diff --git a/src/Main/globals.cxx b/src/Main/globals.cxx
index 8f7102333..4e14718d1 100644
--- a/src/Main/globals.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/globals.cxx
@@ -774,7 +774,7 @@ static void tryAutosaveMigration(const SGPath& userDataPath, SGPropertyNode* pro
 
 // Load user settings from the autosave file (normally in $FG_HOME)
 void
-FGGlobals::loadUserSettings(SGPath userDataPath)
+FGGlobals::loadUserSettings(SGPath userDataPath, bool tryMigrate)
 {
     if (userDataPath.isNull()) {
         userDataPath = get_fg_home();
@@ -794,10 +794,8 @@ FGGlobals::loadUserSettings(SGPath userDataPath)
           SG_LOG(SG_INPUT, SG_WARN, "failed to read user settings:" << e.getMessage()
             << "(from " << e.getOrigin() << ")");
       }
-    } else {
-#if 0
+    } else if (tryMigrate) {
         tryAutosaveMigration(userDataPath, &autosave);
-#endif
     }
     copyProperties(&autosave, globals->get_props());
 }
diff --git a/src/Main/globals.hxx b/src/Main/globals.hxx
index fad0fee3c..65b9a5f10 100644
--- a/src/Main/globals.hxx
+++ b/src/Main/globals.hxx
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ public:
      * Load user settings from the autosave file under 'userDataPath',
      * which defaults to $FG_HOME.
      */
-    void loadUserSettings(SGPath userDatapath = SGPath());
+    void loadUserSettings(SGPath userDatapath = SGPath(), bool tryMigrate = false);
 
     /**
      * Save user settings to the autosave file under 'userDataPath', which
diff --git a/src/Main/test_autosaveMigration.cxx b/src/Main/test_autosaveMigration.cxx
index 2e13b6f49..e4b145dae 100644
--- a/src/Main/test_autosaveMigration.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/test_autosaveMigration.cxx
@@ -98,7 +98,6 @@ void writeLegacyAutosave2(SGPath userData, int majorVersion, int minorVersion)
     of.close();
 }
 
-
 void testMigration()
 {
     fgtest::initTestGlobals("autosaveMigration");
@@ -141,7 +140,7 @@ void testMigration()
     blacklist->addChild("path")->setStringValue("/sim[0]/gui");
 
     // execute method under test
-    globals->loadUserSettings(testUserDataPath);
+    globals->loadUserSettings(testUserDataPath, true /* try migration */);
 
     SG_CHECK_EQUAL(globals->get_props()->getNode("sim")->getChildren("presets").size(), 2);
     SG_CHECK_EQUAL(globals->get_props()->getNode("sim")->getChildren("gui").size(), 0);