diff --git a/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/base_list.js b/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/base_list.js
index 6fc487f03f..a924522052 100644
--- a/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/base_list.js
+++ b/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/base_list.js
@@ -335,11 +335,11 @@ frappe.views.BaseList = class BaseList {
 			freeze_message: this.freeze_message || (__('Loading') + '...')
 		}).then(r => {
 			// render
-			this.freeze(false);
 			this.prepare_data(r);
 			this.toggle_result_area();
 			this.before_render();
 			this.render();
+			this.freeze(false);
 		});
 	}
 
diff --git a/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/list_view.js b/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/list_view.js
index 704d134c0c..2e017e80da 100644
--- a/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/list_view.js
+++ b/frappe/public/js/frappe/list/list_view.js
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ frappe.views.ListView = class ListView extends frappe.views.BaseList {
 		// build menu items
 		this.menu_items = this.menu_items.concat(this.get_menu_items());
 
-		this.freeze_on_refresh = true;
 		this.actions_menu_items = this.get_actions_menu_items();
 
 		this.patch_refresh_and_load_lib();
@@ -150,6 +149,13 @@ frappe.views.ListView = class ListView extends frappe.views.BaseList {
 		this.settings.onload && this.settings.onload(this);
 	}
 
+	setup_freeze_area() {
+		this.$freeze =
+			$(`<div class="freeze flex justify-center align-center text-muted">${__('Loading')}...</div>`)
+				.hide();
+		this.$result.append(this.$freeze);
+	}
+
 	setup_footnote_area() {
 		const match_rules_list = frappe.perm.get_match_rules(this.doctype);
 
@@ -227,6 +233,12 @@ frappe.views.ListView = class ListView extends frappe.views.BaseList {
 		</div>`;
 	}
 
+	freeze(show) {
+		this.$result.find('.list-header-meta').html(__('Refreshing') + '...');
+		this.$result.find('.checkbox-actions').toggle(show);
+		this.$result.find('.list-header-subject').toggle(!show);
+	}
+
 	get_args() {
 		const args = super.get_args();
 
@@ -263,11 +275,15 @@ frappe.views.ListView = class ListView extends frappe.views.BaseList {
 
 	render() {
 		if (this.data.length > 0) {
-			const html = `
-				${this.get_header_html()}
-				${this.data.map(doc => this.get_list_row_html(doc)).join('')}
-			`;
-			this.$result.html(html);
+			this.$result.find('.list-row-container').remove();
+			if (this.$result.find('.list-row-head').length === 0) {
+				// append header once
+				this.$result.prepend(this.get_header_html());
+			}
+			// append rows
+			this.$result.append(
+				this.data.map(doc => this.get_list_row_html(doc)).join('')
+			);
 		}
 		this.render_count();
 		this.render_tags();
diff --git a/frappe/public/js/frappe/model/user_settings.js b/frappe/public/js/frappe/model/user_settings.js
index 932b6a359c..30bd98008d 100644
--- a/frappe/public/js/frappe/model/user_settings.js
+++ b/frappe/public/js/frappe/model/user_settings.js
@@ -6,16 +6,23 @@ $.extend(frappe.model.user_settings, {
 			.then(r => JSON.parse(r.message || '{}'));
 	},
 	save: function(doctype, key, value) {
-		var user_settings = frappe.model.user_settings[doctype] || {};
+		const old_user_settings = frappe.model.user_settings[doctype] || {};
+		const new_user_settings = $.extend(true, {}, old_user_settings); // deep copy
 
 		if ($.isPlainObject(value)) {
-			user_settings[key] = user_settings[key] || {};
-			$.extend(user_settings[key], value);
+			new_user_settings[key] = new_user_settings[key] || {};
+			$.extend(new_user_settings[key], value);
 		} else {
-			user_settings[key] = value;
+			new_user_settings[key] = value;
 		}
 
-		return this.update(doctype, user_settings);
+		const a = JSON.stringify(old_user_settings);
+		const b = JSON.stringify(new_user_settings);
+		if (a !== b) {
+			// update if changed
+			return this.update(doctype, new_user_settings);
+		}
+		return Promise.resolve();
 	},
 	remove: function(doctype, key) {
 		var user_settings = frappe.model.user_settings[doctype] || {};
@@ -33,7 +40,7 @@ $.extend(frappe.model.user_settings, {
 			callback: function(r) {
 				frappe.model.user_settings[doctype] = r.message;
 			}
-		})
+		});
 	}
 });