diff --git a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
index dc1f9125655..caadaa1425a 100644
--- a/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgisapp.cpp
@@ -7051,6 +7051,9 @@ void QgisApp::showMouseCoordinate( const QgsPoint & p )
   {
     if ( mMapCanvas->mapUnits() == QGis::Degrees )
     {
+      if ( !mMapCanvas->mapSettings().destinationCrs().isValid() )
+        return;
+
       QgsPoint geo = p;
       if ( !mMapCanvas->mapSettings().destinationCrs().geographicFlag() )
       {
diff --git a/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp b/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp
index 6032ce22d08..bbbbf63106d 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsdataitem.cpp
@@ -350,14 +350,14 @@ QVector<QgsDataItem*> QgsDataItem::createChildren()
   return QVector<QgsDataItem*>();
 }
 
-void QgsDataItem::populate()
+void QgsDataItem::populate( bool foreground )
 {
   if ( state() == Populated || state() == Populating )
     return;
 
   QgsDebugMsg( "mPath = " + mPath );
 
-  if ( capabilities2() & QgsDataItem::Fast )
+  if ( capabilities2() & QgsDataItem::Fast || foreground )
   {
     populate( createChildren() );
   }
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ QVector<QgsDataItem*> QgsDataItem::runCreateChildren( QgsDataItem* item )
     QgsDebugMsg( "moveToThread child " + child->path() );
     child->moveToThread( QApplication::instance()->thread() ); // moves also children
   }
-  QgsDebugMsg( "finished path = " + item->path() );
+  QgsDebugMsg( QString( "finished path %1: %2 children" ).arg( item->path() ).arg( children.size() ) );
   return children;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/qgsdataitem.h b/src/core/qgsdataitem.h
index cb8dc55459f..afe425acfa4 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsdataitem.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsdataitem.h
@@ -241,7 +241,8 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsDataItem : public QObject
     virtual void deleteLater();
 
     // Populate children using children vector created by createChildren()
-    virtual void populate();
+    // @param foreground run createChildren in foreground
+    virtual void populate( bool foreground = false );
 
     /** Remove children recursively and set as not populated. This is used when refreshing collapsed items. */
     virtual void depopulate();
diff --git a/src/providers/ows/qgsowsdataitems.cpp b/src/providers/ows/qgsowsdataitems.cpp
index 67eedad885a..5b82839cdf2 100644
--- a/src/providers/ows/qgsowsdataitems.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/ows/qgsowsdataitems.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ QVector<QgsDataItem*> QgsOWSConnectionItem::createChildren()
       continue;
     }
 
-    item->populate();
+    item->populate( true ); // populate in foreground - this is already run in a thread
 
     layerCount += item->rowCount();
     if ( item->rowCount() > 0 )
diff --git a/src/providers/wms/qgswmsdataitems.cpp b/src/providers/wms/qgswmsdataitems.cpp
index 236d32bf516..eb2c15126c1 100644
--- a/src/providers/wms/qgswmsdataitems.cpp
+++ b/src/providers/wms/qgswmsdataitems.cpp
@@ -20,13 +20,9 @@
 #include "qgswmscapabilities.h"
 #include "qgswmsconnection.h"
 #include "qgswmssourceselect.h"
-
 #include "qgsnewhttpconnection.h"
-
 #include "qgstilescalewidget.h"
 
-#include "qgsapplication.h"
-
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 QgsWMSConnectionItem::QgsWMSConnectionItem( QgsDataItem* parent, QString name, QString path, QString uri )
     : QgsDataCollectionItem( parent, name, path )
@@ -46,19 +42,7 @@ QVector<QgsDataItem*> QgsWMSConnectionItem::createChildren()
 
   QgsDataSourceURI uri;
   uri.setEncodedUri( mUri );
-#if 0
-  if ( mPath.contains( "url=" ) )
-  {
-    encodedUri = mPath;
-    uri.setEncodedUri( encodedUri );
-  }
-  else
-  {
-    QgsWMSConnection connection( mName );
-    uri = connection.uri();
-    encodedUri = uri.encodedUri();
-  }
-#endif
+
   QgsDebugMsg( "mUri = " + mUri );
 
   QgsWmsSettings wmsSettings;
@@ -70,25 +54,6 @@ QVector<QgsDataItem*> QgsWMSConnectionItem::createChildren()
 
   QgsWmsCapabilitiesDownload capDownload( wmsSettings.baseUrl(), wmsSettings.authorization() );
 
-#if 0
-  QWidget *mainWindow = 0;
-
-  QWidgetList topLevelWidgets = qApp->topLevelWidgets();
-  for ( QWidgetList::iterator it = topLevelWidgets.begin(); it != topLevelWidgets.end(); ++it )
-  {
-    if (( *it )->objectName() == "QgisApp" )
-    {
-      mainWindow = *it;
-      break;
-    }
-  }
-
-  if ( mainWindow )
-  {
-    connect( &capDownload, SIGNAL( statusChanged( QString ) ), mainWindow, SLOT( showStatusMessage( QString ) ) );
-  }
-#endif
-
   bool res = capDownload.downloadCapabilities();
 
   if ( !res )
@@ -402,6 +367,7 @@ QWidget * QgsWMSRootItem::paramWidget()
   connect( select, SIGNAL( connectionsChanged() ), this, SLOT( connectionsChanged() ) );
   return select;
 }
+
 void QgsWMSRootItem::connectionsChanged()
 {
   refresh();