diff --git a/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml b/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml
index f78c29f7..408e75b6 100644
--- a/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ Singleton {
     property int dankLauncherV2BorderThickness: 2
     property string dankLauncherV2BorderColor: "primary"
     property bool dankLauncherV2ShowFooter: true
-    property bool dankLauncherV2UnloadOnClose: false
+    property bool dankLauncherV2UnloadOnClose: true
 
     property string _legacyWeatherLocation: "New York, NY"
     property string _legacyWeatherCoordinates: "40.7128,-74.0060"
diff --git a/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js b/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js
index 9feccf61..a5ee2fdf 100644
--- a/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js
+++ b/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ var SPEC = {
     dankLauncherV2BorderThickness: { def: 2 },
     dankLauncherV2BorderColor: { def: "primary" },
     dankLauncherV2ShowFooter: { def: true },
-    dankLauncherV2UnloadOnClose: { def: false },
+    dankLauncherV2UnloadOnClose: { def: true },
 
     useAutoLocation: { def: false },
     weatherEnabled: { def: true },
diff --git a/quickshell/DMSShell.qml b/quickshell/DMSShell.qml
index b0a5feb6..059e43ab 100644
--- a/quickshell/DMSShell.qml
+++ b/quickshell/DMSShell.qml
@@ -531,11 +531,6 @@ Item {
                 PopoutService.dankLauncherV2Modal = dankLauncherV2Modal;
                 PopoutService._onDankLauncherV2ModalLoaded();
             }
-
-            onDialogClosed: {
-                if (SettingsData.dankLauncherV2UnloadOnClose)
-                    PopoutService.unloadDankLauncherV2();
-            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2Modal.qml b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2Modal.qml
index ad401754..cf7f3a12 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2Modal.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2Modal.qml
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ Item {
 
     PanelWindow {
         id: launcherWindow
-        visible: root._windowEnabled && (!SettingsData.dankLauncherV2UnloadOnClose || spotlightOpen || isClosing)
+        visible: root._windowEnabled
         color: "transparent"
         exclusionMode: ExclusionMode.Ignore
 
@@ -376,7 +376,9 @@ Item {
                 LauncherContent {
                     id: launcherContent
                     anchors.fill: parent
+                    focus: true
                     parentModal: root
+                    heavyContentActive: !SettingsData.dankLauncherV2UnloadOnClose || spotlightOpen || isClosing
                 }
 
                 Keys.onEscapePressed: event => {
diff --git a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/LauncherContent.qml b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/LauncherContent.qml
index 1444cbbd..2a4b64d6 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/LauncherContent.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/LauncherContent.qml
@@ -12,10 +12,11 @@ FocusScope {
     LayoutMirroring.childrenInherit: true
 
     property var parentModal: null
+    property bool heavyContentActive: true
     property string viewModeContext: "spotlight"
     property alias searchField: searchField
     property alias controller: controller
-    property alias resultsList: resultsList
+    property var resultsList: resultsLoader.item
     property alias actionPanel: actionPanel
 
     property bool editMode: false
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ FocusScope {
     property string editAppId: ""
 
     function resetScroll() {
-        resultsList.resetScroll();
+        if (resultsList)
+            resultsList.resetScroll();
     }
 
     function focusSearchField() {
@@ -222,7 +224,7 @@ FocusScope {
             return;
         case Qt.Key_Menu:
         case Qt.Key_F10:
-            if (contextMenu.hasContextMenuActions(controller.selectedItem)) {
+            if (resultsList && contextMenu.hasContextMenuActions(controller.selectedItem)) {
                 var scenePos = resultsList.getSelectedItemPosition();
                 var localPos = root.mapFromItem(null, scenePos.x, scenePos.y);
                 showContextMenu(controller.selectedItem, localPos.x, localPos.y, true);
@@ -551,14 +553,15 @@ FocusScope {
                 }
             }
 
-            Item {
+            Loader {
+                id: resultsLoader
                 width: parent.width
                 height: parent.height - searchField.height - categoryRow.height - actionPanel.height - Theme.spacingXS * (categoryRow.visible ? 3 : 2)
+                active: root.heavyContentActive
+                asynchronous: false
                 opacity: root.parentModal?.isClosing ? 0 : 1
 
-                ResultsList {
-                    id: resultsList
-                    anchors.fill: parent
+                sourceComponent: ResultsList {
                     controller: root.controller
 
                     onItemRightClicked: (index, item, sceneX, sceneY) => {
diff --git a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/Scorer.js b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/Scorer.js
index 16033f03..affc1ad7 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/Scorer.js
+++ b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/Scorer.js
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ function scoreItems(items, query, getFrecencyFn) {
         var item = items[i]
         var itemScore
 
-        if (item._preScored !== undefined) {
+        if (query && item._preScored !== undefined) {
             itemScore = item._preScored
         } else {
             var frecencyData = getFrecencyFn ? getFrecencyFn(item) : null