diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-client/index.js b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-client/index.js
index f8be70403..64426ad59 100644
--- a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-client/index.js
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-client/index.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ async function initIpfsClient (opts) {
 
   const instance = await client.init(opts)
   easeApiChanges(instance)
-  _reloadIpfsClientDependents(instance) // async (API is present)
+  _reloadIpfsClientDependents(instance, opts) // async (API is present)
   return instance
 }
 
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@ async function _reloadIpfsClientDependents (instance, opts) {
     }
   }
   // online only
-  if (client && instance) {
+  if (client && instance && opts) {
     // add important data to local ipfs repo for instant load
-    setTimeout(() => precache(instance), 10000)
+    setTimeout(() => precache(instance, opts), 5000)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js
index f3722fcd4..d5560e7f4 100644
--- a/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/ipfs-companion.js
@@ -311,8 +311,6 @@ module.exports = async function init () {
     let results
     try {
       const dataSrc = await findValueForContext(context, contextType)
-      log('onAddFromContext.context', context) // TODO
-      log('onAddFromContext.dataSrc', dataSrc) // TODO
       if (contextType === 'selection') {
         // TODO: persist full pageUrl somewhere (eg. append at the end of the content but add toggle to disable it)
         data = {
diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/precache.js b/add-on/src/lib/precache.js
index 84e1b5862..24ccf15a0 100644
--- a/add-on/src/lib/precache.js
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/precache.js
@@ -11,48 +11,86 @@ const debug = require('debug')
 const log = debug('ipfs-companion:precache')
 log.error = debug('ipfs-companion:precache:error')
 
-// Web UI release that should be precached
-// WARNING: do not remove this constant, as its used in package.json
-const webuiCid = 'bafybeigkbbjnltbd4ewfj7elajsbnjwinyk6tiilczkqsibf3o7dcr6nn4' // v2.9.0
-module.exports.precachedWebuiCid = webuiCid
-
-const PRECACHE_ARCHIVES = [
-  { tarPath: '/dist/precache/webui.tar', cid: webuiCid }
-]
+// TODO: can be removed when embedded:chromesockets is gone
+module.exports.braveJsIpfsWebuiCid = 'bafybeigkbbjnltbd4ewfj7elajsbnjwinyk6tiilczkqsibf3o7dcr6nn4' //  v2.9.0 for js-ipfs in Brave (import in newer ones does not work)
 
 /**
  * Adds important assets such as Web UI to the local js-ipfs-repo.
  * This ensures they load instantly, even in offline environments.
  */
-module.exports.precache = async (ipfs) => {
-  for (const { cid, tarPath } of PRECACHE_ARCHIVES) {
-    if (!await inRepo(ipfs, cid)) {
-      try {
-        const { body } = await fetch(tarPath)
-        log(`importing ${tarPath} to js-ipfs-repo`)
-        await importTar(ipfs, body.getReader(), cid)
-        log(`${tarPath} successfully cached under CID ${cid}`)
-      } catch (err) {
-        if (err.message === 'Error in body stream') {
-          // This error means .tar is missing from the extension bundle:
-          // It is the case in Firefox, due to https://github.com/ipfs-shipyard/ipfs-webui/issues/959
-          log(`unable to find/read ${tarPath}, skipping`)
+module.exports.precache = async (ipfs, state) => {
+  // simplified prefetch over HTTP when in Brave
+  if (state.ipfsNodeType === 'embedded:chromesockets') {
+    return preloadOverHTTP(log, ipfs, state, module.exports.braveJsIpfsWebuiCid)
+  }
+
+  const roots = []
+  // find out the content path of webui, and add it to precache list
+  try {
+    let cid, name
+    if (state.useLatestWebUI) { // resolve DNSLink
+      cid = await ipfs.dns('webui.ipfs.io', { recursive: true })
+      name = 'latest webui from DNSLink at webui.ipfs.io'
+    } else { // find out safelisted path behind <api-port>/webui
+      cid = new URL((await fetch(`${state.apiURLString}webui`)).url).pathname
+      name = `stable webui hardcoded at ${state.apiURLString}webui`
+    }
+    roots.push({
+      nodeType: 'external',
+      name,
+      cid
+    })
+  } catch (e) {
+    log.error('unable to find webui content path for precache', e)
+  }
+
+  // precache each root
+  for (const { name, cid, nodeType } of roots) {
+    if (state.ipfsNodeType !== nodeType) continue
+    if (await inRepo(ipfs, cid)) {
+      log(`${name} (${cid}) already in local repo, skipping import`)
+      continue
+    }
+    log(`importing ${name} (${cid}) to local ipfs repo`)
+
+    // prefetch over IPFS
+    try {
+      for await (const ref of ipfs.refs(cid, { recursive: true })) {
+        if (ref.err) {
+          log.error(`error while preloading ${name} (${cid})`, ref.err)
           continue
         }
-        log.error(`error while processing ${tarPath}`, err)
       }
-    } else {
-      log(`${cid} already in local repo, skipping import`)
+      log(`${name} successfully cached under CID ${cid}`)
+    } catch (err) {
+      log.error(`error while processing ${name}`, err)
     }
   }
 }
 
 async function inRepo (ipfs, cid) {
-  for await (const ref of ipfs.refs.local()) {
-    if (ref.err) return false
-    if (ref.ref === cid) return true
+  // dag.get in offline mode will throw block is not present in local repo
+  // (we also have timeout as a failsafe)
+  try {
+    await ipfs.dag.get(cid, { offline: true, timeout: 5000 })
+    return true
+  } catch (_) {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
+// Downloads CID from a public gateway
+// (alternative to ipfs.refs -r)
+async function preloadOverHTTP (log, ipfs, state, cid) {
+  const url = `${state.pubGwURLString}api/v0/get?arg=${cid}&archive=true`
+  try {
+    log(`importing ${url} (${cid}) to local ipfs repo`)
+    const { body } = await fetch(url)
+    await importTar(ipfs, body.getReader(), cid)
+    log(`successfully fetched TAR from ${url} and cached under CID ${cid}`)
+  } catch (err) {
+    log.error(`error while processing ${url}`, err)
   }
-  return false
 }
 
 async function importTar (ipfs, tarReader, expectedCid) {
@@ -84,7 +122,7 @@ async function importTar (ipfs, tarReader, expectedCid) {
 
   const root = results.find(e => e.cid.toString(multibaseName) === expectedCid)
   if (!root) {
-    throw new Error('imported CID does not match expected one')
+    throw new Error(`imported CID (${root}) does not match expected one: ${expectedCid}`)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/add-on/src/lib/state.js b/add-on/src/lib/state.js
index 75024895a..2d1ee0caa 100644
--- a/add-on/src/lib/state.js
+++ b/add-on/src/lib/state.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 /* eslint-env browser, webextensions */
 
 const { safeURL } = require('./options')
-const { precachedWebuiCid } = require('./precache')
+const { braveJsIpfsWebuiCid } = require('./precache')
 const offlinePeerCount = -1
 
 function initState (options, overrides) {
@@ -48,12 +48,11 @@ function initState (options, overrides) {
       // Did user opt-in for rolling release published on DNSLink?
       if (state.useLatestWebUI) return `${state.gwURLString}ipns/webui.ipfs.io/`
 
-      // Below is needed to make webui work for embedded js-ipfs
-      // TODO: revisit if below is still needed after upgrading to js-ipfs >= 44
-      const webuiUrl = state.ipfsNodeType === 'embedded:chromesockets'
-        ? `${state.gwURLString}ipfs/${precachedWebuiCid}/`
-        : `${state.apiURLString}webui`
-      return webuiUrl
+      // Below is needed to make webui work for embedded js-ipfs in Brave
+      if (state.ipfsNodeType === 'embedded:chromesockets' && braveJsIpfsWebuiCid) {
+        return `${state.gwURLString}ipfs/${braveJsIpfsWebuiCid}/`
+      }
+      return `${state.apiURLString}webui`
     }
   })
   // apply optional overrides
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0f2a2e9cc..59d63ea7c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -23,22 +23,20 @@
     "build:bundle-all": "cross-env RELEASE_CHANNEL=${RELEASE_CHANNEL:=dev} run-s bundle:chromium bundle:brave:$RELEASE_CHANNEL bundle:firefox:$RELEASE_CHANNEL",
     "build:rename-artifacts": "./scripts/rename-artifacts.js",
     "precache:clean": "shx rm -rf add-on/dist/precache",
-    "precache:webui:cid": "shx grep 'const webuiCid' add-on/src/lib/precache.js | shx sed \"s/^const webuiCid = '//\" | shx sed \"s/'.*$//\"",
-    "precache:webui": "shx mkdir -p add-on/dist/precache && ipfs-or-gateway -c $(npm run -s precache:webui:cid) -p add-on/dist/precache/webui.tar --archive",
     "bundle": "run-s bundle:*",
-    "bundle:chromium": "run-s precache:webui && shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.chromium.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/chromium && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
-    "bundle:firefox": "run-s precache:clean && shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.firefox.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/firefox/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
+    "bundle:chromium": "shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.chromium.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/chromium && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
+    "bundle:firefox": "shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.firefox.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/firefox/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
     "bundle:firefox:dev": "npm run bundle:firefox",
     "bundle:firefox:stable": "npm run bundle:firefox",
-    "bundle:firefox:beta": "run-s precache:clean && shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.firefox.json add-on/manifest.firefox-beta.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/firefox/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
+    "bundle:firefox:beta": "shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.firefox.json add-on/manifest.firefox-beta.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/firefox/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
     "bundle:fennec": "npm run bundle:firefox",
     "bundle:fennec:dev": "npm run bundle:firefox:dev",
     "bundle:fennec:stable": "npm run bundle:firefox:stable",
     "bundle:fennec:beta": "npm run bundle:firefox:beta",
-    "bundle:brave": "run-s precache:webui && shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.chromium.json add-on/manifest.brave.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/brave/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
+    "bundle:brave": "shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.chromium.json add-on/manifest.brave.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/brave/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
     "bundle:brave:dev": "npm run bundle:brave",
     "bundle:brave:stable": "npm run bundle:brave",
-    "bundle:brave:beta": "run-s precache:webui && shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.chromium.json add-on/manifest.brave.json add-on/manifest.brave-beta.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/brave/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
+    "bundle:brave:beta": "shx cat add-on/manifest.common.json add-on/manifest.chromium.json add-on/manifest.brave.json add-on/manifest.brave-beta.json | json --deep-merge > add-on/manifest.json && web-ext build -a build/brave/  && run-s build:rename-artifacts",
     "watch": "npm-run-all build:copy --parallel watch:*",
     "watch:js": "run-p watch:js:*",
     "watch:js:webpack": "webpack --watch --progress -d --devtool inline-source-map  --config ./webpack.config.js",
@@ -144,12 +142,10 @@
     "is-fqdn": "1.0.1",
     "is-ipfs": "1.0.3",
     "it-all": "1.0.4",
-    "it-buffer": "0.1.2",
     "it-concat": "1.0.1",
     "it-tar": "1.2.2",
     "lru-cache": "5.1.1",
     "merge-options": "2.0.0",
-    "mortice": "2.0.0",
     "multiaddr": "7.4.3",
     "multiaddr-to-uri": "5.0.0",
     "p-memoize": "4.0.0",
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 52a6c9863..890023347 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -8436,7 +8436,7 @@ it-batch@^1.0.3, it-batch@^1.0.4:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/it-batch/-/it-batch-1.0.4.tgz#2d68d6e57899e159644aa16c0b4b1c93eb0d5c65"
   integrity sha512-hZ+gaj5MaECauRd+Ahvo9iAxg90YGVBg7AZ32wOeXJ08IRjfQRMSnZ9oA0JjNeJeSGuVjWf91UUD5y2SYmKlwQ==
 
-it-buffer@0.1.2, it-buffer@^0.1.1, it-buffer@^0.1.2:
+it-buffer@^0.1.1, it-buffer@^0.1.2:
   version "0.1.2"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/it-buffer/-/it-buffer-0.1.2.tgz#2b37e2c66bbbb94479c2e47c1904bd729f04fc39"
   integrity sha512-NOJ3ogSNq3Y2c75ZDcPs9qlgitWyCkUQdmgqqMw+/LMmHZqwWQw7OBDodonz250nJ4EEBXkRQ+pIwz1sL9Zuyg==
@@ -10677,7 +10677,7 @@ moment@^2.19.3:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/moment/-/moment-2.28.0.tgz#cdfe73ce01327cee6537b0fafac2e0f21a237d75"
   integrity sha512-Z5KOjYmnHyd/ukynmFd/WwyXHd7L4J9vTI/nn5Ap9AVUgaAE15VvQ9MOGmJJygEUklupqIrFnor/tjTwRU+tQw==
 
-mortice@2.0.0, mortice@^2.0.0:
+mortice@^2.0.0:
   version "2.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/mortice/-/mortice-2.0.0.tgz#7be171409c2115561ba3fc035e4527f9082eefde"
   integrity sha512-rXcjRgv2MRhpwGHErxKcDcp5IoA9CPvPFLXmmseQYIuQ2fSVu8tsMKi/eYUXzp/HH1s6y3IID/GwRqlSglDdRA==