diff --git a/app/scripts/controllers/threebox.js b/app/scripts/controllers/threebox.js
index 1677231492ca..e1729f1a5b2f 100644
--- a/app/scripts/controllers/threebox.js
+++ b/app/scripts/controllers/threebox.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class ThreeBoxController {
     })
 
     const initState = {
-      threeBoxSyncingAllowed: true,
+      threeBoxSyncingAllowed: false,
       restoredFromThreeBox: null,
       threeBoxLastUpdated: 0,
       ...opts.initState,
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ class ThreeBoxController {
     this.registeringUpdates = false
     this.lastMigration = migrations.sort((a, b) => a.version - b.version).slice(-1)[0]
 
-    this.init()
+    if (initState.threeBoxSyncingAllowed) {
+      this.init()
+    }
   }
 
   async init () {
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ class ThreeBoxController {
         }
 
         await this.space.private.set('metamaskBackup', JSON.stringify(newState))
+        await this.setRestoredFromThreeBoxToFalse()
       }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error(error)
@@ -107,13 +110,23 @@ class ThreeBoxController {
     })
   }
 
+  async _checkThreeBoxBackupExistance () {
+
+  }
+
   async new3Box () {
     const accounts = await this.keyringController.getAccounts()
-    const address = accounts[0]
-
-    if (this.getThreeBoxSyncingState()) {
+    this.address = await this.keyringController.getAppKeyAddress(accounts[0], 'wallet://3box.metamask.io')
+    let backupExists
+    try {
+      const threeBoxConfig = await Box.getConfig(this.address)
+      backupExists = threeBoxConfig.spaces && threeBoxConfig.spaces.metamask
+    } catch (e) {
+      log.error(e)
+      backupExists = false
+    }
+    if (this.getThreeBoxSyncingState() || backupExists) {
       this.store.updateState({ threeBoxSynced: false })
-      this.address = await this.keyringController.getAppKeyAddress(address, 'wallet://3box.metamask.io')
 
       let timedOut = false
       const syncTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
@@ -125,13 +138,13 @@ class ThreeBoxController {
         })
       }, SYNC_TIMEOUT)
       try {
-        this.box = await Box.openBox(address, this.provider)
+        this.box = await Box.openBox(this.address, this.provider)
         await this._waitForOnSyncDone()
         this.space = await this.box.openSpace('metamask', {
           onSyncDone: async () => {
             const stateUpdate = {
               threeBoxSynced: true,
-              threeBoxAddress: address,
+              threeBoxAddress: this.address,
             }
             if (timedOut) {
               log.info(`3Box sync completed after timeout; no longer disabled`)
diff --git a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
index 9a5b7f6bcbf9..f645a69a76ec 100644
--- a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
+++ b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
@@ -1699,7 +1699,7 @@ module.exports = class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   async initializeThreeBox () {
-    await this.threeBoxController.new3Box()
+    await this.threeBoxController.init()
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/development/mock-3box.js b/development/mock-3box.js
index 781b32f3b49c..53f228f2168b 100644
--- a/development/mock-3box.js
+++ b/development/mock-3box.js
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ class Mock3Box {
       logout: () => {},
     })
   }
+
+  static async getConfig (address) {
+    const backup = await loadFromMock3Box(`${address}-metamask-metamaskBackup`)
+    return backup
+      ? { spaces: { metamask: {} } }
+      : {}
+  }
 }
 
 module.exports = Mock3Box
diff --git a/test/e2e/threebox.spec.js b/test/e2e/threebox.spec.js
index 44c4e4d051e8..eb0eebcb2fe3 100644
--- a/test/e2e/threebox.spec.js
+++ b/test/e2e/threebox.spec.js
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ describe('MetaMask', function () {
       })
     })
 
-    describe('updates settings and address book', () => {
+    describe('turns on threebox syncing', () => {
       it('goes to the settings screen', async () => {
         await driver.findElement(By.css('.account-menu__icon')).click()
         await delay(regularDelayMs)
@@ -111,6 +111,23 @@ describe('MetaMask', function () {
         settingsButton.click()
       })
 
+      it('turns on threebox syncing', async () => {
+        const advancedButton = await findElement(driver, By.xpath(`//div[contains(text(), 'Advanced')]`))
+        await advancedButton.click()
+
+        const threeBoxToggle = await findElements(driver, By.css('.toggle-button'))
+        const threeBoxToggleButton = await threeBoxToggle[3].findElement(By.css('div'))
+        await threeBoxToggleButton.click()
+      })
+
+    })
+
+    describe('updates settings and address book', () => {
+      it('adds an address to the contact list', async () => {
+        const generalButton = await findElement(driver, By.xpath(`//div[contains(text(), 'General')]`))
+        await generalButton.click()
+      })
+
       it('turns on use of blockies', async () => {
         const toggleButton = await findElement(driver, By.css('.toggle-button > div'))
         await toggleButton.click()
diff --git a/ui/app/pages/settings/advanced-tab/advanced-tab.container.js b/ui/app/pages/settings/advanced-tab/advanced-tab.container.js
index ebbee3469d6f..f4f3eaee9825 100644
--- a/ui/app/pages/settings/advanced-tab/advanced-tab.container.js
+++ b/ui/app/pages/settings/advanced-tab/advanced-tab.container.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   setShowFiatConversionOnTestnetsPreference,
   setAutoLogoutTimeLimit,
   setThreeBoxSyncingPermission,
+  turnThreeBoxSyncingOnAndInitialize,
 } from '../../../store/actions'
 import {preferencesSelector} from '../../../selectors/selectors'
 
@@ -49,7 +50,13 @@ export const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch => {
     setAutoLogoutTimeLimit: value => {
       return dispatch(setAutoLogoutTimeLimit(value))
     },
-    setThreeBoxSyncingPermission: newThreeBoxSyncingState => dispatch(setThreeBoxSyncingPermission(newThreeBoxSyncingState)),
+    setThreeBoxSyncingPermission: newThreeBoxSyncingState => {
+      if (newThreeBoxSyncingState) {
+        dispatch(turnThreeBoxSyncingOnAndInitialize())
+      } else {
+        dispatch(setThreeBoxSyncingPermission(newThreeBoxSyncingState))
+      }
+    },
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ui/app/store/actions.js b/ui/app/store/actions.js
index 7983a7d45e36..d14d2f316fad 100644
--- a/ui/app/store/actions.js
+++ b/ui/app/store/actions.js
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ var actions = {
   setThreeBoxSyncingPermission,
   setRestoredFromThreeBoxToFalse,
   turnThreeBoxSyncingOn,
+  turnThreeBoxSyncingOnAndInitialize,
 }
 
 module.exports = actions
@@ -2879,3 +2880,11 @@ function setThreeBoxSyncingPermission (threeBoxSyncingAllowed) {
     })
   }
 }
+
+function turnThreeBoxSyncingOnAndInitialize () {
+  return async (dispatch) => {
+    await dispatch(setThreeBoxSyncingPermission(true))
+    await dispatch(turnThreeBoxSyncingOn())
+    await dispatch(initializeThreeBox(true))
+  }
+}