diff --git a/backend.php b/backend.php
index 5e963f1eb..d9b44aefa 100644
--- a/backend.php
+++ b/backend.php
@@ -387,11 +387,11 @@
 
 			if ($_REQUEST["debug"]) $timing_info = print_checkpoint("20", $timing_info);
 
-			/* if (get_pref($link, 'COMBINED_DISPLAY_MODE') || $subop || !$offset) {
+			 if (get_pref($link, 'COMBINED_DISPLAY_MODE') || $subop) {
 				print "<counters><![CDATA[";
 				print json_encode(getAllCounters($link, $omode, $feed));
 				print "]]></counters>";
-			} */
+			} 
 
 			if ($_REQUEST["debug"]) $timing_info = print_checkpoint("30", $timing_info);
 
diff --git a/functions.php b/functions.php
index d5852bde1..a9a7cea51 100644
--- a/functions.php
+++ b/functions.php
@@ -2321,7 +2321,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	function catchup_feed($link, $feed, $cat_view, $owner_uid) {
+	function catchup_feed($link, $feed, $cat_view, $owner_uid = false) {
 
 			if (!$owner_uid) $owner_uid = $_SESSION['uid'];
 
diff --git a/viewfeed.js b/viewfeed.js
index 92564da6c..f46b97863 100644
--- a/viewfeed.js
+++ b/viewfeed.js
@@ -201,8 +201,11 @@ function headlines_callback2(transport, feed_cur_page) {
 			} else {
 				console.log("no cached articles received");
 			}
-	
-			request_counters();
+
+			if (counters)
+				parse_counters(counters);
+			else
+				request_counters();
 
 			if (runtime_info) {
 				parse_runtime_info(runtime_info[0]);