diff --git a/feedlist.js b/feedlist.js
index e47567a81..b475b9c55 100644
--- a/feedlist.js
+++ b/feedlist.js
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ function request_counters_real() {
 			parameters: query,
 			onComplete: function(transport) { 
 				try {
-					handle_rpc_reply(transport);
+					handle_rpc_json(transport);
 				} catch (e) {
 					exception_error("viewfeed/getcounters", e);
 				}
@@ -286,13 +286,11 @@ function displayNewContentPrompt(id) {
 	}
 }
 
-function parse_counters(reply, scheduled_call) {
+function parse_counters(elems, scheduled_call) {
 	try {
 
 		var feeds_found = 0;
 
-		var elems = JSON.parse(reply.firstChild.nodeValue);
-
 		for (var l = 0; l < elems.length; l++) {
 
 			var id = elems[l].id
@@ -302,7 +300,7 @@ function parse_counters(reply, scheduled_call) {
 			var has_img = elems[l].has_img;
 			var updated = elems[l].updated;
 			var title = elems[l].title;
-	
+
 			if (id == "global-unread") {
 				global_unread = ctr;
 				updateTitle();
diff --git a/modules/backend-rpc.php b/modules/backend-rpc.php
index e93571207..93d8f074b 100644
--- a/modules/backend-rpc.php
+++ b/modules/backend-rpc.php
@@ -282,29 +282,27 @@
 
 		if ($subop == "updateAllFeeds" || $subop == "getAllCounters") {
 
+			header("Content-Type: text/plain");
+
 			$last_article_id = (int) $_REQUEST["last_article_id"];	
 
-			print "<rpc-reply>";
+			$reply = array();
 
-			if ($seq)
-				print "<seq>$seq</seq>";
+			if ($seq) $reply['seq'] = $seq;
 
 			if ($last_article_id != getLastArticleId($link)) {
-				print "<counters><![CDATA[";
 				$omode = $_REQUEST["omode"];
 
 				if ($omode != "T") 
-					print json_encode(getAllCounters($link, $omode));
+					$reply['counters'] = getAllCounters($link, $omode);
 				else
-					print json_encode(getGlobalCounters($link));
-
-				print "]]></counters>";
+					$reply['counters'] = getGlobalCounters($link);
 			}
  
-			print_runtime_info($link);
+			$reply['runtime-info'] = make_runtime_info($link);
 
-			print "</rpc-reply>";
 
+			print json_encode($reply);
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -983,7 +981,7 @@
 		}
 
 		if ($subop == "getTweetInfo") {
-			header("Content-Type: text/html");
+			header("Content-Type: text/plain");
 			$id = db_escape_string($_REQUEST['id']);
 
 			$result = db_query($link, "SELECT title, link 
diff --git a/tt-rss.js b/tt-rss.js
index ccb24ecae..6d7994377 100644
--- a/tt-rss.js
+++ b/tt-rss.js
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ function timeout() {
 			new Ajax.Request("backend.php", {
 				parameters: query_str,
 				onComplete: function(transport) { 
-						handle_rpc_reply(transport, !_force_scheduled_update);
+						handle_rpc_json(transport, !_force_scheduled_update);
 						_force_scheduled_update = false;
 					} });
 
@@ -472,21 +472,14 @@ function toggleDispRead() {
 	}
 }
 
-function parse_runtime_info(elem) {
-
-	if (!elem || !elem.firstChild) {
-		console.warn("parse_runtime_info: invalid node passed");
-		return;
-	}
-
-	var data = JSON.parse(elem.firstChild.nodeValue);
+function parse_runtime_info(data) {
 
 	//console.log("parsing runtime info...");
 
 	for (k in data) {
 		var v = data[k];
 
-		// console.log("RI: " + k + " => " + v);
+//		console.log("RI: " + k + " => " + v);
 
 		if (k == "new_version_available") {
 			var icon = $("newVersionIcon");
@@ -1044,12 +1037,12 @@ function handle_rpc_reply(transport, scheduled_call) {
 			var counters = transport.responseXML.getElementsByTagName("counters")[0];
 	
 			if (counters)
-				parse_counters(counters, scheduled_call);
+				parse_counters(JSON.parse(counters.firstChild.nodeValue), scheduled_call);
 
 			var runtime_info = transport.responseXML.getElementsByTagName("runtime-info")[0];
 
 			if (runtime_info)
-				parse_runtime_info(runtime_info);
+				parse_runtime_info(JSON.parse(runtime_info.firstChild.nodeValue));
 
 			hideOrShowFeeds(getInitParam("hide_read_feeds") == 1);
 
@@ -1125,3 +1118,64 @@ function newVersionDlg() {
 		exception_error("newVersionDlg", e);
 	}
 }
+
+function handle_rpc_json(transport, scheduled_call) {
+	try {
+		var reply = JSON.parse(transport.responseText);
+
+		if (reply) {
+
+			var error = reply['error'];
+
+			if (error) {
+				var code = error['code'];
+				var msg = error['msg'];
+				if (code != 0) {
+					fatalError(code, msg);
+					return false;
+				}
+			}
+
+			var seq = reply['seq'];
+
+			if (seq) {
+				if (get_seq() != seq) {
+					console.log("[handle_rpc_json] sequence mismatch: " + seq + 
+						" (want: " + get_seq() + ")");
+					return true;
+				}
+			}
+
+			var message = reply['message'];
+
+			if (message) {
+				if (message == "UPDATE_COUNTERS") {
+					console.log("need to refresh counters...");
+					setInitParam("last_article_id", -1);
+					_force_scheduled_update = true;
+				}
+			}
+
+			var counters = reply['counters'];
+	
+			if (counters)
+				parse_counters(counters, scheduled_call);
+
+			var runtime_info = reply['runtime-info'];;
+
+			if (runtime_info)
+				parse_runtime_info(runtime_info);
+
+			hideOrShowFeeds(getInitParam("hide_read_feeds") == 1);
+
+		} else {
+			notify_error("Error communicating with server.");
+		}
+
+	} catch (e) {
+		exception_error("handle_rpc_json", e, transport);
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
diff --git a/viewfeed.js b/viewfeed.js
index 4344398e3..8d0ab28a9 100644
--- a/viewfeed.js
+++ b/viewfeed.js
@@ -172,10 +172,6 @@ function headlines_callback2(transport, feed_cur_page) {
 			else
 				request_counters();
 
-			if (runtime_info) {
-				parse_runtime_info(runtime_info[0]);
-			} 
-	
 		} else {
 			console.warn("headlines_callback: returned no XML object");
 			dijit.byId("headlines-frame").attr('content', "<div class='whiteBox'>" +