diff --git a/css/sideMenu.css b/css/sideMenu.css
index 5877a35..6eaf9d3 100644
--- a/css/sideMenu.css
+++ b/css/sideMenu.css
@@ -175,6 +175,16 @@
     color: var(--side-menu-text-color, #fff);
 }
 
+.side-menu-loader {
+    text-align: center;
+}
+
+.side-menu-loader svg {
+    width: 38px;
+    margin: auto;
+    stroke: var(--side-menu-text-color, #fff);
+}
+
 .side-menu-big .side-menu-app-icon {
     vertical-align: middle;
     margin-top: -2px;
diff --git a/img/loader.svg b/img/loader.svg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..004a356
--- /dev/null
+++ b/img/loader.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<!-- By Sam Herbert (@sherb), for everyone. More @ http://goo.gl/7AJzbL -->
+<svg width="38" height="38" viewBox="0 0 38 38" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" stroke="#fff">
+    <g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
+        <g transform="translate(1 1)" stroke-width="2">
+            <circle stroke-opacity=".5" cx="18" cy="18" r="18"/>
+            <path d="M36 18c0-9.94-8.06-18-18-18">
+                <animateTransform
+                    attributeName="transform"
+                    type="rotate"
+                    from="0 18 18"
+                    to="360 18 18"
+                    dur="1s"
+                    repeatCount="indefinite"/>
+            </path>
+        </g>
+    </g>
+</svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/Controller/NavController.php b/lib/Controller/NavController.php
index c34cb52..b79aad4 100644
--- a/lib/Controller/NavController.php
+++ b/lib/Controller/NavController.php
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ namespace OCA\SideMenu\Controller;
 use OC;
 use OC\App\AppStore\Fetcher\CategoryFetcher;
 use OC\URLGenerator;
+use OCA\SideMenu\AppInfo\Application;
 use OCA\SideMenu\Service\AppRepository;
 use OCA\SideMenu\Service\ConfigProxy;
 use OCP\AppFramework\Controller;
 use OCP\AppFramework\Http\JSONResponse;
+use OCP\IConfig;
 use OCP\IL10N;
 use OCP\IRequest;
 use OCP\IUserSession;
@@ -37,6 +39,11 @@ class NavController extends Controller
      */
     protected $config;
 
+    /**
+     * @var IConfig
+     */
+    protected $iConfig;
+
     /**
      * @var AppRepository
      */
@@ -60,6 +67,7 @@ class NavController extends Controller
     public function __construct(
         string $appName,
         IRequest $request,
+        IConfig $iConfig,
         ConfigProxy $config,
         AppRepository $appRepository,
         CategoryFetcher $categoryFetcher,
@@ -70,6 +78,7 @@ class NavController extends Controller
         parent::__construct($appName, $request);
 
         $this->config = $config;
+        $this->iConfig = $iConfig;
         $this->appRepository = $appRepository;
         $this->categoryFetcher = $categoryFetcher;
         $this->l10nFactory = $l10nFactory;
@@ -87,7 +96,6 @@ class NavController extends Controller
     {
         $apps = $this->appRepository->getVisibleApps();
         $currentLanguage = substr($this->l10nFactory->findLanguage(), 0, 2);
-        $categoriesLabels = $this->categoryFetcher->get();
         $externalSitesInTopMenu = $this->config->getAppValueBool('external-sites-in-top-menu', '0');
         $user = OC::$server[IUserSession::class]->getUser();
         $appsCategories = [];
@@ -100,6 +108,14 @@ class NavController extends Controller
             ]);
         }
 
+        $categoriesLabels = $this->config->getAppValueArray('cache-categories', '[]');
+
+        if (empty($categoriesLabels)) {
+            $categoriesLabels = $this->categoryFetcher->get();
+
+            $this->iConfig->setAppValue(Application::APP_ID, 'cache-categories', json_encode($categoriesLabels));
+        }
+
         $topMenuApps = $this->config->getAppValueArray('top-menu-apps', '[]');
         $userTopMenuApps = $this->config->getUserValueArray($user, 'top-menu-apps', '[]');
 
@@ -135,7 +151,7 @@ class NavController extends Controller
             foreach ($categories as $category) {
                 if (!isset($items[$category])) {
                     $items[$category] = [
-                        'name' => $categoriesLabels[$category],
+                        'name' => $categoriesLabels[$category] ?? $category,
                         'apps' => [],
                     ];
                 }
diff --git a/src/SideMenuBig.vue b/src/SideMenuBig.vue
index 67be475..e744536 100644
--- a/src/SideMenuBig.vue
+++ b/src/SideMenuBig.vue
@@ -23,6 +23,25 @@ along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
         <div class="side-menu-categories-wrapper">
             <div class="side-menu-categories">
+                <div v-if="!items.length" class="side-menu-loader">
+                    <svg width="38" height="38" viewBox="0 0 38 38" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
+                        <g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd">
+                            <g transform="translate(1 1)" stroke-width="2">
+                                <circle stroke-opacity=".5" cx="18" cy="18" r="18"/>
+                                <path d="M36 18c0-9.94-8.06-18-18-18">
+                                    <animateTransform
+                                        attributeName="transform"
+                                        type="rotate"
+                                        from="0 18 18"
+                                        to="360 18 18"
+                                        dur="1s"
+                                        repeatCount="indefinite"/>
+                                </path>
+                            </g>
+                        </g>
+                    </svg>
+                </div>
+
                 <div class="side-menu-category" v-for="category in items">
                     <h2 class="side-menu-category-title" v-if="category.name != ''" v-html="category.name"></h2>