diff --git a/melib/src/backends.rs b/melib/src/backends.rs
index e3981f33..8ea1fbf1 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends.rs
@@ -299,11 +299,12 @@ pub type ResultFuture<T> = Result<Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<T>> + Send
 pub trait MailBackend: ::std::fmt::Debug + Send + Sync {
     fn is_async(&self) -> bool;
     fn is_remote(&self) -> bool;
-    fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()>;
+    fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        Err(MeliError::new("Unimplemented."))
+    }
     fn is_online_async(&self) -> ResultFuture<()> {
         Err(MeliError::new("Unimplemented."))
     }
-    fn connect(&mut self) {}
     fn get(&mut self, mailbox: &Mailbox) -> Result<Async<Result<Vec<Envelope>>>>;
     fn get_async(
         &mut self,
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
index f97a770d..2d4a93e8 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
@@ -194,18 +194,6 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
     }
 
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        //if let Ok(mut g) = try_lock(&self.connection, None) {
-        //    let _ = g.connect();
-        //}
-        try_lock(
-            &self.uid_store.is_online,
-            Some(std::time::Duration::from_millis(12)),
-        )?
-        .1
-        .clone()
-    }
-
-    fn connect(&mut self) {
         let connection = self.connection.clone();
         let _ = std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name(format!("{} connecting", self.account_name.as_str(),))
@@ -214,6 +202,12 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
                     let _ = g.connect();
                 }
             });
+        try_lock(
+            &self.uid_store.is_online,
+            Some(std::time::Duration::from_millis(12)),
+        )?
+        .1
+        .clone()
     }
 
     fn get(&mut self, mailbox: &Mailbox) -> Result<Async<Result<Vec<Envelope>>>> {
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs
index ba61d2d6..df4feb5c 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap_async.rs
@@ -282,34 +282,13 @@ impl MailBackend for ImapType {
     fn is_online_async(&self) -> ResultFuture<()> {
         let connection = self.connection.clone();
         Ok(Box::pin(async move {
-            debug!("INSIDE is_online_async()");
             let mut conn = connection.lock().await;
-            debug!(conn.connect().await)?;
+            conn.connect().await?;
 
             Ok(())
         }))
     }
 
-    fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        Ok(())
-        //if let Ok(mut g) = try_lock(&self.connection, None) {
-        //    let _ = g.connect();
-        //}
-    }
-
-    fn connect(&mut self) {
-        /*
-        let connection = self.connection.clone();
-        let _ = std::thread::Builder::new()
-            .name(format!("{} connecting", self.account_name.as_str(),))
-            .spawn(move || {
-                if let Ok(mut g) = try_lock(&connection, None) {
-                    let _ = g.connect();
-                }
-            });
-        */
-    }
-
     fn get(&mut self, _mailbox: &Mailbox) -> Result<Async<Result<Vec<Envelope>>>> {
         Err(MeliError::new("Unimplemented."))
     }
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs b/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs
index 9394a124..737e974e 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/jmap.rs
@@ -199,16 +199,13 @@ impl MailBackend for JmapType {
     }
 
     fn is_online(&self) -> Result<()> {
-        self.online.lock().unwrap().1.clone()
-    }
-
-    fn connect(&mut self) {
-        if self.is_online().is_err()
+        if self.online.lock().unwrap().1.is_err()
             && Instant::now().duration_since(self.online.lock().unwrap().0)
                 >= std::time::Duration::new(2, 0)
         {
             let _ = self.mailboxes();
         }
+        self.online.lock().unwrap().1.clone()
     }
 
     fn get(&mut self, mailbox: &Mailbox) -> Result<Async<Result<Vec<Envelope>>>> {
diff --git a/src/conf/accounts.rs b/src/conf/accounts.rs
index 091062e0..9cfee0cf 100644
--- a/src/conf/accounts.rs
+++ b/src/conf/accounts.rs
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@ pub struct Account {
     sender: Sender<ThreadEvent>,
     event_queue: VecDeque<(MailboxHash, RefreshEvent)>,
     notify_fn: Arc<NotifyFn>,
-    is_async: bool,
-    is_remote: bool,
+    pub is_async: bool,
+    pub is_remote: bool,
 }
 
 pub enum JobRequest {
@@ -344,12 +344,11 @@ impl Account {
                 }
             }
         }
-
-        Ok(Account {
+        let mut ret = Account {
             index,
             hash,
             name,
-            is_online: false,
+            is_online: !backend.is_remote(),
             mailbox_entries: Default::default(),
             mailboxes_order: Default::default(),
             tree: Default::default(),
@@ -366,7 +365,13 @@ impl Account {
             is_async: backend.is_async(),
             is_remote: backend.is_remote(),
             backend: Arc::new(RwLock::new(backend)),
-        })
+        };
+
+        if !ret.is_remote && !ret.is_async {
+            ret.init(None)?;
+        }
+
+        Ok(ret)
     }
 
     fn init(&mut self, ref_mailboxes: Option<HashMap<MailboxHash, Mailbox>>) -> Result<()> {
@@ -1400,14 +1405,10 @@ impl Account {
     /* Call only in Context::is_online, since only Context can launch the watcher threads if an
      * account goes from offline to online. */
     pub fn is_online(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
-        if !self.is_remote {
+        if !self.is_remote && !self.is_async {
             return Ok(());
         }
 
-        if !self.is_online {
-            self.backend.write().unwrap().connect();
-        }
-
         if self.is_async {
             if self.is_online {
                 return Ok(());
@@ -1425,9 +1426,6 @@ impl Account {
                 self.init(None)?;
             }
             self.is_online = ret.is_ok();
-            if !self.is_online {
-                self.backend.write().unwrap().connect();
-            }
             ret
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/plugins/backend.rs b/src/plugins/backend.rs
index d6feb470..b87cbbd1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/backend.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/backend.rs
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ impl MailBackend for PluginBackend {
         }
     }
 
-    fn connect(&mut self) {}
-
     fn get(&mut self, mailbox: &Mailbox) -> Result<Async<Result<Vec<Envelope>>>> {
         let mut w = AsyncBuilder::new();
         let _mailbox_hash = mailbox.hash();
diff --git a/src/state.rs b/src/state.rs
index 0953019d..9befc52a 100644
--- a/src/state.rs
+++ b/src/state.rs
@@ -358,6 +358,9 @@ impl State {
         s.switch_to_alternate_screen();
         debug!("inserting mailbox hashes:");
         for i in 0..s.context.accounts.len() {
+            if !s.context.accounts[i].is_remote {
+                s.context.accounts[i].watch();
+            }
             if s.context.is_online(i).is_ok() && s.context.accounts[i].is_empty() {
                 //return Err(MeliError::new(format!(
                 //    "Account {} has no mailboxes configured.",