diff --git a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
index 2fbba1c8..e00c67b4 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/guiutils.cpp
@@ -64,9 +64,16 @@ PrefsPack prefs;
  * structure during program execution and saved to disk using the QT
  * settings mechanism
  */
+/* Remember if settings were actually read (to avoid writing them if
+ * we stopped before reading them (else some kinds of errors would reset
+ * the qt/recoll settings to defaults) */
+static bool havereadsettings;
+
 void rwSettings(bool writing)
 {
     LOGDEB1(("rwSettings: write %d\n", int(writing)));
+    if (writing && !havereadsettings)
+        return;
     QSettings settings("Recoll.org", "recoll");
     SETTING_RW(prefs.mainwidth, "/Recoll/geometry/width", Int, 0);
     SETTING_RW(prefs.mainheight, "/Recoll/geometry/height", Int, 0);
@@ -383,6 +390,8 @@ void rwSettings(bool writing)
 	for (list<string>::iterator it = tl.begin(); it != tl.end(); it++)
 	    prefs.asearchSubdirHist.push_front(QString::fromUtf8(it->c_str()));
     }
+    if (!writing)
+        havereadsettings = true;
 }
 
 string PrefsPack::stemlang()
diff --git a/src/qtgui/main.cpp b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
index d21054cb..00efbbba 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/main.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/main.cpp
@@ -52,11 +52,6 @@
 
 extern RclConfig *theconfig;
 
-// To avoid writing settings if we stopped before reading them (else
-// some kinds of errors would reset the qt/recoll settings to
-// defaults)
-static bool havereadsettings;
-
 PTMutexInit thetempfileslock;
 static vector<TempFile>  o_tempfiles;
 /* Keep an array of temporary files for deletion at exit. It happens that we
@@ -155,10 +150,6 @@ bool getStemLangs(vector<string>& vlangs)
 
 static void recollCleanup()
 {
-    if (havereadsettings) {
-	LOGDEB(("recollCleanup: writing settings\n"));
-	rwSettings(true);
-    }
     LOGDEB2(("recollCleanup: closing database\n"));
     deleteZ(rcldb);
     deleteZ(theconfig);
@@ -349,7 +340,6 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     //    fprintf(stderr, "History done\n");
     rwSettings(false);
-    havereadsettings = true;
     //    fprintf(stderr, "Settings done\n");
 
     if (!prefs.qssFile.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp b/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp
index 4d1cb257..06f83166 100644
--- a/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp
+++ b/src/qtgui/rclmain_w.cpp
@@ -700,6 +700,8 @@ void RclMain::fileExit()
     if (asearchform)
 	delete asearchform;
 
+    rwSettings(true);
+
     // Let the exit handler clean up the rest (internal recoll stuff).
     exit(0);
 }