diff --git a/background/sync/firebase_sync.js b/background/sync/firebase_sync.js
index 91bef27..3dedeea 100644
--- a/background/sync/firebase_sync.js
+++ b/background/sync/firebase_sync.js
@@ -2,12 +2,18 @@ var FirebaseSync = function(Backbone, _, firebaseStoreName) {
 
   var firebaseUserRef = 'https://gombot.firebaseIO.com/'+firebaseStoreName;
 
-  function getFirebaseStoreForUser(model) {
+  function maybeInitFirebaseStoreForUser(model, callback) {
+    if (model.firebase) return _.defer(callback);
+    var firebaseReady = function(firebase) {
+      model.firebase = firebase;
+      callback();
+    };
+
     var storePath = [ firebaseUserRef,
                       btoa(model.get("email")),
                       model.keys.authKey,
                       model.keys.authKey ].join('/');
-    return new Backbone.Firebase(new Firebase(storePath));
+    new Backbone.Firebase(new Firebase(storePath), firebaseReady);
   }
 
   function sync(method, model, options) {
@@ -15,8 +21,9 @@ var FirebaseSync = function(Backbone, _, firebaseStoreName) {
       console.log("Error missing keys in model for firebase", model);
       return;
     }
-    model.firebase = model.firebase || getFirebaseStoreForUser(model);
-    Backbone.Firebase.sync(method, model, options);
+    maybeInitFirebaseStoreForUser(model, function () {
+      Backbone.Firebase.sync(method, model, options);
+    })
   }
 
   return {
diff --git a/lib/backbone-firebase.js b/lib/backbone-firebase.js
index 3ea2e07..2ca70e4 100644
--- a/lib/backbone-firebase.js
+++ b/lib/backbone-firebase.js
@@ -7,13 +7,20 @@ return (function() {
 
 const USER_DATA_KEY = "userData";
 
-Backbone.Firebase = function(ref) {
+Backbone.Firebase = function(ref, callback) {
   this._fbref = ref;
   this._children = [];
   if (typeof ref == "string") {
     this._fbref = new Firebase(ref);
   }
 
+  var ready = function (snapshot) {
+    this._fbref.off("value", ready);
+    callback(this);
+  }.bind(this);
+
+  this._fbref.on("value", ready);
+
   _.bindAll(this);
   this._fbref.on("child_added", this._childAdded);
   this._fbref.on("child_moved", this._childMoved);