diff --git a/src/AudacityApp.cpp b/src/AudacityApp.cpp
index 8c653f870..2581ec0ed 100644
--- a/src/AudacityApp.cpp
+++ b/src/AudacityApp.cpp
@@ -1358,13 +1358,15 @@ bool AudacityApp::OnInit()
 #endif
 
    // Initialize preferences and language
-   InitPreferences();
+   wxFileName configFileName(FileNames::DataDir(), wxT("audacity.cfg"));
+   InitPreferences( configFileName );
    PopulatePreferences();
    // This test must follow PopulatePreferences, because if an error message
    // must be shown, we need internationalization to have been initialized
    // first, which was done in PopulatePreferences
    if ( !CheckWritablePreferences() ) {
-      ::AudacityMessageBox( UnwritablePreferencesErrorMessage() );
+      ::AudacityMessageBox(
+         UnwritablePreferencesErrorMessage( configFileName ) );
       return false;
    }
 
diff --git a/src/Prefs.cpp b/src/Prefs.cpp
index 100e14fac..a26448b65 100755
--- a/src/Prefs.cpp
+++ b/src/Prefs.cpp
@@ -60,10 +60,8 @@
 #include <wx/filename.h>
 #include <wx/stdpaths.h>
 
-#include "FileNames.h"
 #include "Internat.h"
 #include "MemoryX.h"
-#include "Languages.h"
 
 std::unique_ptr<AudacityPrefs> ugPrefs {};
 
@@ -206,12 +204,10 @@ bool AudacityPrefs::GetEditClipsCanMove()
    return editClipsCanMove;
 }
 
-void InitPreferences()
+void InitPreferences( const wxFileName &configFileName )
 {
    wxString appName = wxTheApp->GetAppName();
 
-   wxFileName configFileName(FileNames::DataDir(), wxT("audacity.cfg"));
-
    ugPrefs = std::make_unique<AudacityPrefs>
       (appName, wxEmptyString,
        configFileName.GetFullPath(),
@@ -226,9 +222,8 @@ bool CheckWritablePreferences()
    return gPrefs->Write("/TEST", true) && gPrefs->Flush();
 }
 
-wxString UnwritablePreferencesErrorMessage()
+wxString UnwritablePreferencesErrorMessage( const wxFileName &configFileName )
 {
-   wxFileName configFileName(FileNames::DataDir(), wxT("audacity.cfg"));
    return wxString::Format(
      _("Audacity cannot start because the settings file at %s is not writable."),
      configFileName.GetFullPath()
diff --git a/src/Prefs.h b/src/Prefs.h
index 9c98c67e6..e94d4446b 100644
--- a/src/Prefs.h
+++ b/src/Prefs.h
@@ -37,9 +37,11 @@
 #include <wx/fileconf.h>  // to inherit wxFileConfig
 #include <wx/event.h> // to declare custom event types
 
-void InitPreferences();
+class wxFileName;
+
+void InitPreferences( const wxFileName &configFileName );
 bool CheckWritablePreferences();
-wxString UnwritablePreferencesErrorMessage();
+wxString UnwritablePreferencesErrorMessage( const wxFileName &configFileName );
 void FinishPreferences();
 
 class AudacityPrefs;