diff --git a/clients/android/NewsBlur/AndroidManifest.xml b/clients/android/NewsBlur/AndroidManifest.xml
index 55276566d..287333883 100644
--- a/clients/android/NewsBlur/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/clients/android/NewsBlur/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     package="com.newsblur"
     android:versionCode="125"
-    android:versionName="4.8.1b2" >
+    android:versionName="4.9.0b2" >
 
     <uses-sdk
         android:minSdkVersion="14"
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
         <activity
             android:name=".activity.InitActivity"
             android:label="@string/newsblur"
+            android:theme="@style/initStyle"
             android:noHistory="true">
             <intent-filter>
                 <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
diff --git a/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/layout/activity_init.xml b/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/layout/activity_init.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3f8146d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/layout/activity_init.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+
+<RelativeLayout
+    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+    android:layout_width="match_parent"
+    android:layout_height="match_parent" >
+
+    <ImageView
+        android:id="@+id/init_image"
+        android:src="@drawable/logo"
+        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_gravity="center"
+        android:gravity="center"
+        android:layout_centerInParent="true"
+    />
+
+</RelativeLayout>
diff --git a/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/colors.xml b/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/colors.xml
index 6393889eb..2599b6db4 100644
--- a/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/colors.xml
+++ b/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/colors.xml
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     <color name="midgray">#898989</color>
     <color name="lightgray">#ccc</color>
     <color name="black">#000000</color>
+    <color name="transparent">#00000000</color>
 
     <color name="folder_background_end">#E9EBE4</color>
     <color name="folder_background_start">#DDE0D7</color>
diff --git a/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/styles.xml b/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/styles.xml
index 81f7e5eed..64a67ccff 100644
--- a/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/styles.xml
+++ b/clients/android/NewsBlur/res/values/styles.xml
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <resources xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
 
+    <style name="initStyle" parent="@android:style/Theme.DeviceDefault.NoActionBar">
+        <item name="android:windowBackground">@color/transparent</item>
+    </style>
+
     <style name="classifyDialog" parent="@android:style/Theme.Dialog">
         <item name="android:background">@drawable/actionbar_background</item>
         <item name="android:textColor">@color/darkgray</item>
diff --git a/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/activity/InitActivity.java b/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/activity/InitActivity.java
index 7cfe196bb..887f03706 100644
--- a/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/activity/InitActivity.java
+++ b/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/activity/InitActivity.java
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@ package com.newsblur.activity;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
+import android.os.AsyncTask;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.app.Activity;
 
+import com.newsblur.R;
 import com.newsblur.util.FeedUtils;
 import com.newsblur.util.PrefConstants;
+import com.newsblur.util.PrefsUtils;
 
 /**
  * The very first activity we launch. Checks to see if there is a user logged in yet and then
@@ -20,9 +23,28 @@ public class InitActivity extends Activity {
     protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
 
+        setContentView(R.layout.activity_init);
+
+        // do actual app launch after just a moment so the init screen smoothly loads
+        new AsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>() {
+            @Override
+            protected Void doInBackground(Void... arg) {
+                start();
+                return null;
+            }
+        }.execute();
+
+    }
+
+    private void start() {
         // this is the first Activity launched; use it to init the global singletons in FeedUtils
         FeedUtils.offerInitContext(this);
 
+        // now before there is any chance at all of an activity hitting the DB and crashing when it
+        // cannot find new tables or columns right after an app upgrade, check to see if the DB
+        // needs an upgrade
+        upgradeCheck();
+
         // see if a user is already logged in; if so, jump to the Main activity
         preferenceCheck();
     }
@@ -38,4 +60,12 @@ public class InitActivity extends Activity {
         }
     }
 
+    private void upgradeCheck() {
+        boolean upgrade = PrefsUtils.checkForUpgrade(this);
+        if (upgrade) {
+            FeedUtils.dbHelper.dropAndRecreateTables();
+            PrefsUtils.updateVersion(this);
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/util/AppConstants.java b/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/util/AppConstants.java
index 137615d6f..c5663c7b9 100644
--- a/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/util/AppConstants.java
+++ b/clients/android/NewsBlur/src/com/newsblur/util/AppConstants.java
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ public class AppConstants {
     // Enables high-volume logging that may be useful for debugging. This should
     // never be enabled for releases, as it not only slows down the app considerably,
     // it will log sensitive info such as passwords!
-    public static final boolean VERBOSE_LOG = true;
+    public static final boolean VERBOSE_LOG = false;
     public static final boolean VERBOSE_LOG_DB = false;
     public static final boolean VERBOSE_LOG_NET = false;