diff --git a/wled00/cfg.cpp b/wled00/cfg.cpp
index 7197c73e..2ef2be4a 100644
--- a/wled00/cfg.cpp
+++ b/wled00/cfg.cpp
@@ -12,14 +12,22 @@ void getStringFromJson(char* dest, const char* src, size_t len) {
   if (src != nullptr) strlcpy(dest, src, len);
 }
 
-void deserializeSettings() {
+void deserializeConfig() {
+  bool fromeep = false;
+  bool success = deserializeConfigSec();
+  if (!success) { //if file does not exist, try reading from EEPROM
+    loadSettingsFromEEPROM();
+    fromeep = true;
+  }
+
   DynamicJsonDocument doc(JSON_BUFFER_SIZE);
 
   DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Reading settings from /cfg.json..."));
 
-  bool success = readObjectFromFile("/cfg.json", nullptr, &doc);
+  success = readObjectFromFile("/cfg.json", nullptr, &doc);
   if (!success) { //if file does not exist, try reading from EEPROM
-    loadSettingsFromEEPROM();
+    if (!fromeep) deEEP();
+    return;
   }
 
   //deserializeJson(doc, json);
@@ -298,7 +306,7 @@ void deserializeSettings() {
   }
 }
 
-void serializeSettings() {
+void serializeConfig() {
   DynamicJsonDocument doc(JSON_BUFFER_SIZE);
 
   JsonArray rev = doc.createNestedArray("rev");
@@ -561,7 +569,7 @@ void serializeSettings() {
 }
 
 //settings in /wsec.json, not accessible via webserver, for passwords and tokens
-void deserializeSettingsSec() {
+bool deserializeConfigSec() {
   DynamicJsonDocument doc(JSON_BUFFER_SIZE);
 
   JsonObject nw_ins_0 = doc["nw"]["ins"][0];
@@ -570,15 +578,25 @@ void deserializeSettingsSec() {
   JsonObject ap = doc["ap"];
   getStringFromJson(apPass, ap["psk"] , 65);
 
-  //mqtt pass
+  JsonObject interfaces = doc["if"];
 
-  //blynk token
+  const char* apikey = interfaces["blynk"]["token"] | "Hidden";
+  int tdd = strnlen(apikey, 36);
+  if (tdd > 20 || tdd == 0)
+    getStringFromJson(blynkApiKey, apikey, 36);
 
-  //hue token
+  JsonObject if_mqtt = interfaces["mqtt"];
+  getStringFromJson(mqttPass, if_mqtt["psk"], 41);
 
-  //ota pass
+  getStringFromJson(hueApiKey, interfaces["hue"]["key"], 47);
+
+  JsonObject ota = doc["ota"];
+  getStringFromJson(otaPass, ota["pwd"], 33);
+  CJSON(otaLock, ota["lock"]);
+  CJSON(wifiLock, ota["lock-wifi"]);
+  CJSON(aOtaEnabled, ota["aota"]);
 }
 
-void serializeSettingsSec() {
+void serializeConfigSec() {
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wled00/fcn_declare.h b/wled00/fcn_declare.h
index 9e3e6a4b..f2e19bcd 100644
--- a/wled00/fcn_declare.h
+++ b/wled00/fcn_declare.h
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ bool isButtonPressed();
 void handleButton();
 void handleIO();
 
+//cfg.cpp
+void deserializeConfig();
+bool deserializeConfigSec();
+void serializeConfig();
+void serializeConfigSec();
+
 //colors.cpp
 void colorFromUint32(uint32_t in, bool secondary = false);
 void colorFromUint24(uint32_t in, bool secondary = false);
@@ -209,6 +215,7 @@ void loadMacro(byte index, char* m);
 void applyMacro(byte index);
 void saveMacro(byte index, const String& mc, bool persist = true); //only commit on single save, not in settings
 void deEEP();
+void deEEPSettings();
 
 //wled_serial.cpp
 void handleSerial();
diff --git a/wled00/wled.cpp b/wled00/wled.cpp
index db46f455..9b860aca 100644
--- a/wled00/wled.cpp
+++ b/wled00/wled.cpp
@@ -172,33 +172,33 @@ void WLED::setup()
   DEBUG_PRINTLN(ESP.getFreeHeap());
   registerUsermods();
 
-  strip.init(EEPROM.read(372), ledCount, EEPROM.read(2204));        // init LEDs quickly
-  strip.setBrightness(0);
+  //strip.init(EEPROM.read(372), ledCount, EEPROM.read(2204));        // init LEDs quickly
+  //strip.setBrightness(0);
 
-  DEBUG_PRINT(F("LEDs inited. heap usage ~"));
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(heapPreAlloc - ESP.getFreeHeap());
+  //DEBUG_PRINT(F("LEDs inited. heap usage ~"));
+  //DEBUG_PRINTLN(heapPreAlloc - ESP.getFreeHeap());
 
-#ifndef WLED_DISABLE_FILESYSTEM
-    bool fsinit = false;
-    DEBUGFS_PRINTLN(F("Mount FS"));
-  #ifdef ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
-    fsinit = WLED_FS.begin(true);
-  #else
-    fsinit = WLED_FS.begin();
-  #endif
-    if (!fsinit) {
-      DEBUGFS_PRINTLN(F("FS failed!"));
-      errorFlag = ERR_FS_BEGIN;
-    } else deEEP();
-    updateFSInfo();
+
+  bool fsinit = false;
+  DEBUGFS_PRINTLN(F("Mount FS"));
+#ifdef ARDUINO_ARCH_ESP32
+  fsinit = WLED_FS.begin(true);
+#else
+  fsinit = WLED_FS.begin();
 #endif
+  if (!fsinit) {
+    DEBUGFS_PRINTLN(F("FS failed!"));
+    errorFlag = ERR_FS_BEGIN;
+  } else deEEP();
+  updateFSInfo();
+  deserializeConfig();
 
 #if STATUSLED && STATUSLED != LEDPIN
   pinMode(STATUSLED, OUTPUT);
 #endif
 
-  DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Load EEPROM"));
-  loadSettingsFromEEPROM();
+  //DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Load EEPROM"));
+  //loadSettingsFromEEPROM();
   beginStrip();
   userSetup();
   usermods.setup();
@@ -252,6 +252,8 @@ void WLED::setup()
 void WLED::beginStrip()
 {
   // Initialize NeoPixel Strip and button
+  strip.init(useRGBW, ledCount, skipFirstLed);
+  strip.setBrightness(0);
   strip.setShowCallback(handleOverlayDraw);
 
 #ifdef BTNPIN
diff --git a/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp b/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp
index 5a54acea..155ab814 100644
--- a/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp
+++ b/wled00/wled_eeprom.cpp
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ void deEEP() {
   JsonObject sObj = dDoc.to<JsonObject>();
   sObj.createNestedObject("0");
 
-  //EEPROM.begin(EEPSIZE);
+  EEPROM.begin(EEPSIZE);
   if (EEPROM.read(233) == 233) { //valid EEPROM save
     for (uint16_t index = 1; index <= 16; index++) { //copy presets to presets.json
       uint16_t i = 380 + index*20;
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ void deEEP() {
     }
   }
 
-  //EEPROM.end();
+  EEPROM.end();
 
   File f = WLED_FS.open("/presets.json", "w");
   if (!f) {
@@ -871,4 +871,13 @@ void deEEP() {
   serializeJson(dDoc, f);
   f.close();
   DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("deEEP complete!"));
+}
+
+void deEEPSettings() {
+  DEBUG_PRINTLN(F("Restore settings from EEPROM"));
+  EEPROM.begin(EEPSIZE);
+  loadSettingsFromEEPROM();
+  EEPROM.end();
+
+  serializeConfig();
 }
\ No newline at end of file