diff --git a/website/client/app.vue b/website/client/app.vue
index b294bda767..648ae75e32 100644
--- a/website/client/app.vue
+++ b/website/client/app.vue
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ export default {
     };
   },
   computed: {
-    ...mapState(['isUserLoggedIn']),
+    ...mapState(['isUserLoggedIn', 'browserTimezoneOffset']),
     ...mapState({user: 'user.data'}),
     isStaticPage () {
       return this.$route.meta.requiresLogin === false ? true : false;
@@ -164,11 +164,19 @@ export default {
         Analytics.setUser();
         Analytics.updateUser();
 
-        const loadingScreen = document.getElementById('loading-screen');
-        document.body.removeChild(loadingScreen);
+        this.hideLoadingScreen();
+
+        // Adjust the timezone offset
+        if (this.user.preferences.timezoneOffset !== this.browserTimezoneOffset) {
+          this.$store.dispatch('user:set', {
+            'preferences.timezoneOffset': this.browserTimezoneOffset,
+          });
+        }
       }).catch((err) => {
         console.error('Impossible to fetch user. Clean up localStorage and refresh.', err); // eslint-disable-line no-console
       });
+    } else {
+      this.hideLoadingScreen();
     }
 
     // Manage modals
@@ -254,7 +262,10 @@ export default {
       this.$store.dispatch('user:castSpell', {key: this.selectedCardToBuy.key, targetId: member.id});
       this.selectedCardToBuy = null;
     },
-
+    hideLoadingScreen () {
+      const loadingScreen = document.getElementById('loading-screen');
+      if (loadingScreen) document.body.removeChild(loadingScreen);
+    },
   },
 };
 </script>
diff --git a/website/client/assets/scss/loading-screen.scss b/website/client/assets/scss/loading-screen.scss
index c055690440..00aa6b92df 100644
--- a/website/client/assets/scss/loading-screen.scss
+++ b/website/client/assets/scss/loading-screen.scss
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #loading-screen {
+  z-index: 1050;
   position: absolute;
   top: 0;
   bottom: 0;
diff --git a/website/client/components/notifications.vue b/website/client/components/notifications.vue
index 088d0a8533..7703af4653 100644
--- a/website/client/components/notifications.vue
+++ b/website/client/components/notifications.vue
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ export default {
 
       console.log('next cron in', nextCronIn);
 
-      setInterval(async () => {
+      setTimeout(async () => {
         console.log('next cron timer fired, current time:', new Date(), 'syncing...');
         // Sync the user before showing the modal
         await Promise.all([
diff --git a/website/client/components/tasks/spells.vue b/website/client/components/tasks/spells.vue
index be4922e81a..20b970898f 100644
--- a/website/client/components/tasks/spells.vue
+++ b/website/client/components/tasks/spells.vue
@@ -283,17 +283,6 @@ export default {
       this.$store.state.spellOptions.castingSpell = false;
       this.potionClickMode = false;
 
-      // @TODO: We no longer wrap the users (or at least we should not), but some common code
-      // expects the user to be wrapped. For now, just manually set. But we need to fix the common code
-      this.user.fns = {
-        crit: (...args) => {
-          return crit(this.user, ...args);
-        },
-        updateStats: (...args) => {
-          return updateStats(this.user, ...args);
-        },
-      };
-
       this.spell.cast(this.user, target);
       // User.save(); // @TODO:
 
diff --git a/website/client/store/index.js b/website/client/store/index.js
index 8c8cf9358e..74e3fd4130 100644
--- a/website/client/store/index.js
+++ b/website/client/store/index.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const IS_TEST = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test'; // eslint-disable-line no-proce
 // Load user auth parameters and determine if it's logged in
 // before trying to load data
 let isUserLoggedIn = false;
+let browserTimezoneOffset = moment().zone(); // eg, 240 - this will be converted on server as -(offset/60)
 axios.defaults.headers.common['x-client'] = 'habitica-web';
 
 let AUTH_SETTINGS = localStorage.getItem('habit-mobile-settings');
@@ -24,8 +25,7 @@ if (AUTH_SETTINGS) {
   axios.defaults.headers.common['x-api-user'] = AUTH_SETTINGS.auth.apiId;
   axios.defaults.headers.common['x-api-key'] = AUTH_SETTINGS.auth.apiToken;
 
-  const timezoneOffset = moment().zone(); // eg, 240 - this will be converted on server as -(offset/60)
-  axios.defaults.headers.common['x-user-timezoneOffset'] = timezoneOffset;
+  axios.defaults.headers.common['x-user-timezoneOffset'] = browserTimezoneOffset;
 
   isUserLoggedIn = true;
 }
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ export default function () {
       title: 'Habitica',
       isUserLoggedIn,
       user: asyncResourceFactory(),
+      // store the timezone offset in case it's different than the one in
+      // user.preferences.timezoneOffset and change it after the user is synced
+      // in app.vue
+      browserTimezoneOffset,
       tasks: asyncResourceFactory(), // user tasks
       completedTodosStatus: 'NOT_LOADED',
       party: {
diff --git a/website/common/script/content/spells.js b/website/common/script/content/spells.js
index e5e996018a..bda0304142 100644
--- a/website/common/script/content/spells.js
+++ b/website/common/script/content/spells.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import t from './translation';
 import each from 'lodash/each';
 import { NotAuthorized } from '../libs/errors';
 import statsComputed from '../libs/statsComputed';
+import crit from '../fns/crit';
+import updateStats from '../fns/updateStats';
 
 /*
   ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -43,12 +45,12 @@ spells.wizard = {
     target: 'task',
     notes: t('spellWizardFireballNotes'),
     cast (user, target, req) {
-      let bonus = statsComputed(user).int * user.fns.crit('per');
+      let bonus = statsComputed(user).int * crit(user, 'per');
       bonus *= Math.ceil((target.value < 0 ? 1 : target.value + 1) * 0.075);
       user.stats.exp += diminishingReturns(bonus, 75);
       if (!user.party.quest.progress.up) user.party.quest.progress.up = 0;
       user.party.quest.progress.up += Math.ceil(statsComputed(user).int * 0.1);
-      user.fns.updateStats(user.stats, req);
+      updateStats(user, user.stats, req);
     },
   },
   mpheal: { // Ethereal Surge
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ spells.warrior = {
     target: 'task',
     notes: t('spellWarriorSmashNotes'),
     cast (user, target) {
-      let bonus = statsComputed(user).str * user.fns.crit('con');
+      let bonus = statsComputed(user).str * crit(user, 'con');
       target.value += diminishingReturns(bonus, 2.5, 35);
       if (!user.party.quest.progress.up) user.party.quest.progress.up = 0;
       user.party.quest.progress.up += diminishingReturns(bonus, 55, 70);
@@ -167,11 +169,11 @@ spells.rogue = {
     target: 'task',
     notes: t('spellRogueBackStabNotes'),
     cast (user, target, req) {
-      let _crit = user.fns.crit('str', 0.3);
+      let _crit = crit(user, 'str', 0.3);
       let bonus = calculateBonus(target.value, statsComputed(user).str, _crit);
       user.stats.exp += diminishingReturns(bonus, 75, 50);
       user.stats.gp += diminishingReturns(bonus, 18, 75);
-      user.fns.updateStats(user.stats, req);
+      updateStats(user, user.stats, req);
     },
   },
   toolsOfTrade: { // Tools of the Trade