diff --git a/src/extension/background.js b/src/extension/background.js
index 0632dfa3d..b8dc3f52f 100644
--- a/src/extension/background.js
+++ b/src/extension/background.js
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import {
   getGitHubSettings,
   setConfig,
   getConfig,
-  updateProjectConfigs,
   populateUrlCache,
   queryUrlCache,
   setDisplay,
@@ -338,8 +337,13 @@ function getHelpLanguage() {
  * while respecting previous user acknowledgements.
  */
 async function updateHelpContent() {
-  const hlxSidekickHelpContent = await getConfig('sync', 'hlxSidekickHelpContent') || [];
-  log.debug('existing help content', hlxSidekickHelpContent);
+  // don't fetch new help content for at least 4 hours
+  const helpContentFetched = await getConfig('local', 'hlxSidekickHelpContentFetched');
+  if ((helpContentFetched || 0) > Date.now() - 14400000) {
+    return;
+  }
+  const helpContent = await getConfig('sync', 'hlxSidekickHelpContent') || [];
+  log.debug('existing help content', helpContent);
   const lang = getHelpLanguage();
   const resp = await fetch(`https://www.hlx.live/tools/sidekick/${lang}/help.json`);
   if (resp.ok) {
@@ -363,9 +367,9 @@ async function updateHelpContent() {
           return true;
         })
         .map((incoming) => {
-          const index = hlxSidekickHelpContent.findIndex((existing) => existing.id === incoming.id);
+          const index = helpContent.findIndex((existing) => existing.id === incoming.id);
           return {
-            ...(index >= 0 ? hlxSidekickHelpContent[index] : {}),
+            ...(index >= 0 ? helpContent[index] : {}),
             ...incoming,
             steps: incoming.steps
               .split(',')
@@ -377,6 +381,10 @@ async function updateHelpContent() {
       await setConfig('sync', {
         hlxSidekickHelpContent: updatedHelpContent,
       });
+      // remember when help content was last fetched
+      await setConfig('local', {
+        hlxSidekickHelpContentFetched: Date.now(),
+      });
     } catch (e) {
       log.error('failed to update help content', e);
     }
@@ -733,7 +741,6 @@ const internalActions = {
   // });
 
   await updateHelpContent();
-  await updateProjectConfigs();
   await setUserAgentHeader();
   await updateAdminAuthHeaderRules();
   log.info('sidekick extension initialized');
diff --git a/src/extension/utils.js b/src/extension/utils.js
index 0a89c7972..98e4ccdbb 100644
--- a/src/extension/utils.js
+++ b/src/extension/utils.js
@@ -711,23 +711,3 @@ export function toggleDisplay(cb) {
     setDisplay(!display, cb);
   });
 }
-
-/**
- * Updates the legacy project configurations to the new format.
- * @deprecated
- * @todo remove
- */
-export async function updateProjectConfigs() {
-  const configs = await getConfig('sync', 'hlxSidekickConfigs');
-  const projects = await getConfig('sync', 'hlxSidekickProjects');
-  if (configs && !projects) {
-    // migrate old to new project configs
-    for (let i = 0; i < configs.length; i += 1) {
-      // eslint-disable-next-line no-await-in-loop
-      await setProject(configs[i]);
-    }
-    // TODO: remove old project configs
-    // await removeConfig('sync', 'hlxSidekickConfigs');
-    log.info('project config updated');
-  }
-}
diff --git a/test/extension/utils.test.js b/test/extension/utils.test.js
index 26e257d0d..b879e825a 100644
--- a/test/extension/utils.test.js
+++ b/test/extension/utils.test.js
@@ -335,17 +335,6 @@ describe('Test extension utils', () => {
     })).to.be.true;
   });
 
-  it('updateProjectConfigs', async () => {
-    sandbox.spy(window.chrome.storage.sync, 'set');
-    sandbox.spy(window.chrome.storage.sync, 'remove');
-    await utils.removeConfig('sync', 'hlxSidekickProjects');
-    await utils.updateProjectConfigs();
-    // expect(chrome.storage.sync.remove.calledWith('hlxSidekickConfigs')).to.be.true;
-    expect(chrome.storage.sync.set.calledWith({
-      hlxSidekickProjects: ['test/legacy-project'],
-    })).to.be.true;
-  });
-
   it('setDisplay', async () => {
     const spy = sandbox.spy(window.chrome.storage.local, 'set');
     await utils.setDisplay(true);