diff --git a/app/js/app.js b/app/js/app.js
index daa4c9a..2bf4edc 100644
--- a/app/js/app.js
+++ b/app/js/app.js
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@ ContactManager.addRegions({
   mainRegion: '.main-container'
 });
 
+ContactManager.addInitializer(function() {
+  $.ajaxPrefilter(function( options, originalOptions, jqXHR ) {
+    options.url = 'http://contact-manager-api.herokuapp.com/' + options.url;
+  });
+});
+
 ContactManager.addInitializer(function(data) {
   var contacts = new ContactManager.Collections.Contacts(),
       router = new ContactManager.Router(),
diff --git a/app/js/collections/contacts.js b/app/js/collections/contacts.js
index 4d3df41..8755985 100644
--- a/app/js/collections/contacts.js
+++ b/app/js/collections/contacts.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 ContactManager.Collections.Contacts = Backbone.Collection.extend({
   model: ContactManager.Models.Contact,
-  localStorage: new Backbone.LocalStorage('contacts')
+  url: 'contacts'
 });
diff --git a/app/js/controller.js b/app/js/controller.js
index 717c528..d9bfb8f 100644
--- a/app/js/controller.js
+++ b/app/js/controller.js
@@ -3,25 +3,23 @@ ContactManager.Controller = Marionette.Controller.extend({
     this._router = options.router;
     this._mainRegion = options.mainRegion;
     this._contacts = options.contacts;
-
-    this._contacts.fetch();
-
-    if (this._contacts.isEmpty()) {
-      this._createSampleData();
-    }
   },
 
   showContacts: function() {
+    this._fetchContacts().then(_.bind(this.showContactsSync, this));
+  },
+
+  showContactsSync: function() {
     var contactsView = new ContactManager.Views.Contacts({
       collection: this._contacts
     });
 
-    this.listenTo(contactsView, 'addContact:clicked', this.newContact);
+    this.listenTo(contactsView, 'addContact:clicked', this.newContactSync);
     this.listenTo(contactsView, 'itemview:delete:clicked', function(contactView) {
       contactView.model.destroy();
     });
     this.listenTo(contactsView, 'itemview:edit:clicked', function(contactView) {
-      this.editContact(contactView.model.id);
+      this.editContactSync(contactView.model.id);
     });
 
     ContactManager.mainRegion.show(contactsView);
@@ -30,17 +28,21 @@ ContactManager.Controller = Marionette.Controller.extend({
   },
 
   newContact: function() {
+    this._fetchContacts().then(_.bind(this.newContactSync, this));
+  },
+
+  newContactSync: function() {
     var newContactForm = new ContactManager.Views.ContactForm({
       model: new ContactManager.Models.Contact()
     });
 
     this.listenTo(newContactForm, 'form:submitted', function(attrs) {
       attrs.avatar = _.random(1, 15) + '.jpg';
-      this._contacts.create(attrs);
-      this.showContacts();
+      this._contacts.create(attrs, {wait: true});
+      this.showContactsSync();
     });
 
-    this.listenTo(newContactForm, 'form:canceled', this.showContacts);
+    this.listenTo(newContactForm, 'form:canceled', this.showContactsSync);
 
     ContactManager.mainRegion.show(newContactForm);
 
@@ -48,6 +50,10 @@ ContactManager.Controller = Marionette.Controller.extend({
   },
 
   editContact: function(id) {
+    this._fetchContacts().then(_.bind(this.editContactSync, this, id));
+  },
+
+  editContactSync: function(id) {
     var contact = this._contacts.get(id),
         editContactForm;
 
@@ -58,10 +64,10 @@ ContactManager.Controller = Marionette.Controller.extend({
 
       this.listenTo(editContactForm, 'form:submitted', function(attrs) {
         contact.save(attrs);
-        this.showContacts();
+        this.showContactsSync();
       });
 
-      this.listenTo(editContactForm, 'form:canceled', this.showContacts);
+      this.listenTo(editContactForm, 'form:canceled', this.showContactsSync);
 
       ContactManager.mainRegion.show(editContactForm);
 
@@ -71,51 +77,8 @@ ContactManager.Controller = Marionette.Controller.extend({
     }
   },
 
-  _createSampleData: function() {
-    _.each([
-      {
-        id: 1,
-        name : 'Terrence S. Hatfield',
-        tel: '651-603-1723',
-        email: 'TerrenceSHatfield@rhyta.com',
-        avatar: '1.jpg'
-      },
-      {
-        id: 2,
-        name : 'Chris M. Manning',
-        tel: '513-307-5859',
-        email: 'ChrisMManning@dayrep.com',
-        avatar: '2.jpg'
-      },
-      {
-        id: 3,
-        name : 'Ricky M. Digiacomo',
-        tel: '918-774-0199',
-        email: 'RickyMDigiacomo@teleworm.us',
-        avatar: '3.jpg'
-      },
-      {
-        id: 4,
-        name : 'Michael K. Bayne',
-        tel: '702-989-5145',
-        email: 'MichaelKBayne@rhyta.com',
-        avatar: '4.jpg'
-      },
-      {
-        id: 5,
-        name : 'John I. Wilson',
-        tel: '318-292-6700',
-        email: 'JohnIWilson@dayrep.com',
-        avatar: '5.jpg'
-      },
-      {
-        id: 6,
-        name : 'Rodolfo P. Robinett',
-        tel: '803-557-9815',
-        email: 'RodolfoPRobinett@jourrapide.com',
-        avatar: '6.jpg'
-      }], function(contact) {
-        this._contacts.create(contact);
-      }, this);
+  _fetchContacts: function() {
+    this._contactsFetching = this._contactsFetching || this._contacts.fetch();
+    return this._contactsFetching;
   }
 });
diff --git a/bower.json b/bower.json
index c12deaa..06327fe 100644
--- a/bower.json
+++ b/bower.json
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
     "backbone": "~1.1.0",
     "jquery": "~2.1.0",
     "underscore": "~1.5.2",
-    "marionette": "~1.6.1",
-    "Backbone.localStorage": "~1.1.7"
+    "marionette": "~1.6.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 7dd5c16..bdfa784 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ <h2 class="page-header text-center"><%= isNew ? 'Create' : 'Edit' %> Contact</h2
     <script src="vendor/underscore/underscore.js"></script>
     <script src="vendor/backbone/backbone.js"></script>
     <script src="vendor/marionette/lib/backbone.marionette.js"></script>
-    <script src="vendor/Backbone.localStorage/backbone.localStorage.js"></script>
 
     <script src="app/js/app.js"></script>
     <script src="app/js/models/contact.js"></script>
diff --git a/vendor/Backbone.localStorage/backbone.localStorage.js b/vendor/Backbone.localStorage/backbone.localStorage.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 4446d4a..0000000
--- a/vendor/Backbone.localStorage/backbone.localStorage.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,222 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Backbone localStorage Adapter
- * Version 1.1.7
- *
- * https://github.com/jeromegn/Backbone.localStorage
- */
-(function (root, factory) {
-   if (typeof exports === 'object' && typeof require === 'function') {
-     module.exports = factory(require("underscore"), require("backbone"));
-   } else if (typeof define === "function" && define.amd) {
-      // AMD. Register as an anonymous module.
-      define(["underscore","backbone"], function(_, Backbone) {
-        // Use global variables if the locals are undefined.
-        return factory(_ || root._, Backbone || root.Backbone);
-      });
-   } else {
-      // RequireJS isn't being used. Assume underscore and backbone are loaded in <script> tags
-      factory(_, Backbone);
-   }
-}(this, function(_, Backbone) {
-// A simple module to replace `Backbone.sync` with *localStorage*-based
-// persistence. Models are given GUIDS, and saved into a JSON object. Simple
-// as that.
-
-// Hold reference to Underscore.js and Backbone.js in the closure in order
-// to make things work even if they are removed from the global namespace
-
-// Generate four random hex digits.
-function S4() {
-   return (((1+Math.random())*0x10000)|0).toString(16).substring(1);
-};
-
-// Generate a pseudo-GUID by concatenating random hexadecimal.
-function guid() {
-   return (S4()+S4()+"-"+S4()+"-"+S4()+"-"+S4()+"-"+S4()+S4()+S4());
-};
-
-// Our Store is represented by a single JS object in *localStorage*. Create it
-// with a meaningful name, like the name you'd give a table.
-// window.Store is deprectated, use Backbone.LocalStorage instead
-Backbone.LocalStorage = window.Store = function(name) {
-  if( !this.localStorage ) {
-    throw "Backbone.localStorage: Environment does not support localStorage."
-  }
-  this.name = name;
-  var store = this.localStorage().getItem(this.name);
-  this.records = (store && store.split(",")) || [];
-};
-
-_.extend(Backbone.LocalStorage.prototype, {
-
-  // Save the current state of the **Store** to *localStorage*.
-  save: function() {
-    this.localStorage().setItem(this.name, this.records.join(","));
-  },
-
-  // Add a model, giving it a (hopefully)-unique GUID, if it doesn't already
-  // have an id of it's own.
-  create: function(model) {
-    if (!model.id) {
-      model.id = guid();
-      model.set(model.idAttribute, model.id);
-    }
-    this.localStorage().setItem(this.name+"-"+model.id, JSON.stringify(model));
-    this.records.push(model.id.toString());
-    this.save();
-    return this.find(model);
-  },
-
-  // Update a model by replacing its copy in `this.data`.
-  update: function(model) {
-    this.localStorage().setItem(this.name+"-"+model.id, JSON.stringify(model));
-    if (!_.include(this.records, model.id.toString()))
-      this.records.push(model.id.toString()); this.save();
-    return this.find(model);
-  },
-
-  // Retrieve a model from `this.data` by id.
-  find: function(model) {
-    return this.jsonData(this.localStorage().getItem(this.name+"-"+model.id));
-  },
-
-  // Return the array of all models currently in storage.
-  findAll: function() {
-    // Lodash removed _#chain in v1.0.0-rc.1
-    return (_.chain || _)(this.records)
-      .map(function(id){
-        return this.jsonData(this.localStorage().getItem(this.name+"-"+id));
-      }, this)
-      .compact()
-      .value();
-  },
-
-  // Delete a model from `this.data`, returning it.
-  destroy: function(model) {
-    if (model.isNew())
-      return false
-    this.localStorage().removeItem(this.name+"-"+model.id);
-    this.records = _.reject(this.records, function(id){
-      return id === model.id.toString();
-    });
-    this.save();
-    return model;
-  },
-
-  localStorage: function() {
-    return localStorage;
-  },
-
-  // fix for "illegal access" error on Android when JSON.parse is passed null
-  jsonData: function (data) {
-      return data && JSON.parse(data);
-  },
-
-  // Clear localStorage for specific collection.
-  _clear: function() {
-    var local = this.localStorage(),
-      itemRe = new RegExp("^" + this.name + "-");
-
-    // Remove id-tracking item (e.g., "foo").
-    local.removeItem(this.name);
-
-    // Lodash removed _#chain in v1.0.0-rc.1
-    // Match all data items (e.g., "foo-ID") and remove.
-    (_.chain || _)(local).keys()
-      .filter(function (k) { return itemRe.test(k); })
-      .each(function (k) { local.removeItem(k); });
-
-    this.records.length = 0;
-  },
-
-  // Size of localStorage.
-  _storageSize: function() {
-    return this.localStorage().length;
-  }
-
-});
-
-// localSync delegate to the model or collection's
-// *localStorage* property, which should be an instance of `Store`.
-// window.Store.sync and Backbone.localSync is deprecated, use Backbone.LocalStorage.sync instead
-Backbone.LocalStorage.sync = window.Store.sync = Backbone.localSync = function(method, model, options) {
-  var store = model.localStorage || model.collection.localStorage;
-
-  var resp, errorMessage, syncDfd = Backbone.$.Deferred && Backbone.$.Deferred(); //If $ is having Deferred - use it.
-
-  try {
-
-    switch (method) {
-      case "read":
-        resp = model.id != undefined ? store.find(model) : store.findAll();
-        break;
-      case "create":
-        resp = store.create(model);
-        break;
-      case "update":
-        resp = store.update(model);
-        break;
-      case "delete":
-        resp = store.destroy(model);
-        break;
-    }
-
-  } catch(error) {
-    if (error.code === 22 && store._storageSize() === 0)
-      errorMessage = "Private browsing is unsupported";
-    else
-      errorMessage = error.message;
-  }
-
-  if (resp) {
-    if (options && options.success) {
-      if (Backbone.VERSION === "0.9.10") {
-        options.success(model, resp, options);
-      } else {
-        options.success(resp);
-      }
-    }
-    if (syncDfd) {
-      syncDfd.resolve(resp);
-    }
-
-  } else {
-    errorMessage = errorMessage ? errorMessage
-                                : "Record Not Found";
-
-    if (options && options.error)
-      if (Backbone.VERSION === "0.9.10") {
-        options.error(model, errorMessage, options);
-      } else {
-        options.error(errorMessage);
-      }
-
-    if (syncDfd)
-      syncDfd.reject(errorMessage);
-  }
-
-  // add compatibility with $.ajax
-  // always execute callback for success and error
-  if (options && options.complete) options.complete(resp);
-
-  return syncDfd && syncDfd.promise();
-};
-
-Backbone.ajaxSync = Backbone.sync;
-
-Backbone.getSyncMethod = function(model) {
-  if(model.localStorage || (model.collection && model.collection.localStorage)) {
-    return Backbone.localSync;
-  }
-
-  return Backbone.ajaxSync;
-};
-
-// Override 'Backbone.sync' to default to localSync,
-// the original 'Backbone.sync' is still available in 'Backbone.ajaxSync'
-Backbone.sync = function(method, model, options) {
-  return Backbone.getSyncMethod(model).apply(this, [method, model, options]);
-};
-
-return Backbone.LocalStorage;
-}));