diff --git a/gtk/gtksettings.c b/gtk/gtksettings.c
index 700d1acfbe..4eec096ba4 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksettings.c
+++ b/gtk/gtksettings.c
@@ -313,6 +313,11 @@ gtk_settings_init (GtkSettings *settings)
     }
   g_free (pspecs);
 
+  path = g_build_filename (_gtk_get_data_prefix (), "share", "gtk-3.0", "settings.ini", NULL);
+  if (g_file_test (path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+    gtk_settings_load_from_key_file (settings, path, GTK_SETTINGS_SOURCE_DEFAULT);
+  g_free (path);
+
   path = g_build_filename (_gtk_get_sysconfdir (), "gtk-3.0", "settings.ini", NULL);
   if (g_file_test (path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
     gtk_settings_load_from_key_file (settings, path, GTK_SETTINGS_SOURCE_DEFAULT);