Index: applications/editors/josm/plugins/imagery/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/imagery/tms/BingAerialTileSource.java
===================================================================
--- applications/editors/josm/plugins/imagery/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/imagery/tms/BingAerialTileSource.java	(revision 24658)
+++ applications/editors/josm/plugins/imagery/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/imagery/tms/BingAerialTileSource.java	(revision 24660)
@@ -6,5 +6,4 @@
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -26,4 +25,16 @@
     public BingAerialTileSource() {
         super("Bing Aerial Maps", "http://ecn.t2.tiles.virtualearth.net/tiles/");
+
+        if (attributions == null) {
+            Thread t = new Thread(new Runnable() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    attributions = loadAttributionText();
+                    System.err.println("Added " + attributions.size() + " attributions.");
+                }
+            });
+            t.setDaemon(true);
+            t.run();
+        }
     }
 
@@ -105,5 +116,5 @@
             e.printStackTrace();
         }
-        return Collections.emptyList();
+        return null;
     }
 
@@ -155,6 +166,6 @@
     public String getAttributionText(int zoom, LatLon topLeft, LatLon botRight) {
         if (attributions == null) {
-            attributions = loadAttributionText();
-            System.err.println("Added " + attributions.size() + " attributions.");
+            // TODO: don't show Bing tiles until attribution data is loaded
+            return "";
         }
         Bounds windowBounds = new Bounds(topLeft, botRight);