diff --git a/src/Aircraft/flightrecorder.cxx b/src/Aircraft/flightrecorder.cxx
index 075ba17a3..9ac2169dd 100644
--- a/src/Aircraft/flightrecorder.cxx
+++ b/src/Aircraft/flightrecorder.cxx
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ FGFlightRecorder::getDefault(void)
     const char* Path = m_RecorderNode->getStringValue("default-config",NULL);
     if (!Path)
     {
-        SG_LOG(SG_SYSTEMS, SG_ALERT, "FlightRecorder: No default flight recorder specified! Check preferences.xml!");
+        SG_LOG(SG_SYSTEMS, SG_ALERT, "FlightRecorder: No default flight recorder specified! Check defaults.xml!");
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/src/GUI/SetupRootDialog.cxx b/src/GUI/SetupRootDialog.cxx
index e1cb65be8..7d7613254 100644
--- a/src/GUI/SetupRootDialog.cxx
+++ b/src/GUI/SetupRootDialog.cxx
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ bool SetupRootDialog::validatePath(QString path)
     // no harm
     QStringList files = QStringList()
         << "version"
-        << "preferences.xml"
+        << "defaults.xml"
         << "Materials/base/materials-base.xml"
         << "gui/menubar.xml"
         << "Timezone/zone.tab";
diff --git a/src/Instrumentation/transponder.cxx b/src/Instrumentation/transponder.cxx
index 00d4d80ac..07594c0fd 100644
--- a/src/Instrumentation/transponder.cxx
+++ b/src/Instrumentation/transponder.cxx
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ void Transponder::init()
     
     _idCode_node = node->getChild("id-code", 0, true);
     _idCode_node->addChangeListener(this);
-    // set default, but don't overwrite value from preferences.xml or -set.xml
+    // set default, but don't overwrite value from defaults.xml or -set.xml
     if (!_idCode_node->hasValue()) { 
         _idCode_node->setIntValue(1200);
     }
diff --git a/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx b/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx
index 93c5d0686..b513a673e 100644
--- a/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_commands.cxx
@@ -395,15 +395,12 @@ do_panel_load (const SGPropertyNode * arg)
 static bool
 do_preferences_load (const SGPropertyNode * arg)
 {
-  try {
-    fgLoadProps(arg->getStringValue("path", "preferences.xml"),
-                globals->get_props());
-  } catch (const sg_exception &e) {
-    guiErrorMessage("Error reading global preferences: ", e);
+    // disabling this command which was formerly used to reload 'preferences.xml'
+    // reloading the defaults doesn't make sense (better to reset the simulator),
+    // and loading arbitrary XML docs into the property-tree can be done via
+    // the standard load-xml command.
+    SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_ALERT, "preferences-load command is deprecated and non-functional");
     return false;
-  }
-  SG_LOG(SG_INPUT, SG_INFO, "Successfully read global preferences.");
-  return true;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
index c8dc9ec1b..2dc5cfdb0 100644
--- a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
@@ -472,10 +472,17 @@ int fgInitConfig ( int argc, char **argv, bool reinit )
         options->init(argc, argv, dataPath);
     }
 
-    // Read global preferences from $FG_ROOT/preferences.xml
-    SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_INFO, "Reading global preferences");
-    fgLoadProps("preferences.xml", globals->get_props());
-    SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_INFO, "Finished Reading global preferences");
+    // Read global defaults from $FG_ROOT/defaults
+    SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_INFO, "Reading global defaults");
+    SGPath defaultsXML = globals->get_fg_root() / "defaults.xml";
+    if (!defaultsXML.exists()) {
+        flightgear::fatalMessageBox("Missing files",
+                                    "Couldn't load an essential simulator data file",
+                                    defaultsXML.utf8Str());
+    }
+    
+    fgLoadProps("defaults.xml", globals->get_props());
+    SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_INFO, "Finished Reading global defaults");
 
     // do not load user settings when reset to default is requested, or if
     // told to explicitly ignore
diff --git a/src/Main/locale.cxx b/src/Main/locale.cxx
index fd7a5f2b5..b8a02cd2a 100644
--- a/src/Main/locale.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/locale.cxx
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ FGLocale::selectLanguage(const char *language)
     if (!_currentLocale)
     {
        SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_ALERT,
-              "System locale not found or no internationalization settings specified in preferences.xml. Using default (en)." );
+              "System locale not found or no internationalization settings specified in defaults.xml. Using default (en)." );
        return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Main/options.cxx b/src/Main/options.cxx
index a9aa034b1..01de7eb3a 100644
--- a/src/Main/options.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/options.cxx
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ static int fgSetupProxy( const char *arg );
 /**
  * Set a few fail-safe default property values.
  *
- * These should all be set in $FG_ROOT/preferences.xml, but just
+ * These should all be set in $FG_ROOT/defaults.xml, but just
  * in case, we provide some initial sane values here. This method
  * should be invoked *before* reading any init files.
  */
diff --git a/utils/fgelev/fgelev.cxx b/utils/fgelev/fgelev.cxx
index 599f26d98..fb6d8cd1b 100644
--- a/utils/fgelev/fgelev.cxx
+++ b/utils/fgelev/fgelev.cxx
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
     SGSharedPtr<SGPropertyNode> props = new SGPropertyNode;
     try {
         SGPath preferencesFile = fg_root;
-        preferencesFile.append("preferences.xml");
+        preferencesFile.append("defaults.xml");
         readProperties(preferencesFile, props);
     } catch (...) {
         // In case of an error, at least make summer :)
diff --git a/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx b/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx
index 3b1053061..30725f36f 100644
--- a/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx
+++ b/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
     SGSharedPtr<SGPropertyNode> props = new SGPropertyNode;
     try {
         SGPath preferencesFile = fg_root;
-        preferencesFile.append("preferences.xml");
+        preferencesFile.append("defaults.xml");
         readProperties(preferencesFile, props);
     } catch (...) {
         // In case of an error, at least make summer :)