diff --git a/dlibrary/dlibrary.py b/dlibrary/dlibrary.py
index d26dba9..787f68f 100755
--- a/dlibrary/dlibrary.py
+++ b/dlibrary/dlibrary.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import argparse
 import asyncio
-from configparser import ConfigParser
 import importlib_resources as resources
 from io import BytesIO
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -14,6 +13,7 @@ import readline
 import shutil
 import sqlite3
 import stat
+import string
 import textwrap
 import time
 import unicodedata
@@ -1219,8 +1219,11 @@ def generate(args):
     categorization_template = jenv.get_template("categorization.html")
     work_template = jenv.get_template("work.html")
     index_template = jenv.get_template("index.html")
+    store_template = jenv.get_template("store.html")
     debug('templates loaded')
 
+    store_token = ''.join(random.choices(string.ascii_letters + string.digits, k=32))
+
     debug('opening main database')
     con = sqlite3.connect(args.destdir / 'meta.db')
     cur = con.cursor()
@@ -1313,7 +1316,7 @@ def generate(args):
                 suggested=[works[suggested] for suggested in cached_suggestions[work['id']]],
             ))
         with open(viewer_dir / 'index.html', 'w') as f:
-            f.write(viewer_template.render(depth=3, work=work, title=work['title']))
+            f.write(viewer_template.render(depth=3, work=work, title=work['title'], token=store_token))
 
         count_progress(idx, len(works), 'works processed')
 
@@ -1378,9 +1381,14 @@ def generate(args):
 
     debug('writing index page')
     with open(site_dir / 'index.html', 'w') as f:
-        f.write(index_template.render(depth=0, works=list(works.values())))
+        f.write(index_template.render(depth=0, works=list(works.values()), token=store_token))
     debug('index page written')
 
+    debug('writing store iframe page')
+    with open(site_dir / 'store.html', 'w') as f:
+        f.write(store_template.render(depth=0, token=store_token))
+    debug('store iframe page written')
+
     debug('closing cache database')
     cache_con.close()
     debug('cache database closed')
@@ -1390,48 +1398,6 @@ def generate(args):
     debug('main database closed')
 
 
-def update_reading(args):
-    debug('updating list of currently-reading works')
-
-    firefox_data_dir = Path.home() / '.mozilla' / 'firefox'
-    debug('finding firefox profiles')
-    firefox_profiles_parser = ConfigParser()
-    firefox_profiles_parser.read(firefox_data_dir / 'profiles.ini')
-    default_profile = next(
-        section['Path']
-        for section in firefox_profiles_parser.values()
-        if section.get('Default') == '1'
-    )
-    debug(f'selecting default profile {default_profile}')
-    storage_path = firefox_data_dir / default_profile / 'storage' / 'default'
-    dlibrary_site_works_path = args.destdir / 'site' / 'works'
-    origin_storage_glob = (
-        'file+++' +
-        str(dlibrary_site_works_path.absolute()).replace('/', '+') +
-        '*+view+index.html/ls/data.sqlite'
-    )
-    debug(f'searching for local storage matching glob {origin_storage_glob}')
-
-    reading_works = []
-    for local_storage_db in storage_path.glob(origin_storage_glob):
-        debug(f'reading db {local_storage_db}')
-        try:
-            with sqlite3.connect(local_storage_db, timeout=0.1) as con:
-                cur = con.cursor()
-                for (key,) in cur.execute("SELECT key FROM data WHERE key LIKE '%-currentPage' AND VALUE != CAST('0' AS BLOB)"):
-                    work_id = key[:-len('-currentPage')]
-                    reading_works.append(work_id)
-        except sqlite3.OperationalError:
-            debug(f'database {local_storage_db} locked, skipping')
-
-    debug(f'reading works: {reading_works}')
-    output_file = args.destdir / 'site' / 'reading.js'
-    with open(output_file, 'w') as f:
-        f.write('const READING_WORKS = [\n')
-        for work_id in reading_works:
-            f.write(f'  "{work_id}",\n')
-        f.write('];')
-
 argparser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
     prog='dlibrary',
     formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
@@ -1621,22 +1587,6 @@ parser_generate = subparsers.add_parser(
 )
 parser_generate.set_defaults(func=generate)
 
-parser_update_reading = subparsers.add_parser(
-    'update-reading',
-    help='update list of currently-reading works (firefox-only)',
-    formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter,
-    description=textwrap.dedent("""\
-    If accessing dlibrary via file:// URLs, every distinct filepath is
-    its own opaque origin, so individual works can't share
-    localStorage with the main overview page, making it impossible to
-    sort works by currently-reading status.  This subcommand can be run
-    periodically to work around the same-origin limitations by
-    directly accessing data from firefox's localStorage and putting a
-    list of currently-reading works in a JS file that the main page can read.
-    """),
-)
-parser_update_reading.set_defaults(func=update_reading)
-
 def main():
     args = argparser.parse_args()
 
diff --git a/dlibrary/static/dlibrary.css b/dlibrary/static/dlibrary.css
index 0ee5bcf..63fe03c 100644
--- a/dlibrary/static/dlibrary.css
+++ b/dlibrary/static/dlibrary.css
@@ -170,3 +170,8 @@ body {
 #suggested-subheader {
     text-align: center;
 }
+
+
+#store-iframe {
+    display: none;
+}
diff --git a/dlibrary/static/index.js b/dlibrary/static/index.js
index eb54c29..de74bb0 100644
--- a/dlibrary/static/index.js
+++ b/dlibrary/static/index.js
@@ -28,11 +28,17 @@ function newSeed() {
     return Math.floor(Math.random() * LCG_M);
 }
 
+let receivedStore = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('receivedStore')) || {};
+
+const isFileUrl = (window.location.protocol === 'file:');
+
 function isReading(work) {
-    return READING_WORKS.indexOf(work.id) !== -1 || !!parseInt(localStorage.getItem(`${work.id}-currentPage`));
+    const key = `${work.id}-currentPage`;
+    const value = isFileUrl ? receivedStore[key] : localStorage.getItem(key);
+    return !!parseInt(value);
 }
 
-document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
+function setupIndex() {
     const shuffleButton = document.getElementById('shuffle');
     const sortButton = document.getElementById('sort');
     const readingButton = document.getElementById('reading');
@@ -165,4 +171,30 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
     };
 
     searchBox.oninput = applyView;
-});
+}
+
+if (isFileUrl) {
+    let initialized = false;
+    window.addEventListener('message', (event) => {
+        if (event.data.token !== TOKEN) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        receivedStore = event.data.store;
+        localStorage.setItem('receivedStore', JSON.stringify(receivedStore));
+
+        if (!initialized) {
+            initialized = true;
+            setupIndex();
+        }
+    });
+
+    window.addEventListener('load', () => {
+        document.getElementById('store-iframe').contentWindow.postMessage({
+            token: TOKEN,
+            operation: 'getAll',
+        }, "*");
+    });
+} else {
+    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', setupIndex);
+}
diff --git a/dlibrary/static/viewer.js b/dlibrary/static/viewer.js
index 9d4e1e2..721a148 100644
--- a/dlibrary/static/viewer.js
+++ b/dlibrary/static/viewer.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ const COMMAND_SEQUENCE_MAX_INTERVAL = 400;
 
 const ACCEL_PAGE_MOVEMENT = 10;
 
+const isFileUrl = (window.location.protocol === 'file:');
+
 document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
     const currentImage = document.getElementById('current-image');
     const preloadImages = document.getElementById('preload-images');
@@ -102,6 +104,14 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
 
         currentPage = pageNum;
         localStorage.setItem(`${WORK_ID}-currentPage`, currentPage);
+        if (isFileUrl) {
+            document.getElementById('store-iframe').contentWindow.postMessage({
+                token: TOKEN,
+                operation: 'set',
+                key: `${WORK_ID}-currentPage`,
+                value: currentPage,
+            }, "*");
+        }
 
         currentImage.replaceChildren(imageSrc(current));
 
@@ -171,6 +181,13 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
         changeDuration(duration, true);
         if (currentPage === IMAGES.length - 1 || currentPage === 0) {
             localStorage.removeItem(`${WORK_ID}-currentPage`);
+            if (isFileUrl) {
+                document.getElementById('store-iframe').contentWindow.postMessage({
+                    token: TOKEN,
+                    operation: 'remove',
+                    key: `${WORK_ID}-currentPage`,
+                }, "*");
+            }
         }
         window.location.href = `../${INDEX}`;
     }
diff --git a/dlibrary/templates/index.html b/dlibrary/templates/index.html
index fa632f8..b7e9afc 100644
--- a/dlibrary/templates/index.html
+++ b/dlibrary/templates/index.html
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
   const ROOT = "{{ root() }}";
   const INDEX = "{{ index() }}";
   const WORKS = {{ works | tojson }};
+  const TOKEN = "{{ token }}";
 </script>
-<script src="{{ root() }}/reading.js"></script>
 <script src="{{ root() }}/static/index.js"></script>
 {% endblock %}
 {% block body %}
@@ -27,4 +27,5 @@
 </div>
 <div id="main-listing" class="card-listing">
 </div>
+<iframe id="store-iframe" src="{{ root() }}/store.html"></iframe>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/dlibrary/templates/store.html b/dlibrary/templates/store.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70e1f56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dlibrary/templates/store.html
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+{% from 'utils.html' import root with context -%}
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+  <head>
+    <link rel="manifest" href="{{ root() }}/static/manifest.json" crossorigin="use-credentials">
+    <script type="text/javascript">
+      const TOKEN = "{{ token }}";
+
+      window.addEventListener("message", (event) => {
+          if (event.data.token !== TOKEN) {
+              return;
+          }
+
+          switch (event.data.operation) {
+          case 'set':
+              localStorage.setItem(event.data.key, event.data.value);
+              break;
+          case 'get':
+              event.source.postMessage({
+                  token: TOKEN,
+                  key: event.data.key,
+                  value: localStorage.getItem(event.data.key),
+              }, "*");
+              break;
+          case 'remove':
+              localStorage.removeItem(event.data.key);
+              break;
+          case 'getAll':
+              event.source.postMessage({ token: TOKEN, store: {...localStorage} }, "*");
+              break;
+          }
+      });
+    </script>
+  </head>
+</html>
diff --git a/dlibrary/templates/viewer.html b/dlibrary/templates/viewer.html
index 9125ab2..582549d 100644
--- a/dlibrary/templates/viewer.html
+++ b/dlibrary/templates/viewer.html
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 <script>
   const WORK_ID = "{{ work['id'] }}";
   const INDEX = "{{ index() }}";
+  const TOKEN = "{{ token }}";
   const IMAGES = [
       {% for filename in work['images'] %}
       "{{ root() }}/images/{{ work['id'] }}/{{ filename }}",
@@ -48,4 +49,5 @@
 </div>
 <div class="image-container" id="current-image"></div>
 <div class="image-container" id="preload-images"></div>
+<iframe id="store-iframe" src="{{ root() }}/store.html"></iframe>
 {% endblock %}