diff --git a/js/filters.js b/js/filters.js
index e412cd2..00a867e 100644
--- a/js/filters.js
+++ b/js/filters.js
@@ -135,11 +135,13 @@ weechat.filter('DOMfilter', ['$filter', '$sce', function($filter, $sce) {
     };
 }]);
 
+// This is used by the cordova app to change link targets to "window.open(<url>, '_system')"
+// so that they're opened in a browser window and don't navigate away from Glowing Bear
 weechat.filter('linksForCordova', ['$sce', function($sce) {
     return function(text) {
-        // Cordova: need to use window.open instead of href
         // XXX TODO this needs to be improved
-        text = text.replace(/<a (rel="[a-z ]+"\s)?(?:target="_[a-z]+"\s)?href="([^"]+)"/gi, "<a $1 onClick=\"window.open('$2', '_system')\"");
+        text = text.replace(/<a (rel="[a-z ]+"\s+)?(?:target="_[a-z]+"\s+)?href="([^"]+)"/gi,
+                            "<a $1 onClick=\"window.open('$2', '_system')\"");
         return $sce.trustAsHtml(text);
     };
 }]);
diff --git a/js/glowingbear.js b/js/glowingbear.js
index bc30667..5e85e1f 100644
--- a/js/glowingbear.js
+++ b/js/glowingbear.js
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
         'onlyUnread': false,
         'hotlistsync': true,
         'orderbyserver': true,
-        'useFavico': true,
+        'useFavico': !utils.isCordova(),
         'soundnotification': true,
         'fontsize': '14px',
         'fontfamily': (utils.isMobileUi() ? 'sans-serif' : 'Inconsolata, Consolas, Monaco, Ubuntu Mono, monospace'),
         'readlineBindings': false,
-        'enableJSEmoji': (utils.isMobileUi() ? false : true),
+        'enableJSEmoji': !utils.isMobileUi(),
         'enableMathjax': false,
         'enableQuickKeys': true,
         'customCSS': '',
@@ -96,10 +96,10 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
     })();
 
     // Show a TLS warning if GB was loaded over an unencrypted connection,
-    // except for local instances (testing or electron)
+    // except for local instances (testing, cordova, or electron)
     $scope.show_tls_warning = (window.location.protocol !== "https:") &&
         (["localhost", "127.0.0.1", "::1"].indexOf(window.location.hostname) === -1) &&
-        !window.is_electron && !window.cordova;
+        !window.is_electron && !utils.isCordova();
 
     if (window.is_electron) {
         // Use packaged emojione sprite in the electron app
@@ -232,7 +232,9 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
         }
     });
 
-    $rootScope.favico = new Favico({animation: 'none'});
+    if (!utils.isCordova()) {
+        $rootScope.favico = new Favico({animation: 'none'});
+    }
     $scope.notifications = notifications.unreadCount('notification');
     $scope.unread = notifications.unreadCount('unread');
 
@@ -241,7 +243,7 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
         $scope.notifications = notifications.unreadCount('notification');
         $scope.unread = notifications.unreadCount('unread');
 
-        if (window.cordova === undefined && settings.useFavico && $rootScope.favico) {
+        if (!utils.isCordova() && settings.useFavico && $rootScope.favico) {
             notifications.updateFavico();
         }
     });
@@ -250,17 +252,18 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
         // Reset title
         $rootScope.pageTitle = '';
         $rootScope.notificationStatus = '';
+
+        // cancel outstanding notifications (incl cordova)
         notifications.cancelAll();
+        if (window.plugin !== undefined && window.plugin.notification !== undefined && window.plugin.notification.local !== undefined) {
+            window.plugin.notification.local.cancelAll();
+        }
 
         models.reinitialize();
         $rootScope.$emit('notificationChanged');
         $scope.connectbutton = 'Connect';
         $scope.connectbuttonicon = 'glyphicon-chevron-right';
         bufferResume.reset();
-
-        if (window.plugin !== undefined && window.plugin.notification !== undefined && window.plugin.notification.local !== undefined) {
-            window.plugin.notification.local.cancelAll();
-        }
     });
     $scope.connectbutton = 'Connect';
     $scope.connectbuttonicon = 'glyphicon-chevron-right';
@@ -381,8 +384,8 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
             return;
         }
 
-        if (window.cordova !== undefined) {
-            return;
+        if (utils.isCordova()) {
+            return; // cordova doesn't have a favicon
         }
 
         if (useFavico) {
@@ -398,7 +401,8 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
     // This also fires when the page is loaded if enabled.
     // Note that this says MathJax but we switched to KaTeX
     settings.addCallback('enableMathjax', function(enabled) {
-        if (window.cordova === undefined && enabled && !$rootScope.mathjax_init) {
+        // no latex math support for cordova right now
+        if (!utils.isCordova() && enabled && !$rootScope.mathjax_init) {
             // Load MathJax only once
             $rootScope.mathjax_init = true;
 
@@ -820,7 +824,7 @@ weechat.controller('WeechatCtrl', ['$rootScope', '$scope', '$store', '$timeout',
                 $scope.disconnect();
             }
 
-            if (window.cordova !== undefined) {
+            if (!utils.isCordova()) {
                 $scope.favico.reset();
             }
         }
diff --git a/js/notifications.js b/js/notifications.js
index 2779ebb..158374c 100644
--- a/js/notifications.js
+++ b/js/notifications.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 var weechat = angular.module('weechat');
 
-weechat.factory('notifications', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'settings', function($rootScope, $log, models, settings) {
+weechat.factory('notifications', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'settings', 'utils', function($rootScope, $log, models, settings, utils) {
     var serviceworker = false;
     var notifications = [];
     // Ask for permission to display desktop notifications
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ weechat.factory('notifications', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'settings', fu
 
         document.addEventListener('deviceready', function() {
             // Add cordova local notification click handler
-            if (window.cordova !== null && window.cordova.plugins !== undefined && window.cordova.plugins.notification !== undefined &&
+            if (utils.isCordova() && window.cordova.plugins !== undefined && window.cordova.plugins.notification !== undefined &&
                 window.cordova.plugins.notification.local !== undefined) {
                 window.cordova.plugins.notification.local.on("click", function (notification) {
                     // go to buffer
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ weechat.factory('notifications', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'settings', fu
                 delete notifications[this.id];
             };
 
-        } else if (window.cordova !== undefined && window.cordova.plugins !== undefined && window.cordova.plugins.notification !== undefined && window.cordova.plugins.notification.local !== undefined) {
+        } else if (utils.isCordova() && window.cordova.plugins !== undefined && window.cordova.plugins.notification !== undefined && window.cordova.plugins.notification.local !== undefined) {
             // Cordova local notification
             // Calculate notification id from buffer ID
             // Needs to be unique number, but we'll only ever have one per buffer
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ weechat.factory('notifications', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'settings', fu
     };
 
     var updateFavico = function() {
-        if (window.cordova !== undefined) {
-            return;
+        if (utils.isCordova()) {
+            return; // cordova doesn't have a favicon
         }
 
         var notifications = unreadCount('notification');
@@ -235,8 +235,7 @@ weechat.factory('notifications', ['$rootScope', '$log', 'models', 'settings', fu
 
         showNotification(buffer, title, body);
 
-        if (window.cordova === undefined && settings.soundnotification) {
-            // TODO fill in a sound file
+        if (!utils.isCordova() && settings.soundnotification) {
             var audioFile = "assets/audio/sonar";
             var soundHTML = '<audio autoplay="autoplay"><source src="' + audioFile + '.ogg" type="audio/ogg" /><source src="' + audioFile + '.mp3" type="audio/mpeg" /></audio>';
             document.getElementById("soundNotification").innerHTML = soundHTML;
diff --git a/js/utils.js b/js/utils.js
index 350f5c0..854372b 100644
--- a/js/utils.js
+++ b/js/utils.js
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ weechat.factory('utils', function() {
         return (document.body.clientWidth < mobile_cutoff);
     };
 
+    var isCordova = function() {
+        return window.cordova !== undefined;
+    };
+
 
     // Inject a javascript (used by KaTeX)
     var inject_script = function(script_url) {
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ weechat.factory('utils', function() {
     	changeClassStyle: changeClassStyle,
     	getClassStyle: getClassStyle,
         isMobileUi: isMobileUi,
+        isCordova: isCordova,
         inject_script: inject_script,
         inject_css: inject_css,
     };
diff --git a/manifest.json b/manifest.json
index fbe73c8..793e2fd 100644
--- a/manifest.json
+++ b/manifest.json
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@
   },
   "app": {
     "urls": [
-      "http://www.glowing-bear.org/"
+      "https://www.glowing-bear.org/"
     ],
     "launch": {
       "container": "panel",
-      "web_url": "http://www.glowing-bear.org/"
+      "web_url": "https://www.glowing-bear.org/"
     }
   },
   "permissions": [