diff --git a/core/core.js b/core/core.js
index 6a986dbe..eac01400 100644
--- a/core/core.js
+++ b/core/core.js
@@ -87,10 +87,6 @@ const k_global_settings = {
 	},
 };
 
-let gGlobalSettings = {
-	index: '/~core/apps/',
-};
-
 let kPingInterval = 60 * 1000;
 
 /**
@@ -345,59 +341,59 @@ async function getProcessBlob(blobId, key, options) {
 							return [];
 						}
 					},
-					permissionsGranted: function () {
+					permissionsGranted: async function () {
 						let user = process?.credentials?.session?.name;
+						let settings = await loadSettings();
 						if (
 							user &&
 							options?.packageOwner &&
 							options?.packageName &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user] &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner]
+							settings.userPermissions &&
+							settings.userPermissions[user] &&
+							settings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner]
 						) {
-							return gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][
+							return settings.userPermissions[user][
 								options.packageOwner
 							][options.packageName];
 						}
 					},
-					allPermissionsGranted: function () {
+					allPermissionsGranted: async function () {
 						let user = process?.credentials?.session?.name;
+						let settings = await loadSettings();
 						if (
 							user &&
 							options?.packageOwner &&
 							options?.packageName &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user]
+							settings.userPermissions &&
+							settings.userPermissions[user]
 						) {
-							return gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user];
+							return settings.userPermissions[user];
 						}
 					},
-					permissionsForUser: function (user) {
-						return (
-							(gGlobalSettings?.permissions
-								? gGlobalSettings.permissions[user]
-								: []) ?? []
-						);
+					permissionsForUser: async function (user) {
+						let settings = await loadSettings();
+						return settings?.permissions?.[user] ?? [];
 					},
 					apps: (user) => getApps(user, process),
 					getSockets: getSockets,
-					permissionTest: function (permission) {
+					permissionTest: async function (permission) {
 						let user = process?.credentials?.session?.name;
+						let settings = await loadSettings();
 						if (!user || !options?.packageOwner || !options?.packageName) {
 							return;
 						} else if (
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user] &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner] &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner][
+							settings.userPermissions &&
+							settings.userPermissions[user] &&
+							settings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner] &&
+							settings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner][
 								options.packageName
 							] &&
-							gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner][
+							settings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner][
 								options.packageName
 							][permission] !== undefined
 						) {
 							if (
-								gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner][
+								settings.userPermissions[user][options.packageOwner][
 									options.packageName
 								][permission]
 							) {
@@ -509,23 +505,24 @@ async function getProcessBlob(blobId, key, options) {
 				}
 			};
 			if (process.credentials?.permissions?.administration) {
-				imports.core.globalSettingsDescriptions = function () {
+				imports.core.globalSettingsDescriptions = async function () {
 					let settings = Object.assign({}, k_global_settings);
-					for (let [key, value] of Object.entries(gGlobalSettings)) {
+					for (let [key, value] of Object.entries(await loadSettings())) {
 						if (settings[key]) {
 							settings[key].value = value;
 						}
 					}
 					return settings;
 				};
-				imports.core.globalSettingsGet = function (key) {
-					return gGlobalSettings[key];
+				imports.core.globalSettingsGet = async function (key) {
+					let settings = await loadSettings();
+					return settings?.[key];
 				};
 				imports.core.globalSettingsSet = async function (key, value) {
 					print('Setting', key, value);
-					await loadSettings();
-					gGlobalSettings[key] = value;
-					setGlobalSettings(gGlobalSettings);
+					let settings = await loadSettings();
+					settings[key] = value;
+					await setGlobalSettings(settings);
 					print('Done.');
 				};
 				imports.core.deleteUser = async function (user) {
@@ -707,8 +704,9 @@ async function getProcessBlob(blobId, key, options) {
 			imports.ssb.addEventListener = undefined;
 			imports.ssb.removeEventListener = undefined;
 			imports.ssb.getIdentityInfo = undefined;
-			imports.fetch = function (url, options) {
-				return http.fetch(url, options, gGlobalSettings.fetch_hosts);
+			imports.fetch = async function (url, options) {
+				let settings = await loadSettings();
+				return http.fetch(url, options, settings?.fetch_hosts);
 			};
 
 			if (
@@ -759,13 +757,13 @@ async function getProcessBlob(blobId, key, options) {
 					);
 				};
 			}
-			process.sendPermissions = function sendPermissions() {
+			process.sendPermissions = async function sendPermissions() {
 				process.app.send({
 					action: 'permissions',
-					permissions: imports.core.permissionsGranted(),
+					permissions: await imports.core.permissionsGranted(),
 				});
 			};
-			process.resetPermission = function resetPermission(permission) {
+			process.resetPermission = async function resetPermission(permission) {
 				let user = process?.credentials?.session?.name;
 				storePermission(
 					user,
@@ -774,7 +772,7 @@ async function getProcessBlob(blobId, key, options) {
 					permission,
 					undefined
 				);
-				process.sendPermissions();
+				return process.sendPermissions();
 			};
 			process.task.setImports(imports);
 			process.task.activate();
@@ -807,7 +805,7 @@ async function getProcessBlob(blobId, key, options) {
 			broadcastEvent('onSessionBegin', [getUser(process, process)]);
 			if (process.app) {
 				process.app.send({action: 'ready', version: version()});
-				process.sendPermissions();
+				await process.sendPermissions();
 			}
 			await process.task.execute({name: appSourceName, source: appSource});
 			resolveReady(process);
@@ -837,7 +835,6 @@ async function getProcessBlob(blobId, key, options) {
  * @returns
  */
 async function setGlobalSettings(settings) {
-	gGlobalSettings = settings;
 	try {
 		return await new Database('core').set('settings', JSON.stringify(settings));
 	} catch (error) {
@@ -1229,7 +1226,7 @@ async function loadSettings() {
 			data[key] = value.default_value;
 		}
 	}
-	gGlobalSettings = data;
+	return data;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1254,9 +1251,9 @@ function sendStats() {
  * TODOC
  */
 loadSettings()
-	.then(function () {
-		if (tildefriends.https_port && gGlobalSettings.http_redirect) {
-			httpd.set_http_redirect(gGlobalSettings.http_redirect);
+	.then(function (settings) {
+		if (tildefriends.https_port && settings.http_redirect) {
+			httpd.set_http_redirect(settings.http_redirect);
 		}
 		httpd.all('/app/socket', app.socket);
 		httpd.all('', function default_http_handler(request, response) {
@@ -1332,34 +1329,35 @@ loadSettings()
  * @param {*} permission
  * @param {*} allow
  */
-function storePermission(user, packageOwner, packageName, permission, allow) {
-	if (!gGlobalSettings.userPermissions) {
-		gGlobalSettings.userPermissions = {};
+async function storePermission(user, packageOwner, packageName, permission, allow) {
+	let settings = await loadSettings();
+	if (!settings.userPermissions) {
+		settings.userPermissions = {};
 	}
-	if (!gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user]) {
-		gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user] = {};
+	if (!settings.userPermissions[user]) {
+		settings.userPermissions[user] = {};
 	}
-	if (!gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner]) {
-		gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner] = {};
+	if (!settings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner]) {
+		settings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner] = {};
 	}
-	if (!gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName]) {
-		gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName] = {};
+	if (!settings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName]) {
+		settings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName] = {};
 	}
 	if (
-		gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName][
+		settings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName][
 			permission
 		] !== allow
 	) {
 		if (allow === undefined) {
-			delete gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName][
+			delete settings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName][
 				permission
 			];
 		} else {
-			gGlobalSettings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName][
+			settings.userPermissions[user][packageOwner][packageName][
 				permission
 			] = allow;
 		}
-		setGlobalSettings(gGlobalSettings);
+		return setGlobalSettings(settings);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/deps/c-ares b/deps/c-ares
index 0c1c60dc..a57ff692 160000
--- a/deps/c-ares
+++ b/deps/c-ares
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 0c1c60dc60114812eb5950e6b50fa69d923a20e6
+Subproject commit a57ff692eeab8d21c853dc1ddaf0164f517074c3