diff --git a/base.php b/base.php
index 9546bdf..a8e2324 100644
--- a/base.php
+++ b/base.php
@@ -805,33 +805,30 @@ class PageAbout extends Page
 
 class PageCustomize extends Page
 {
+    private function isChecked ($key, $testedValue = NULL) {
+        $value = getCurrentOption ($key);
+        if (!is_null ($testedValue)) {
+            if (in_array ($testedValue, $value)) {
+                return "checked='checked'";
+            }
+        } else {
+            if ($value == 1) {
+                return "checked='checked'";
+            }
+        }
+        return "";
+    }
+
     public function InitializeContent ()
     {
         $this->title = localize ("customize.title");
         $this->entryArray = array ();
-
-        $use_fancybox = "";
-        if (getCurrentOption ("use_fancyapps") == 1) {
-            $use_fancybox = "checked='checked'";
-        }
-        $html_tag_filter = "";
-        if (getCurrentOption ("html_tag_filter") == 1) {
-            $html_tag_filter = "checked='checked'";
-        }
         
-        $ignored_categories = array ();
         $ignoredBaseArray = array (PageQueryResult::SCOPE_AUTHOR,
                                    PageQueryResult::SCOPE_TAG,
                                    PageQueryResult::SCOPE_SERIES,
                                    PageQueryResult::SCOPE_PUBLISHER,
                                    "language");
-        foreach ($ignoredBaseArray as $key) {
-            if (in_array ($key, getCurrentOption ('ignored_categories'))) {
-                $ignored_categories [$key] = "checked='checked'";
-            } else {
-                $ignored_categories [$key] = "";
-            }
-        }
 
         $content = "";
         if (!preg_match("/(Kobo|Kindle\/3.0|EBRD1101)/", $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'])) {
@@ -862,7 +859,7 @@ class PageCustomize extends Page
                                         $content, "text",
                                         array ()));
         if (!useServerSideRendering ()) {
-            $content = '<input type="checkbox" onchange="updateCookieFromCheckbox (this);" id="use_fancyapps" ' . $use_fancybox . ' />';
+            $content = '<input type="checkbox" onchange="updateCookieFromCheckbox (this);" id="use_fancyapps" ' . $this->isChecked ("use_fancyapps") . ' />';
             array_push ($this->entryArray, new Entry (localize ("customize.fancybox"), "",
                                             $content, "text",
                                             array ()));
@@ -875,14 +872,14 @@ class PageCustomize extends Page
         array_push ($this->entryArray, new Entry (localize ("customize.email"), "",
                                         $content, "text",
                                         array ()));
-        $content = '<input type="checkbox" onchange="updateCookieFromCheckbox (this);" id="html_tag_filter" ' . $html_tag_filter . ' />';
+        $content = '<input type="checkbox" onchange="updateCookieFromCheckbox (this);" id="html_tag_filter" ' . $this->isChecked ("html_tag_filter") . ' />';
         array_push ($this->entryArray, new Entry (localize ("customize.filter"), "",
                                         $content, "text",
                                         array ()));
         $content = "";
         foreach ($ignoredBaseArray as $key) {
             $keyPlural = preg_replace ('/(ss)$/', 's', $key . "s");
-            $content .=  '<input type="checkbox" name="ignored_categories[]" onchange="updateCookieFromCheckboxGroup (this);" id="ignored_categories_' . $key . '" ' . $ignored_categories [$key] . ' > ' . localize ("{$keyPlural}.title") . '</input> ';
+            $content .=  '<input type="checkbox" name="ignored_categories[]" onchange="updateCookieFromCheckboxGroup (this);" id="ignored_categories_' . $key . '" ' . $this->isChecked ("ignored_categories", $key) . ' > ' . localize ("{$keyPlural}.title") . '</input> ';
         }
 
         array_push ($this->entryArray, new Entry (localize ("customize.ignored"), "",