diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.core.js b/js/jquery.mobile.core.js
index 26a8744f7cd..cb059a10760 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.core.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.core.js
@@ -56,9 +56,6 @@
 			return $.support.mediaquery;
 		},
 
-		//automatically initialize first pages or not.
-		autoInitialize: true,
-
 		//TODO might be useful upstream in jquery itself ?
 		keyCode: {
 			ALT: 18,
@@ -144,7 +141,7 @@
 					var activeBtn =$( "." + $.mobile.activeBtnClass ).first();
 
 					$loader
-						.appendTo( $.mobile.pageContainer )
+						.appendTo( 'body' )
 						//position at y center (if scrollTop supported), above the activeBtn (if defined), or just 100px from top
 						.css( {
 							top: $.support.scrollTop && $(window).scrollTop() + $(window).height() / 2 ||
@@ -174,40 +171,43 @@
 
 		// find and enhance the pages in the dom and transition to the first page.
 		initializePage: function(){
-			//find present pages
-			var $pages = $( "[data-role='page']" );
-
-			//add dialogs, set data-url attrs
-			$pages.add( "[data-role='dialog']" ).each(function(){
-				$(this).attr( "data-url", $(this).attr( "id" ));
-			});
+			// when dom-ready
+			$(function(){
+				//find present pages
+				var $pages = $( "[data-role='page']" );
 
-			//define first page in dom case one backs out to the directory root (not always the first page visited, but defined as fallback)
-			$.mobile.firstPage = $pages.first();
+				//add dialogs, set data-url attrs
+				$pages.add( "[data-role='dialog']" ).each(function(){
+					$(this).attr( "data-url", $(this).attr( "id" ));
+				});
 
-			//define page container
-			$.mobile.pageContainer = $pages.first().parent().addClass( "ui-mobile-viewport" );
+				//define first page in dom case one backs out to the directory root (not always the first page visited, but defined as fallback)
+				$.mobile.firstPage = $pages.first();
 
-			//cue page loading message
-			$.mobile.pageLoading();
+				//define page container
+				$.mobile.pageContainer = $pages.first().parent().addClass( "ui-mobile-viewport" );
 
-			// if hashchange listening is disabled or there's no hash deeplink, change to the first page in the DOM
-			if( !$.mobile.hashListeningEnabled || !$.mobile.path.stripHash( location.hash ) ){
-				$.mobile.changePage( $.mobile.firstPage, false, true, false, true );
-			}
-			// otherwise, trigger a hashchange to load a deeplink
-			else {
-				$window.trigger( "hashchange", [ true ] );
-			}
+				// if hashchange listening is disabled or there's no hash deeplink, change to the first page in the DOM
+				if( !$.mobile.hashListeningEnabled || !$.mobile.path.stripHash( location.hash ) ){
+					$.mobile.changePage( $.mobile.firstPage, false, true, false, true );
+				}
+				// otherwise, trigger a hashchange to load a deeplink
+				else {
+					$window.trigger( "hashchange", [ true ] );
+				}
+			});
 		}
 	});
 
 	//dom-ready inits
-	if($.mobile.autoInitialize){
-		$($.mobile.initializePage);
+	// make sure pageLoading is called with false (not done)
+	$(function(){ 
+		$.mobile.pageLoading( false );
+	});
+	if( $.mobile.autoInitialize ){
+		$.mobile.initializePage();
 	}
 
-
 	//window load event
 	//hide iOS browser chrome on load
 	$window.load( $.mobile.silentScroll );
diff --git a/tests/unit/core/core.js b/tests/unit/core/core.js
index 32a6a324ef3..0d0f4087ee3 100644
--- a/tests/unit/core/core.js
+++ b/tests/unit/core/core.js
@@ -154,8 +154,11 @@
 			$.testHelper.reloadLib(libName);
 
 			ok($("html").hasClass("ui-mobile-rendering"), "Still in rendering state after library load.");
+			ok($("html").hasClass("ui-loading"), "pageLoading executed successfully");
+			ok($(".ui-loader").length, "loader is present");
 			$.mobile.initializePage();
 			ok(!$("html").hasClass("ui-mobile-rendering"), "Rendered ok after call to initializePage");
+			ok(!$("html").hasClass("ui-loading"), "pageLoading removed loading class");
 		});
 	});
 })(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file