diff --git a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/utils/GameSettings.java b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/utils/GameSettings.java
index 0dfed0458..188e8e827 100644
--- a/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/utils/GameSettings.java
+++ b/SPD-classes/src/main/java/com/watabou/utils/GameSettings.java
@@ -21,21 +21,29 @@
 
 package com.watabou.utils;
 
+import com.badlogic.gdx.Application;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.Gdx;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.Preferences;
 
 public class GameSettings {
 	
+	//TODO might want to rename this file. this is the auto-generated name for android atm
+	public static final String PREFS_FILE = "ShatteredPixelDungeon";
+	
 	private static Preferences prefs;
 	
 	private static Preferences get() {
 		if (prefs == null) {
-			//TODO might want to rename this file. this is the auto-generated name for android atm
-			prefs = Gdx.app.getPreferences("ShatteredPixelDungeon");
+			prefs = Gdx.app.getPreferences(PREFS_FILE);
 		}
 		return prefs;
 	}
 	
+	//allows setting up of preferences without Gdx.app being initialized
+	public static void setPrefsFromInstance (Application instance){
+		prefs = instance.getPreferences(PREFS_FILE);
+	}
+	
 	public static boolean contains( String key ){
 		return get().contains( key );
 	}
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidLauncher.java b/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidLauncher.java
index a7f22a5c0..7052261fc 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidLauncher.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidLauncher.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import android.telephony.TelephonyManager;
 
 import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.android.AndroidApplication;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.android.AndroidApplicationConfiguration;
+import com.shatteredpixel.shatteredpixeldungeon.SPDSettings;
 import com.shatteredpixel.shatteredpixeldungeon.ShatteredPixelDungeon;
 import com.watabou.noosa.Game;
 import com.watabou.noosa.audio.Music;
@@ -60,9 +61,13 @@ public class AndroidLauncher extends AndroidApplication {
 			Game.versionCode = 0;
 		}
 		
+		// grab preferences directly using our instance first
+		// so that we don't need to rely on Gdx.app, which isn't initialized yet.
+		SPDSettings.setPrefsFromInstance(instance);
+		
 		//set desired orientation (if it exists) before initializing the app.
-		if (getPreferences("ShatteredPixelDungeon").contains("landscape")) {
-			if (getPreferences("ShatteredPixelDungeon").getBoolean("landscape")){
+		if (SPDSettings.landscapeFromSettings() != null) {
+			if (SPDSettings.landscapeFromSettings()){
 				instance.setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR_LANDSCAPE);
 			} else {
 				instance.setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR_PORTRAIT);
@@ -83,6 +88,8 @@ public class AndroidLauncher extends AndroidApplication {
 		
 		support = new AndroidPlatformSupport();
 		
+		support.updateSystemUI();
+		
 		initialize(new ShatteredPixelDungeon(support), config);
 		
 		view = (GLSurfaceView)graphics.getView();
@@ -115,4 +122,10 @@ public class AndroidLauncher extends AndroidApplication {
 		super.onWindowFocusChanged(hasFocus);
 		support.updateSystemUI();
 	}
+	
+	@Override
+	public void onMultiWindowModeChanged(boolean isInMultiWindowMode) {
+		super.onMultiWindowModeChanged(isInMultiWindowMode);
+		support.updateSystemUI();
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidPlatformSupport.java b/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidPlatformSupport.java
index 95c485d80..47c98fdfe 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidPlatformSupport.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/android/AndroidPlatformSupport.java
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ public class AndroidPlatformSupport extends PlatformSupport {
 							WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FULLSCREEN | WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FORCE_NOT_FULLSCREEN);
 				}
 				
-				if (DeviceCompat.supportsFullScreen()){
+				if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT){
 					if (SPDSettings.fullscreen()) {
 						AndroidLauncher.instance.getWindow().getDecorView().setSystemUiVisibility(
 								View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LAYOUT_STABLE | View.SYSTEM_UI_FLAG_LAYOUT_HIDE_NAVIGATION
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/SPDSettings.java b/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/SPDSettings.java
index 89695ca57..04b41e5d4 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/SPDSettings.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/SPDSettings.java
@@ -76,6 +76,14 @@ public class SPDSettings extends GameSettings {
 		return getBoolean(KEY_LANDSCAPE, Game.dispWidth > Game.dispHeight);
 	}
 	
+	public static Boolean landscapeFromSettings(){
+		if (contains(KEY_LANDSCAPE)){
+			return getBoolean(KEY_LANDSCAPE, false);
+		} else {
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
+	
 	public static void powerSaver( boolean value ){
 		put( KEY_POWER_SAVER, value );
 		((ShatteredPixelDungeon)ShatteredPixelDungeon.instance).updateDisplaySize();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ShatteredPixelDungeon.java b/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ShatteredPixelDungeon.java
index 7fefebcb8..7e232d1db 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ShatteredPixelDungeon.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/shatteredpixel/shatteredpixeldungeon/ShatteredPixelDungeon.java
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ public class ShatteredPixelDungeon extends Game {
 		super.create();
 
 		updateSystemUI();
-		SPDSettings.landscape ( SPDSettings.landscape() );
 		
 		Music.INSTANCE.enable( SPDSettings.music() );
 		Music.INSTANCE.volume( SPDSettings.musicVol()/10f );
@@ -220,10 +219,4 @@ public class ShatteredPixelDungeon extends Game {
 	public static void updateSystemUI() {
 		platform.updateSystemUI();
 	}
-	
-	@Override
-	public void resume() {
-		super.resume();
-		updateSystemUI();
-	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file