diff --git a/src/Menus.cpp b/src/Menus.cpp
index 589b363dc..0f538f06b 100644
--- a/src/Menus.cpp
+++ b/src/Menus.cpp
@@ -4910,9 +4910,15 @@ void AudacityProject::OnPreferences(const CommandContext &WXUNUSED(context) )
    }
 }
 
+
+#include "./prefs/SpectrogramSettings.h"
+#include "./prefs/WaveformSettings.h"
 void AudacityProject::OnReloadPreferences(const CommandContext &WXUNUSED(context) )
 {
    {
+      SpectrogramSettings::defaults().LoadPrefs();
+      WaveformSettings::defaults().LoadPrefs();
+
       GlobalPrefsDialog dialog(this /* parent */ );
       wxCommandEvent Evt;
       //dialog.Show();
diff --git a/src/WaveTrack.cpp b/src/WaveTrack.cpp
index d938d51a9..41d968b8d 100644
--- a/src/WaveTrack.cpp
+++ b/src/WaveTrack.cpp
@@ -739,6 +739,23 @@ void WaveTrack::SetSpectrogramSettings(std::unique_ptr<SpectrogramSettings> &&pS
    }
 }
 
+void WaveTrack::UseSpectralPrefs( bool bUse )
+{  
+   if( bUse ){
+      if( !mpSpectrumSettings )
+         return;
+      // reset it, and next we will be getting the defaults.
+      mpSpectrumSettings.reset();
+   }
+   else {
+      if( mpSpectrumSettings )
+         return;
+      GetIndependentSpectrogramSettings();
+   }
+}
+
+
+
 const WaveformSettings &WaveTrack::GetWaveformSettings() const
 {
    if (mpWaveformSettings)
diff --git a/src/WaveTrack.h b/src/WaveTrack.h
index d461f4b53..a142fc792 100644
--- a/src/WaveTrack.h
+++ b/src/WaveTrack.h
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ private:
    WaveformSettings &GetWaveformSettings();
    WaveformSettings &GetIndependentWaveformSettings();
    void SetWaveformSettings(std::unique_ptr<WaveformSettings> &&pSettings);
-
+   void UseSpectralPrefs( bool bUse=true );
    //
    // High-level editing
    //
diff --git a/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.cpp b/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.cpp
index aad714a06..eadf47ed0 100644
--- a/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ bool SetTrackCommand::DefineParams( ShuttleParams & S ){
    S.OptionalN( bHasScaleType      ).DefineEnum( mScaleType,      wxT("Scale"),      kLinear,   scales );
    S.OptionalN( bHasColour         ).DefineEnum( mColour,         wxT("Color"),      kColour0,  colours );
    S.OptionalN( bHasVZoom          ).DefineEnum( mVZoom,          wxT("VZoom"),      kReset,    vzooms );
+   S.OptionalN( bHasUseSpecPrefs   ).Define(     bUseSpecPrefs,   wxT("SpecPrefs"),  false );
+
    S.OptionalN( bHasSpectralSelect ).Define(     bSpectralSelect, wxT("SpectralSel"),true );
    S.OptionalN( bHasGrayScale      ).Define(     bGrayScale,      wxT("GrayScale"),  false );
    // There is also a select command.  This is an alternative.
@@ -144,12 +146,13 @@ void SetTrackCommand::PopulateOrExchange(ShuttleGui & S)
    S.EndMultiColumn();
    S.StartMultiColumn(2, wxALIGN_CENTER);
    {
-      S.Optional( bHasSpectralSelect ).TieCheckBox( _("Spectral Select:"), bSpectralSelect );
-      S.Optional( bHasGrayScale      ).TieCheckBox( _("Gray Scale:"),      bGrayScale );
-      S.Optional( bHasSelected       ).TieCheckBox( _("Selected:"),        bSelected );
-      S.Optional( bHasFocused        ).TieCheckBox( _("Focused:"),         bFocused);
-      S.Optional( bHasSolo           ).TieCheckBox( _("Solo:"),            bSolo);
-      S.Optional( bHasMute           ).TieCheckBox( _("Mute:"),            bMute);
+      S.Optional( bHasUseSpecPrefs   ).TieCheckBox( _("Use Spectral Prefs:"), bUseSpecPrefs );
+      S.Optional( bHasSpectralSelect ).TieCheckBox( _("Spectral Select:"),    bSpectralSelect);
+      S.Optional( bHasGrayScale      ).TieCheckBox( _("Gray Scale:"),         bGrayScale );
+      S.Optional( bHasSelected       ).TieCheckBox( _("Selected:"),           bSelected );
+      S.Optional( bHasFocused        ).TieCheckBox( _("Focused:"),            bFocused);
+      S.Optional( bHasSolo           ).TieCheckBox( _("Solo:"),               bSolo);
+      S.Optional( bHasMute           ).TieCheckBox( _("Mute:"),               bMute);
    }
    S.EndMultiColumn();
 }
@@ -197,6 +200,10 @@ bool SetTrackCommand::Apply(const CommandContext & context)
                (mScaleType==kLinear) ? 
                   WaveformSettings::stLinear
                   : WaveformSettings::stLogarithmic;
+
+         if( wt && bHasUseSpecPrefs   ){
+            wt->UseSpectralPrefs( bUseSpecPrefs );
+         }
          if( wt && bHasSpectralSelect )
             wt->GetSpectrogramSettings().spectralSelection = bSpectralSelect;
          if( wt && bHasGrayScale )
@@ -209,7 +216,6 @@ bool SetTrackCommand::Apply(const CommandContext & context)
                case kHalfWave: wt->SetDisplayBounds(0,1); break;
             }
          }
-
          // These ones don't make sense on the second channel of a stereo track.
          if( !bIsSecondChannel ){
             if( bHasSelected )
diff --git a/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.h b/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.h
index 61076b94c..d673d588b 100644
--- a/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.h
+++ b/src/commands/SetTrackInfoCommand.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ public:
    int mDisplayType;
    int mScaleType;
    int mVZoom;
+   bool bUseSpecPrefs;
    bool bSpectralSelect;
    bool bGrayScale;
    bool bSelected;
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ public:
    bool bHasDisplayType;
    bool bHasScaleType;
    bool bHasVZoom;
+   bool bHasUseSpecPrefs;
    bool bHasSpectralSelect;
    bool bHasGrayScale;
    bool bHasSelected;
diff --git a/src/prefs/PrefsDialog.cpp b/src/prefs/PrefsDialog.cpp
index 027baf04d..cd63e9534 100644
--- a/src/prefs/PrefsDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/prefs/PrefsDialog.cpp
@@ -517,6 +517,7 @@ void PrefsDialog::OnOK(wxCommandEvent & WXUNUSED(event))
    }
 
    WaveformSettings::defaults().LoadPrefs();
+   SpectrogramSettings::defaults().LoadPrefs();
 
    if( IsModal() )
       EndModal(true);