diff --git a/env_universal.cpp b/env_universal.cpp
index b5756dfd3..6387677d4 100644
--- a/env_universal.cpp
+++ b/env_universal.cpp
@@ -289,7 +289,10 @@ void env_universal_init(wchar_t * p,
 {
     if (! synchronizes_via_fishd())
     {
+        external_callback = cb;
+        env_universal_common_init(&callback);
         env_universal_read_from_file();
+        s_env_univeral_inited = true;
     }
     else
     {
@@ -378,6 +381,12 @@ void env_universal_barrier()
     ASSERT_IS_MAIN_THREAD();
     message_t *msg;
     fd_set fds;
+    
+    if (! synchronizes_via_fishd())
+    {
+        env_universal_common_sync();
+        return;
+    }
 
     if (!s_env_univeral_inited || is_dead())
         return;
@@ -443,7 +452,7 @@ void env_universal_set(const wcstring &name, const wcstring &value, bool exportv
 
     debug(3, L"env_universal_set( \"%ls\", \"%ls\" )", name.c_str(), value.c_str());
 
-    if (is_dead())
+    if (! synchronizes_via_fishd() || is_dead())
     {
         env_universal_common_set(name.c_str(), value.c_str(), exportv);
     }
@@ -480,7 +489,7 @@ int env_universal_remove(const wchar_t *name)
           L"env_universal_remove( \"%ls\" )",
           name);
 
-    if (is_dead())
+    if (! synchronizes_via_fishd() || is_dead())
     {
         env_universal_common_remove(name_str);
     }
diff --git a/env_universal_common.cpp b/env_universal_common.cpp
index f7fa394f7..9913c8c1d 100644
--- a/env_universal_common.cpp
+++ b/env_universal_common.cpp
@@ -234,6 +234,11 @@ void env_universal_common_set(const wchar_t *key, const wchar_t *val, bool expor
     }
 }
 
+void env_universal_common_sync()
+{
+    default_universal_vars().sync();
+}
+
 /**
    Attempt to send the specified message to the specified file descriptor
 
@@ -859,7 +864,7 @@ bool env_universal_t::open_and_acquire_lock(const wcstring &path, int *out_fd)
     return result_fd >= 0;
 }
 
-bool env_universal_t::save()
+bool env_universal_t::sync()
 {
     scoped_lock locker(lock);
     /* Our saving strategy:
@@ -884,6 +889,13 @@ bool env_universal_t::save()
        Permission denied / other errors: log to the console (once) and then give up
     */
     const wcstring vars_path = explicit_vars_path.empty() ? default_vars_path() : explicit_vars_path;
+    
+    /* If we have no changes, just load */
+    if (modified.empty())
+    {
+        return this->load_from_path(vars_path);
+    }
+    
     const wcstring directory = wdirname(vars_path);
     bool success = false;
     int vars_fd = -1;
diff --git a/env_universal_common.h b/env_universal_common.h
index 8c9edeb84..26e5c6332 100644
--- a/env_universal_common.h
+++ b/env_universal_common.h
@@ -189,6 +189,9 @@ env_var_t env_universal_common_get(const wcstring &name);
 */
 bool env_universal_common_get_export(const wcstring &name);
 
+/** Synchronizes all changse: writes everything out, reads stuff in */
+void env_universal_common_sync();
+
 /**
    Add messages about all existing variables to the specified connection
 */
@@ -260,8 +263,8 @@ public:
     /** Loads variables at the correct path */
     bool load();
 
-    /** Writes variables at the correct path */
-    bool save();
+    /** Reads and writes variables at the correct path */
+    bool sync();
     
     /* Internal use */
     void read_message(connection_t *src);
diff --git a/fish_tests.cpp b/fish_tests.cpp
index 37991aa11..7c76fb1c1 100644
--- a/fish_tests.cpp
+++ b/fish_tests.cpp
@@ -2160,7 +2160,7 @@ static void test_input()
     }
 }
 
-#define UVARS_PER_THREAD 100
+#define UVARS_PER_THREAD 8
 
 static int test_universal_helper(int *x)
 {
@@ -2170,10 +2170,10 @@ static int test_universal_helper(int *x)
         const wcstring key = format_string(L"key_%d_%d", *x, j);
         const wcstring val = format_string(L"val_%d_%d", *x, j);
         uvars.set(key, val, false);
-        bool saved = uvars.save();
-        if (! saved)
+        bool synced = uvars.sync();
+        if (! synced)
         {
-            err(L"Failed to save universal variables");
+            err(L"Failed to sync universal variables");
         }
         fputc('.', stderr);
         fflush(stderr);
@@ -2186,7 +2186,7 @@ static void test_universal()
     say(L"Testing universal variables");
     if (system("mkdir -p /tmp/fish_uvars_test/")) err(L"mkdir failed");
     
-    const int threads = 32;
+    const int threads = 16;
     for (int i=0; i < threads; i++)
     {
         iothread_perform(test_universal_helper, (void (*)(int *, int))NULL, new int(i));
@@ -2214,6 +2214,7 @@ static void test_universal()
     }
     
     system("rm -Rf /tmp/fish_uvars_test");
+    putc('\n', stderr);
 }
 
 class history_tests_t