diff --git a/web/app.js b/web/app.js
index 23de08761..2530329ee 100644
--- a/web/app.js
+++ b/web/app.js
@@ -142,6 +142,12 @@ let PDFViewerApplication = {
     }).then(() => {
       return this._initializeL10n();
     }).then(() => {
+      if (this.isViewerEmbedded &&
+          AppOptions.get('externalLinkTarget') === LinkTarget.NONE) {
+        // Prevent external links from "replacing" the viewer,
+        // when it's embedded in e.g. an <iframe> or an <object>.
+        AppOptions.set('externalLinkTarget', LinkTarget.TOP);
+      }
       return this._initializeViewerComponents();
     }).then(() => {
       // Bind the various event handlers *after* the viewer has been
@@ -157,13 +163,6 @@ let PDFViewerApplication = {
         this.eventBus.dispatch('localized');
       });
 
-      if (this.isViewerEmbedded &&
-          AppOptions.get('externalLinkTarget') === LinkTarget.NONE) {
-        // Prevent external links from "replacing" the viewer,
-        // when it's embedded in e.g. an iframe or an object.
-        AppOptions.set('externalLinkTarget', LinkTarget.TOP);
-      }
-
       this.initialized = true;
     });
   },