diff --git a/Nasal/aircraft.nas b/Nasal/aircraft.nas
index 44bb1137b..581dbf795 100644
--- a/Nasal/aircraft.nas
+++ b/Nasal/aircraft.nas
@@ -1193,18 +1193,20 @@ _setlistener("/sim/signals/nasal-dir-initialized", func {
 	}
 #### end of temporary hack for /sim/auto-coordination
 
-	if (getprop("/sim/startup/save-on-exit")) {
+	if (!getprop("/sim/startup/restore-defaults")) {
+		# load user-specific aircraft settings
 		data.load();
 		var n = props.globals.getNode("/sim/aircraft-data");
 		if (n != nil)
 			foreach (var c; n.getChildren("path"))
 				if (c.getType() != "NONE")
 					data.add(c.getValue());
-	} else {
+	}
+	if (!getprop("/sim/startup/save-on-exit"))
+	{
+		# prevent saving
 		data._save_ = func nil;
 		data._loop_ = func nil;
 	}
 });
 
-
-
diff --git a/preferences.xml b/preferences.xml
index d324219d2..4211afe53 100644
--- a/preferences.xml
+++ b/preferences.xml
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ Started September 2000 by David Megginson, david@megginson.com
 			<fullscreen type="bool" preserve="y">false</fullscreen>
 			<units>feet</units>
 			<save-on-exit type="bool" userarchive="y">true</save-on-exit>
+			<restore-defaults type="bool">false</restore-defaults>
 			<browser-app write="n">firefox -new-tab "%u"</browser-app>
 			<!--  help viewer; only used under Unix -->
 			<terminal-ansi-colors type="bool">true</terminal-ansi-colors>