diff --git a/src/routes/routes.js b/src/routes/routes.js
index 0f109aa3d..716ba432e 100644
--- a/src/routes/routes.js
+++ b/src/routes/routes.js
@@ -101,7 +101,12 @@ function route(method, path, middleware, routeHandler, resultHandler, transactio
 
             if (resultHandler) {
                 if (result && result.then) {
-                    result.then(actualResult => resultHandler(req, res, actualResult))
+                    result
+                        .then(actualResult => {
+                            resultHandler(req, res, actualResult);
+
+                            log.request(req, res, Date.now() - start);
+                        })
                         .catch(e => {
                             log.error(`${method} ${path} threw exception: ` + e.stack);
 
@@ -110,6 +115,8 @@ function route(method, path, middleware, routeHandler, resultHandler, transactio
                 }
                 else {
                     resultHandler(req, res, result);
+
+                    log.request(req, res, Date.now() - start);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -118,8 +125,6 @@ function route(method, path, middleware, routeHandler, resultHandler, transactio
 
             res.status(500).send(e.message);
         }
-
-        log.request(req, res, Date.now() - start);
     });
 }
 
@@ -239,7 +244,7 @@ function register(app) {
 
     // group of services below are meant to be executed from outside
     route(GET, '/api/setup/status', [], setupApiRoute.getStatus, apiResultHandler);
-    route(POST, '/api/setup/new-document', [auth.checkAppNotInitialized], setupApiRoute.setupNewDocument, apiResultHandler);
+    route(POST, '/api/setup/new-document', [auth.checkAppNotInitialized], setupApiRoute.setupNewDocument, apiResultHandler, false);
     route(POST, '/api/setup/sync-from-server', [auth.checkAppNotInitialized], setupApiRoute.setupSyncFromServer, apiResultHandler, false);
     route(GET, '/api/setup/sync-seed', [auth.checkCredentials], setupApiRoute.getSyncSeed, apiResultHandler);
     route(POST, '/api/setup/sync-seed', [auth.checkAppNotInitialized], setupApiRoute.saveSyncSeed, apiResultHandler, false);
diff --git a/src/services/options_init.js b/src/services/options_init.js
index 81ac7b53c..e7a55cff2 100644
--- a/src/services/options_init.js
+++ b/src/services/options_init.js
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@ function initSyncedOptions(username, password) {
     passwordEncryptionService.setDataKey(password, utils.randomSecureToken(16), true);
 }
 
-function initNotSyncedOptions(initialized, startNotePath = 'root', opts = {}) {
+function initNotSyncedOptions(initialized, opts = {}) {
     optionService.createOption('openTabs', JSON.stringify([
         {
-            notePath: startNotePath,
+            notePath: 'root',
             active: true
         }
     ]), false);
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ function initStartupOptions() {
         if (!(name in optionsMap)) {
             optionService.createOption(name, value, isSynced);
 
-            log.info(`Created missing option "${name}" with default value "${value}"`);
+            log.info(`Created option "${name}" with default value "${value}"`);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/services/sql_init.js b/src/services/sql_init.js
index bff5001d8..dcb74ff02 100644
--- a/src/services/sql_init.js
+++ b/src/services/sql_init.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ async function initDbConnection() {
 }
 
 async function createInitialDatabase(username, password, theme) {
-    log.info("Creating initial database ...");
+    log.info("Creating database schema ...");
 
     if (isDbInitialized()) {
         throw new Error("DB is already initialized");
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ async function createInitialDatabase(username, password, theme) {
 
     let rootNote;
 
+    log.info("Creating root note ...");
+
     sql.transactional(() => {
         sql.executeScript(schema);
 
@@ -81,21 +83,36 @@ async function createInitialDatabase(username, password, theme) {
             isExpanded: true,
             notePosition: 10
         }).save();
+
+        const optionsInitService = require('./options_init');
+
+        optionsInitService.initDocumentOptions();
+        optionsInitService.initSyncedOptions(username, password);
+        optionsInitService.initNotSyncedOptions(true, { theme });
+        optionsInitService.initStartupOptions();
     });
 
+    log.info("Importing demo content ...");
+
     const dummyTaskContext = new TaskContext("initial-demo-import", 'import', false);
 
     const zipImportService = require("./import/zip");
     await zipImportService.importZip(dummyTaskContext, demoFile, rootNote);
 
     sql.transactional(() => {
+        // this needs to happen after ZIP import
+        // previous solution was to move option initialization here but then the important parts of initialization
+        // are not all in one transaction (because ZIP import is async and thus not transactional)
+
         const startNoteId = sql.getValue("SELECT noteId FROM branches WHERE parentNoteId = 'root' AND isDeleted = 0 ORDER BY notePosition");
 
-        const optionsInitService = require('./options_init');
-
-        optionsInitService.initDocumentOptions();
-        optionsInitService.initSyncedOptions(username, password);
-        optionsInitService.initNotSyncedOptions(true, startNoteId, { theme });
+        const optionService = require("./options");
+        optionService.setOption('openTabs', JSON.stringify([
+            {
+                notePath: startNoteId,
+                active: true
+            }
+        ]));
     });
 
     log.info("Schema and initial content generated.");
@@ -115,7 +132,7 @@ function createDatabaseForSync(options, syncServerHost = '', syncProxy = '') {
     sql.transactional(() => {
         sql.executeScript(schema);
 
-        require('./options_init').initNotSyncedOptions(false, 'root', { syncServerHost, syncProxy });
+        require('./options_init').initNotSyncedOptions(false,  { syncServerHost, syncProxy });
 
         // document options required for sync to kick off
         for (const opt of options) {