diff --git a/src/extensionmanager.ts b/src/extensionmanager.ts
index 627cced041..ef69a07165 100644
--- a/src/extensionmanager.ts
+++ b/src/extensionmanager.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ export class ExtensionManager implements Disposable {
         // Add the event listener for settings changes, then re-initialized the extension
         if (workspace) {
             workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration(() => {
+                Logger.LogDebug("Reinitializing due to onDidChangeConfiguration");
+                //FUTURE: Check to see if we really need to do the re-initialization
                 this.Reinitialize();
             });
         }
@@ -391,7 +393,7 @@ export class ExtensionManager implements Disposable {
         }
     }
 
-    private notifyBranchChanged(currentBranch: string) {
+    private notifyBranchChanged(currentBranch: string) : void {
         this._teamExtension.NotifyBranchChanged(currentBranch);
         //this._tfvcExtension.NotifyBranchChanged(currentBranch);
     }
diff --git a/src/team-extension.ts b/src/team-extension.ts
index 431b9e0150..ea3f3ee9f4 100644
--- a/src/team-extension.ts
+++ b/src/team-extension.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ export class TeamExtension  {
     private _gitClient: GitClient;
     private _witClient: WitClient;
     private _pinnedQuerySettings: PinnedQuerySettings;
+    private _pollingTimer: NodeJS.Timer;
+    private _initialTimer: NodeJS.Timer;
 
     constructor(manager: ExtensionManager) {
         this._manager = manager;
@@ -317,27 +319,33 @@ export class TeamExtension  {
     public InitializeStatusBars() {
         //Only initialize the status bar item if this is a Git repository
         if (this._manager.RepoContext.Type === RepositoryType.GIT) {
-            this._pullRequestStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 99);
-            this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.command = CommandNames.GetPullRequests;
-            this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.text = GitClient.GetPullRequestStatusText(0);
-            this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.tooltip = Strings.BrowseYourPullRequests;
-            this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.show();
+            if (!this._pullRequestStatusBarItem) {
+                this._pullRequestStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 99);
+                this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.command = CommandNames.GetPullRequests;
+                this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.text = GitClient.GetPullRequestStatusText(0);
+                this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.tooltip = Strings.BrowseYourPullRequests;
+                this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.show();
+            }
         }
 
-        this._buildStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 98);
-        this._buildStatusBarItem.command = CommandNames.OpenBuildSummaryPage;
-        this._buildStatusBarItem.text = `$(icon octicon-package) ` + `$(icon octicon-dash)`;
-        this._buildStatusBarItem.tooltip = Strings.NoBuildsFound;
-        this._buildStatusBarItem.show();
+        if (!this._buildStatusBarItem) {
+            this._buildStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 98);
+            this._buildStatusBarItem.command = CommandNames.OpenBuildSummaryPage;
+            this._buildStatusBarItem.text = `$(icon octicon-package) ` + `$(icon octicon-dash)`;
+            this._buildStatusBarItem.tooltip = Strings.NoBuildsFound;
+            this._buildStatusBarItem.show();
+        }
 
-        this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 97);
-        this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.command = CommandNames.ViewPinnedQueryWorkItems;
-        this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.text = WitClient.GetPinnedQueryStatusText(0);
-        this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.tooltip = Strings.ViewYourPinnedQuery;
-        this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.show();
+        if (!this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem) {
+            this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 97);
+            this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.command = CommandNames.ViewPinnedQueryWorkItems;
+            this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.text = WitClient.GetPinnedQueryStatusText(0);
+            this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.tooltip = Strings.ViewYourPinnedQuery;
+            this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.show();
+        }
     }
 
-    public InitializeClients(repoType: RepositoryType) {
+    public InitializeClients(repoType: RepositoryType) : void {
         //We can initialize for any repo type (just skip _gitClient if not Git)
         this._pinnedQuerySettings = new PinnedQuerySettings(this._manager.ServerContext.RepoInfo.Account);
         this._buildClient = new BuildClient(this._manager.ServerContext, this._buildStatusBarItem);
@@ -346,7 +354,6 @@ export class TeamExtension  {
             this._gitClient = new GitClient(this._manager.ServerContext, this._pullRequestStatusBarItem);
         }
         this._witClient = new WitClient(this._manager.ServerContext, this._pinnedQuerySettings.PinnedQuery, this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem);
-        this.refreshPollingItems();
         this.startPolling();
     }
 
@@ -386,22 +393,35 @@ export class TeamExtension  {
 
     //Sets up the interval to refresh polling items
     private startPolling(): void {
-        setInterval(() => this.refreshPollingItems(), 1000 * 60 * this._manager.Settings.PollingInterval);
+        if (!this._pollingTimer) {
+            this._initialTimer = setTimeout(() => this.refreshPollingItems(), 1000 * 8);
+            this._pollingTimer = setInterval(() => this.refreshPollingItems(), 1000 * 60 * this._manager.Settings.PollingInterval);
+        }
     }
 
-    public NotifyBranchChanged(currentBranch: string) {
+    public NotifyBranchChanged(currentBranch: string) : void {
         this.refreshPollingItems();
     }
 
     dispose() {
+        if (this._pollingTimer) {
+            if (this._initialTimer) {
+                clearTimeout(this._initialTimer);
+            }
+            clearInterval(this._pollingTimer);
+            this._pollingTimer = undefined;
+        }
         if (this._pullRequestStatusBarItem !== undefined) {
             this._pullRequestStatusBarItem.dispose();
+            this._pullRequestStatusBarItem = undefined;
         }
         if (this._buildStatusBarItem !== undefined) {
             this._buildStatusBarItem.dispose();
+            this._buildStatusBarItem = undefined;
         }
         if (this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem !== undefined) {
             this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem.dispose();
+            this._pinnedQueryStatusBarItem = undefined;
         }
     }
 }