diff --git a/frontend/components/LoadingPlaceholder/ListPlaceholder.js b/frontend/components/LoadingPlaceholder/ListPlaceholder.js
index bf26f0f52..379799d6f 100644
--- a/frontend/components/LoadingPlaceholder/ListPlaceholder.js
+++ b/frontend/components/LoadingPlaceholder/ListPlaceholder.js
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
 // @flow
 import React from 'react';
+import _ from 'lodash';
 import ReactCSSTransitionGroup from 'react-addons-css-transition-group';
 import styled from 'styled-components';
 import Mask from './components/Mask';
 import Flex from 'components/Flex';
 
-export default (props: Object) => {
+type Props = {
+  count: number,
+};
+
+const ListPlaceHolder = ({ count }: Props) => {
   return (
     <ReactCSSTransitionGroup
       transitionName="fadeIn"
@@ -16,18 +21,22 @@ export default (props: Object) => {
       transitionEnter
       transitionLeave
     >
-      <Item column auto>
-        <Mask header />
-        <Mask />
-      </Item>
-      <Item column auto>
-        <Mask header />
-        <Mask />
-      </Item>
+      {_.times(count, () => (
+        <Item column auto>
+          <Mask header />
+          <Mask />
+        </Item>
+      ))}
     </ReactCSSTransitionGroup>
   );
 };
 
+ListPlaceHolder.defaultProps = {
+  count: 2,
+};
+
 const Item = styled(Flex)`
   padding: 18px 0;
 `;
+
+export default ListPlaceHolder;
diff --git a/frontend/scenes/Dashboard/Dashboard.js b/frontend/scenes/Dashboard/Dashboard.js
index f8adf4b03..9b363c3e8 100644
--- a/frontend/scenes/Dashboard/Dashboard.js
+++ b/frontend/scenes/Dashboard/Dashboard.js
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 // @flow
 import React from 'react';
+import { observable } from 'mobx';
 import { observer, inject } from 'mobx-react';
 import styled from 'styled-components';
 
 import DocumentsStore from 'stores/DocumentsStore';
+import Flex from 'components/Flex';
 import DocumentList from 'components/DocumentList';
 import PageTitle from 'components/PageTitle';
 import CenteredContent from 'components/CenteredContent';
@@ -26,29 +28,33 @@ type Props = {
 
 @observer class Dashboard extends React.Component {
   props: Props;
+  @observable isLoaded = false;
 
   componentDidMount() {
-    this.props.documents.fetchRecentlyModified({ limit: 5 });
-    this.props.documents.fetchRecentlyViewed({ limit: 5 });
+    this.loadContent();
   }
 
-  get showPlaceholder() {
-    const { isLoaded, isFetching } = this.props.documents;
-    return !isLoaded && isFetching;
-  }
+  loadContent = async () => {
+    await Promise.all([
+      this.props.documents.fetchRecentlyModified({ limit: 5 }),
+      this.props.documents.fetchRecentlyViewed({ limit: 5 }),
+    ]);
+    this.isLoaded = true;
+  };
 
   render() {
     return (
       <CenteredContent>
         <PageTitle title="Home" />
         <h1>Home</h1>
-        <Subheading>Recently viewed</Subheading>
-        {this.showPlaceholder && <ListPlaceholder />}
-        <DocumentList documents={this.props.documents.recentlyViewed} />
-
-        <Subheading>Recently edited</Subheading>
-        <DocumentList documents={this.props.documents.recentlyEdited} />
-        {this.showPlaceholder && <ListPlaceholder />}
+        {this.isLoaded
+          ? <Flex column>
+              <Subheading>Recently viewed</Subheading>
+              <DocumentList documents={this.props.documents.recentlyViewed} />
+              <Subheading>Recently edited</Subheading>
+              <DocumentList documents={this.props.documents.recentlyEdited} />
+            </Flex>
+          : <ListPlaceholder count={5} />}
       </CenteredContent>
     );
   }
diff --git a/frontend/stores/DocumentsStore.js b/frontend/stores/DocumentsStore.js
index 444a47bbf..7ccedcad5 100644
--- a/frontend/stores/DocumentsStore.js
+++ b/frontend/stores/DocumentsStore.js
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class DocumentsStore extends BaseStore {
   };
 
   @action fetchRecentlyModified = async (options: ?Object): Promise<*> => {
-    return this.fetchAll('list', options);
+    return await this.fetchAll('list', options);
   };
 
   @action fetchRecentlyViewed = async (options: ?Object): Promise<*> => {