diff --git a/backend.php b/backend.php
index b04b2619b..f83b71d5e 100644
--- a/backend.php
+++ b/backend.php
@@ -155,9 +155,9 @@
 		// in prefetch mode we only output requested cids, main article 
 		// just gets marked as read (it already exists in client cache)
 
-		if ($mode != "prefetch") {
+		if ($mode == "") {
 			outputArticleXML($link, $id, $feed_id);
-		} else {
+		} else if ($mode == "prefetch") {
 			catchupArticleById($link, $id, 0);
 		}
 
@@ -167,9 +167,11 @@
 			}
 		}
 
-		print "<counters>";
-		getAllCounters($link, $omode);
-		print "</counters>";
+		if ($mode != "prefetch_old") {
+			print "<counters>";
+			getAllCounters($link, $omode);
+			print "</counters>";
+		}
 
 		print "</reply>";
 	}
diff --git a/tt-rss.js b/tt-rss.js
index d22aa1fba..861c9abb8 100644
--- a/tt-rss.js
+++ b/tt-rss.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ function dlg_frefresh_callback() {
 		if (getActiveFeedId() == _qfd_deleted_feed) {
 			var h = document.getElementById("headlines-frame");
 			if (h) {
-				h.innerHTML = "<div class='whiteBox'>No feed selected.</div>";
+				h.innerHTML = "<div class='whiteBox'>" + __('No feed selected.') + "</div>";
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/viewfeed.js b/viewfeed.js
index 91b042689..f60783514 100644
--- a/viewfeed.js
+++ b/viewfeed.js
@@ -50,11 +50,12 @@ function headlines_callback() {
 			if (counters) {
 				debug("parsing piggybacked counters: " + counters);
 				parse_counters(counters, false);
+			} else {
+				debug("counters container not found in reply");
 			}
 		} else {
 			debug("headlines_callback: returned no XML object");
-			f.innerHTML = xmlhttp.responseText;
-			update_all_counters();
+			f.innerHTML = "<div class='whiteBox'>" + __('Could not update headlines (missing XML object)') + "</div>";
 		}
 
 		if (typeof correctPNG != 'undefined') {
@@ -122,6 +123,7 @@ function article_callback() {
 			
 			} else {
 				debug("article_callback: returned no XML object");
+				f.innerHTML = "<div class='whiteBox'>" + __('Could not display article (missing XML object)') + "</div>";
 			}
 		} catch (e) {
 			exception_error("article_callback", e);
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ function article_callback() {
 				debug("parsing piggybacked counters: " + counters);
 				parse_counters(counters, false);
 			} else {
-				update_all_counters();
+				debug("counters container not found in reply");
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -253,6 +255,14 @@ function view(id, feed_id, skip_history) {
 
 			} else if (cached_article) {
 
+				query = query + "&mode=prefetch_old";
+
+				debug(query);
+
+				xmlhttp.open("GET", query, true);
+				xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=article_callback;
+				xmlhttp.send(null);
+
 				render_article(cached_article);
 
 			}