diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
index 028d745a0e..8911f6c130 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ using System.Linq;
 using System.Web;
 using System.Web.Configuration;
 using System.Web.Routing;
+using System.Web.Security;
 using System.Xml;
 using System.Xml.Linq;
 using System.Xml.XPath;
 using Umbraco.Core.IO;
 using Umbraco.Core.Logging;
+using Umbraco.Core.Security;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
 {
@@ -265,7 +267,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
         {
             get
             {
-                return ConfiguredMembershipProvidersLegacyEncoding(Constants.Conventions.Member.UmbracoMemberProviderName);
+                return IsConfiguredMembershipProviderUsingLegacyEncoding(Constants.Conventions.Member.UmbracoMemberProviderName);
             }
             set
             {
@@ -281,7 +283,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
         {
             get
             {
-                return ConfiguredMembershipProvidersLegacyEncoding(Constants.Conventions.User.UmbracoUsersProviderName);
+                return IsConfiguredMembershipProviderUsingLegacyEncoding(Constants.Conventions.Member.UmbracoMemberProviderName);
             }
             set
             {
@@ -366,22 +368,17 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
             
             webConfigXml.Save(webConfigFilename, SaveOptions.DisableFormatting);
         }
-        
-        private static bool ConfiguredMembershipProvidersLegacyEncoding(string providerName)
+
+        private static bool IsConfiguredMembershipProviderUsingLegacyEncoding(string providerName)
         {
-            var webConfigFilename = GetFullWebConfigFileName();
-            var webConfigXml = XDocument.Load(webConfigFilename, LoadOptions.PreserveWhitespace);
+            //check if this can even be configured.
+            var membershipProvider = Membership.Providers[providerName] as MembershipProviderBase;
+            if (membershipProvider == null)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
 
-            var membershipConfigs = webConfigXml.XPathSelectElements("configuration/system.web/membership/providers/add").ToList();
-
-            var provider = membershipConfigs.SingleOrDefault(c => c.Attribute("name") != null && c.Attribute("name").Value == providerName);
-            
-            var useLegacyEncodingAttribute = provider.Attribute("useLegacyEncoding");
-            
-            bool useLegacyEncoding;
-            bool.TryParse(useLegacyEncodingAttribute.Value, out useLegacyEncoding);
-
-            return useLegacyEncoding;
+            return membershipProvider.UseLegacyEncoding;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/MembersMembershipProvider.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/MembersMembershipProvider.cs
index 1dc88b4b51..4ad0836a12 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/MembersMembershipProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/MembersMembershipProvider.cs
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Security.Providers
         }
 
         private string _defaultMemberTypeAlias = "Member";
+        private volatile bool _hasDefaultMember = false;
+        private static readonly object Locker = new object();
 
         public override string ProviderName
         {
@@ -77,20 +79,35 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Security.Providers
             if (config["defaultMemberTypeAlias"] != null)
             {
                 _defaultMemberTypeAlias = config["defaultMemberTypeAlias"];
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                _defaultMemberTypeAlias = MemberService.GetDefaultMemberType();
                 if (_defaultMemberTypeAlias.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
                 {
-                    throw new ProviderException("No default MemberType alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultMemberTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
+                    throw new ProviderException("No default user type alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultUserTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
                 }
+                _hasDefaultMember = true;
             }
         }
 
         public override string DefaultMemberTypeAlias
         {
-            get { return _defaultMemberTypeAlias; }
+            get
+            {
+                if (_hasDefaultMember == false)
+                {
+                    lock (Locker)
+                    {
+                        if (_hasDefaultMember == false)
+                        {
+                            _defaultMemberTypeAlias = MemberService.GetDefaultMemberType();
+                            if (_defaultMemberTypeAlias.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
+                            {
+                                throw new ProviderException("No default user type alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultUserTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
+                            }
+                            _hasDefaultMember = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                return _defaultMemberTypeAlias;
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/UsersMembershipProvider.cs b/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/UsersMembershipProvider.cs
index ba2c127877..d1ec03c97d 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/UsersMembershipProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web/Security/Providers/UsersMembershipProvider.cs
@@ -15,20 +15,22 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Security.Providers
     /// </summary>
     public class UsersMembershipProvider : UmbracoMembershipProvider<IMembershipUserService, IUser>, IUsersMembershipProvider
     {
-        
+
         public UsersMembershipProvider()
             : this(ApplicationContext.Current.Services.UserService)
-        {            
+        {
         }
 
         public UsersMembershipProvider(IMembershipMemberService<IUser> memberService)
             : base(memberService)
-        {            
+        {
         }
 
         private string _defaultMemberTypeAlias = "writer";
+        private volatile bool _hasDefaultMember = false;
+        private static readonly object Locker = new object();
 
-        public override string ProviderName 
+        public override string ProviderName
         {
             get { return Constants.Conventions.User.UmbracoUsersProviderName; }
         }
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Security.Providers
         protected override MembershipUser ConvertToMembershipUser(IUser entity)
         {
             //the provider user key is always the int id
-            return entity.AsConcreteMembershipUser(Name);            
+            return entity.AsConcreteMembershipUser(Name);
         }
 
         public override void Initialize(string name, System.Collections.Specialized.NameValueCollection config)
@@ -55,20 +57,35 @@ namespace Umbraco.Web.Security.Providers
             if (config["defaultUserTypeAlias"] != null)
             {
                 _defaultMemberTypeAlias = config["defaultUserTypeAlias"];
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                var defaultFromService = MemberService.GetDefaultMemberType();
-                if (defaultFromService.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
+                if (_defaultMemberTypeAlias.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
                 {
                     throw new ProviderException("No default user type alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultUserTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
                 }
-            }    
-        }        
+                _hasDefaultMember = true;
+            }
+        }
 
         public override string DefaultMemberTypeAlias
         {
-            get { return _defaultMemberTypeAlias; }
+            get
+            {
+                if (_hasDefaultMember == false)
+                {
+                    lock (Locker)
+                    {
+                        if (_hasDefaultMember == false)
+                        {
+                            _defaultMemberTypeAlias = MemberService.GetDefaultMemberType();
+                            if (_defaultMemberTypeAlias.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
+                            {
+                                throw new ProviderException("No default user type alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultUserTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
+                            }
+                            _hasDefaultMember = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                return _defaultMemberTypeAlias;
+            }
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoMembershipProvider.cs b/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoMembershipProvider.cs
index dc094fd15b..cd6a80d340 100644
--- a/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoMembershipProvider.cs
+++ b/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoMembershipProvider.cs
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         #region Fields
 
         private string _defaultMemberTypeAlias = "Member";
-        private string _providerName = Member.UmbracoMemberProviderName;       
+        private string _providerName = Member.UmbracoMemberProviderName;
+        private volatile bool _hasDefaultMember = false;
+        private static readonly object Locker = new object();
 
         #endregion
 
@@ -118,11 +120,14 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
             
             // test for membertype (if not specified, choose the first member type available)
             if (config["defaultMemberTypeAlias"] != null)
+            {
                 _defaultMemberTypeAlias = config["defaultMemberTypeAlias"];
-            else if (MemberType.GetAll.Length == 1)
-                _defaultMemberTypeAlias = MemberType.GetAll[0].Alias;
-            else
-                throw new ProviderException("No default MemberType alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultMemberTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
+                if (_defaultMemberTypeAlias.IsNullOrWhiteSpace())
+                {
+                    throw new ProviderException("No default user type alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultUserTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
+                }
+                _hasDefaultMember = true;
+            }
 
             // test for approve status
             if (config["umbracoApprovePropertyTypeAlias"] != null)
@@ -233,7 +238,26 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
 
         public override string DefaultMemberTypeAlias
         {
-            get { return _defaultMemberTypeAlias; }
+            get
+            {
+                if (_hasDefaultMember == false)
+                {
+                    lock (Locker)
+                    {
+                        if (_hasDefaultMember == false)
+                        {
+                            var types = MemberType.GetAll;
+                            if (types.Length == 1)
+                                _defaultMemberTypeAlias = types[0].Alias;
+                            else
+                                throw new ProviderException("No default MemberType alias is specified in the web.config string. Please add a 'defaultMemberTypeAlias' to the add element in the provider declaration in web.config");
+
+                            _hasDefaultMember = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                return _defaultMemberTypeAlias;
+            }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoRoleProvider.cs b/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoRoleProvider.cs
index bfb8863ed0..f87f960a79 100644
--- a/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoRoleProvider.cs
+++ b/src/umbraco.providers/members/UmbracoRoleProvider.cs
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ using umbraco.cms.businesslogic.member;
 using System.Collections;
 #endregion
 
-namespace umbraco.providers.members 
+namespace umbraco.providers.members
 {
     /// <summary>
     /// A role provider for members
     /// </summary>
     [Obsolete("This has been superceded by Umbraco.Web.Security.Providers.MembersRoleProvider")]
-    public class UmbracoRoleProvider : RoleProvider 
+    public class UmbracoRoleProvider : RoleProvider
     {
 
         #region
@@ -33,11 +33,14 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// </summary>
         /// <value></value>
         /// <returns>The name of the application to store and retrieve role information for.</returns>
-        public override string ApplicationName {
-            get {
+        public override string ApplicationName
+        {
+            get
+            {
                 return _applicationName;
             }
-            set {
+            set
+            {
                 if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(value))
                     throw new ProviderException("ApplicationName cannot be empty.");
 
@@ -60,13 +63,15 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <see cref="M:System.Configuration.Provider.ProviderBase.Initialize(System.String,System.Collections.Specialized.NameValueCollection)"></see> on a provider 
         /// after the provider has already been initialized.</exception>
         /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentException">The name of the provider has a length of zero.</exception>
-        public override void Initialize(string name, NameValueCollection config) {
+        public override void Initialize(string name, NameValueCollection config)
+        {
             // Initialize values from web.config
             if (config == null) throw new ArgumentNullException("config");
 
             if (name == null || name.Length == 0) name = "UmbracoMemberRoleProvider";
 
-            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(config["description"])) {
+            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(config["description"]))
+            {
                 config.Remove("description");
                 config.Add("description", "Umbraco Member Role provider");
             }
@@ -86,15 +91,20 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="usernames">A string array of user names to be added to the specified roles.</param>
         /// <param name="roleNames">A string array of the role names to add the specified user names to.</param>
-        public override void AddUsersToRoles(string[] usernames, string[] roleNames) {
+        public override void AddUsersToRoles(string[] usernames, string[] roleNames)
+        {
             ArrayList roles = new ArrayList();
             foreach (string role in roleNames)
-                try {
+                try
+                {
                     roles.Add(MemberGroup.GetByName(role).Id);
-                } catch {
+                }
+                catch
+                {
                     throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No role with name '{0}' exists", role));
                 }
-            foreach (string username in usernames) {
+            foreach (string username in usernames)
+            {
                 Member m = Member.GetMemberFromLoginName(username);
                 foreach (int roleId in roles)
                     m.AddGroup(roleId);
@@ -105,7 +115,8 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// Adds a new role to the data source for the configured applicationName.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="roleName">The name of the role to create.</param>
-        public override void CreateRole(string roleName) {
+        public override void CreateRole(string roleName)
+        {
             MemberGroup.MakeNew(roleName, User.GetUser(0));
         }
 
@@ -117,13 +128,15 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <returns>
         /// true if the role was successfully deleted; otherwise, false.
         /// </returns>
-        public override bool DeleteRole(string roleName, bool throwOnPopulatedRole) {
+        public override bool DeleteRole(string roleName, bool throwOnPopulatedRole)
+        {
             MemberGroup group = MemberGroup.GetByName(roleName);
             if (group == null)
                 throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No role with name '{0}' exists", roleName));
             else if (throwOnPopulatedRole && group.GetMembersAsIds().Length > 0)
                 throw new ProviderException(String.Format("Can't delete role '{0}', there are members assigned to the role", roleName));
-            else {
+            else
+            {
                 foreach (Member m in group.GetMembers())
                     m.RemoveGroup(group.Id);
                 group.delete();
@@ -139,12 +152,14 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <returns>
         /// A string array containing the names of all the users where the user name matches usernameToMatch and the user is a member of the specified role.
         /// </returns>
-        public override string[] FindUsersInRole(string roleName, string usernameToMatch) {
+        public override string[] FindUsersInRole(string roleName, string usernameToMatch)
+        {
             ArrayList members = new ArrayList();
             MemberGroup group = MemberGroup.GetByName(roleName);
             if (group == null)
                 throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No role with name '{0}' exists", roleName));
-            else {
+            else
+            {
                 foreach (Member m in group.GetMembers(usernameToMatch))
                     members.Add(m.LoginName);
                 return (string[])members.ToArray(typeof(string));
@@ -157,7 +172,8 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <returns>
         /// A string array containing the names of all the roles stored in the data source for the configured applicationName.
         /// </returns>
-        public override string[] GetAllRoles() {
+        public override string[] GetAllRoles()
+        {
             ArrayList roles = new ArrayList();
             foreach (MemberGroup mg in MemberGroup.GetAll)
                 roles.Add(mg.Text);
@@ -171,15 +187,18 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <returns>
         /// A string array containing the names of all the roles that the specified user is in for the configured applicationName.
         /// </returns>
-        public override string[] GetRolesForUser(string username) {
+        public override string[] GetRolesForUser(string username)
+        {
             ArrayList roles = new ArrayList();
             Member m = Member.GetMemberFromLoginName(username);
-            if (m != null) {
+            if (m != null)
+            {
                 IDictionaryEnumerator ide = m.Groups.GetEnumerator();
                 while (ide.MoveNext())
                     roles.Add(((MemberGroup)ide.Value).Text);
                 return (string[])roles.ToArray(typeof(string));
-            } else
+            }
+            else
                 throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No member with username '{0}' exists", username));
         }
 
@@ -190,12 +209,14 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <returns>
         /// A string array containing the names of all the users who are members of the specified role for the configured applicationName.
         /// </returns>
-        public override string[] GetUsersInRole(string roleName) {
+        public override string[] GetUsersInRole(string roleName)
+        {
             ArrayList members = new ArrayList();
             MemberGroup group = MemberGroup.GetByName(roleName);
             if (group == null)
                 throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No role with name '{0}' exists", roleName));
-            else {
+            else
+            {
                 foreach (Member m in group.GetMembers())
                     members.Add(m.LoginName);
                 return (string[])members.ToArray(typeof(string));
@@ -210,11 +231,13 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <returns>
         /// true if the specified user is in the specified role for the configured applicationName; otherwise, false.
         /// </returns>
-        public override bool IsUserInRole(string username, string roleName) {
+        public override bool IsUserInRole(string username, string roleName)
+        {
             Member m = Member.GetMemberFromLoginName(username);
             if (m == null)
                 throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No user with name '{0}' exists", username));
-            else {
+            else
+            {
                 MemberGroup mg = MemberGroup.GetByName(roleName);
                 if (mg == null)
                     throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No Membergroup with name '{0}' exists", roleName));
@@ -228,15 +251,20 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="usernames">A string array of user names to be removed from the specified roles.</param>
         /// <param name="roleNames">A string array of role names to remove the specified user names from.</param>
-        public override void RemoveUsersFromRoles(string[] usernames, string[] roleNames) {
+        public override void RemoveUsersFromRoles(string[] usernames, string[] roleNames)
+        {
             ArrayList roles = new ArrayList();
             foreach (string role in roleNames)
-                try {
+                try
+                {
                     roles.Add(MemberGroup.GetByName(role).Id);
-                } catch {
+                }
+                catch
+                {
                     throw new ProviderException(String.Format("No role with name '{0}' exists", role));
                 }
-            foreach (string username in usernames) {
+            foreach (string username in usernames)
+            {
                 Member m = Member.GetMemberFromLoginName(username);
                 foreach (int roleId in roles)
                     m.RemoveGroup(roleId);
@@ -250,9 +278,10 @@ namespace umbraco.providers.members
         /// <returns>
         /// true if the role name already exists in the data source for the configured applicationName; otherwise, false.
         /// </returns>
-        public override bool RoleExists(string roleName) {
-                 MemberGroup mg = MemberGroup.GetByName(roleName);
-                 return mg != null;
+        public override bool RoleExists(string roleName)
+        {
+            MemberGroup mg = MemberGroup.GetByName(roleName);
+            return mg != null;
         }
         #endregion