diff --git a/ENI2/App.xaml.cs b/ENI2/App.xaml.cs
index d2304b61..c8c948e5 100644
--- a/ENI2/App.xaml.cs
+++ b/ENI2/App.xaml.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ using System.Net;
 using ENI2.LockingServiceReference;
 using ENI2.Util;
 using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
 
 namespace ENI2
 {
@@ -83,8 +84,8 @@ namespace ENI2
             LADG.CargoCodesNST = LocalizedLookup.getCargoCodesNST();
             LADG.CargoCodesNST3 = LocalizedLookup.getCargoCodesNST3();
 
-            // Load import value mappings
-            ValueMapping.LoadDicts();
+            // Load import value mappings            
+            Task.Run(async () => await ValueMapping.LoadDicts());
 
             // Preload validation fields
             List<ValidationField> vFields = bsmd.database.ValidationRule.ValidationFields;
diff --git a/ENI2/Excel/ExcelUtil.cs b/ENI2/Excel/ExcelUtil.cs
index eead0e8b..2b47b27c 100644
--- a/ENI2/Excel/ExcelUtil.cs
+++ b/ENI2/Excel/ExcelUtil.cs
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ namespace ENI2.Excel
                 readMessage = "ENI not matching in import sheet";
                 return false;
             }
-
-            ValueMapping.LoadDicts(); // reload all messaging dicts (also removes "temporary" entries from last run)
+            
+            Task.Run(async () => await ValueMapping.LoadDicts()); // reload all messaging dicts (also removes "temporary" entries from last run)
 
             // load messages if already present
             List<Message> messages = DBManager.Instance.GetMessagesForCore(messageCore, DBManager.MessageLoad.ALL);
diff --git a/bsmd.database/ValueMapping.cs b/bsmd.database/ValueMapping.cs
index 35b5980b..b7720ae8 100644
--- a/bsmd.database/ValueMapping.cs
+++ b/bsmd.database/ValueMapping.cs
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ namespace bsmd.database
         /// <summary>
         /// (re-)loads all value mapping dictionaries
         /// </summary>
-        public static async void LoadDicts()
+        public static async Task LoadDicts()
         {
             foreach(MappingType type in Enum.GetValues(typeof(MappingType)))
             {