diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/AutoInitiateActivity.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/AutoInitiateActivity.java
index 028d59be2d..1842148da5 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/AutoInitiateActivity.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/AutoInitiateActivity.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public class AutoInitiateActivity extends Activity {
 
   public static void exemptThread(Context context, long threadId) {
     SharedPreferences sp = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
-    sp.edit().putBoolean("pref_thread_auto_init_exempt_" + threadId, true).commit();
+    sp.edit().putBoolean("pref_thread_auto_init_exempt_" + threadId, true).apply();
   }
 
   public static boolean isValidAutoInitiateSituation(Context context, MasterSecret masterSecret,
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/MmsPreferencesActivity.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/MmsPreferencesActivity.java
index db6dc555a2..3818b4be97 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/MmsPreferencesActivity.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/MmsPreferencesActivity.java
@@ -87,8 +87,7 @@ public class MmsPreferencesActivity extends PassphraseRequiredSherlockPreference
 
   private void initializePreferences() {
     if (!MmsDownloadHelper.isMmsConnectionParametersAvailable(this, null, false)) {
-      PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(this).edit()
-          .putBoolean(TextSecurePreferences.ENABLE_MANUAL_MMS_PREF, true).commit();
+      TextSecurePreferences.setUseLocalApnsEnabled(this, true);
       addPreferencesFromResource(R.xml.mms_preferences);
       this.findPreference(TextSecurePreferences.ENABLE_MANUAL_MMS_PREF).setOnPreferenceChangeListener(new OverrideMmsChangeListener());
     } else {
@@ -127,8 +126,7 @@ public class MmsPreferencesActivity extends PassphraseRequiredSherlockPreference
   private class OverrideMmsChangeListener implements Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener {
     @Override
     public boolean onPreferenceChange(Preference preference, Object o) {
-      PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(MmsPreferencesActivity.this).edit()
-          .putBoolean(TextSecurePreferences.ENABLE_MANUAL_MMS_PREF, true).commit();
+      TextSecurePreferences.setUseLocalApnsEnabled(MmsPreferencesActivity.this, true);
       Toast.makeText(MmsPreferencesActivity.this, R.string.mms_preferences_activity__manual_mms_settings_are_required, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
       return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/IdentityKeyUtil.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/IdentityKeyUtil.java
index ddb1d5d95e..9c5832ae89 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/IdentityKeyUtil.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/IdentityKeyUtil.java
@@ -124,6 +124,6 @@ public class IdentityKeyUtil {
     Editor preferencesEditor        = preferences.edit();
 		
     preferencesEditor.putString(key, value);
-    preferencesEditor.commit();
+    if (!preferencesEditor.commit()) throw new AssertionError("failed to save identity key/value to shared preferences");
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/MasterSecretUtil.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/MasterSecretUtil.java
index b8a460bc61..231588a077 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/MasterSecretUtil.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/crypto/MasterSecretUtil.java
@@ -200,24 +200,33 @@ public class MasterSecretUtil {
   }
 
   private static void save(Context context, String key, int value) {
-    context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0)
-           .edit()
-           .putInt(key, value)
-           .commit();
+    if (!context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0)
+                .edit()
+                .putInt(key, value)
+                .commit())
+    {
+      throw new AssertionError("failed to save a shared pref in MasterSecretUtil");
+    }
   }
 
   private static void save(Context context, String key, byte[] value) {
-    context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0)
-           .edit()
-           .putString(key, Base64.encodeBytes(value))
-           .commit();
+    if (!context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0)
+                .edit()
+                .putString(key, Base64.encodeBytes(value))
+                .commit())
+    {
+      throw new AssertionError("failed to save a shared pref in MasterSecretUtil");
+    }
   }
 
   private static void save(Context context, String key, boolean value) {
-    context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0)
-           .edit()
-           .putBoolean(key, value)
-           .commit();
+    if (!context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0)
+                .edit()
+                .putBoolean(key, value)
+                .commit())
+    {
+      throw new AssertionError("failed to save a shared pref in MasterSecretUtil");
+    }
   }
 
   private static byte[] retrieve(Context context, String key) throws IOException {
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/CanonicalSessionMigrator.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/CanonicalSessionMigrator.java
index 8a92f61249..44375a63a9 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/CanonicalSessionMigrator.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/CanonicalSessionMigrator.java
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public class CanonicalSessionMigrator {
       }
     }
 
-    context.getSharedPreferences("SecureSMS", Context.MODE_PRIVATE).edit().putBoolean("canonicalized", true).commit();
+    context.getSharedPreferences("SecureSMS", Context.MODE_PRIVATE).edit().putBoolean("canonicalized", true).apply();
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsMigrator.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsMigrator.java
index bf72a18eda..3525884c5d 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsMigrator.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/database/SmsMigrator.java
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ public class SmsMigrator {
     }
 
     context.getSharedPreferences("SecureSMS", Context.MODE_PRIVATE).edit()
-      .putBoolean("migrated", true).commit();
+      .putBoolean("migrated", true).apply();
   }
 
   public interface SmsMigrationProgressListener {
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ApplicationMigrationService.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ApplicationMigrationService.java
index 21258085ca..f91af8cf3a 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ApplicationMigrationService.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/service/ApplicationMigrationService.java
@@ -215,6 +215,6 @@ public class ApplicationMigrationService extends Service
   }
 
   public static void setDatabaseImported(Context context) {
-    context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0).edit().putBoolean(DATABASE_MIGRATED, true).commit();
+    context.getSharedPreferences(PREFERENCES_NAME, 0).edit().putBoolean(DATABASE_MIGRATED, true).apply();
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/Emoji.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/Emoji.java
index 90cbcce1eb..67a8d3b7c6 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/Emoji.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/Emoji.java
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ public class Emoji {
       PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context)
                        .edit()
                        .putString(EMOJI_LRU_PREFERENCE, serialized)
-                       .commit();
+                       .apply();
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/TextSecurePreferences.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/TextSecurePreferences.java
index 18d9aa5525..1e8a0f7d90 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/TextSecurePreferences.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/TextSecurePreferences.java
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import android.content.Context;
 import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
 import android.util.Log;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+
 public class TextSecurePreferences {
 
   public  static final String IDENTITY_PREF                    = "pref_choose_identity";
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ public class TextSecurePreferences {
   public  static final String THREAD_TRIM_NOW                  = "pref_trim_now";
   public  static final String ENABLE_MANUAL_MMS_PREF           = "pref_enable_manual_mms";
 
+  private static final String LAST_VERSION_CODE_PREF           = "last_version_code";
   public  static final String RINGTONE_PREF                    = "pref_key_ringtone";
   private static final String VIBRATE_PREF                     = "pref_key_vibrate";
   private static final String NOTIFICATION_PREF                = "pref_key_enable_notifications";
@@ -166,6 +169,20 @@ public class TextSecurePreferences {
     return getBooleanPreference(context, ENABLE_MANUAL_MMS_PREF, false);
   }
 
+  public static void setUseLocalApnsEnabled(Context context, boolean useLocal) {
+    setBooleanPreference(context, ENABLE_MANUAL_MMS_PREF, useLocal);
+  }
+
+  public static int getLastVersionCode(Context context) {
+    return getIntegerPreference(context, LAST_VERSION_CODE_PREF, 0);
+  }
+
+  public static void setLastVersionCode(Context context, int versionCode) throws IOException {
+    if (!setIntegerPrefrenceBlocking(context, LAST_VERSION_CODE_PREF, versionCode)) {
+      throw new IOException("couldn't write version code to sharedpreferences");
+    }
+ }
+
   public static String getTheme(Context context) {
     return getStringPreference(context, THEME_PREF, "light");
   }
@@ -272,7 +289,7 @@ public class TextSecurePreferences {
   }
 
   private static void setBooleanPreference(Context context, String key, boolean value) {
-    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putBoolean(key, value).commit();
+    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putBoolean(key, value).apply();
   }
 
   private static boolean getBooleanPreference(Context context, String key, boolean defaultValue) {
@@ -280,7 +297,7 @@ public class TextSecurePreferences {
   }
 
   public static void setStringPreference(Context context, String key, String value) {
-    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putString(key, value).commit();
+    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putString(key, value).apply();
   }
 
   private static String getStringPreference(Context context, String key, String defaultValue) {
@@ -292,7 +309,11 @@ public class TextSecurePreferences {
   }
 
   private static void setIntegerPrefrence(Context context, String key, int value) {
-    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putInt(key, value).commit();
+    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putInt(key, value).apply();
+  }
+
+  private static boolean setIntegerPrefrenceBlocking(Context context, String key, int value) {
+    return PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putInt(key, value).commit();
   }
 
   private static long getLongPreference(Context context, String key, long defaultValue) {
@@ -300,7 +321,7 @@ public class TextSecurePreferences {
   }
 
   private static void setLongPreference(Context context, String key, long value) {
-    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putLong(key, value).commit();
+    PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context).edit().putLong(key, value).apply();
   }
 
 
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/VersionTracker.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/VersionTracker.java
index c6386f116b..584d777f85 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/VersionTracker.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/util/VersionTracker.java
@@ -1,28 +1,27 @@
 package org.thoughtcrime.securesms.util;
 
 import android.content.Context;
-import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
-import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
 
 public class VersionTracker {
 
-  private static final String LAST_VERSION_CODE = "last_version_code";
 
   public static int getLastSeenVersion(Context context) {
-    SharedPreferences preferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
-    return preferences.getInt(LAST_VERSION_CODE, 0);
+    return TextSecurePreferences.getLastVersionCode(context);
   }
 
   public static void updateLastSeenVersion(Context context) {
     try {
-      SharedPreferences preferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
       int currentVersionCode        = context.getPackageManager()
                                              .getPackageInfo(context.getPackageName(), 0)
                                              .versionCode;
-      preferences.edit().putInt(LAST_VERSION_CODE, currentVersionCode).commit();
+      TextSecurePreferences.setLastVersionCode(context, currentVersionCode);
     } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
       throw new AssertionError(e);
+    } catch (IOException ioe) {
+      throw new AssertionError(ioe);
     }
   }
 }