diff --git a/app/static/custom/js/custom.js b/app/static/custom/js/custom.js
index 279463d..6442bb2 100644
--- a/app/static/custom/js/custom.js
+++ b/app/static/custom/js/custom.js
@@ -212,6 +212,13 @@ function getdnssec(url, domain){
     });
 }
 
+function reload_domains(url) {
+  $.getJSON(url, function(data) {
+    $('#modal_bg_reload_content').html("<i class=\"fa fa-check\"></i> Finished: " + data['result']['msg']);
+  })
+}
+
+
 // pretty JSON
 json_library = {
     replacer: function(match, pIndent, pKey, pVal, pEnd) {
diff --git a/app/templates/dashboard.html b/app/templates/dashboard.html
index 588c3d4..fa77882 100644
--- a/app/templates/dashboard.html
+++ b/app/templates/dashboard.html
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
         <div class="col-xs-12">
           <div class="box">
             <div class="box-header">
-              <h3 class="box-title">Hosted Domains</h3>
+              <h3 class="box-title">Hosted Domains</h3>{% if show_bg_domain_button %}<button type="button" class="btn btn-flat btn-primary refresh-bg-button pull-right"><i class="fa fa-refresh"></i> Sync domains </button>{% endif %}
             </div>
             <div class="box-body">
               <table id="tbl_domain_list" class="table table-bordered table-striped">
@@ -199,6 +199,12 @@
         modal.modal('show');
     });
 
+    $(document.body).on('click', '.refresh-bg-button', function() {
+        var modal = $("#modal_bg_reload");
+        modal.modal('show');
+        reload_domains($SCRIPT_ROOT + '/dashboard-domains-updater');
+    });
+
     $(document.body).on("click", ".button_template", function (e) {
         var modal = $("#modal_template");
         var domain = $(this).prop('id');
@@ -314,4 +320,29 @@
     <!-- /.modal-dialog -->
 </div>
 <!-- /.modal -->
+<div class="modal fade" id="modal_bg_reload">
+    <div class="modal-dialog">
+        <div class="modal-content">
+            <div class="modal-header">
+                <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal"
+                    aria-label="Close">
+                    <span aria-hidden="true">&times;</span>
+                </button>
+                <h4 class="modal-title">Sync domains from nameserver</h4>
+            </div>
+            <div class="modal-body">
+
+                <div class="overlay">
+                  <div id="modal_bg_reload_content"><i class="fa fa-refresh fa-spin"></i> Update in progress ..</div>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+            <div class="modal-footer">
+                <button type="button" class="btn btn-flat btn-default pull-right"
+                    data-dismiss="modal">Close</button>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+        <!-- /.modal-content -->
+    </div>
+    <!-- /.modal-dialog -->
+</div>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/app/views.py b/app/views.py
index dd3d8a1..d7b15a1 100644
--- a/app/views.py
+++ b/app/views.py
@@ -459,7 +459,12 @@ def saml_logout():
 @app.route('/dashboard', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
 @login_required
 def dashboard():
-    d = Domain().update()
+    if not app.config.get('BG_DOMAIN_UPDATES'):
+        logging.debug('Update domains in foreground')
+        d = Domain().update()
+    else:
+        logging.debug('Update domains in background')
+
 
     # stats for dashboard
     domain_count = Domain.query.count()
@@ -473,7 +478,7 @@ def dashboard():
     else:
         uptime = 0
 
-    return render_template('dashboard.html', domain_count=domain_count, users=users, history_number=history_number, uptime=uptime, histories=history, dnssec_adm_only=app.config['DNSSEC_ADMINS_ONLY'], pdns_version=app.config['PDNS_VERSION'])
+    return render_template('dashboard.html', domain_count=domain_count, users=users, history_number=history_number, uptime=uptime, histories=history, dnssec_adm_only=app.config['DNSSEC_ADMINS_ONLY'], pdns_version=app.config['PDNS_VERSION'], show_bg_domain_button=app.config['BG_DOMAIN_UPDATES'])
 
 
 @app.route('/dashboard-domains', methods=['GET'])
@@ -542,6 +547,17 @@ def dashboard_domains():
     }
     return jsonify(response_data)
 
+@app.route('/dashboard-domains-updater', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
+@login_required
+def dashboard_domains_updater():
+    logging.debug('Update domains in background')
+    d = Domain().update()
+
+    response_data = {
+        "result": d,
+    }
+    return jsonify(response_data)
+
 
 @app.route('/domain/<path:domain_name>', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
 @login_required
diff --git a/config_template.py b/config_template.py
index a481cac..9d25fd9 100644
--- a/config_template.py
+++ b/config_template.py
@@ -130,3 +130,6 @@ DNSSEC_ADMINS_ONLY = False
 
 # EXPERIMENTAL FEATURES
 PRETTY_IPV6_PTR = False
+
+# Domain updates in background, for big installations
+BG_DOMAIN_UPDATES = False