diff --git a/apps/launcher/maindialog.cpp b/apps/launcher/maindialog.cpp
index 4012a1fbd..a6ac3d78d 100644
--- a/apps/launcher/maindialog.cpp
+++ b/apps/launcher/maindialog.cpp
@@ -443,6 +443,32 @@ bool Launcher::MainDialog::setupGameSettings()
     QString userPath = QString::fromStdString(mCfgMgr.getUserPath().string());
     QString globalPath = QString::fromStdString(mCfgMgr.getGlobalPath().string());
 
+    // Load the user config file first, separately
+    // So we can write it properly, uncontaminated
+    QString path = userPath + QLatin1String("openmw.cfg");
+    QFile file(path);
+
+    qDebug() << "Loading config file:" << qPrintable(path);
+
+    if (file.exists()) {
+        if (!file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly | QIODevice::Text)) {
+            QMessageBox msgBox;
+            msgBox.setWindowTitle(tr("Error opening OpenMW configuration file"));
+            msgBox.setIcon(QMessageBox::Critical);
+            msgBox.setStandardButtons(QMessageBox::Ok);
+            msgBox.setText(QObject::tr("<br><b>Could not open %0 for reading</b><br><br> \
+                                       Please make sure you have the right permissions \
+                                       and try again.<br>").arg(file.fileName()));
+                                       msgBox.exec();
+            return false;
+        }
+        QTextStream stream(&file);
+        stream.setCodec(QTextCodec::codecForName("UTF-8"));
+
+        mGameSettings.readUserFile(stream);
+    }
+
+    // Now the rest
     QStringList paths;
     paths.append(userPath + QString("openmw.cfg"));
     paths.append(QString("openmw.cfg"));
diff --git a/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.cpp b/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.cpp
index 41113c35a..e7e5cf1ea 100644
--- a/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.cpp
+++ b/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.cpp
@@ -90,6 +90,16 @@ QStringList Launcher::GameSettings::values(const QString &key, const QStringList
 }
 
 bool Launcher::GameSettings::readFile(QTextStream &stream)
+{
+    return readFile(stream, mSettings);
+}
+
+bool Launcher::GameSettings::readUserFile(QTextStream &stream)
+{
+    return readFile(stream, mUserSettings);
+}
+
+bool Launcher::GameSettings::readFile(QTextStream &stream, QMap<QString, QString> &settings)
 {
     QMap<QString, QString> cache;
     QRegExp keyRe("^([^=]+)\\s*=\\s*(.+)$");
@@ -107,10 +117,10 @@ bool Launcher::GameSettings::readFile(QTextStream &stream)
 
             // Don't remove existing data entries
             if (key != QLatin1String("data"))
-                mSettings.remove(key);
+                settings.remove(key);
 
             QStringList values = cache.values(key);
-            values.append(mSettings.values(key));
+            values.append(settings.values(key));
 
             if (!values.contains(value)) {
                 cache.insertMulti(key, value);
@@ -118,23 +128,24 @@ bool Launcher::GameSettings::readFile(QTextStream &stream)
         }
     }
 
-    if (mSettings.isEmpty()) {
-        mSettings = cache; // This is the first time we read a file
+    if (settings.isEmpty()) {
+        settings = cache; // This is the first time we read a file
         validatePaths();
         return true;
     }
 
     // Merge the changed keys with those which didn't
-    mSettings.unite(cache);
+    settings.unite(cache);
     validatePaths();
 
     return true;
 }
 
+
 bool Launcher::GameSettings::writeFile(QTextStream &stream)
 {
     // Iterate in reverse order to preserve insertion order
-    QMapIterator<QString, QString> i(mSettings);
+    QMapIterator<QString, QString> i(mUserSettings);
     i.toBack();
 
     while (i.hasPrevious()) {
@@ -162,7 +173,7 @@ bool Launcher::GameSettings::writeFile(QTextStream &stream)
 
     }
 
-    QStringList content = mSettings.values(QString("content"));
+    QStringList content = mUserSettings.values(QString("content"));
     for (int i = content.count(); i--;) {
         stream << "content=" << content.at(i) << "\n";
     }
@@ -172,14 +183,14 @@ bool Launcher::GameSettings::writeFile(QTextStream &stream)
 
 bool Launcher::GameSettings::hasMaster()
 {
-  bool result = false;
-  QStringList content = mSettings.values(QString("content"));
-  for (int i = 0; i < content.count(); ++i) {
-    if (content.at(i).contains(".omwgame") || content.at(i).contains(".esm")) {
-        result = true;
-        break;
+    bool result = false;
+    QStringList content = mSettings.values(QString("content"));
+    for (int i = 0; i < content.count(); ++i) {
+        if (content.at(i).contains(".omwgame") || content.at(i).contains(".esm")) {
+            result = true;
+            break;
+        }
     }
-  }
 
-  return result;
+    return result;
 }
diff --git a/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.hpp b/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.hpp
index 60236200a..df8215074 100644
--- a/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.hpp
+++ b/apps/launcher/settings/gamesettings.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ namespace Launcher
         inline void setValue(const QString &key, const QString &value)
         {
             mSettings.insert(key, value);
+            mUserSettings.insert(key, value);
         }
 
         inline void setMultiValue(const QString &key, const QString &value)
@@ -38,11 +39,16 @@ namespace Launcher
             QStringList values = mSettings.values(key);
             if (!values.contains(value))
                 mSettings.insertMulti(key, value);
+
+            values = mUserSettings.values(key);
+            if (!values.contains(value))
+                mUserSettings.insertMulti(key, value);
         }
 
         inline void remove(const QString &key)
         {
             mSettings.remove(key);
+            mUserSettings.remove(key);
         }
 
         inline QStringList getDataDirs() { return mDataDirs; }
@@ -52,7 +58,11 @@ namespace Launcher
         bool hasMaster();
 
         QStringList values(const QString &key, const QStringList &defaultValues = QStringList());
+
         bool readFile(QTextStream &stream);
+        bool readFile(QTextStream &stream, QMap<QString, QString> &settings);
+        bool readUserFile(QTextStream &stream);
+
         bool writeFile(QTextStream &stream);
 
     private:
@@ -60,6 +70,7 @@ namespace Launcher
 
         void validatePaths();
         QMap<QString, QString> mSettings;
+        QMap<QString, QString> mUserSettings;
 
         QStringList mDataDirs;
         QString mDataLocal;