diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index cb1cf7418..257a84437 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
         "ipfs-css": "^1.4.0",
         "ipfs-geoip": "^9.1.0",
         "ipfs-provider": "^2.1.0",
-        "ipld-explorer-components": "^7.0.2",
+        "ipld-explorer-components": "^7.0.3",
         "is-ipfs": "^8.0.1",
         "istextorbinary": "^6.0.0",
         "it-all": "^1.0.5",
@@ -3868,14 +3868,14 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@helia/bitswap": {
-      "version": "1.1.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@helia/bitswap/-/bitswap-1.1.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-nCszNky/kOxaj1CZrZbzzFz6Fn7uNWigudn4KaLV+ZuFx6xyB8+t6aCmjKQ59me0WA3mwkmHkPtUOi9Y75zLSw==",
+      "version": "1.1.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@helia/bitswap/-/bitswap-1.1.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-BcmIc2FZ0NEjSYrwJxzFO5OapcOCBfcHmaBKaDoPNVh1egLLUkws2a7C3hPH5ZR7PXGQPXonH1YFz1CKYypzgA==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0 OR MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@helia/interface": "^4.3.1",
         "@helia/utils": "^0.3.3",
-        "@libp2p/interface": "^1.1.2",
+        "@libp2p/interface": "^1.1.4",
         "@libp2p/logger": "^4.0.5",
         "@libp2p/peer-collections": "^5.1.6",
         "@libp2p/utils": "^5.2.3",
@@ -3910,19 +3910,19 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@helia/bitswap/node_modules/interface-blockstore": {
-      "version": "5.3.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/interface-blockstore/-/interface-blockstore-5.3.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-MsOE2H9duZdpxXk7KVOQLaQnX4LfqHegshKxSr4b/YD44t13koT5Lg4lphZ0FwB5uvtvqQPm7LNcS0T/5Z2YUQ==",
+      "version": "5.3.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/interface-blockstore/-/interface-blockstore-5.3.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-nhgrQnz6yUQEqxTFLhlOBurQOy5lWlwCpgFmZ3GTObTVTQS9RZjK/JTozY6ty9uz2lZs7VFJSqwjWAltorJ4Vw==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0 OR MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "interface-store": "6.0.0",
-        "multiformats": "^13.0.1"
+        "interface-store": "^6.0.0",
+        "multiformats": "^13.2.3"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@helia/bitswap/node_modules/interface-blockstore/node_modules/interface-store": {
-      "version": "6.0.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/interface-store/-/interface-store-6.0.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-HkjsDPsjA7SKkCr+TH1elUQApAAM3X3JPwrz3vFzaf614wI+ZD6GVvwKGZCHYcbSRqeZP/uzVPqezzeISeo5kA==",
+      "version": "6.0.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/interface-store/-/interface-store-6.0.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-KSFCXtBlNoG0hzwNa0RmhHtrdhzexp+S+UY2s0rWTBJyfdEIgn6i6Zl9otVqrcFYbYrneBT7hbmHQ8gE0C3umA==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0 OR MIT"
     },
     "node_modules/@helia/bitswap/node_modules/interface-store": {
@@ -4032,12 +4032,12 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@helia/block-brokers": {
-      "version": "3.0.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@helia/block-brokers/-/block-brokers-3.0.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-xSnmWv1jgeBJURcdF/KFOHEa1CQygk3jm1qxYPYqnMWxRXhsFG5Qi13EA+QfslCXyywfxbr4yJWleUUV2Mw4oQ==",
+      "version": "3.0.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@helia/block-brokers/-/block-brokers-3.0.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ymtV2cNrVeRoXsAOTpx558nDzfyOu87bLAewF98OVZ/NB28EUTy0c592GHLX3QcMaW/XfTzSGCi+te3fvVIuQg==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0 OR MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@helia/bitswap": "^1.1.3",
+        "@helia/bitswap": "^1.1.4",
         "@helia/interface": "^4.3.1",
         "@helia/utils": "^0.3.3",
         "@libp2p/interface": "^1.1.4",
@@ -42236,12 +42236,12 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/ipld-explorer-components": {
-      "version": "7.0.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ipld-explorer-components/-/ipld-explorer-components-7.0.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-e8LApY0pC7Fmf1m8UsnRMVOusLEkupjVtk6W5tzpArtdVppLQiCYvFtcwVvPUHRaC5JlTEahacIdBkotwXTuXg==",
+      "version": "7.0.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/ipld-explorer-components/-/ipld-explorer-components-7.0.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-YPDji6NncHOO8dPX8vkv/UOnI5YS8dZ12ngjkQGKD/FunGm1ULqNGyCeOtps221tHhmGAgZUxXAVijibUXFUUQ==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0 OR MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "@helia/block-brokers": "^3.0.3",
+        "@helia/block-brokers": "^3.0.4",
         "@helia/http": "^1.0.10",
         "@helia/interface": "^4.3.1",
         "@helia/routers": "^1.1.1",
@@ -54741,9 +54741,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/multiformats": {
-      "version": "13.2.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/multiformats/-/multiformats-13.2.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-RWI+nyf0q64vyOxL8LbKtjJMki0sogRL/8axvklNtiTM0iFCVtHwME9w6+0P1/v4dQvsIg8A45oT3ka1t/M/+A==",
+      "version": "13.3.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/multiformats/-/multiformats-13.3.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-CBiqvsufgmpo01VT5ze94O+uc+Pbf6f/sThlvWss0sBZmAOu6GQn5usrYV2sf2mr17FWYc0rO8c/CNe2T90QAA==",
       "license": "Apache-2.0 OR MIT"
     },
     "node_modules/multimatch": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 67dc16c17..374d1762b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
     "ipfs-css": "^1.4.0",
     "ipfs-geoip": "^9.1.0",
     "ipfs-provider": "^2.1.0",
-    "ipld-explorer-components": "^7.0.2",
+    "ipld-explorer-components": "^7.0.3",
     "is-ipfs": "^8.0.1",
     "istextorbinary": "^6.0.0",
     "it-all": "^1.0.5",
diff --git a/src/App.js b/src/App.js
index efca47bc2..8b53cab54 100644
--- a/src/App.js
+++ b/src/App.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import FilesExploreForm from './files/explore-form/FilesExploreForm.js'
 
 export class App extends Component {
   static propTypes = {
+    doSetupLocalStorage: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     doTryInitIpfs: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     doInitHelia: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
     doUpdateUrl: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
@@ -32,6 +33,11 @@ export class App extends Component {
     isOver: PropTypes.bool.isRequired
   }
 
+  constructor (props) {
+    super(props)
+    props.doSetupLocalStorage()
+  }
+
   componentDidMount () {
     this.props.doTryInitIpfs()
     this.props.doInitHelia()
@@ -131,6 +137,7 @@ export default connect(
   'doExploreUserProvidedPath',
   'doUpdateUrl',
   'doUpdateHash',
+  'doSetupLocalStorage',
   'doTryInitIpfs',
   'doInitHelia',
   'doFilesWrite',
diff --git a/src/bundles/ipfs-provider.js b/src/bundles/ipfs-provider.js
index 7e6893e3a..30732afa2 100644
--- a/src/bundles/ipfs-provider.js
+++ b/src/bundles/ipfs-provider.js
@@ -315,6 +315,25 @@ const selectors = {
  */
 
 const actions = {
+
+  doSetupLocalStorage: () => async () => {
+    /** For the Explore page (i.e. ipld-explorer-components) */
+    const useRemoteGatewaysToExplore = localStorage.getItem('explore.ipld.gatewayEnabled')
+    if (useRemoteGatewaysToExplore === null) {
+      // by default, disable remote gateways for the Explore page (i.e. ipld-explorer-components)
+      await writeSetting('explore.ipld.gatewayEnabled', false)
+    }
+
+    const kuboGateway = readSetting('kuboGateway')
+    if (kuboGateway === null || typeof kuboGateway === 'string' || typeof kuboGateway === 'boolean' || typeof kuboGateway === 'number') {
+      // empty or invalid, set defaults
+      await writeSetting('kuboGateway', { trustlessBlockBrokerConfig: { init: { allowLocal: true, allowInsecure: false } } })
+    } else if (/** @type {Record<string, any>} */(kuboGateway).trustlessBlockBrokerConfig == null) {
+      // missing trustlessBlockBrokerConfig, set defaults
+      await writeSetting('kuboGateway', { ...kuboGateway, trustlessBlockBrokerConfig: { init: { allowLocal: true, allowInsecure: false } } })
+    }
+  },
+
   /**
    * @returns {function(Context):Promise<boolean>}
    */