diff --git a/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java b/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java
index ab8d739d34..05b9bd88e1 100644
--- a/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java
+++ b/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import javafx.application.Application;
 import org.phoebus.framework.preferences.PropertyPreferenceLoader;
-import org.phoebus.framework.preferences.PropertyPreferenceWriter;
 import org.phoebus.framework.spi.AppDescriptor;
 import org.phoebus.framework.spi.AppResourceDescriptor;
 import org.phoebus.framework.workbench.ApplicationService;
@@ -10,7 +9,10 @@
 import org.phoebus.ui.application.ApplicationServer;
 import org.phoebus.ui.application.PhoebusApplication;
 
-import java.io.*;
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
+import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.nio.charset.Charset;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -23,14 +25,11 @@
 import java.util.prefs.Preferences;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
-import static org.phoebus.ui.application.PhoebusApplication.logger;
-
 @SuppressWarnings("nls")
 public class Launcher {
     private static final String LOGGING_OPTION = "-logging";
     private static final String DEFAULT_LOGGING_FILE="/logging.properties";
     private static final String LOGGING_PROP = "java.util.logging.config.file";
-    private static final String SETTINGS_SNAPSHOT = "settings_snapshot";
 
     public static void main(final String[] original_args) throws Exception {
         // First Handle arguments, potentially not even starting the UI
@@ -96,11 +95,15 @@ public static void main(final String[] original_args) throws Exception {
         Locations.initialize();
         // Check for site-specific settings.ini bundled into distribution
         // before potentially adding command-line settings.
-        final File siteSettings = new File(Locations.install(), "settings.ini");
-        if (siteSettings.canRead())
+        final File site_settings = new File(Locations.install(), "settings.ini");
+        if (site_settings.canRead())
         {
-            logger.info("Loading bundled settings from " + siteSettings.getAbsolutePath());
-            loadSettings(siteSettings.getAbsolutePath());
+            logger.info("Loading bundled settings from " + site_settings.getAbsolutePath());
+            final FileInputStream fileInputStream = new FileInputStream(site_settings);
+            if (site_settings.getName().endsWith(".xml"))
+                Preferences.importPreferences(fileInputStream);
+            else
+                PropertyPreferenceLoader.load(fileInputStream);
         }
 
         // Handle arguments, potentially not even starting the UI
@@ -137,7 +140,11 @@ public static void main(final String[] original_args) throws Exception {
                     iter.remove();
 
                     logger.info("Loading settings from " + location);
-                    loadSettings(location);
+                    if (location.endsWith(".xml"))
+                        Preferences.importPreferences(new FileInputStream(location));
+                    else
+                        PropertyPreferenceLoader.load(location);
+
                 } else if (cmd.equals("-export_settings")) {
                     if (!iter.hasNext())
                         throw new Exception("Missing -export_settings file name");
@@ -213,26 +220,6 @@ public static void main(final String[] original_args) throws Exception {
         Application.launch(PhoebusApplication.class, args.toArray(new String[args.size()]));
     }
 
-    private static void loadSettings(String location) throws Exception {
-        if (location.endsWith(".xml"))
-            Preferences.importPreferences(new FileInputStream(location));
-        else
-            PropertyPreferenceLoader.load(location);
-
-        // Preference settings
-        final ByteArrayOutputStream prefsBuf = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
-        try
-        {
-            PropertyPreferenceWriter.save(prefsBuf);
-        }
-        catch (Exception ex)
-        {
-            logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Cannot list preferences", ex);
-        }
-
-        Preferences.userRoot().put(SETTINGS_SNAPSHOT, prefsBuf.toString());
-    }
-
     private static void help() {
         System.out.println(" _______           _______  _______  ______            _______ ");
         System.out.println("(  ____ )|\\     /|(  ___  )(  ____ \\(  ___ \\ |\\     /|(  ____ \\");
diff --git a/core/ui/src/main/java/org/phoebus/ui/help/OpenAbout.java b/core/ui/src/main/java/org/phoebus/ui/help/OpenAbout.java
index 70b5834a88..254d9d48d5 100644
--- a/core/ui/src/main/java/org/phoebus/ui/help/OpenAbout.java
+++ b/core/ui/src/main/java/org/phoebus/ui/help/OpenAbout.java
@@ -7,11 +7,15 @@
  *******************************************************************************/
 package org.phoebus.ui.help;
 
+import static org.phoebus.ui.application.PhoebusApplication.logger;
+
+import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.prefs.Preferences;
+import java.util.logging.Level;
 
+import org.phoebus.framework.preferences.PropertyPreferenceWriter;
 import org.phoebus.framework.workbench.ApplicationService;
 import org.phoebus.framework.workbench.Locations;
 import org.phoebus.ui.application.Messages;
@@ -46,7 +50,6 @@
 @SuppressWarnings("nls")
 public class OpenAbout implements MenuEntry
 {
-    private static final String SETTINGS_SNAPSHOT = "settings_snapshot";
     /** Non-<code>null</code> while the 'about' dialog is shown */
     private Alert dialog;
 
@@ -191,12 +194,22 @@ private Node createDetailSection()
         area.setEditable(false);
         final Tab props = new Tab(Messages.HelpAboutSysFea, area);
 
-        String settingsSnapshot = Preferences.userRoot().get(SETTINGS_SNAPSHOT, "");
+        // Preference settings
+        final ByteArrayOutputStream prefs_buf = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        try
+        {
+            PropertyPreferenceWriter.save(prefs_buf);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Cannot list preferences", ex);
+        }
+
         WebView webView = new WebView();
         String content = "<html><head><style>" +
         	    "body {font-family: monospace;}" +
         	    "</style></head><body>";
-        content += settingsSnapshot;
+        content += prefs_buf.toString();
         content += "</body></html>";
         webView.getEngine().loadContent(content);
 
@@ -204,6 +217,7 @@ private Node createDetailSection()
 
         final Tab prefs = new Tab(Messages.HelpAboutPrefs, webView);
 
-        return new TabPane(apps, envs, props, prefs);
+        final TabPane tabs = new TabPane(apps, envs, props, prefs);
+        return tabs;
     }
 }