diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
index 5e10ea1621..5d855b5263 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from PyQt4.Qt import    QDialog, QListWidgetItem, QIcon, \
 from calibre.constants import iswindows, isosx
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.config.config_ui import Ui_Dialog
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.config.create_custom_column import CreateCustomColumn
-from calibre.gui2 import choose_dir, error_dialog, config, \
+from calibre.gui2 import choose_dir, error_dialog, config, gprefs, \
                          ALL_COLUMNS, NONE, info_dialog, choose_files, \
                          warning_dialog, ResizableDialog, question_dialog
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs
@@ -480,6 +480,8 @@ class ConfigDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         self.opt_enforce_cpu_limit.setChecked(config['enforce_cpu_limit'])
         self.device_detection_button.clicked.connect(self.debug_device_detection)
         self.port.editingFinished.connect(self.check_port_value)
+        self.show_splash_screen.setChecked(gprefs.get('show_splash_screen',
+            True))
 
     def check_port_value(self, *args):
         port = self.port.value()
@@ -852,6 +854,7 @@ class ConfigDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         config['get_social_metadata'] = self.opt_get_social_metadata.isChecked()
         config['overwrite_author_title_metadata'] = self.opt_overwrite_author_title_metadata.isChecked()
         config['enforce_cpu_limit'] = bool(self.opt_enforce_cpu_limit.isChecked())
+        gprefs['show_splash_screen'] = bool(self.show_splash_screen.isChecked())
         fmts = []
         for i in range(self.viewer.count()):
             if self.viewer.item(i).checkState() == Qt.Checked:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
index 5d84e2e2af..db748dae7e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
@@ -331,8 +331,8 @@
             </layout>
            </widget>
            <widget class="QWidget" name="page">
-            <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_4">
-             <item>
+            <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_8">
+             <item row="0" column="0">
               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="roman_numerals">
                <property name="text">
                 <string>Use &amp;Roman numerals for series number</string>
@@ -342,28 +342,35 @@
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="1" column="0">
               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="systray_icon">
                <property name="text">
                 <string>Enable system &amp;tray icon (needs restart)</string>
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="1" column="1">
               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="systray_notifications">
                <property name="text">
                 <string>Show &amp;notifications in system tray</string>
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2">
+              <widget class="QCheckBox" name="show_splash_screen">
+               <property name="text">
+                <string>Show &amp;splash screen at startup</string>
+               </property>
+              </widget>
+             </item>
+             <item row="3" column="0" colspan="2">
               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="separate_cover_flow">
                <property name="text">
                 <string>Show cover &amp;browser in a separate window (needs restart)</string>
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="4" column="0">
               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="search_as_you_type">
                <property name="text">
                 <string>Search as you type</string>
@@ -373,21 +380,21 @@
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="5" column="0" colspan="2">
               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="sync_news">
                <property name="text">
                 <string>Automatically send downloaded &amp;news to ebook reader</string>
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="6" column="0" colspan="2">
               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="delete_news">
                <property name="text">
                 <string>&amp;Delete news from library when it is automatically sent to reader</string>
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="7" column="0" colspan="2">
               <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
                <item>
                 <widget class="QLabel" name="label_6">
@@ -404,7 +411,7 @@
                </item>
               </layout>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="8" column="0" colspan="2">
               <widget class="QGroupBox" name="groupBox_2">
                <property name="title">
                 <string>Toolbar</string>
@@ -452,7 +459,7 @@
                </layout>
               </widget>
              </item>
-             <item>
+             <item row="9" column="0" colspan="2">
               <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_7">
                <item>
                 <widget class="QGroupBox" name="groupBox">
@@ -527,12 +534,12 @@
                       </item>
                       <item>
                        <widget class="QToolButton" name="add_custcol_button">
-                        <property name="text">
-                         <string>...</string>
-                        </property>
                         <property name="toolTip">
                          <string>Add a user-defined column</string>
                         </property>
+                        <property name="text">
+                         <string>...</string>
+                        </property>
                         <property name="icon">
                          <iconset resource="../../../../../resources/images.qrc">
                           <normaloff>:/images/plus.svg</normaloff>:/images/plus.svg</iconset>
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/main.py b/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
index c6777566f7..29ae1875c8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/main.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ from PyQt4.Qt import QCoreApplication, QIcon, QMessageBox, QObject, QTimer, \
         QSplashScreen, QApplication
 
 from calibre import prints, plugins
-from calibre.constants import iswindows, __appname__, isosx, filesystem_encoding
+from calibre.constants import iswindows, __appname__, isosx, DEBUG, \
+        filesystem_encoding
 from calibre.utils.ipc import ADDRESS, RC
 from calibre.gui2 import ORG_NAME, APP_UID, initialize_file_icon_provider, \
     Application, choose_dir, error_dialog, question_dialog, gprefs
@@ -114,12 +115,15 @@ class GuiRunner(QObject):
     initialization'''
 
     def __init__(self, opts, args, actions, listener, app):
+        self.startup_time = time.time()
         self.opts, self.args, self.listener, self.app = opts, args, listener, app
         self.actions = actions
         self.main = None
         QObject.__init__(self)
         self.splash_screen = None
         self.timer = QTimer.singleShot(1, self.initialize)
+        if DEBUG:
+            prints('Starting up...')
 
     def start_gui(self):
         from calibre.gui2.ui import Main
@@ -128,6 +132,8 @@ class GuiRunner(QObject):
             self.splash_screen.showMessage(_('Initializing user interface...'))
             self.splash_screen.finish(main)
         main.initialize(self.library_path, self.db, self.listener, self.actions)
+        if DEBUG:
+            prints('Started up in', time.time() - self.startup_time)
         add_filesystem_book = partial(main.add_filesystem_book, allow_device=False)
         sys.excepthook = main.unhandled_exception
         if len(self.args) > 1:
@@ -230,7 +236,6 @@ class GuiRunner(QObject):
         if gprefs.get('show_splash_screen', True):
             self.show_splash_screen()
 
-        time.sleep(10)
         self.library_path = get_library_path()
         if self.library_path is None:
             self.initialization_failed()