diff --git a/cockatrice/src/client/settings/card_counter_settings.cpp b/cockatrice/src/client/settings/card_counter_settings.cpp
index 399365c99..71ce4cfc6 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/client/settings/card_counter_settings.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/client/settings/card_counter_settings.cpp
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ CardCounterSettings::CardCounterSettings(const QString &settingsPath, QObject *p
 
 void CardCounterSettings::setColor(int counterId, const QColor &color)
 {
-    QSettings settings = getSettings();
-
     QString key = QString("cards/counters/%1/color").arg(counterId);
 
     if (settings.value(key).value<QColor>() == color)
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ QColor CardCounterSettings::color(int counterId) const
         defaultColor = QColor::fromHsv(h, s, v);
     }
 
-    return getSettings().value(QString("cards/counters/%1/color").arg(counterId), defaultColor).value<QColor>();
+    return settings.value(QString("cards/counters/%1/color").arg(counterId), defaultColor).value<QColor>();
 }
 
 QString CardCounterSettings::displayName(int counterId) const
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/visual_database_display/visual_database_display_widget.cpp b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/visual_database_display/visual_database_display_widget.cpp
index c7a548e4b..7cd7be4fb 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/visual_database_display/visual_database_display_widget.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/visual_database_display/visual_database_display_widget.cpp
@@ -285,7 +285,9 @@ void VisualDatabaseDisplayWidget::loadNextPage()
     }
 
     // Load the next page of cards and add them to the flow widget
+    flowWidget->setUpdatesEnabled(false);
     loadPage(start, end);
+    flowWidget->setUpdatesEnabled(true);
 }
 
 void VisualDatabaseDisplayWidget::loadPage(int start, int end)
diff --git a/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.cpp b/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.cpp
index 2d4f1c441..bb7d7791b 100644
--- a/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.cpp
+++ b/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.cpp
@@ -4,19 +4,13 @@ SettingsManager::SettingsManager(const QString &_settingPath,
                                  const QString &_defaultGroup,
                                  const QString &_defaultSubGroup,
                                  QObject *parent)
-    : QObject(parent), settingPath(_settingPath), defaultGroup(_defaultGroup), defaultSubGroup(_defaultSubGroup)
+    : QObject(parent), defaultGroup(_defaultGroup), defaultSubGroup(_defaultSubGroup),
+      settings(_settingPath, QSettings::IniFormat)
 {
 }
 
-QSettings SettingsManager::getSettings() const
-{
-    return QSettings(settingPath, QSettings::IniFormat);
-}
-
 void SettingsManager::setValue(const QVariant &value, const QString &name)
 {
-    auto settings = getSettings();
-
     if (!defaultGroup.isEmpty()) {
         settings.beginGroup(defaultGroup);
     }
@@ -41,8 +35,6 @@ void SettingsManager::setValue(const QVariant &value,
                                const QString &group,
                                const QString &subGroup)
 {
-    auto settings = getSettings();
-
     if (!group.isEmpty()) {
         settings.beginGroup(group);
     }
@@ -64,8 +56,6 @@ void SettingsManager::setValue(const QVariant &value,
 
 void SettingsManager::deleteValue(const QString &name)
 {
-    auto settings = getSettings();
-
     if (!defaultGroup.isEmpty()) {
         settings.beginGroup(defaultGroup);
     }
@@ -87,8 +77,6 @@ void SettingsManager::deleteValue(const QString &name)
 
 void SettingsManager::deleteValue(const QString &name, const QString &group, const QString &subGroup)
 {
-    auto settings = getSettings();
-
     if (!group.isEmpty()) {
         settings.beginGroup(group);
     }
@@ -110,8 +98,6 @@ void SettingsManager::deleteValue(const QString &name, const QString &group, con
 
 QVariant SettingsManager::getValue(const QString &name) const
 {
-    auto settings = getSettings();
-
     if (!defaultGroup.isEmpty()) {
         settings.beginGroup(defaultGroup);
     }
@@ -135,8 +121,6 @@ QVariant SettingsManager::getValue(const QString &name) const
 
 QVariant SettingsManager::getValue(const QString &name, const QString &group, const QString &subGroup) const
 {
-    auto settings = getSettings();
-
     if (!group.isEmpty()) {
         settings.beginGroup(group);
     }
@@ -163,7 +147,5 @@ QVariant SettingsManager::getValue(const QString &name, const QString &group, co
  */
 void SettingsManager::sync()
 {
-    auto settings = getSettings();
-
     settings.sync();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.h b/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.h
index ad828f089..6e8fe7fdb 100644
--- a/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.h
+++ b/libcockatrice_settings/libcockatrice/settings/settings_manager.h
@@ -14,26 +14,31 @@
 class SettingsManager : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
+
 public:
     explicit SettingsManager(const QString &settingPath,
                              const QString &defaultGroup = QString(),
                              const QString &defaultSubGroup = QString(),
                              QObject *parent = nullptr);
+
     QVariant getValue(const QString &name) const;
     QVariant getValue(const QString &name, const QString &group, const QString &subGroup = QString()) const;
+
     void sync();
 
 protected:
-    QString settingPath;
     QString defaultGroup;
     QString defaultSubGroup;
 
-    QSettings getSettings() const;
+    mutable QSettings settings;
 
     void setValue(const QVariant &value, const QString &name);
+
     void
     setValue(const QVariant &value, const QString &name, const QString &group, const QString &subGroup = QString());
+
     void deleteValue(const QString &name);
+
     void deleteValue(const QString &name, const QString &group, const QString &subGroup = QString());
 };