diff --git a/home/index.php b/home/index.php
index d54c04fc0f..5dff06278c 100755
--- a/home/index.php
+++ b/home/index.php
@@ -92,22 +92,6 @@
 		$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','notify_window');
 	}
 
-	/* This initializes the users portal_order preference if it does not exist. */
-	if(!is_array($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order']) && $GLOBALS['egw_info']['apps'])
-	{
-		$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->delete('portal_order');
-		@reset($GLOBALS['egw_info']['apps']);
-		$order = 0;
-		while (list(,$p) = each($GLOBALS['egw_info']['apps']))
-		{
-			if($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['apps'][$p['name']])
-			{
-				$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->add('portal_order',$order++,$p['id']);
-			}
-		}
-		$GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences'] = $GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->save_repository();
-	}
-
 	if(is_array($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order']))
 	{
 		$app_check = Array();
@@ -134,7 +118,10 @@
 	// Now add the rest of the user's apps, to make sure we pick up any additions to the home display
 	foreach($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['apps'] as $app)
 	{
-		$sorted_apps[] = $app['name'];
+		if(!in_array($app['name'], $sorted_apps))
+		{
+			$sorted_apps[] = $app['name'];
+		}
 	}
 	//$GLOBALS['egw']->hooks->process('home',$sorted_apps);
 
@@ -208,6 +195,7 @@
 	$lastd = 0;
 	$numcols = 2;
 	$curcol = 1;
+	$searchlist = array();
 	foreach($sorted_apps as $appname)
 	{
 		if((int)$done[$appname] == 1 || empty($appname))
@@ -230,45 +218,53 @@
 		//echo "$appname: $thisd<br>";
 		if($thisd>0)
 		{
-			if((($curcol++>$numcols) || ($thisd+$lastd==3)) && $tropen==1)
-			{
-				$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','end_row');
-				$tropen = 0;
-				//$curcol = 1;
-			}
-			if(!$tropen)
-			{
-				$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','begin_row');
-				$tropen=1;
-			}
-			$var['tdwidth'] = ($thisd==2)?'50':'100';
-			$var['colspan'] = ($thisd==2)?'1':'2';
-
-			ob_start();
-			$var['content'] = $GLOBALS['egw']->hooks->single('home',$appname);
-			if (!$var['content'] || $var['content'] == 1)	// content has been echoed and not returned
-			{
-				$var['content'] = ob_get_contents();
-				ob_end_clean();
-			}
-			$GLOBALS['tpl']->set_var($var);
-
-			$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','cell');
-
-			if(($thisd!=2 || ($thisd==2&&$lastd==2)) && $tropen)
-			{
-				$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','end_row');
-				$tropen = 0;
-				$lastd = 0;
-				$curcol = 1;
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				$lastd = $thisd;
-			}
+			$searchlist[$appname] = $thisd;
 			$neworder[] = $appname;
+			$done[$appname] = 1;
+		}
+	}
+	foreach($neworder as $index => $appname)
+	{
+		$thisd = $searchlist[$appname];
+		//echo "$appname: $thisd<br>";
+		if((($curcol++>$numcols) || ($thisd==1)) && $tropen==1)
+		{
+			$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','end_row');
+			$tropen = 0;
+			//$curcol = 1;
+		}
+		if(!$tropen)
+		{
+			$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','begin_row');
+			$tropen=1;
+		}
+
+		$small = ($thisd>1) && (count($neworder) > $index + 1) && ($searchlist[$neworder[$index + 1]] > 1);
+		$var['tdwidth'] = $small ? '50' : '100';
+		$var['colspan'] = $small ? '1' : '2';
+
+		ob_start();
+		$var['content'] = $GLOBALS['egw']->hooks->single('home',$appname);
+		if (!$var['content'] || $var['content'] == 1)	// content has been echoed and not returned
+		{
+			$var['content'] = ob_get_contents();
+			ob_end_clean();
+		}
+		$GLOBALS['tpl']->set_var($var);
+
+		$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','cell');
+
+		if(($thisd<=1 || ($thisd>1&&$lastd>1)) && $tropen && $var['content'])
+		{
+			$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','end_row');
+			$tropen = 0;
+			$lastd = 0;
+			$curcol = 1;
+ 		}
+		else
+		{
+			$lastd = $thisd;
 		}
-		$done[$appname] = 1;
 	}
 
 	$GLOBALS['tpl']->pfp('out','end_table');
diff --git a/phpgwapi/inc/class.preferences.inc.php b/phpgwapi/inc/class.preferences.inc.php
index 6e1ddfe6d2..c3864979ef 100644
--- a/phpgwapi/inc/class.preferences.inc.php
+++ b/phpgwapi/inc/class.preferences.inc.php
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ class preferences
 				}
 				break;
 
-			case user:
+			case 'user':
 			default:
 				$this->user[$app_name][$var] = $value;
 				if (!isset($this->forced[$app_name][$var]) || $this->forced[$app_name][$var] === '')
@@ -520,38 +520,39 @@ class preferences
 		}
 		$pref = &$this->$type;
 
-		if (($all = (is_string($var) && $var == '')))
+		//if (($all = (is_string($var) && $var == ''))) // old condition replaced, as all  ($all) means that var is not a string and does not have content
+		if (($all = empty($var))) // to check if $var is regarded as empty (false, 0, '', null, array() should do the trick
 		{
-			unset($pref[$app_name]);
+			$pref[$app_name] = null;
 			unset($this->data[$app_name]);
 		}
 		else
 		{
-			unset($pref[$app_name][$var]);
+			$pref[$app_name][$var] = null;
 			unset($this->data[$app_name][$var]);
 		}
 		// set the effectiv pref again if needed
 		//
 		foreach ($set_via[$type] as $set_from)
 		{
+			$arr = &$this->$set_from;
 			if ($all)
 			{
-				if (isset($this->$set_from[$app_name]))
+				if (isset($arr[$app_name]))
 				{
-					$this->data[$app_name] = $this->$set_from[$app_name];
+					$this->data[$app_name] = $arr[$app_name];
 					break;
 				}
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				$arr = $this->$set_from;
 				if($var && @isset($arr[$app_name][$var]) && $arr[$app_name][$var] !== '')
 				{
-					$this->data[$app_name][$var] = $this->$set_from[$app_name][$var];
+					$this->data[$app_name][$var] = $arr[$app_name][$var];
 					break;
 				}
-				unset($arr);
 			}
+			unset($arr);
 		}
 		reset ($this->data);
 		return $this->data;
diff --git a/set_box.php b/set_box.php
index 455f97fc90..573e84bd7d 100755
--- a/set_box.php
+++ b/set_box.php
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
 
 	function move_boxes($curr_position,$new_order,$offset,$value_to_check,$max_num)
 	{
-		//echo "MOVE: $curr_position,$new_order,$offset,$value_to_check,$max_num<br>";
+		//error_log(__METHOD__."MOVE: $curr_position,$new_order,$offset,$value_to_check,$max_num<br>");
+		$move_app_id = (int)$GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order'][$curr_position];
 		if(isset($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order'][$new_order]))
 		{
 			if($new_order == $max_num)
@@ -38,24 +39,21 @@
 				{
 					@krsort($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order']);
 				}
-				while(list($seq_order,$appid) = each($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order']))
+				foreach($GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order'] as $seq_order => $appid)
 				{
 					if($seq_order != $value_to_check)
 					{
 						$prev_seq = $seq_order + $offset;
-						$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->delete('portal_order',$prev_seq);
 						$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->add('portal_order',$prev_seq,$appid);
 					}
 				}
 			}
 			else
 			{
-				$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->delete('portal_order',$curr_position);
 				$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->add('portal_order',$curr_position,(int)$GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['portal_order'][$new_order]);
 			}
 		}
-		$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->delete('portal_order',$new_order);
-		$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->add('portal_order',$new_order,(int)$_GET['app']);
+		$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->add('portal_order',$new_order,$move_app_id);
 
 		$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->save_repository();
 	}
@@ -93,8 +91,11 @@
 			move_boxes($curr_position,$new_order,$offset,$max_count,0);
 			break;
 		case 'close':
-			$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->add($GLOBALS['egw']->applications->id2name($_GET['app']), 'homepage_display', 0);
-			$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->save_repository();
+			$portal_varnames = array('mainscreen_showevents', 'homeShowEvents','homeShowLatest','mainscreen_showmail','mainscreen_showbirthdays','mainscreen_show_new_updated','homepage_display');
+			$appname = $GLOBALS['egw']->applications->id2name($_GET['app']);
+			foreach($portal_varnames as $varname)
+				$GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->add($appname, $varname, 0);
+			$GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences'] = $GLOBALS['egw']->preferences->save_repository();
 			break;
 		case 'edit':
 		case 'question':