diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index b504dc5..a5c530c 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -22,11 +22,6 @@ script:
   - python overviewer.py ~/mcoa/exmaple ~/test-output --rendermodes=smooth-lighting -p1
 notifications:
   email: false
-  irc:
-    channels:
-      - "chat.freenode.net#overviewer"
-    template:
-      - "\x0313Minecraft-Overviewer\x03/\x0306%{branch}\x03 \x0314%{commit}\x03 %{build_url} %{message}"
 # matrix:
   # allow_failures:
     # - python: "3.2"
diff --git a/overviewer_core/data/js_src/overviewer.js b/overviewer_core/data/js_src/overviewer.js
index 9a9370b..559376b 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/data/js_src/overviewer.js
+++ b/overviewer_core/data/js_src/overviewer.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ overviewer.worldCtrl = null;
 overviewer.layerCtrl = null;
 overviewer.compass = null;
 overviewer.coord_box = null;
+overviewer.progress = null;
 overviewer.current_world = null;
 
 /// Records the current layer by name (if any) of each world
diff --git a/overviewer_core/data/js_src/util.js b/overviewer_core/data/js_src/util.js
index 307c1cf..7afe306 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/data/js_src/util.js
+++ b/overviewer_core/data/js_src/util.js
@@ -67,6 +67,48 @@ overviewer.util = {
                 return this.coord_box;
             }
         });
+        overviewer.progressClass = L.Control.extend({
+            options: {
+                position: 'bottomright'
+            },
+            initialize: function() {
+                this.progress = L.DomUtil.create("div", "progress");
+                this.progress.innerHTML = 'Current render progress';
+                this.progress.style.visibility = 'hidden';
+            },
+            update: function() {
+                fetch("progress.json")
+                    .then(response => {
+                        if (!response.ok) {
+                            throw new Error('Response was not ok');
+                        }
+                        return response.json();
+                    })
+                    .then(data => {
+                        this.progress.innerHTML = data.message;
+                        if (data.update > 0) {
+                            setTimeout(this.update.bind(this), data.update);
+                            this.progress.style.visibility = '';
+                        } else {
+                            setTimeout(this.update.bind(this), 60000);
+                            this.progress.innerHTML = 'Hidden - data.update < 0';
+                            this.progress.style.visibility = 'hidden';
+                        }
+                    })
+                    .catch(error => {
+                        this.progress.innerHtml = 'Hidden - no data';
+                        this.progress.style.visibility = 'hidden';
+                        console.info('Error getting progress; hiding control', error);
+                    });
+            },
+            onAdd: function() {
+                // Not all browsers may have this
+                if ('fetch' in window) {
+                    setTimeout(this.update.bind(this), 0);
+                }
+                return this.progress;
+            }
+        });
         overviewer.compassClass = L.Control.extend({
             initialize: function(imagedict, options) {
                 L.Util.setOptions(this, options);
@@ -247,6 +289,7 @@ overviewer.util = {
         overviewer.compass = new overviewer.compassClass(
             overviewerConfig.CONST.image.compass);
         overviewer.coord_box = new overviewer.coordBoxClass();
+        overviewer.progress = new overviewer.progressClass();
 
 
         overviewerConfig.worlds.forEach(function(world_name, idx) {
@@ -258,6 +301,7 @@ overviewer.util = {
         overviewer.compass.addTo(overviewer.map);
         overviewer.worldCtrl.addTo(overviewer.map);
         overviewer.coord_box.addTo(overviewer.map);
+        overviewer.progress.addTo(overviewer.map);
 
         overviewer.map.on('mousemove', function(ev) {
             overviewer.coord_box.render(ev.latlng);
@@ -290,7 +334,8 @@ overviewer.util = {
                     for (var mkidx = 0; mkidx < markers[obj.path].length; mkidx++) {
                         var marker_group = new L.layerGroup();
                         var marker_entry = markers[obj.path][mkidx];
-                        var icon =  L.icon({iconUrl: marker_entry.icon});
+                        var icon =  L.icon({iconUrl: marker_entry.icon,
+                                            className: "ov-marker"});
                         console.log("marker group:", marker_entry.displayName, marker_entry.groupName);
 
                         for (var dbidx = 0; dbidx < markersDB[marker_entry.groupName].raw.length; dbidx++) {
@@ -298,12 +343,15 @@ overviewer.util = {
                             var latlng = overviewer.util.fromWorldToLatLng(db.x, db.y, db.z, obj);
                             var m_icon;
                             if (db.icon != undefined) {
-                                m_icon = L.icon({iconUrl: db.icon});
+                                m_icon = L.icon({iconUrl: db.icon,
+                                                 className: "ov-marker"});
                             } else {
                                 m_icon = icon;
                             }
                             let new_marker = new L.marker(latlng, {icon: m_icon, title: db.hovertext});
-                            new_marker.bindPopup(db.text);
+                            if (marker_entry.createInfoWindow) {
+                                new_marker.bindPopup(db.text);
+                            }
                             marker_group.addLayer(new_marker);
                         }
                         obj.marker_groups[marker_entry.displayName] = marker_group;
@@ -324,9 +372,9 @@ overviewer.util = {
 
             if (typeof(obj.spawn) == "object") {
                 var latlng = overviewer.util.fromWorldToLatLng(obj.spawn[0], obj.spawn[1], obj.spawn[2], obj);
-                overviewer.collections.centers[obj.world] = [ latlng, 1 ];
+                overviewer.collections.centers[obj.world] = [ latlng, obj.defaultZoom ];
             } else {
-                overviewer.collections.centers[obj.world] = [ [0, 0], 1 ];
+                overviewer.collections.centers[obj.world] = [ [0, 0], obj.defaultZoom ];
             }
 
         });
@@ -338,8 +386,8 @@ overviewer.util = {
             .addTo(overviewer.map);
         overviewer.current_world = overviewerConfig.worlds[0];
 
-        //myLayer.addTo(overviewer.map);
-        overviewer.map.setView(overviewer.util.fromWorldToLatLng(tset.spawn[0], tset.spawn[1], tset.spawn[2], tset), 1);
+        let center = overviewer.collections.centers[overviewer.current_world];
+        overviewer.map.setView(center[0], center[1]);
 
         if (!overviewer.util.initHash()) {
             overviewer.worldCtrl.onChange({target: {value: overviewer.current_world}});
diff --git a/overviewer_core/data/web_assets/overviewer.css b/overviewer_core/data/web_assets/overviewer.css
index 4d3f94a..ac5358e 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/data/web_assets/overviewer.css
+++ b/overviewer_core/data/web_assets/overviewer.css
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ div.worldcontrol select {
     font-size: 1.2em;
 }
 
-.leaflet-container .coordbox {
+.leaflet-container .coordbox, .leaflet-container .progress {
     box-shadow: none;
     font-size: 11px;
     background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);
@@ -173,3 +173,9 @@ div.worldcontrol select {
     padding: 0 5px;
     color: #333;
 }
+
+.ov-marker {
+    position:relative;
+    margin-left:-50%;
+    margin-top:-50%;
+}
diff --git a/overviewer_core/nbt.py b/overviewer_core/nbt.py
index 52e7422..cd2ba59 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/nbt.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/nbt.py
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ class NBTFileReader(object):
         # Read the string
         string = self._file.read(length)
         # decode it and return
-        return string.decode("UTF-8")
+        return string.decode("UTF-8", 'replace')
 
     def _read_tag_list(self):
         tagid = self._read_tag_byte()
diff --git a/overviewer_core/observer.py b/overviewer_core/observer.py
index 0e9bcd9..2c5bde7 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/observer.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/observer.py
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ class JSObserver(Observer):
         """
         self._current_value = current_value
         if self._need_update():
-            refresh = max(1500*(time.time() - self.last_update_time), self.minrefresh) // 1
+            refresh = max(1500*(time.time() - max(self.start_time, self.last_update_time)), self.minrefresh) // 1
             self.logfile.seek(0)
             self.logfile.truncate()
             if self.get_current_value():
diff --git a/overviewer_core/tileset.py b/overviewer_core/tileset.py
index 6c7a331..8653802 100644
--- a/overviewer_core/tileset.py
+++ b/overviewer_core/tileset.py
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ class TileSet(object):
         if (self.regionset.get_type() == None and self.options.get("showspawn", True)):
             d.update({"spawn": self.options.get("spawn")})
         else:
-            d.update({"spawn": "false"});
+            d.update({"spawn": False})
 
         try:
             d['north_direction'] = self.regionset.north_dir