diff --git a/apps/widmessages/ChangeLog b/apps/widmessages/ChangeLog
index 314b1490c..35bde7bbd 100644
--- a/apps/widmessages/ChangeLog
+++ b/apps/widmessages/ChangeLog
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
 0.03: Fix messages not showing if UI auto-open is disabled
 0.04: Now shows message icons again (#2416)
 0.05: Match draw() API e.g. to allow wid_edit to alter this widget
-0.06: Fix bug that meant that only one widget was shown (now 3 unless changed in Settings->Apps->Messages->Widget messages)
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+0.06: Fix bug that meant that only one widget was shown (now 3 unless changed in Settings->Apps->Messages->Widget messages)
+0.07: Only load messages module if we have messages (30ms speed improvement)
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diff --git a/apps/widmessages/metadata.json b/apps/widmessages/metadata.json
index 436b77d3e..95a34e892 100644
--- a/apps/widmessages/metadata.json
+++ b/apps/widmessages/metadata.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "id": "widmessages",
   "name": "Message Widget",
-  "version": "0.06",
+  "version": "0.07",
   "description": "Widget showing new messages",
   "icon": "app.png",
   "type": "widget",
diff --git a/apps/widmessages/widget.js b/apps/widmessages/widget.js
index 0351fbead..3212ee649 100644
--- a/apps/widmessages/widget.js
+++ b/apps/widmessages/widget.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ if ((require("Storage").readJSON("messages.settings.json", true) || {}).maxMessa
       this.onMsg("show", {}); // reload messages+redraw
     }
   };
-
   Bangle.on("message", WIDGETS["messages"].onMsg.bind(WIDGETS["messages"]));
-  WIDGETS["messages"].onMsg("init", {}); // abuse type="init" to prevent Bangle.drawWidgets();
+  if (require("Storage").read("messages.json")!==undefined) // only call init if we've got messages - otherwise we can avoid loading messages lib (saves 30ms)
+    WIDGETS["messages"].onMsg("init", {}); // abuse type="init" to prevent Bangle.drawWidgets();
 }
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