diff --git a/src/usr/local/www/index.php b/src/usr/local/www/index.php
index a7dde79bb7..2a053f7609 100644
--- a/src/usr/local/www/index.php
+++ b/src/usr/local/www/index.php
@@ -529,6 +529,19 @@ function set_widget_checkbox_events(checkbox_panel_ref, all_none_button_id) {
 		});
 }
 
+// --------------------- EXPERIMENTAL centralized widget refresh system ------------------------------
+// These need to live outsie of the events.push() function to enable the widgets to see them
+var ajaxspecs = new Array();	// Array to hold widget refresh specifications (objects )
+var ajaxidx = 0;
+var ajaxmutex = false;
+var ajaxcntr = 0;
+
+// Add a widget refresh object to the array list
+function register_ajax(ws) {
+  ajaxspecs.push(ws);
+}
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 events.push(function() {
 
 	// Make panels destroyable
@@ -585,6 +598,55 @@ events.push(function() {
 			$('#btnstore').removeClass("invisible");
 		}
 	});
+
+	// --------------------- EXPERIMENTAL centralized widget refresh system ------------------------------
+	function make_ajax_call(wd) {
+		ajaxmutex = true;
+
+		$.ajax({
+			type: 'POST',
+			url: wd.url,
+			dataType: 'html',
+			data: wd.parms,
+
+			success: function(data){
+				wd.callback(data);
+				ajaxmutex = false;
+			},
+
+			error: function(e){
+//				alert("Error: " + e);
+				ajaxmutex = false;
+			}
+		});
+	}
+
+	// Loop through each AJAX widget refresh object, make the AJAX call and pass the
+	// results back to the widget's callback function
+	function executewidget() {
+		if (ajaxspecs.length > 0) {
+			var freq = ajaxspecs[ajaxidx].freq;	// widget can specifify it should be called freq times around hte loop
+
+			if (!ajaxmutex) {
+				if (((ajaxcntr % freq) === 0) && (typeof ajaxspecs[ajaxidx].callback === "function" )) {
+				    make_ajax_call(ajaxspecs[ajaxidx]);
+				}
+
+			    if (++ajaxidx >= ajaxspecs.length) {
+					ajaxidx = 0;
+
+					if (++ajaxcntr >= 4096) {
+						ajaxcntr = 0;
+					}
+			    }
+			}
+
+		    setTimeout(function() { executewidget(); }, 1000);
+	  	}
+	}
+
+	// Kick it off
+	executewidget();
 });
 //]]>
 </script>
diff --git a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/gateways.widget.php b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/gateways.widget.php
index f4408b8374..35abec8668 100644
--- a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/gateways.widget.php
+++ b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/gateways.widget.php
@@ -199,36 +199,6 @@ $widgetperiod = isset($config['widgets']['period']) ? $config['widgets']['period
 	</div>
 </form>
 
-<script>
-//<![CDATA[
-
-	function get_gw_stats() {
-		var ajaxRequest;
-
-		ajaxRequest = $.ajax({
-				url: "/widgets/widgets/gateways.widget.php",
-				type: "post",
-				data: { ajax: "ajax"}
-			});
-
-		// Deal with the results of the above ajax call
-		ajaxRequest.done(function (response, textStatus, jqXHR) {
-			$('#gwtblbody').html(response);
-			// and do it again
-			setTimeout(get_gw_stats, "<?=$widgetperiod?>");
-		});
-	}
-
-	events.push(function(){
-		set_widget_checkbox_events("#widget-<?=$widgetname?>_panel-footer [id^=show]", "showallgateways");
-
-		// Start polling for updates some small random number of seconds from now (so that all the widgets don't
-		// hit the server at exactly the same time)
-		setTimeout(get_gw_stats, Math.floor((Math.random() * 10000) + 1000));
-	});
-//]]>
-</script>
-
 <?php
 function compose_table_body_contents() {
 	global $user_settings;
@@ -359,3 +329,37 @@ function compose_table_body_contents() {
 	return($rtnstr);
 }
 ?>
+
+<script>
+//<![CDATA[
+
+events.push(function(){
+	// --------------------- EXPERIMENTAL centralized widget refresh system ------------------------------
+
+	// Callback function called by refresh system when data is retrieved
+	function gateways_callback(s) {
+		$('#gwtblbody').html(s);
+	}
+
+	// POST data to send via AJAX
+	var postdata = {
+		ajax: "ajax",
+	 	widgetkey : "<?=$widgetkey?>"
+	 };
+
+	// Create an object defining the widget refresh AJAX call
+	var gatewaysObject = new Object();
+	gatewaysObject.name = "Gateways";
+	gatewaysObject.url = "/widgets/widgets/gateways.widget.php";
+	gatewaysObject.callback = gateways_callback;
+	gatewaysObject.parms = postdata;
+	gatewaysObject.freq = 1;
+
+	// Register the AJAX object
+	register_ajax(gatewaysObject);
+
+	// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+});
+
+//]]>
+</script>
diff --git a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interface_statistics.widget.php b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interface_statistics.widget.php
index ff2cc29c8a..f4e349f2d2 100644
--- a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interface_statistics.widget.php
+++ b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interface_statistics.widget.php
@@ -201,31 +201,57 @@ $widgetperiod = isset($config['widgets']['period']) ? $config['widgets']['period
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
 //<![CDATA[
-
-	function get_if_stats() {
+/*
+	function get_if_stats_<?=$widgetkey_nodash?>() {
 		var ajaxRequest;
 
 		ajaxRequest = $.ajax({
 				url: "/widgets/widgets/interface_statistics.widget.php",
 				type: "post",
-				data: { ajax: "ajax"}
+				data: { ajax: "ajax", widgetkey: "<?=$widgetkey?>"}
 			});
 
 		// Deal with the results of the above ajax call
 		ajaxRequest.done(function (response, textStatus, jqXHR) {
-			$('#iftbl').html(response);
+			$('#<?=$widgetkey?>-iftbl').html(response);
 
 			// and do it again
-			setTimeout(get_if_stats, "<?=$widgetperiod?>");
+			setTimeout(get_if_stats_<?=$widgetkey_nodash?>, "<?=$widgetperiod?>");
 		});
 	}
+*/
+	events.push(function() {
+		// --------------------- EXPERIMENTAL centralized widget refresh system ------------------------------
 
-	events.push(function(){
+		// Callback function called by refresh system when data is retrieved
+		function interface_statistics_callback(s) {
+			$('#iftbl').html(s);
+		}
+
+		// POST data to send via AJAX
+		var postdata = {
+			ajax : "ajax",
+		 	widgetkey :"<?=$widgetkey?>"
+		 };
+
+		// Create an object defining the widget refresh AJAX call
+		var ifstatObject = new Object();
+		ifstatObject.name = "IFstats";
+		ifstatObject.url = "/widgets/widgets/interface_statistics.widget.php";
+		ifstatObject.callback = interface_statistics_callback;
+		ifstatObject.parms = postdata;
+		ifstatObject.freq = 1;
+
+		// Register the AJAX object
+		register_ajax(ifstatObject);
+
+		// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+		// Note: This manages all settings checkboxes with id starting with "show"
+		// (i.e. both the interface and stats item selection groups)
+		// using a single All/None button
 		set_widget_checkbox_events("#widget-<?=$widgetname?>_panel-footer [id^=show]", "showallinterfacesforstats");
 
-		// Start polling for updates some small random number of seconds from now (so that all the widgets don't
-		// hit the server at exactly the same time)
-		setTimeout(get_if_stats, Math.floor((Math.random() * 10000) + 1000));
 	});
 //]]>
 </script>
+
diff --git a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interfaces.widget.php b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interfaces.widget.php
index df3b7172db..1337c1ce0e 100644
--- a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interfaces.widget.php
+++ b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/interfaces.widget.php
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ require_once("/usr/local/www/widgets/include/interfaces.inc");
 
 $ifdescrs = get_configured_interface_with_descr();
 
-if ($_POST) {
+if ($_POST && !$_REQUEST['ajax']) {
 
 	$validNames = array();
 
@@ -79,9 +79,11 @@ if ($_POST) {
 	header("Location: /index.php");
 }
 
+if (!$_REQUEST['ajax']) {
 ?>
 
-<div class="table-responsive">
+<div id="ifaces_status" class="table-responsive">
+	<?php } ?>
 	<table class="table table-striped table-hover table-condensed">
 		<tbody>
 <?php
@@ -174,7 +176,15 @@ endif;
 ?>
 		</tbody>
 	</table>
+
+<?php
+/* for AJAX response, we only need the panels */
+if ($_REQUEST['ajax']) {
+	exit;
+}
+?>
 </div>
+
 <!-- close the body we're wrapped in and add a configuration-panel -->
 </div><div id="widget-<?=$widgetname?>_panel-footer" class="panel-footer collapse">
 
@@ -220,6 +230,32 @@ endif;
 <script>
 //<![CDATA[
 	events.push(function(){
+
+		// --------------------- EXPERIMENTAL centralized widget refresh system ------------------------------
+
+		// Callback function called by refresh system when data is retrieved
+		function interfaces_callback(s) {
+			$('#ifaces_status').html(s);
+		}
+
+		// POST data to send via AJAX
+		var postdata = {
+			widgetkey :"<?=$widgetkey?>",
+			ajax: "ajax"
+		};
+
+		// Create an object defining the widget refresh AJAX call
+		var interfacesObject = new Object();
+		interfacesObject.name = "Interfaces";
+		interfacesObject.url = "/widgets/widgets/interfaces.widget.php";
+		interfacesObject.callback = interfaces_callback;
+		interfacesObject.parms = postdata;
+		interfacesObject.freq = 1;
+
+		// Register the AJAX object
+		register_ajax(interfacesObject);
+
+		// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 		set_widget_checkbox_events("#widget-<?=$widgetname?>_panel-footer [id^=show]", "showallinterfaces");
 	});
 //]]>
diff --git a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/system_information.widget.php b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/system_information.widget.php
index 868554e4ff..fd7295d781 100644
--- a/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/system_information.widget.php
+++ b/src/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/system_information.widget.php
@@ -553,41 +553,6 @@ $rows_displayed = false;
 
 <script type="text/javascript">
 //<![CDATA[
-<?php if (!isset($config['system']['firmware']['disablecheck'])): ?>
-function systemStatusGetUpdateStatus() {
-	$.ajax({
-		type: 'get',
-		url: '/widgets/widgets/system_information.widget.php',
-		data: 'getupdatestatus=1',
-		dataFilter: function(raw){
-			// We reload the entire widget, strip this block of javascript from it
-			return raw.replace(/<script>([\s\S]*)<\/script>/gi, '');
-		},
-		dataType: 'html',
-		success: function(data){
-			$('#widget-system_information #updatestatus').html(data);
-		}
-	});
-}
-
-setTimeout('systemStatusGetUpdateStatus()', 4000);
-<?php endif; ?>
-
-function updateMeters() {
-	url = '/getstats.php';
-
-	$.ajax(url, {
-		type: 'get',
-		success: function(data) {
-			response = data || "";
-			if (response != "")
-				stats(data);
-		}
-	});
-
-	setTimer();
-
-}
 
 events.push(function(){
 	set_widget_checkbox_events("#widget-<?=$widgetname?>_panel-footer [id^=show]", "showallsysinfoitems");
@@ -599,10 +564,6 @@ function setProgress(barName, percent) {
 	$('#' + barName).css('width', percent + '%').attr('aria-valuenow', percent);
 }
 
-function setTimer() {
-	timeout = window.setTimeout('updateMeters()', update_interval);
-}
-
 function stats(x) {
 	var values = x.split("|");
 	if ($.each(values,function(key,value) {
@@ -773,9 +734,33 @@ function widgetActive(x) {
 	}
 }
 
-/* start updater */
+
 events.push(function(){
-	setTimer();
+	// --------------------- EXPERIMENTAL centralized widget refresh system ------------------------------
+
+	// Callback function called by refresh system when data is retrieved
+	function meters_callback(s) {
+		stats(s);
+	}
+
+	// POST data to send via AJAX
+	var postdata = {
+		ajax: "ajax"
+	 };
+
+	// Create an object defining the widget refresh AJAX call
+	var metersObject = new Object();
+	metersObject.name = "Meters";
+	metersObject.url = "/getstats.php";
+	metersObject.callback = meters_callback;
+	metersObject.parms = postdata;
+	metersObject.freq = 1;
+
+	// Register the AJAX object
+	register_ajax(metersObject);
+
+	//set_widget_checkbox_events("#<?=$widget_panel_footer_id?> [id^=show]", "<?=$widget_showallnone_id?>");
+
 });
 //]]>
 </script>