diff --git a/plugins/buildingplan-planner.cpp b/plugins/buildingplan-planner.cpp
index 42c84f4dc..963d13153 100644
--- a/plugins/buildingplan-planner.cpp
+++ b/plugins/buildingplan-planner.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 static const std::string planned_building_persistence_key_v1 = "buildingplan/constraints";
 static const std::string planned_building_persistence_key_v2 = "buildingplan/constraints2";
+static const std::string global_settings_persistence_key = "buildingplan/global";
 
 /*
  * ItemFilter
@@ -501,13 +502,69 @@ void migrateV1ToV2()
     }
 }
 
-static void init_global_settings(std::map<std::string, bool> & settings)
+// assumes no setting has '=' or '|' characters
+static std::string serialize_settings(std::map<std::string, bool> & settings)
+{
+    std::ostringstream ser;
+    for (auto & entry : settings)
+    {
+        ser << entry.first << "=" << (entry.second ? "1" : "0") << "|";
+    }
+    return ser.str();
+}
+
+static void deserialize_settings(std::map<std::string, bool> & settings,
+                                 std::string ser)
+{
+    std::vector<std::string> tokens;
+    split_string(&tokens, ser, "|");
+    for (auto token : tokens)
+    {
+        if (token.empty())
+            continue;
+
+        std::vector<std::string> parts;
+        split_string(&parts, token, "=");
+        if (parts.size() != 2)
+        {
+            debug("invalid serialized setting format: '%s'", token.c_str());
+            continue;
+        }
+        std::string key = parts[0];
+        if (settings.count(key) == 0)
+        {
+            debug("unknown serialized setting: '%s", key.c_str());
+            continue;
+        }
+        settings[key] = static_cast<bool>(atoi(parts[1].c_str()));
+        debug("deserialized setting: %s = %d", key.c_str(), settings[key]);
+    }
+}
+
+static DFHack::PersistentDataItem init_global_settings(
+        std::map<std::string, bool> & settings)
 {
     settings.clear();
     settings["blocks"] = true;
     settings["boulders"] = true;
     settings["logs"] = true;
     settings["bars"] = false;
+
+    // load persistent global settings if they exist; otherwise create them
+    std::vector<PersistentDataItem> items;
+    DFHack::World::GetPersistentData(&items, global_settings_persistence_key);
+    if (items.size() == 1)
+    {
+        DFHack::PersistentDataItem & config = items[0];
+        deserialize_settings(settings, config.val());
+        return config;
+    }
+
+    debug("initializing persistent global settings");
+    DFHack::PersistentDataItem config =
+        DFHack::World::AddPersistentData(global_settings_persistence_key);
+    config.val() = serialize_settings(settings);
+    return config;
 }
 
 const std::map<std::string, bool> & Planner::getGlobalSettings() const
@@ -525,6 +582,8 @@ bool Planner::setGlobalSetting(std::string name, bool value)
     debug("global setting '%s' %d -> %d",
           name.c_str(), global_settings[name], value);
     global_settings[name] = value;
+    if (config.isValid())
+        config.val() = serialize_settings(global_settings);
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -535,7 +594,7 @@ void Planner::reset()
     planned_buildings.clear();
     tasks.clear();
 
-    init_global_settings(global_settings);
+    config = init_global_settings(global_settings);
 
     migrateV1ToV2();
 
diff --git a/plugins/buildingplan-planner.h b/plugins/buildingplan-planner.h
index 18cfaf0b1..7b1615704 100644
--- a/plugins/buildingplan-planner.h
+++ b/plugins/buildingplan-planner.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ public:
     void doCycle();
 
 private:
+    DFHack::PersistentDataItem config;
     std::map<std::string, bool> global_settings;
     std::unordered_map<BuildingTypeKey,
                        std::vector<ItemFilter>,
diff --git a/plugins/buildingplan.cpp b/plugins/buildingplan.cpp
index 52bd5118f..a89c6c8fd 100644
--- a/plugins/buildingplan.cpp
+++ b/plugins/buildingplan.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "modules/Maps.h"
 #include "modules/World.h"
 
+#include "Core.h"
 #include "LuaTools.h"
 #include "PluginManager.h"
 
@@ -814,6 +815,33 @@ IMPLEMENT_VMETHOD_INTERPOSE(buildingplan_query_hook, render);
 IMPLEMENT_VMETHOD_INTERPOSE(buildingplan_place_hook, render);
 IMPLEMENT_VMETHOD_INTERPOSE(buildingplan_room_hook, render);
 
+static DFHack::PersistentDataItem get_ui_settings_config()
+{
+    static const std::string settings_persistence_key =
+            "buildingplan/ui_settings";
+
+    bool added;
+    DFHack::PersistentDataItem config =
+            DFHack::World::GetPersistentData(settings_persistence_key, &added);
+    if (added)
+    {
+        config.ival(0) = quickfort_mode;
+    }
+    return config;
+}
+
+static void load_settings()
+{
+    DFHack::PersistentDataItem config = get_ui_settings_config();
+    quickfort_mode = config.ival(0);
+}
+
+static void save_settings()
+{
+    DFHack::PersistentDataItem config = get_ui_settings_config();
+    config.ival(0) = quickfort_mode;
+}
+
 static command_result buildingplan_cmd(color_ostream &out, vector <string> & parameters)
 {
     if (!parameters.empty())
@@ -841,7 +869,11 @@ DFhackCExport command_result plugin_enable(color_ostream &out, bool enable)
 
     if (enable != is_enabled)
     {
-        planner.reset();
+        if (DFHack::Core::getInstance().isMapLoaded())
+        {
+            load_settings();
+            planner.reset();
+        }
 
         if (!INTERPOSE_HOOK(buildingplan_query_hook, feed).apply(enable) ||
             !INTERPOSE_HOOK(buildingplan_place_hook, feed).apply(enable) ||
@@ -871,6 +903,7 @@ DFhackCExport command_result plugin_onstatechange(color_ostream &out, state_chan
 {
     switch (event) {
     case SC_MAP_LOADED:
+        load_settings();
         planner.reset();
         roomMonitor.reset(out);
         break;
@@ -928,6 +961,7 @@ static void setSetting(std::string name, bool value) {
     {
         debug("setting quickfort_mode %d -> %d", quickfort_mode, value);
         quickfort_mode = value;
+        save_settings();
         return;
     }
     planner.setGlobalSetting(name, value);