diff --git a/source/js/functions.js b/source/js/functions.js
index a2303b1..101e640 100644
--- a/source/js/functions.js
+++ b/source/js/functions.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 const BADGE_BACKGROUND_COLOR = '#d73f31';
 const OPTIONS_VERSION = 3; // Increment when there are new options
 
-let refreshTimeout;
 let last_unread_count = 0;
 let notificationTimeout;
 let retryCount = 0;
@@ -146,7 +145,10 @@ function updateIcon(count) {
   last_unread_count = countInt;
 }
 
-function getCountersFromHTTP() {
+function getCountersFromHTTP(Alarm) {
+  // if invoked by Alarm: check if it's 'refreshAlarm'
+  if (Alarm && Alarm.name != 'refreshAlarm') { return; }
+  
   // If request times out or if we get unexpected output, report error and reschedule
   function refreshFailed(details) {
     window.clearTimeout(requestTimeout);
@@ -206,6 +208,8 @@ function getCountersFromHTTP() {
 }
 
 function scheduleRefresh() {
+/*
+  // old code
   let interval = (localStorage.refresh_interval || 15) * 60 * 1000;
   window.clearTimeout(refreshTimeout);
   if (retryCount) { // There was an error
@@ -213,6 +217,24 @@ function scheduleRefresh() {
     // 0:05 -> 0:10 -> 0:20 -> 0:40 -> 1:20 -> 2:40 -> 5:20 -> ...
   }
   refreshTimeout = window.setTimeout(getCountersFromHTTP, interval);
+*/
+  let interval = +(localStorage.refresh_interval || 15);
+  /*
+  // there's no need to clear alarm before setting new with the same name
+  chrome.alarms.clear('refreshAlarm'); //chrome.alarms.clear(string name, function callback);
+  */
+  if (retryCount) { // There was an error
+    interval = Math.min( interval, Math.max(1, retryCount-2));
+    // 1:00 -> 1:00 -> 1:00 -> 2:00 -> 3:00 -> 4:00 -> 5:00 -> ...
+	// chrome alarms cannot go off more frequently than every 1 minute
+	/* we can think of making errors retries with window.setTimeout */
+  }
+  chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener(getCountersFromHTTP); //chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener(function callback)
+  chrome.alarms.create('refreshAlarm', {delayInMinutes:interval}); //chrome.alarms.create(string name, object alarmInfo)
+  /*
+  // delayInMinutes runs fn once, after delay; periodInMinutes runs periodically
+  chrome.alarms.create('refreshAlarm', {periodInMinutes:interval}); //chrome.alarms.create(string name, object alarmInfo)
+  */
 }
 
 /* exported onMessage */
diff --git a/source/js/menu.js b/source/js/menu.js
index a55a5c1..2f85802 100644
--- a/source/js/menu.js
+++ b/source/js/menu.js
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 function addContentMenus() {
   // add button context menu
   chrome.contextMenus.create({
+	id: "browserActionContextMenu",
     title: chrome.i18n.getMessage('button_contextMenu_updateFromServerNow'),
     contexts: ['browser_action'],
-    onclick: getCountersFromHTTP,
   });
+  contextMenuListener.assignFunctionToMenu('browserActionContextMenu', getCountersFromHTTP);
 
   chrome.contextMenus.create(
     {title: "The Old Reader", id: "root", contexts: ["page"]}
@@ -50,11 +51,11 @@ function addContentMenus() {
     id: "subscribe",
     parentId: "root",
     contexts: ["page"],
-    onclick: function(info, tab) {
+  });
+  contextMenuListener.assignFunctionToMenu('subscribe', function(info, tab) {
       chrome.tabs.create({
         url: baseUrl() + "feeds/subscribe?url=" + encodeURIComponent(tab.url)
       });
-    }
   });
 
   chrome.contextMenus.create({
@@ -62,21 +63,35 @@ function addContentMenus() {
     id: "bookmarkPage",
     parentId: "root",
     contexts: ["page"],
-    onclick: function(info) {
+  });
+  contextMenuListener.assignFunctionToMenu('bookmarkPage', function(info) {
       bookmark(info.pageUrl);
-    }
   });
 
   chrome.contextMenus.create({
     title: chrome.i18n.getMessage('contextMenu_bookmarkSelection'),
     id: "bookmarkSelection",
     contexts: ["selection"],
-    onclick: function(info) {
+  });
+  contextMenuListener.assignFunctionToMenu('bookmarkSelection', function(info) {
       bookmark(info.pageUrl, info.selectionText);
-    }
   });
 }
 
+let contextMenuListener = {
+  assignFunctionToMenu: function (id, fn){ // assigns fn to id of a contextMenu and stores inside this object
+    if (id === undefined || fn === undefined) { return; }
+    this[id] = fn;
+  },
+  call: function (info, tab){ // calls stored fn depending on menuItemId which fired the onclick event
+    if (this[info.menuItemId]) {
+      this[info.menuItemId](info, tab);
+	}
+  }
+}
+
+chrome.contextMenus.onClicked.addListener(contextMenuListener.call);
+
 function toggleContentMenus(state) {
   if (state == 'no') {
     chrome.contextMenus.removeAll();
diff --git a/source/js/storage.js b/source/js/storage.js
index 5e5c847..28cc038 100644
--- a/source/js/storage.js
+++ b/source/js/storage.js
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ function loadFromStorage() {
   });
 }
 
-let syncRetryTimeout;
+let syncRetry;
 
 /* exported saveToStorage */
 function saveToStorage(callback) {
   if (localStorage.use_sync == "no") { return; }
 
-  if (syncRetryTimeout) {
+  if (syncRetry) {
     console.log("Already waiting for a sync attempt, throttling request");
     if (callback) { callback(false); }
     return;
@@ -37,16 +37,29 @@ function retryOnError(retryFunction, callback) {
       console.warn("Will retry in a minute due to ", chrome.runtime.lastError.message);
       if (callback) { callback(false); }
 
-      syncRetryTimeout = window.setTimeout(function() {
-        syncRetryTimeout = null;
+	  /*
+	  // old code
+      syncRetry = window.setTimeout(function() {
+        syncRetry = null;
         retryFunction();
       }, 60 * 1000);
+	  */
+	  // transition to chrome.alarms instead of window.setTimeout
+	  syncRetry = true;
+      chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener(retryOnErrorAlarmFn.bind(null, retryFunction));
+      chrome.alarms.create('retryAlarm', {delayInMinutes:1});
 
     } else {
       if (callback) { callback(true); }
     }
   };
 }
+// required if (see above) transition to chrome.alarms instead of window.setTimeout
+function retryOnErrorAlarmFn(retryFunction, Alarm) {
+	if (Alarm.name != 'retryAlarm') { return; }
+    syncRetry = null;
+    retryFunction();
+}
 
 /* exported onStorageChange */
 function onStorageChange(changes, area) {
diff --git a/source/manifest-chrome.json b/source/manifest-chrome.json
index 2b4befd..ba586e7 100644
--- a/source/manifest-chrome.json
+++ b/source/manifest-chrome.json
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
     "128": "img/icon-128.png"
   },
   "background": {
-    "scripts": [ "js/functions.js", "js/storage.js", "js/background.js", "js/menu.js" ]
+    "scripts": [ "js/functions.js", "js/storage.js", "js/background.js", "js/menu.js" ],
+    "persistent": false
   },
   "browser_action": {
     "default_icon": {
@@ -19,10 +20,11 @@
     "default_title": "The Old Reader"
   },
   "permissions": [
-    "tabs",
+    "alarms",
+    "contextMenus",
     "notifications",
+    "tabs",
     "storage",
-    "contextMenus",
     "*://theoldreader.com/"
   ],
   "web_accessible_resources": [