diff --git a/copyparty/httpcli.py b/copyparty/httpcli.py
index 8d8ec9bc..38f3d85c 100644
--- a/copyparty/httpcli.py
+++ b/copyparty/httpcli.py
@@ -1275,13 +1275,6 @@ class HttpCli(object):
         if self.writable:
             perms.append("write")
 
-        if is_ls:
-            [x.pop(k) for k in ["name", "dt"] for y in [dirs, files] for x in y]
-            ret = {"dirs": dirs, "files": files, "srvinf": srv_info, "perms": perms}
-            ret = json.dumps(ret)
-            self.reply(ret.encode("utf-8", "replace"), mime="application/json")
-            return True
-
         logues = [None, None]
         for n, fn in enumerate([".prologue.html", ".epilogue.html"]):
             fn = os.path.join(abspath, fn)
@@ -1289,6 +1282,19 @@ class HttpCli(object):
                 with open(fsenc(fn), "rb") as f:
                     logues[n] = f.read().decode("utf-8")
 
+        if is_ls:
+            [x.pop(k) for k in ["name", "dt"] for y in [dirs, files] for x in y]
+            ret = {
+                "dirs": dirs,
+                "files": files,
+                "srvinf": srv_info,
+                "perms": perms,
+                "logues": logues,
+            }
+            ret = json.dumps(ret)
+            self.reply(ret.encode("utf-8", "replace"), mime="application/json")
+            return True
+
         ts = ""
         # ts = "?{}".format(time.time())
 
@@ -1301,8 +1307,7 @@ class HttpCli(object):
             ts=ts,
             perms=json.dumps(perms),
             have_up2k_idx=self.args.e2d,
-            prologue=logues[0],
-            epilogue=logues[1],
+            logues=logues,
             title=html_escape(self.vpath),
             srv_info=srv_info,
         )
diff --git a/copyparty/web/browser.html b/copyparty/web/browser.html
index 57e36ad2..5bf98cf5 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/browser.html
+++ b/copyparty/web/browser.html
@@ -38,9 +38,7 @@
         {%- endfor %}
     </h1>
     
-    {%- if prologue %}
-    <div id="pro" class="logue">{{ prologue }}</div>
-    {%- endif %}
+    <div id="pro" class="logue">{{ logues[0] }}</div>
 
     <table id="treetab">
         <tr>
@@ -71,9 +69,7 @@
         </tbody>
     </table>
     
-    {%- if epilogue %}
-    <div id="epi" class="logue">{{ epilogue }}</div>
-    {%- endif %}
+    <div id="epi" class="logue">{{ logues[1] }}</div>
 
     <h2><a href="?h">control-panel</a></h2>
 
diff --git a/copyparty/web/browser.js b/copyparty/web/browser.js
index 02e6b7b8..804b7871 100644
--- a/copyparty/web/browser.js
+++ b/copyparty/web/browser.js
@@ -712,15 +712,9 @@ function autoplay_blocked() {
 
 		treetab.style.display = 'table';
 
-		var pro = ebi('pro');
-		if (pro)
-			treefiles.appendChild(pro);
-
+		treefiles.appendChild(ebi('pro'));
 		treefiles.appendChild(ebi('files'));
-
-		var epi = ebi('epi');
-		if (epi)
-			treefiles.appendChild(epi);
+		treefiles.appendChild(ebi('epi'));
 
 		localStorage.setItem('entreed', 'tree');
 		get_tree("", get_vpath());
@@ -872,11 +866,8 @@ function autoplay_blocked() {
 		apply_perms(res.perms);
 		despin('#files');
 
-		var o = ebi('pro');
-		if (o) o.parentNode.removeChild(o);
-
-		o = ebi('epi');
-		if (o) o.parentNode.removeChild(o);
+		ebi('pro').innerHTML = res.logues ? res.logues[0] || "" : "";
+		ebi('epi').innerHTML = res.logues ? res.logues[1] || "" : "";
 
 		reload_tree();
 		reload_browser();
@@ -915,15 +906,9 @@ function autoplay_blocked() {
 		ev(e);
 		var treetab = ebi('treetab');
 
-		var pro = ebi('pro');
-		if (pro)
-			treetab.parentNode.insertBefore(pro, treetab);
-
+		treetab.parentNode.insertBefore(ebi('pro'), treetab);
 		treetab.parentNode.insertBefore(ebi('files'), treetab.nextSibling);
-
-		var epi = ebi('epi');
-		if (epi)
-			treetab.parentNode.insertBefore(epi, ebi('files').nextSibling);
+		treetab.parentNode.insertBefore(ebi('epi'), ebi('files').nextSibling);
 
 		ebi('path').style.display = 'inline-block';
 		treetab.style.display = 'none';