diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
index 788d4d9fcb..a7ca2d00ee 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/session.h
@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ class LIBARDOUR_API Session : public PBD::StatefulDestructible, public PBD::Scop
 	int rename (const std::string&);
 	bool get_nsm_state () const { return _under_nsm_control; }
 	void set_nsm_state (bool state) { _under_nsm_control = state; }
+	bool save_default_options ();
 
 	PBD::Signal1<void,std::string> StateSaved;
 	PBD::Signal0<void> StateReady;
diff --git a/libs/ardour/ardour/session_configuration.h b/libs/ardour/ardour/session_configuration.h
index e72d19f322..c0af223943 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/ardour/session_configuration.h
+++ b/libs/ardour/ardour/session_configuration.h
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ public:
 	XMLNode& get_variables ();
 	void set_variables (XMLNode const &);
 
+	bool load_state ();
+	bool save_state ();
+
 	/* define accessor methods */
 
 #undef  CONFIG_VARIABLE
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session.cc b/libs/ardour/session.cc
index 3123b59c2c..121df3130c 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session.cc
@@ -300,6 +300,9 @@ Session::Session (AudioEngine &eng,
 			throw failed_constructor ();
 		}
 
+		/* load default session properties - if any */
+		config.load_state();
+
 	} else {
 
 		if (load_state (_current_snapshot_name)) {
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_configuration.cc b/libs/ardour/session_configuration.cc
index 0cfdb52872..f9f43ba4b2 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_configuration.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_configuration.cc
@@ -17,9 +17,15 @@
 
 */
 
+#include <glib.h>
+#include <glib/gstdio.h> /* for g_stat() */
+#include <glibmm/miscutils.h> /* for build_filename() */
+
+#include "pbd/file_utils.h"
 #include "pbd/pathexpand.h"
 
 #include "ardour/types.h"
+#include "ardour/filesystem_paths.h"
 #include "ardour/session_configuration.h"
 #include "i18n.h"
 
@@ -122,3 +128,67 @@ SessionConfiguration::map_parameters (boost::function<void (std::string)>& funct
 #undef  CONFIG_VARIABLE
 #undef  CONFIG_VARIABLE_SPECIAL
 }
+
+
+bool
+SessionConfiguration::load_state ()
+{
+	std::string rcfile;
+	GStatBuf statbuf;
+	if (find_file (ardour_config_search_path(), "session.rc", rcfile)) {
+		if (g_stat (rcfile.c_str(), &statbuf)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		if (statbuf.st_size == 0) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		XMLTree tree;
+		if (!tree.read (rcfile.c_str())) {
+			error << string_compose(_("%1: cannot part default session options \"%2\""), PROGRAM_NAME, rcfile) << endmsg;
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		XMLNode& root (*tree.root());
+		if (root.name() != X_("SessionDefaults")) {
+			warning << _("Invalid session default XML Root.") << endmsg;
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		XMLNode* node;
+		if (((node = find_named_node (root, X_("Config"))) != 0)) {
+			LocaleGuard lg (X_("POSIX"));
+			set_variables(*node);
+			info << _("Loaded custom session defaults.") << endmsg;
+		} else {
+			warning << _("Found no session defaults in XML file.") << endmsg;
+			return false;
+		}
+
+		/* CUSTOM OVERRIDES */
+		set_audio_search_path("");
+		set_midi_search_path("");
+		set_raid_path("");
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool
+SessionConfiguration::save_state ()
+{
+	const std::string rcfile = Glib::build_filename (user_config_directory(), "session.rc");
+	if (rcfile.empty()) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	XMLTree tree;
+	XMLNode* root = new XMLNode(X_("SessionDefaults"));
+	root->add_child_nocopy (get_variables ());
+	tree.set_root (root);
+
+	if (!tree.write (rcfile.c_str())) {
+		error << _("Could not save session options") << endmsg;
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
diff --git a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
index 6979f88dcb..cf0852f5a3 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/session_state.cc
@@ -879,6 +879,12 @@ Session::load_options (const XMLNode& node)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+bool
+Session::save_default_options ()
+{
+	return config.save_state();
+}
+
 XMLNode&
 Session::get_state()
 {