diff --git a/lib/ui/src/core/context.js b/lib/ui/src/core/context.js
index 6836cc31248a..3f44544b1cca 100644
--- a/lib/ui/src/core/context.js
+++ b/lib/ui/src/core/context.js
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ export class Provider extends Component {
     ].map(initModule => initModule(apiData));
 
     // Create our initial state by combining the initial state of all modules, then overlaying any saved state
-    const state = store.getInitialState(getInitialState(...this.modules.map(m => m.state)));
+    this.state = store.getInitialState();
+    const state = getInitialState(...this.modules.map(m => m.state));
 
     // Get our API by combining the APIs exported by each module
     const combo = Object.assign({ navigate }, ...this.modules.map(m => m.api));
diff --git a/lib/ui/src/core/init-provider-api.js b/lib/ui/src/core/init-provider-api.js
index a76e0a9dc9f9..b3414c4add6c 100644
--- a/lib/ui/src/core/init-provider-api.js
+++ b/lib/ui/src/core/init-provider-api.js
@@ -1,89 +1,6 @@
-import pick from 'lodash.pick';
-import deprecate from 'util-deprecate';
-
-import { create } from '@storybook/theming';
-
-const deprecationMessage = (optionsMap, prefix) =>
-  `The options { ${Object.keys(optionsMap).join(', ')} } are deprecated -- use ${
-    prefix ? `${prefix}'s` : ''
-  } { ${Object.values(optionsMap).join(', ')} } instead.`;
-
-const deprecatedThemeOptions = {
-  name: 'brandTitle',
-  url: 'brandUrl',
-};
-const applyDeprecatedThemeOptions = deprecate(({ name, url, theme }) => {
-  const vars = {
-    brandTitle: name,
-    brandUrl: url,
-    brandImage: null,
-  };
-
-  return { theme: create(vars, theme) };
-}, deprecationMessage(deprecatedThemeOptions));
-const checkDeprecatedThemeOptions = options => {
-  if (Object.keys(deprecatedThemeOptions).find(key => !!options[key])) {
-    return applyDeprecatedThemeOptions(options);
-  }
-  return {};
-};
-
-const deprecatedLayoutOptions = {
-  goFullScreen: 'isFullscreen',
-  showStoriesPanel: 'showNav',
-  showAddonPanel: 'showPanel',
-  addonPanelInRight: 'panelPosition',
-};
-const applyDeprecatedLayoutOptions = deprecate(options => {
-  const layoutUpdate = {};
-
-  ['goFullScreen', 'showStoriesPanel', 'showAddonPanel'].forEach(option => {
-    if (typeof options[option] !== 'undefined') {
-      layoutUpdate[deprecatedLayoutOptions[option]] = options[option];
-    }
-  });
-  if (options.addonPanelInRight) {
-    layoutUpdate.panelPosition = 'right';
-  }
-  return layoutUpdate;
-}, deprecationMessage(deprecatedLayoutOptions));
-const checkDeprecatedLayoutOptions = options => {
-  if (Object.keys(deprecatedLayoutOptions).find(key => typeof options[key] !== 'undefined')) {
-    return applyDeprecatedLayoutOptions(options);
-  }
-  return {};
-};
-
-export default ({ provider, api, store }) => {
+export default ({ provider, api }) => {
   const providerAPI = {
     ...api,
-
-    setOptions: options => {
-      const { layout, ui, selectedPanel } = store.getState();
-
-      if (options) {
-        const updatedLayout = {
-          ...layout,
-          ...pick(options, Object.keys(layout)),
-          ...checkDeprecatedLayoutOptions(options),
-        };
-
-        const updatedUi = {
-          ...ui,
-          ...pick(options, Object.keys(ui)),
-          ...checkDeprecatedThemeOptions(options),
-        };
-
-        store.setState(
-          {
-            layout: updatedLayout,
-            ui: updatedUi,
-            selectedPanel: options.panel || options.selectedPanel || selectedPanel,
-          },
-          { persistence: 'permanent' }
-        );
-      }
-    },
   };
 
   provider.handleAPI(providerAPI);
diff --git a/lib/ui/src/core/initial-state.js b/lib/ui/src/core/initial-state.js
index 5ac502039fc2..5eee085d6286 100644
--- a/lib/ui/src/core/initial-state.js
+++ b/lib/ui/src/core/initial-state.js
@@ -1,21 +1,6 @@
-import { themes } from '@storybook/theming';
-
 import merge from '../libs/merge';
 
 const initial = {
-  ui: {
-    enableShortcuts: true,
-    sortStoriesByKind: false,
-    sidebarAnimations: true,
-    theme: themes.normal,
-  },
-  layout: {
-    isToolshown: true,
-    isFullscreen: false,
-    showPanel: true,
-    showNav: true,
-    panelPosition: 'bottom',
-  },
   customQueryParams: {},
   storiesConfigured: false,
 };
diff --git a/lib/ui/src/core/layout.js b/lib/ui/src/core/layout.js
index 80a9523899e2..9cc120595464 100644
--- a/lib/ui/src/core/layout.js
+++ b/lib/ui/src/core/layout.js
@@ -1,3 +1,64 @@
+import pick from 'lodash.pick';
+
+import deprecate from 'util-deprecate';
+
+import { create, themes } from '@storybook/theming';
+import merge from '../libs/merge';
+
+const deprecatedThemeOptions = {
+  name: 'brandTitle',
+  url: 'brandUrl',
+};
+const deprecatedLayoutOptions = {
+  goFullScreen: 'isFullscreen',
+  showStoriesPanel: 'showNav',
+  showAddonPanel: 'showPanel',
+  addonPanelInRight: 'panelPosition',
+};
+
+const deprecationMessage = (optionsMap, prefix) =>
+  `The options { ${Object.keys(optionsMap).join(', ')} } are deprecated -- use ${
+    prefix ? `${prefix}'s` : ''
+  } { ${Object.values(optionsMap).join(', ')} } instead.`;
+
+const applyDeprecatedThemeOptions = deprecate(({ name, url, theme }) => {
+  const vars = {
+    brandTitle: name,
+    brandUrl: url,
+    brandImage: null,
+  };
+
+  return { theme: create(vars, theme) };
+}, deprecationMessage(deprecatedThemeOptions));
+
+const applyDeprecatedLayoutOptions = deprecate(options => {
+  const layoutUpdate = {};
+
+  ['goFullScreen', 'showStoriesPanel', 'showAddonPanel'].forEach(option => {
+    if (typeof options[option] !== 'undefined') {
+      layoutUpdate[deprecatedLayoutOptions[option]] = options[option];
+    }
+  });
+  if (options.addonPanelInRight) {
+    layoutUpdate.panelPosition = 'right';
+  }
+  return layoutUpdate;
+}, deprecationMessage(deprecatedLayoutOptions));
+
+const checkDeprecatedThemeOptions = options => {
+  if (Object.keys(deprecatedThemeOptions).find(key => !!options[key])) {
+    return applyDeprecatedThemeOptions(options);
+  }
+  return {};
+};
+
+const checkDeprecatedLayoutOptions = options => {
+  if (Object.keys(deprecatedLayoutOptions).find(key => typeof options[key] !== 'undefined')) {
+    return applyDeprecatedLayoutOptions(options);
+  }
+  return {};
+};
+
 export default function({ store }) {
   const api = {
     toggleFullscreen(toggled) {
@@ -69,7 +130,54 @@ export default function({ store }) {
         };
       });
     },
+
+    setOptions: options => {
+      const { layout, ui, selectedPanel } = store.getState();
+
+      if (options) {
+        const updatedLayout = {
+          ...layout,
+          ...pick(options, Object.keys(layout)),
+          ...checkDeprecatedLayoutOptions(options),
+        };
+
+        const updatedUi = {
+          ...ui,
+          ...pick(options, Object.keys(ui)),
+          ...checkDeprecatedThemeOptions(options),
+        };
+
+        store.setState(
+          {
+            layout: updatedLayout,
+            ui: updatedUi,
+            selectedPanel: options.panel || options.selectedPanel || selectedPanel,
+          },
+          { persistence: 'permanent' }
+        );
+      }
+    },
+  };
+
+  const fromState = pick(store.getState(), 'layout', 'ui', 'selectedPanel');
+  const fromRestore = pick(store.getInitialState(), 'layout', 'ui', 'selectedPanel');
+  const initial = {
+    ui: {
+      enableShortcuts: true,
+      sortStoriesByKind: false,
+      sidebarAnimations: true,
+      theme: themes.normal,
+    },
+    layout: {
+      isToolshown: true,
+      isFullscreen: false,
+      showPanel: true,
+      showNav: true,
+      panelPosition: 'bottom',
+    },
   };
 
-  return { api };
+  const state = merge({}, fromRestore, fromState, initial);
+
+  return { api, state };
 }
diff --git a/lib/ui/src/core/store.js b/lib/ui/src/core/store.js
index 3d1ce77aacba..4bab42572701 100644
--- a/lib/ui/src/core/store.js
+++ b/lib/ui/src/core/store.js
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 import { localStorage, sessionStorage } from 'global';
 import { parse, stringify } from 'telejson';
 
-import merge from '../libs/merge';
-
 export const STORAGE_KEY = '@storybook/ui/store';
 
 function get(storage) {
@@ -32,11 +30,11 @@ export default class Store {
 
   // The assumption is that this will be called once, to initialize the React state
   // when the module is instanciated
-  getInitialState(base = {}) {
+  getInitialState() {
     // We don't only merge at the very top level (the same way as React setState)
     // when you set keys, so it makes sense to do the same in combining the two storage modes
     // Really, you shouldn't store the same key in both places
-    return merge(base, { ...get(localStorage), ...get(sessionStorage) });
+    return { ...get(localStorage), ...get(sessionStorage) };
   }
 
   getState() {