--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/activitystream/homepanel/ActivityStreamPanel.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/activitystream/homepanel/ActivityStreamPanel.java
@@ -110,16 +110,21 @@ public class ActivityStreamPanel extends
     public void unload() {
         adapter.swapHighlights(Collections.<Highlight>emptyList());
 
         adapter.swapTopSitesCursor(null);
     }
 
     public void reload(LoaderManager lm) {
         adapter.clearAndInit();
+
+        // Destroy loaders so they don't restart loading when returning.
+        lm.destroyLoader(LOADER_ID_HIGHLIGHTS);
+        lm.destroyLoader(LOADER_ID_POCKET);
+
         load(lm);
     }
 
     @Override
     protected void onSizeChanged(int w, int h, int oldw, int oldh) {
         super.onSizeChanged(w, h, oldw, oldh);
 
         // This code does two things:

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/activitystream/homepanel/StreamRecyclerAdapter.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/activitystream/homepanel/StreamRecyclerAdapter.java
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 /* -*- Mode: Java; c-basic-offset: 4; tab-width: 20; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*-
  * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
  * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 
 package org.mozilla.gecko.activitystream.homepanel;
 
+import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 import android.database.Cursor;
 import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
 import android.support.v7.widget.RecyclerView;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
@@ -176,22 +177,27 @@ public class StreamRecyclerAdapter exten
             final Highlight highlight = (Highlight) recyclerViewModel.get(position);
             ((WebpageItemRow) holder).bind(highlight, position, tilesSize);
         } else if (type == RowItemType.TOP_PANEL.getViewType()) {
             ((TopPanelRow) holder).bind(topSitesCursor, tilesSize);
         } else if (type == RowItemType.TOP_STORIES_ITEM.getViewType()) {
             final TopStory story = (TopStory) recyclerViewModel.get(position);
             ((WebpageItemRow) holder).bind(story, position, tilesSize);
         } else if (type == RowItemType.HIGHLIGHTS_TITLE.getViewType()) {
-            final SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = GeckoSharedPrefs.forProfile(holder.itemView.getContext());
-            final boolean bookmarksEnabled = sharedPreferences.getBoolean(ActivityStreamPanel.PREF_BOOKMARKS_ENABLED, true);
-            final boolean visitedEnabled = sharedPreferences.getBoolean(ActivityStreamPanel.PREF_VISITED_ENABLED, true);
+            final Context context = holder.itemView.getContext();
+            final SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = GeckoSharedPrefs.forProfile(context);
+            final boolean bookmarksEnabled = sharedPreferences.getBoolean(ActivityStreamPanel.PREF_BOOKMARKS_ENABLED,
+                    context.getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.pref_activitystream_recentbookmarks_enabled_default));
+            final boolean visitedEnabled = sharedPreferences.getBoolean(ActivityStreamPanel.PREF_VISITED_ENABLED,
+                    context.getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.pref_activitystream_visited_enabled_default));
             ((StreamTitleRow) holder).setVisible(bookmarksEnabled || visitedEnabled);
         } else if (type == RowItemType.TOP_STORIES_TITLE.getViewType()) {
-            final boolean pocketEnabled = GeckoSharedPrefs.forProfile(holder.itemView.getContext()).getBoolean(ActivityStreamPanel.PREF_POCKET_ENABLED, true);
+            final Context context = holder.itemView.getContext();
+            final boolean pocketEnabled = GeckoSharedPrefs.forProfile(context).getBoolean(ActivityStreamPanel.PREF_POCKET_ENABLED,
+                    context.getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.pref_activitystream_pocket_enabled_default));
             ((StreamTitleRow) holder).setVisible(pocketEnabled);
         }
     }
 
     @Override
     public void onItemClicked(RecyclerView recyclerView, int position, View v) {
         if (!onItemClickIsValidRowItem(position)) {
             return;