diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWMetaDialog.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWMetaDialog.js
index e9b468be19..de1715a9ad 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWMetaDialog.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/dialogs/ve.ui.MWMetaDialog.js
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ ve.ui.MWMetaDialog.prototype.getSetupProcess = function ( data ) {
 	return ve.ui.MWMetaDialog.super.prototype.getSetupProcess.call( this, data )
 		.next( function () {
 			var surfaceModel = this.getFragment().getSurface(),
+				promises = [],
 				selectWidget = this.bookletLayout.outlineSelectWidget,
 				visualOnlyPages = [ 'categories', 'settings', 'advancedSettings', 'languages' ],
 				isSource = ve.init.target.getSurface().getMode() === 'source';
@@ -231,10 +232,12 @@ ve.ui.MWMetaDialog.prototype.getSetupProcess = function ( data ) {
 			surfaceModel.pushStaging();
 
 			// Let each page set itself up ('languages' page doesn't need this yet)
-			this.categoriesPage.setup( surfaceModel.metaList, data );
-			this.settingsPage.setup( surfaceModel.metaList, data );
-			this.advancedSettingsPage.setup( surfaceModel.metaList, data );
-
+			promises.push( this.categoriesPage.setup( surfaceModel.metaList, data ) );
+			promises.push( this.settingsPage.setup( surfaceModel.metaList, data ) );
+			promises.push( this.advancedSettingsPage.setup( surfaceModel.metaList, data ) );
+			return $.when.apply( $, promises );
+		}, this )
+		.next( function () {
 			if ( data.page && this.bookletLayout.getPage( data.page ) ) {
 				// HACK: Prevent the setPage() call from focussing stuff in the selected page. For the
 				// 'categories' page, this causes a dropdown to appear, and if it's done in the setup
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWAdvancedSettingsPage.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWAdvancedSettingsPage.js
index ae0d919e24..118827d64c 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWAdvancedSettingsPage.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWAdvancedSettingsPage.js
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ ve.ui.MWAdvancedSettingsPage.prototype.onNewSectionEditLinkOptionChange = functi
  *
  * @param {ve.dm.MetaList} metaList Meta list
  * @param {Object} [data] Dialog setup data
+ * @return {jQuery.Promise}
  */
 ve.ui.MWAdvancedSettingsPage.prototype.setup = function ( metaList ) {
 	var indexingField, indexingOption, indexingType,
@@ -232,6 +233,8 @@ ve.ui.MWAdvancedSettingsPage.prototype.setup = function ( metaList ) {
 		var isSelected = !!advancedSettingsPage.getMetaItem( this.metaName );
 		this.fieldLayout.getField().setSelected( isSelected );
 	} );
+
+	return $.Deferred().resolve().promise();
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.js
index 5478171da5..db420b8fcb 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.js
@@ -241,9 +241,11 @@ ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.prototype.getCategoryItemForInsertion = function ( item,
  *
  * @param {ve.dm.MetaList} metaList Meta list
  * @param {Object} [data] Dialog setup data
+ * @return {jQuery.Promise}
  */
 ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.prototype.setup = function ( metaList ) {
 	var defaultSortKeyItem,
+		promise,
 		page = this;
 
 	this.metaList = metaList;
@@ -254,7 +256,7 @@ ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.prototype.setup = function ( metaList ) {
 
 	defaultSortKeyItem = this.getDefaultSortKeyItem();
 
-	this.categoryWidget.addItems( this.getCategoryItems() );
+	promise = this.categoryWidget.addItems( this.getCategoryItems() );
 
 	this.defaultSortInput.setValue(
 		defaultSortKeyItem ? defaultSortKeyItem.getAttribute( 'content' ) : ''
@@ -265,6 +267,8 @@ ve.ui.MWCategoriesPage.prototype.setup = function ( metaList ) {
 	setTimeout( function () {
 		page.categoryWidget.fitInput();
 	}, OO.ui.theme.getDialogTransitionDuration() );
+
+	return promise;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWSettingsPage.js b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWSettingsPage.js
index fa180e48b8..3f7900e918 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWSettingsPage.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/ui/pages/ve.ui.MWSettingsPage.js
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ ve.ui.MWSettingsPage.prototype.getMetaItem = function ( name ) {
  *
  * @param {ve.dm.MetaList} metaList Meta list
  * @param {Object} [data] Dialog setup data
+ * @return {jQuery.Promise}
  */
 ve.ui.MWSettingsPage.prototype.setup = function ( metaList ) {
 	var tableOfContentsMetaItem, tableOfContentsField, tableOfContentsMode,
@@ -285,6 +286,8 @@ ve.ui.MWSettingsPage.prototype.setup = function ( metaList ) {
 		var isSelected = !!settingsPage.getMetaItem( this.metaName );
 		this.fieldLayout.getField().setSelected( isSelected );
 	} );
+
+	return $.Deferred().resolve().promise();
 };
 
 /**