diff --git a/boot/boot.js b/boot/boot.js
index f090c816f..7d5e556d5 100644
--- a/boot/boot.js
+++ b/boot/boot.js
@@ -1726,12 +1726,62 @@ $tw.boot.startup = function(options) {
 	if($tw.crypto) {
 		$tw.crypto.updateCryptoStateTiddler();
 	}
-	// Run any startup modules
+	// Gather up any startup modules
+	$tw.boot.remainingStartupModules = []; // Array of startup modules
 	$tw.modules.forEachModuleOfType("startup",function(title,module) {
 		if(module.startup) {
-			module.startup();
+			$tw.boot.remainingStartupModules.push(module);
 		}
 	});
+	// Keep track of the startup tasks that have been executed
+	$tw.boot.executedStartupModules = Object.create(null);
+	// Repeatedly execute the next eligible task
+	$tw.boot.executeNextStartupTask();
+};
+
+/*
+Execute the remaining eligible startup tasks
+*/
+$tw.boot.executeNextStartupTask = function() {
+	// Find the next eligible task
+	var taskIndex = 0;
+	while(taskIndex < $tw.boot.remainingStartupModules.length) {
+		var task = $tw.boot.remainingStartupModules[taskIndex];
+		if($tw.boot.isStartupTaskEligible(task)) {
+			// Remove this task from the list
+			$tw.boot.remainingStartupModules.splice(taskIndex,1);
+			// Execute it
+			if(!$tw.utils.hop(task,"synchronous") || task.synchronous) {
+				task.startup();
+				if(task.name) {
+					$tw.boot.executedStartupModules[task.name] = true;
+				}
+				return $tw.boot.executeNextStartupTask();
+			} else {
+				task.startup(function() {
+					if(task.name) {
+						$tw.boot.executedStartupModules[task.name] = true;
+					}
+					return $tw.boot.executeNextStartupTask();
+				});
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+		taskIndex++;
+	}
+	return false;
+};
+
+$tw.boot.isStartupTaskEligible = function(taskModule) {
+	var dependencies = taskModule.dependencies;
+	if(dependencies) {
+		for(var t=0; t<dependencies.length; t++) {
+			if(!$tw.boot.executedStartupModules[dependencies[t]]) {
+				return false;
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return true;
 };
 
 /////////////////////////// Main boot function to decrypt tiddlers and then startup
diff --git a/core/modules/startup.js b/core/modules/startup.js
index 67d217141..e4e670132 100755
--- a/core/modules/startup.js
+++ b/core/modules/startup.js
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ This is the main application logic for both the client and server
 /*global $tw: false */
 "use strict";
 
+// Export name and synchronous status
+exports.name = "startup";
+exports.synchronous = true;
+
 // Set to `true` to enable performance instrumentation
 var PERFORMANCE_INSTRUMENTATION = false;
 
@@ -322,6 +326,7 @@ function updateLocationHash() {
 		targetTiddler = historyList[historyList.length-1].title;
 	}
 	$tw.locationHash = "#" + encodeURIComponent(targetTiddler) + ":" + encodeURIComponent($tw.utils.stringifyList(storyList));
+	// Only change the location hash if we must, thus avoiding unnecessary onhashchange events
 	if(window.location.hash !== $tw.locationHash) {
 		window.location.hash = $tw.locationHash;
 	}
diff --git a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/mechanisms/BootMechanism.tid b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/mechanisms/BootMechanism.tid
index e6a0bab3d..e92c717f6 100644
--- a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/mechanisms/BootMechanism.tid
+++ b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/mechanisms/BootMechanism.tid
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 created: 20130825142900000
-modified: 20131214093453953
-tags: mechanism
+modified: 20140502142900000
+tags: mechanism dev
 title: BootMechanism
 type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki
 
@@ -39,3 +39,5 @@ In the browser, `core/boot.js` is packed into a template HTML file that contains
 On the server, `core/boot.js` is executed directly. It uses the `Node.js` local file API to load plugins directly from the file system in the `core/modules` directory. The code loading is performed synchronously for brevity (and because the system is in any case inherently blocked until plugins are loaded).
 
 The boot process sets up the `$tw` global variable that is used to store all the state data of the system.
+
+At the end of the boot process the StartupMechanism schedules the execution of startup modules to bring up the rest of TiddlyWiki.
diff --git a/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/mechanisms/StartupMechanism.tid b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/mechanisms/StartupMechanism.tid
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a620e915b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/editions/tw5.com/tiddlers/mechanisms/StartupMechanism.tid
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+created: 20140502142900000
+modified: 20140502142900000
+tags: mechanism dev
+title: StartupMechanism
+type: text/vnd.tiddlywiki
+
+The startup mechanism runs the installed startup modules at the end of the [[boot process|BootMechanism]].
+
+! Startup Modules
+
+Modules with their ''module-type'' field set to `startup`:
+
+* Must expose a `startup` function
+** For synchronous startup modules the startup function is called as `startup()`, asynchronous modules are passed a callback they must invoke on completion: `startup(callback)`
+* May expose a `name` property that is used to identify the task
+* May expose a `dependencies` property containing an array of names of dependent tasks that must be run before this one
+
+! Startup Processing
+
+The startup mechanism begins by sequentially executing the tasks that have no dependencies. It then continues executing tasks as they are unlocked by the completion of their dependencies.
+
+There is no guarantee of the execution order of tasks that share the same dependencies.
+
+! Startup Tasks
+
+The core defines the following sequence of named startup tasks:
+
+|!Task Name |!Description |
diff --git a/plugins/tiddlywiki/googleanalytics/googleanalytics.js b/plugins/tiddlywiki/googleanalytics/googleanalytics.js
index 477d61d2f..a69a912d0 100644
--- a/plugins/tiddlywiki/googleanalytics/googleanalytics.js
+++ b/plugins/tiddlywiki/googleanalytics/googleanalytics.js
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ Runs Google Analytics with the account number in the tiddler `$:/GoogleAnalytics
 /*global $tw: false */
 "use strict";
 
+// Export name and synchronous status
+exports.name = "google-analytics";
+exports.synchronous = true;
+
 var GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_ACCOUNT = "$:/GoogleAnalyticsAccount",
 	GOOGLE_ANALYTICS_DOMAIN = "$:/GoogleAnalyticsDomain";