diff --git a/lib/Controller/Helper.php b/lib/Controller/Helper.php
index ff416e80..ca3df1ae 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/Helper.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/Helper.php
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class Helper {
 		$userId = $this->getUID();
 		$chunkCursor = $chunkCursorStr ? ChunkCursor::fromString($chunkCursorStr) : null;
 		$lastUpdate = $chunkCursor->timeStart ?? new \DateTime();
-		$data = $this->notesService->getAll($userId, true);
+		$data = $this->notesService->getAll($userId, true); // auto-create notes folder if not exists
 		$metaNotes = $this->metaService->getAll($userId, $data['notes']);
 
 		// if a category is requested, then ignore all other notes
diff --git a/lib/Controller/NotesApiController.php b/lib/Controller/NotesApiController.php
index 62c6ad19..2c869c53 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/NotesApiController.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/NotesApiController.php
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ class NotesApiController extends ApiController {
 			$chunkSize,
 			$chunkCursor
 		) {
+			// initialize settings
+			$userId = $this->helper->getUID();
+			$this->settingsService->getAll($userId, true);
+			// load notes and categories
 			$exclude = explode(',', $exclude);
 			$data = $this->helper->getNotesAndCategories($pruneBefore, $exclude, $category, $chunkSize, $chunkCursor);
 			$notesData = $data['notesData'];
diff --git a/lib/Controller/NotesController.php b/lib/Controller/NotesController.php
index a78aa50c..15460398 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/NotesController.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/NotesController.php
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class NotesController extends Controller {
 	public function index(int $pruneBefore = 0) : JSONResponse {
 		return $this->helper->handleErrorResponse(function () use ($pruneBefore) {
 			$userId = $this->helper->getUID();
+			// initialize and load settings
 			$settings = $this->settingsService->getAll($userId, true);
 
 			$lastViewedNote = (int) $this->settings->getUserValue(
diff --git a/lib/Service/SettingsService.php b/lib/Service/SettingsService.php
index bbc8e718..d3bdbdbd 100644
--- a/lib/Service/SettingsService.php
+++ b/lib/Service/SettingsService.php
@@ -168,7 +168,9 @@ class SettingsService {
 	}
 
 	public function getPublic(string $uid) : \stdClass {
-		$settings = $this->getAll($uid);
+		// initialize and load settings
+		$settings = $this->getAll($uid, true);
+		// translate internal settings to public settings
 		if ($settings->fileSuffix === 'custom') {
 			$settings->fileSuffix = $settings->customSuffix;
 		}