diff --git a/src/looped_in/background.cljs b/src/looped_in/background.cljs
index 087db90..526ded1 100644
--- a/src/looped_in/background.cljs
+++ b/src/looped_in/background.cljs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 (ns looped-in.background
-  (:require [clojure.core.match :refer [match]]
-            [cljs.core.async :refer [go <!]]
+  (:require [cljs.core.async :refer [go <!]]
             [ajax.core :refer [GET]]
             [looped-in.hackernews :as hn]
             [looped-in.logging :as log]
@@ -52,13 +51,12 @@
             ids (map #(% "objectID") hits)
             num-comments (total-num-comments hits)]
         (reset! object-ids ids)
+        (-> js/browser
+            (.-runtime)
+            (.sendMessage (clj->js {:type "objectIds"
+                                    :ids @object-ids})))
         (set-badge-text! (str num-comments)))))
 
-(defn handle-message [msg]
-  (match (.-type msg)
-         "popupOpened" (channel->promise (go @object-ids))
-         x (log/error "Unknown popup message type" x)))
-
 (defn handle-browser-action [tab]
   (-> js/browser (.-sidebarAction) (.open)))
 
@@ -72,11 +70,6 @@
     (.-onUpdated)
     (.addListener handle-tab-update))
 
-(-> js/browser
-    (.-runtime)
-    (.-onMessage)
-    (.addListener handle-message))
-
 (-> js/browser
     (.-browserAction)
     (.-onClicked)
diff --git a/src/looped_in/sidebar.cljs b/src/looped_in/sidebar.cljs
index 95f1aac..ac9c3b9 100644
--- a/src/looped_in/sidebar.cljs
+++ b/src/looped_in/sidebar.cljs
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
             [goog.html.sanitizer.HtmlSanitizer :as Sanitizer]
             [cljs.core.async :refer [go <!]]
             [looped-in.hackernews :as hn]
-            [looped-in.promises :refer [promise->channel]])
+            [looped-in.promises :refer [promise->channel]]
+            [looped-in.logging :as log])
   (:import (goog.ui Zippy)))
 
 (defn log [& args]
@@ -62,12 +63,19 @@
     (log items)
     (dom/append $storiesContainer $stories)))
 
-(go (-> js/browser
-        (.-runtime)
-        (.sendMessage #js {:type "popupOpened"})
-        (promise->channel)
-        (<!)
-        (hn/fetch-items)
-        (<!)
-        ((fn [items] (filter #(not (nil? %)) items)))
-        (render-items)))
+(defn fetch-and-render-items [ids]
+  (go (-> ids
+          (hn/fetch-items)
+          (<!)
+          ((fn [items] (filter #(not (nil? %)) items)))
+          (render-items))))
+
+(defn handle-message [msg]
+  (case (.-type msg)
+    "objectIds" (fetch-and-render-items (.-ids msg))
+    (log/error (str "Unknown message type " (.-type msg)))))
+
+(-> js/browser
+    (.-runtime)
+    (.-onMessage)
+    (.addListener handle-message))