diff --git a/mobile/android/base/home/HomeConfigPrefsBackend.java b/mobile/android/base/home/HomeConfigPrefsBackend.java
index 62cbed48d20..eeb8dc08347 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/home/HomeConfigPrefsBackend.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/home/HomeConfigPrefsBackend.java
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import android.text.TextUtils;
 import android.util.Log;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -114,7 +113,7 @@ class HomeConfigPrefsBackend implements HomeConfigBackend {
             panelConfigs = loadConfigFromString(jsonString);
         }
 
-        return Collections.unmodifiableList(panelConfigs);
+        return panelConfigs;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/mobile/android/base/preferences/PanelsPreferenceCategory.java b/mobile/android/base/preferences/PanelsPreferenceCategory.java
index ceecced16bb..bdf8a0947a6 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/preferences/PanelsPreferenceCategory.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/preferences/PanelsPreferenceCategory.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ public class PanelsPreferenceCategory extends CustomListCategory {
     public static final String LOGTAG = "PanelsPrefCategory";
 
     protected HomeConfig mHomeConfig;
-    protected final List<PanelConfig> mPanelConfigs = new ArrayList<PanelConfig>();
+    protected List<PanelConfig> mPanelConfigs;
 
     protected UiAsyncTask<Void, Void, List<PanelConfig>> mLoadTask;
     protected UiAsyncTask<Void, Void, Void> mSaveTask;
@@ -67,17 +67,15 @@ public class PanelsPreferenceCategory extends CustomListCategory {
 
             @Override
             public void onPostExecute(List<PanelConfig> panelConfigs) {
-                displayPanelConfig(panelConfigs);
+                mPanelConfigs = panelConfigs;
+                displayPanelConfig();
             }
         };
         mLoadTask.execute();
     }
 
-    private void displayPanelConfig(List<PanelConfig> panelConfigs) {
-        for (PanelConfig panelConfig: panelConfigs) {
-            // Populate our local copy of the panels.
-            mPanelConfigs.add(panelConfig);
-
+    private void displayPanelConfig() {
+        for (PanelConfig panelConfig : mPanelConfigs) {
             // Create and add the pref.
             final PanelsPreference pref = new PanelsPreference(getContext(), PanelsPreferenceCategory.this);
             pref.setTitle(panelConfig.getTitle());
@@ -102,6 +100,10 @@ public class PanelsPreferenceCategory extends CustomListCategory {
      * @param panelConfigs Configuration to be saved
      */
     private void saveHomeConfig() {
+        if (mPanelConfigs == null) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         final List<PanelConfig> panelConfigs = makeConfigListDeepCopy();
         mSaveTask = new UiAsyncTask<Void, Void, Void>(ThreadUtils.getBackgroundHandler()) {
             @Override