diff --git a/src/TrackArtist.cpp b/src/TrackArtist.cpp
index d75d9160b..b23940050 100644
--- a/src/TrackArtist.cpp
+++ b/src/TrackArtist.cpp
@@ -2344,7 +2344,7 @@ void TrackArtist::DrawClipSpectrum(WaveTrackCache &waveTrackCache,
       (zoomInfo.PositionToTime(0, -leftOffset) - tOffset)
    );
 
-   const bool isSpectral = settings.spectralSelection;
+   const bool isSpectral = settings.SpectralSelectionEnabled();
    const bool hidden = (ZoomInfo::HIDDEN == zoomInfo.GetFisheyeState());
    const int begin = hidden
       ? 0
diff --git a/src/TrackPanel.cpp b/src/TrackPanel.cpp
index f3269e81b..ea113b475 100644
--- a/src/TrackPanel.cpp
+++ b/src/TrackPanel.cpp
@@ -1813,7 +1813,7 @@ inline bool isSpectralSelectionTrack(const Track *pTrack, bool *pLogf = NULL) {
            settings.scaleType == SpectrogramSettings::stLogarithmic;
          *pLogf = logF;
       }
-      return (display == WaveTrack::Spectrum) && settings.spectralSelection;
+      return (display == WaveTrack::Spectrum) && settings.SpectralSelectionEnabled();
    }
    else {
       if (pLogf)
diff --git a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
index 7852e6f16..04030efa7 100644
--- a/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
+++ b/src/effects/nyquist/Nyquist.cpp
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ bool NyquistEffect::Process()
             const WaveTrack::WaveTrackDisplay display = mCurTrack[0]->GetDisplay();
             const bool bAllowSpectralEditing =
                (display == WaveTrack::Spectrum) &&
-               mCurTrack[0]->GetSpectrogramSettings().spectralSelection;
+               mCurTrack[0]->GetSpectrogramSettings().SpectralSelectionEnabled();
 
             if (bAllowSpectralEditing) {
 #if defined(EXPERIMENTAL_SPECTRAL_EDITING)
diff --git a/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.cpp b/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.cpp
index ce4e41081..173d2f58a 100644
--- a/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.cpp
@@ -26,6 +26,33 @@ Paul Licameli
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <cmath>
 
+SpectrogramSettings::Globals::Globals()
+{
+   LoadPrefs();
+}
+
+void SpectrogramSettings::Globals::SavePrefs()
+{
+#ifdef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
+   gPrefs->Write(wxT("/Spectrum/EnableSpectralSelection"), spectralSelection);
+#endif
+}
+
+void SpectrogramSettings::Globals::LoadPrefs()
+{
+#ifdef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
+   spectralSelection
+      = (gPrefs->Read(wxT("/Spectrum/EnableSpectralSelection"), 0L) != 0);
+#endif
+}
+
+SpectrogramSettings::Globals
+&SpectrogramSettings::Globals::Get()
+{
+   static Globals instance;
+   return instance;
+}
+
 SpectrogramSettings::SpectrogramSettings()
    : hFFT(0)
    , window(0)
@@ -48,7 +75,9 @@ SpectrogramSettings::SpectrogramSettings(const SpectrogramSettings &other)
 #endif
    , isGrayscale(other.isGrayscale)
    , scaleType(other.scaleType)
+#ifndef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
    , spectralSelection(other.spectralSelection)
+#endif
 #ifdef EXPERIMENTAL_FFT_Y_GRID
    , fftYGrid(other.fftYGrid)
 #endif
@@ -82,7 +111,9 @@ SpectrogramSettings &SpectrogramSettings::operator= (const SpectrogramSettings &
 #endif
       isGrayscale = other.isGrayscale;
       scaleType = other.scaleType;
+#ifndef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
       spectralSelection = other.spectralSelection;
+#endif
 #ifdef EXPERIMENTAL_FFT_Y_GRID
       fftYGrid = other.fftYGrid;
 #endif
@@ -219,7 +250,10 @@ void SpectrogramSettings::LoadPrefs()
    isGrayscale = (gPrefs->Read(wxT("/Spectrum/Grayscale"), 0L) != 0);
 
    scaleType = ScaleType(gPrefs->Read(wxT("/Spectrum/ScaleType"), 0L));
+
+#ifndef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
    spectralSelection = (gPrefs->Read(wxT("/Spectrum/EnableSpectralSelection"), 0L) != 0);
+#endif
 
 #ifdef EXPERIMENTAL_FFT_Y_GRID
    fftYGrid = (gPrefs->Read(wxT("/Spectrum/FFTYGrid"), 0L) != 0);
@@ -276,7 +310,10 @@ void SpectrogramSettings::SavePrefs()
    gPrefs->Write(wxT("/Spectrum/Grayscale"), isGrayscale);
 
    gPrefs->Write(wxT("/Spectrum/ScaleType"), scaleType);
+
+#ifndef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
    gPrefs->Write(wxT("/Spectrum/EnableSpectralSelection"), spectralSelection);
+#endif
 
 #ifdef EXPERIMENTAL_FFT_Y_GRID
    gPrefs->Write(wxT("/Spectrum/FFTYGrid"), fftYGrid);
@@ -486,3 +523,12 @@ int SpectrogramSettings::GetFFTLength(bool autocorrelation) const
 #endif
    ;
 }
+
+bool SpectrogramSettings::SpectralSelectionEnabled() const
+{
+#ifdef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
+   return Globals::Get().spectralSelection;
+#else
+   return spectralSelection;
+#endif
+}
diff --git a/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.h b/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.h
index 393c9b27f..3f4a34dca 100644
--- a/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.h
+++ b/src/prefs/SpectrogramSettings.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ Paul Licameli
 
 #include "../Experimental.h"
 
+#undef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
+
 struct FFTParam;
 class SpectrumPrefs;
 class wxArrayString;
@@ -22,6 +24,22 @@ class SpectrogramSettings
    friend class SpectrumPrefs;
 public:
 
+   // Singleton for settings that are not per-track
+   class Globals
+   {
+   public:
+      static Globals &Get();
+      void SavePrefs();
+
+#ifdef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
+      bool spectralSelection;
+#endif
+
+   private:
+      Globals();
+      void LoadPrefs();
+   };
+
    enum {
       LogMinWindowSize = 3,
       LogMaxWindowSize = 15,
@@ -72,6 +90,7 @@ public:
    int GetMaxFreq(double rate) const;
    int GetLogMinFreq(double rate) const;
    int GetLogMaxFreq(double rate) const;
+   bool SpectralSelectionEnabled() const;
 
    void SetMinFreq(int freq);
    void SetMaxFreq(int freq);
@@ -95,7 +114,9 @@ public:
 
    ScaleType scaleType;
 
+#ifndef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
    bool spectralSelection; // But should this vary per track? -- PRL
+#endif
 
 #ifdef EXPERIMENTAL_FFT_Y_GRID
    bool fftYGrid;
@@ -116,5 +137,4 @@ public:
    mutable float         *window;
 #endif
 };
-
 #endif
diff --git a/src/prefs/SpectrumPrefs.cpp b/src/prefs/SpectrumPrefs.cpp
index 1d30f2c92..8c085ff22 100644
--- a/src/prefs/SpectrumPrefs.cpp
+++ b/src/prefs/SpectrumPrefs.cpp
@@ -218,8 +218,11 @@ void SpectrumPrefs::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
 
          S.Id(ID_GRAYSCALE).TieCheckBox(_("S&how the spectrum using grayscale colors"),
             mTempSettings.isGrayscale);
+
+#ifndef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
          S.Id(ID_SPECTRAL_SELECTION).TieCheckBox(_("Ena&ble spectral selection"),
             mTempSettings.spectralSelection);
+#endif
 
 #ifdef EXPERIMENTAL_FFT_Y_GRID
          S.TieCheckBox(_("Show a grid along the &Y-axis"),
@@ -257,6 +260,15 @@ void SpectrumPrefs::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
    }
    // S.EndStatic();
 
+#ifdef SPECTRAL_SELECTION_GLOBAL_SWITCH
+   S.StartStatic(_("Global settings"));
+   {
+      S.TieCheckBox(_("Ena&ble spectral selection"),
+         SpectrogramSettings::Globals::Get().spectralSelection);
+   }
+   S.EndStatic();
+#endif
+
    S.StartMultiColumn(2, wxALIGN_RIGHT);
    {
       S.Id(ID_APPLY).AddButton(_("Appl&y"));
@@ -340,7 +352,10 @@ bool SpectrumPrefs::Apply()
    ShuttleGui S(this, eIsGettingFromDialog);
    PopulateOrExchange(S);
 
+
    mTempSettings.ConvertToActualWindowSizes();
+   SpectrogramSettings::Globals::Get().SavePrefs(); // always
+
    if (mWt) {
       if (mDefaulted) {
          mWt->SetSpectrogramSettings(NULL);