diff --git a/src/renderer/controllers/prefs-controller.js b/src/renderer/controllers/prefs-controller.js
index 8d8241c3..e6545e7d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/controllers/prefs-controller.js
+++ b/src/renderer/controllers/prefs-controller.js
@@ -16,45 +16,22 @@ module.exports = class PrefsController {
       setup: function (cb) {
         // initialize preferences
         state.window.title = 'Preferences'
-        state.unsaved = Object.assign(state.unsaved || {}, {
-          prefs: Object.assign({}, state.saved.prefs)
-        })
         ipcRenderer.send('setAllowNav', false)
         cb()
       },
       destroy: () => {
         ipcRenderer.send('setAllowNav', true)
-        this.save()
       }
     })
   }
 
-  // Updates a single property in the UNSAVED prefs
-  // For example: updatePreferences('foo.bar', 'baz')
-  // Call save() to save to config.json
+  // Updates a single property in the saved prefs
+  // For example: updatePreferences('isFileHandler', true)
   update (property, value) {
-    const path = property.split('.')
-    let obj = this.state.unsaved.prefs
-    let i
-    for (i = 0; i < path.length - 1; i++) {
-      if (typeof obj[path[i]] === 'undefined') {
-        obj[path[i]] = {}
-      }
-      obj = obj[path[i]]
-    }
-    obj[path[i]] = value
-  }
+    if (property === 'isFileHandler') ipcRenderer.send('setDefaultFileHandler', value)
+    else if (property === 'startup') ipcRenderer.send('setStartup', value)
 
-  // All unsaved prefs take effect atomically, and are saved to config.json
-  save () {
-    const state = this.state
-    if (state.unsaved.prefs.isFileHandler !== state.saved.prefs.isFileHandler) {
-      ipcRenderer.send('setDefaultFileHandler', state.unsaved.prefs.isFileHandler)
-    }
-    if (state.unsaved.prefs.startup !== state.saved.prefs.startup) {
-      ipcRenderer.send('setStartup', state.unsaved.prefs.startup)
-    }
-    state.saved.prefs = Object.assign(state.saved.prefs || {}, state.unsaved.prefs)
+    this.state.saved.prefs[property] = value
     dispatch('stateSaveImmediate')
     dispatch('checkDownloadPath')
   }
diff --git a/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js b/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js
index 9f4006e7..52ebe7ee 100644
--- a/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js
+++ b/src/renderer/pages/preferences-page.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class PreferencesPage extends React.Component {
           }}
           onChange={this.handleDownloadPathChange}
           title='Download location'
-          value={this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.downloadPath} />
+          value={this.props.state.saved.prefs.downloadPath} />
       </Preference>
     )
   }
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class PreferencesPage extends React.Component {
       <Preference>
         <Checkbox
           className='control'
-          checked={!this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.openExternalPlayer}
+          checked={!this.props.state.saved.prefs.openExternalPlayer}
           label={'Play torrent media files using WebTorrent'}
           onCheck={this.handleOpenExternalPlayerChange} />
       </Preference>
@@ -81,10 +81,10 @@ class PreferencesPage extends React.Component {
   }
 
   externalPlayerPathSelector () {
-    const playerPath = this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.externalPlayerPath
+    const playerPath = this.props.state.saved.prefs.externalPlayerPath
     const playerName = this.props.state.getExternalPlayerName()
 
-    const description = this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.openExternalPlayer
+    const description = this.props.state.saved.prefs.openExternalPlayer
       ? `Torrent media files will always play in ${playerName}.`
       : `Torrent media files will play in ${playerName} if WebTorrent cannot play them.`
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class PreferencesPage extends React.Component {
   }
 
   setDefaultAppButton () {
-    const isFileHandler = this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.isFileHandler
+    const isFileHandler = this.props.state.saved.prefs.isFileHandler
     if (isFileHandler) {
       return (
         <Preference>
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ class PreferencesPage extends React.Component {
         <Preference>
           <Checkbox
             className='control'
-            checked={this.props.state.unsaved.prefs.startup}
+            checked={this.props.state.saved.prefs.startup}
             label={'Open WebTorrent on startup.'}
             onCheck={this.handleStartupChange}
           />