diff --git a/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c b/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c
index bd8a1b4e..f1b64f90 100644
--- a/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c
+++ b/moo/mooedit/mooeditor.c
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ moo_editor_add_doc (MooEditor      *editor,
          editor->priv->default_lang)
     {
         moo_edit_config_set (doc->config,
-                             "lang", MOO_EDIT_CONFIG_SOURCE_AUTO,
+                             "lang", MOO_EDIT_CONFIG_SOURCE_FILENAME,
                              editor->priv->default_lang, NULL);
     }
 }
@@ -1864,10 +1864,16 @@ apply_prefs (MooEditor *editor)
     GSList *docs;
     gboolean use_tabs, autosave, backups, strip;
     int indent_width, autosave_interval;
-    const char *color_scheme;
+    const char *color_scheme, *default_lang;
 
     editor->priv->prefs_idle = 0;
 
+    moo_prefs_new_key_string (moo_edit_setting (MOO_EDIT_PREFS_DEFAULT_LANG), NULL);
+    default_lang = moo_prefs_get_string (moo_edit_setting (MOO_EDIT_PREFS_DEFAULT_LANG));
+
+    if (default_lang)
+        moo_editor_set_default_lang (editor, default_lang);
+
     use_tabs = !moo_prefs_get_bool (moo_edit_setting (MOO_EDIT_PREFS_SPACES_NO_TABS));
     indent_width = moo_prefs_get_int (moo_edit_setting (MOO_EDIT_PREFS_INDENT_WIDTH));
     strip = moo_prefs_get_bool (moo_edit_setting (MOO_EDIT_PREFS_STRIP));
diff --git a/moo/mooedit/mooeditprefs.h b/moo/mooedit/mooeditprefs.h
index 619579a8..fb19113b 100644
--- a/moo/mooedit/mooeditprefs.h
+++ b/moo/mooedit/mooeditprefs.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ GtkWidget  *moo_edit_colors_prefs_page_new  (MooEditor      *editor);
 /* defined in mooeditprefs.c */
 const char *moo_edit_setting                (const char     *setting_name);
 
+#define MOO_EDIT_PREFS_DEFAULT_LANG             "default_lang"
 
 #define MOO_EDIT_PREFS_SPACES_NO_TABS           "spaces_instead_of_tabs"
 #define MOO_EDIT_PREFS_INDENT_WIDTH             "indent_width"