diff --git a/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/Engine.cs b/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/Engine.cs
index 13850b0c..5810c8f2 100644
--- a/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/Engine.cs
+++ b/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/Engine.cs
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ namespace UniversalEditor.UserInterface
 				splasher.Show();
 			// }
 		}
-		private void HideSplashScreen()
+		protected internal void HideSplashScreen()
 		{
 			while (splasher == null)
 			{
@@ -704,7 +704,7 @@ namespace UniversalEditor.UserInterface
 		}
 
 		// FIXME: this is the single XML configuration file loader that should be executed at the beginning of engine launch
-		protected virtual void InitializeXMLConfiguration()
+		protected internal virtual void InitializeXMLConfiguration()
 		{
 			#region Load the XML files
 			string configurationFileNameFilter = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["UniversalEditor.Configuration.ConfigurationFileNameFilter"];
@@ -1312,7 +1312,7 @@ namespace UniversalEditor.UserInterface
 		private Perspective.PerspectiveCollection mvarPerspectives = new Perspective.PerspectiveCollection();
 		public Perspective.PerspectiveCollection Perspectives { get { return mvarPerspectives; } }
 
-		protected virtual void UpdateSplashScreenStatus(string message, int progressValue = -1, int progressMinimum = 0, int progressMaximum = 100)
+		protected internal virtual void UpdateSplashScreenStatus(string message, int progressValue = -1, int progressMinimum = 0, int progressMaximum = 100)
 		{
 			// most of this is relic from when we had to workaround WinForms
 			// threading issues; these threading issues should be
@@ -1339,56 +1339,11 @@ namespace UniversalEditor.UserInterface
 		private void Initialize()
 		{
 			ShowSplashScreen();
-
-			Application.ShortName = "mbs-editor";
-			// Application.Title = "Universal Editor";
-
-			// Initialize the XML files before anything else, since this also loads string tables needed
-			// to display the application title
-			InitializeXMLConfiguration();
-
-			System.Threading.Thread threadLoader = new System.Threading.Thread(threadLoader_ThreadStart);
-			threadLoader.Name = "Initialization Thread";
-			threadLoader.Start();
-
-			while (threadLoader.ThreadState == System.Threading.ThreadState.Running)
-			{
-				System.Threading.Thread.Sleep (500);
-			}
 		}
 		protected virtual void InitializeInternal()
 		{
-			UpdateSplashScreenStatus("Loading object models...");
-			UniversalEditor.Common.Reflection.GetAvailableObjectModels();
-
-			UpdateSplashScreenStatus("Loading data formats...");
-			UniversalEditor.Common.Reflection.GetAvailableDataFormats();
-
-			// Initialize Recent File Manager
-			mvarRecentFileManager.DataFileName = DataPath + System.IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString() + "RecentItems.xml";
-			mvarRecentFileManager.Load();
-
-			// Initialize Bookmarks Manager
-			mvarBookmarksManager.DataFileName = DataPath + System.IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString() + "Bookmarks.xml";
-			mvarBookmarksManager.Load();
-
-			// Initialize Session Manager
-			mvarSessionManager.DataFileName = DataPath + System.IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString() + "Sessions.xml";
-			mvarSessionManager.Load();
 		}
-		private void threadLoader_ThreadStart()
-		{
-			/*
-			if (Configuration.SplashScreen.Enabled)
-			{
-				while (splasher == null) System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500);
-			}
-			*/
-
-			InitializeInternal();
-			HideSplashScreen();
-		}
-
+		
 		private bool mvarRunning = false;
 		public bool Running { get { return mvarRunning; } }
 
diff --git a/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/SplashScreenWindow.cs b/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/SplashScreenWindow.cs
index 585d0d0d..35fe622b 100644
--- a/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/SplashScreenWindow.cs
+++ b/CSharp/Libraries/UniversalEditor.UserInterface/SplashScreenWindow.cs
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@
 //  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 //  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 using System;
+using MBS.Framework.Drawing;
 using UniversalWidgetToolkit;
+using UniversalWidgetToolkit.Controls;
 using UniversalWidgetToolkit.Drawing;
+using UniversalWidgetToolkit.Layouts;
 
 namespace UniversalEditor.UserInterface
 {
@@ -28,13 +31,74 @@ namespace UniversalEditor.UserInterface
 	{
 		public SplashScreenWindow()
 		{
+			this.Decorated = false;
+			this.Layout = new BoxLayout(Orientation.Vertical);
+			this.Size = new Dimension2D(300, 300);
 			
+			Image image = new Image();
+			image.IconName = "universal-editor";
+			image.IconSize = new Dimension2D(128, 128);
+			
+			Label lbl = new Label("Universal Editor");
+			lbl.Attributes.Add("scale", 1.4);
+			
+			this.Controls.Add(image, new BoxLayout.Constraints(true, true));
+			// this.Controls.Add(lbl, new BoxLayout.Constraints(true, true));
 		}
+		protected override void OnCreated(EventArgs e)
+		{
+			Application.DoEvents();
+			
+			// less do this
+			Application.ShortName = "mbs-editor";
+			// Application.Title = "Universal Editor";
 
+			// Initialize the XML files before anything else, since this also loads string tables needed
+			// to display the application title
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.InitializeXMLConfiguration();
+
+			System.Threading.Thread threadLoader = new System.Threading.Thread(threadLoader_ThreadStart);
+			threadLoader.Name = "Initialization Thread";
+			threadLoader.Start();
+		}
 		public void SetStatus(string message, int progressValue, int progressMinimum, int progressMaximum)
 		{
 
 		}
+
+		private void threadLoader_ThreadStart()
+		{
+			Application.DoEvents();
+			/*
+			if (Configuration.SplashScreen.Enabled)
+			{
+				while (splasher == null) System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500);
+			}
+			*/
+
+			
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.UpdateSplashScreenStatus("Loading object models...");
+			UniversalEditor.Common.Reflection.GetAvailableObjectModels();
+
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.UpdateSplashScreenStatus("Loading data formats...");
+			UniversalEditor.Common.Reflection.GetAvailableDataFormats();
+
+			// Initialize Recent File Manager
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.RecentFileManager.DataFileName = Engine.DataPath + System.IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString() + "RecentItems.xml";
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.RecentFileManager.Load();
+
+			// Initialize Bookmarks Manager
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.BookmarksManager.DataFileName = Engine.DataPath + System.IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString() + "Bookmarks.xml";
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.BookmarksManager.Load();
+
+			// Initialize Session Manager
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.SessionManager.DataFileName = Engine.DataPath + System.IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar.ToString() + "Sessions.xml";
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.SessionManager.Load();
+			
+			Engine.CurrentEngine.HideSplashScreen();
+		}
+
+		
 	}
 	public class SplashScreenSettings
 	{