diff --git a/webclient/components/matrix/event-handler-service.js b/webclient/components/matrix/event-handler-service.js
index d2bb31053..173055a61 100644
--- a/webclient/components/matrix/event-handler-service.js
+++ b/webclient/components/matrix/event-handler-service.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ angular.module('eventHandlerService', [])
     var CALL_EVENT = "CALL_EVENT";
     var NAME_EVENT = "NAME_EVENT";
 
-    var InitialSyncDeferred = $q.defer();
+    var initialSyncDeferred = $q.defer();
     
     $rootScope.events = {
         rooms: {} // will contain roomId: { messages:[], members:{userid1: event} }
@@ -220,14 +220,14 @@ angular.module('eventHandlerService', [])
             }
         },
 
-        handleInitialSyncDone: function() {
+        handleInitialSyncDone: function(initialSyncData) {
             console.log("# handleInitialSyncDone");
-            InitialSyncDeferred.resolve($rootScope.events, $rootScope.presence);
+            initialSyncDeferred.resolve(initialSyncData);
         },
 
         // Returns a promise that resolves when the initialSync request has been processed
         waitForInitialSyncCompletion: function() {
-            return InitialSyncDeferred.promise;
+            return initialSyncDeferred.promise;
         },
 
         resetRoomMessages: function(room_id) {
diff --git a/webclient/components/matrix/event-stream-service.js b/webclient/components/matrix/event-stream-service.js
index ed4f3b2ff..28422c4cb 100644
--- a/webclient/components/matrix/event-stream-service.js
+++ b/webclient/components/matrix/event-stream-service.js
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ angular.module('eventStreamService', [])
         var deferred = $q.defer();
 
         // FIXME: We are discarding all the messages.
-        matrixService.rooms().then(
+        matrixService.rooms(1, false).then(
             function(response) {
                 var rooms = response.data.rooms;
                 for (var i = 0; i < rooms.length; ++i) {
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ angular.module('eventStreamService', [])
                 eventHandlerService.handleEvents(presence, false);
 
                 // Initial sync is done
-                eventHandlerService.handleInitialSyncDone();
+                eventHandlerService.handleInitialSyncDone(response);
 
                 settings.from = response.data.end;
                 doEventStream(deferred);        
diff --git a/webclient/recents/recents-controller.js b/webclient/recents/recents-controller.js
index 0f27f7a66..45a671e63 100644
--- a/webclient/recents/recents-controller.js
+++ b/webclient/recents/recents-controller.js
@@ -17,62 +17,68 @@
 'use strict';
 
 angular.module('RecentsController', ['matrixService', 'matrixFilter', 'eventHandlerService'])
-.controller('RecentsController', ['$scope', 'matrixService', 'eventHandlerService', 
-                               function($scope,  matrixService, eventHandlerService) {
-    $scope.rooms = {};
+.controller('RecentsController', ['$rootScope', '$scope', 'matrixService', 'eventHandlerService', 
+                               function($rootScope, $scope, matrixService, eventHandlerService) {
+                                   
+    // FIXME: Angularjs reloads the controller (and resets its $scope) each time
+    // the page URL changes, use $rootScope to avoid to have to reload data
+    $rootScope.rooms;
 
-    // $scope of the parent where the recents component is included can override this value
+    // $rootScope of the parent where the recents component is included can override this value
     // in order to highlight a specific room in the list
-    $scope.recentsSelectedRoomID;
+    $rootScope.recentsSelectedRoomID;
 
     var listenToEventStream = function() {
         // Refresh the list on matrix invitation and message event
-        $scope.$on(eventHandlerService.MEMBER_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
+        $rootScope.$on(eventHandlerService.MEMBER_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
             if (isLive) {
-                $scope.rooms[event.room_id].lastMsg = event;
+                $rootScope.rooms[event.room_id].lastMsg = event;
             }
         });
-        $scope.$on(eventHandlerService.MSG_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
+        $rootScope.$on(eventHandlerService.MSG_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
             if (isLive) {
-                $scope.rooms[event.room_id].lastMsg = event;              
+                $rootScope.rooms[event.room_id].lastMsg = event;              
             }
         });
-        $scope.$on(eventHandlerService.CALL_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
+        $rootScope.$on(eventHandlerService.CALL_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
             if (isLive) {
-                $scope.rooms[event.room_id].lastMsg = event;
+                $rootScope.rooms[event.room_id].lastMsg = event;
             }
         });
-        $scope.$on(eventHandlerService.ROOM_CREATE_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
+        $rootScope.$on(eventHandlerService.ROOM_CREATE_EVENT, function(ngEvent, event, isLive) {
             if (isLive) {
-                $scope.rooms[event.room_id] = event;
+                $rootScope.rooms[event.room_id] = event;
             }
         });
     };
-
     
-    var refresh = function() {
-        // List all rooms joined or been invited to
-        // TODO: This is a pity that event-stream-service.js makes the same call
-        // We should be able to reuse event-stream-service.js fetched data
-        matrixService.rooms(1, false).then(
-            function(response) {
-                // Reset data
-                $scope.rooms = {};
 
-                var rooms = response.data.rooms;
+    $scope.onInit = function() {
+        // Init recents list only once
+        if ($rootScope.rooms) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $rootScope.rooms = {};
+        
+        // Use initialSync data to init the recents list
+        eventHandlerService.waitForInitialSyncCompletion().then(
+            function(initialSyncData) {
+            
+                var rooms = initialSyncData.data.rooms;
                 for (var i=0; i<rooms.length; i++) {
                     var room = rooms[i];
                     
                     // Add room_alias & room_display_name members
-                    $scope.rooms[room.room_id] = angular.extend(room, matrixService.getRoomAliasAndDisplayName(room));
+                    $rootScope.rooms[room.room_id] = angular.extend(room, matrixService.getRoomAliasAndDisplayName(room));
 
                     // Create a shortcut for the last message of this room
                     if (room.messages && room.messages.chunk && room.messages.chunk[0]) {
-                        $scope.rooms[room.room_id].lastMsg = room.messages.chunk[0];
+                        $rootScope.rooms[room.room_id].lastMsg = room.messages.chunk[0];
                     }
                 }
 
-                var presence = response.data.presence;
+                var presence = initialSyncData.data.presence;
                 for (var i = 0; i < presence.length; ++i) {
                     eventHandlerService.handleEvent(presence[i], false);
                 }
@@ -81,16 +87,10 @@ angular.module('RecentsController', ['matrixService', 'matrixFilter', 'eventHand
                 listenToEventStream();
             },
             function(error) {
-                $scope.feedback = "Failure: " + error.data;
+                $rootScope.feedback = "Failure: " + error.data;
             }
         );
     };
-
-    $scope.onInit = function() {
-        eventHandlerService.waitForInitialSyncCompletion().then(function() {
-            refresh();
-        });
-    };
     
 }]);