diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/LatinKeyboardView.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/LatinKeyboardView.java
index b7aa82b..5fa9b8f 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/LatinKeyboardView.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/LatinKeyboardView.java
@@ -495,6 +495,9 @@
 
     @Override
     public boolean onTouchEvent(MotionEvent me) {
+        if (getKeyboard() == null) {
+            return false;
+        }
         return mTouchScreenRegulator.onTouchEvent(me);
     }
 
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/PointerTracker.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/PointerTracker.java
index 066b756..7ae6220 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/PointerTracker.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/keyboard/PointerTracker.java
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@
         mListener.onCancelInput();
     }
 
-    public void setKeyDetectorInner(KeyDetector keyDetector) {
+    private void setKeyDetectorInner(KeyDetector keyDetector) {
         mKeyDetector = keyDetector;
         mKeyboard = keyDetector.getKeyboard();
         mKeys = mKeyboard.mKeys;
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java
index 9f4777f..2b78b90 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/ExpandableDictionary.java
@@ -202,7 +202,11 @@
             // Currently updating contacts, don't return any results.
             if (mUpdatingDictionary) return;
         }
+        getWordsInner(codes, callback, proximityInfo);
+    }
 
+    protected final void getWordsInner(final WordComposer codes, final WordCallback callback,
+            final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
         mInputLength = codes.size();
         if (mCodes.length < mInputLength) mCodes = new int[mInputLength][];
         // Cache the codes so that we don't have to lookup an array list
@@ -223,8 +227,7 @@
             if (mRequiresReload) startDictionaryLoadingTaskLocked();
             if (mUpdatingDictionary) return false;
         }
-        final int freq = getWordFrequency(word);
-        return freq > -1;
+        return getWordFrequency(word) > -1;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -464,7 +467,7 @@
     }
 
     /**
-     * Used only for testing purposes
+     * Used for testing purposes and in the spell checker
      * This function will wait for loading from database to be done
      */
     void waitForDictionaryLoading() {
@@ -477,6 +480,11 @@
         }
     }
 
+    protected final void blockingReloadDictionaryIfRequired() {
+        reloadDictionaryIfRequired();
+        waitForDictionaryLoading();
+    }
+
     // Local to reverseLookUp, but do not allocate each time.
     private final char[] mLookedUpString = new char[MAX_WORD_LENGTH];
 
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedUserDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedUserDictionary.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a812b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SynchronouslyLoadedUserDictionary.java
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.android.inputmethod.latin;
+
+import android.content.Context;
+
+import com.android.inputmethod.keyboard.ProximityInfo;
+
+public class SynchronouslyLoadedUserDictionary extends UserDictionary {
+
+    public SynchronouslyLoadedUserDictionary(final Context context, final String locale) {
+        super(context, locale);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void getWords(final WordComposer codes, final WordCallback callback,
+            final ProximityInfo proximityInfo) {
+        blockingReloadDictionaryIfRequired();
+        getWordsInner(codes, callback, proximityInfo);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public synchronized boolean isValidWord(CharSequence word) {
+        blockingReloadDictionaryIfRequired();
+        return getWordFrequency(word) > -1;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/spellcheck/AndroidSpellCheckerService.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/spellcheck/AndroidSpellCheckerService.java
index 3244bcc..a6a5b6d 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/spellcheck/AndroidSpellCheckerService.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/spellcheck/AndroidSpellCheckerService.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.DictionaryCollection;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.DictionaryFactory;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.LocaleUtils;
+import com.android.inputmethod.latin.SynchronouslyLoadedUserDictionary;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.UserDictionary;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.Utils;
 import com.android.inputmethod.latin.WordComposer;
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@
         final String localeStr = locale.toString();
         Dictionary userDict = mUserDictionaries.get(localeStr);
         if (null == userDict) {
-            userDict = new UserDictionary(this, localeStr);
+            userDict = new SynchronouslyLoadedUserDictionary(this, localeStr);
             mUserDictionaries.put(localeStr, userDict);
         }
         dictionaryCollection.addDictionary(userDict);