     var plugin_dir = vimperator.io.getPluginDir();
-
                     if (plugin_dir)
                     {
                         var files = vimperator.io.readDirectory(plugin_dir.path);
@@ -777,6 +775,11 @@ const vimperator = (function() //{{{
                     // thrown if directory does not exist
                     //vimperator.log("Error sourcing plugin directory: " + e);
                 }
+
+                // after sourcing the initialization files, this function will set
+                // all gui options to their default values, if they have not been
+                // set before by any rc file
+                vimperator.options.setInitialGUI();
             }, 0);
 
             vimperator.statusline.update();