diff --git a/src/node/utils/Settings.js b/src/node/utils/Settings.js
index 4cc22045..2ed76d0b 100644
--- a/src/node/utils/Settings.js
+++ b/src/node/utils/Settings.js
@@ -112,51 +112,58 @@ exports.abiwordAvailable = function()
   }
 }
 
-// Discover where the settings file lives
-var settingsFilename = argv.settings || "settings.json";
-settingsFilename = path.resolve(path.join(root, settingsFilename));
 
-var settingsStr;
-try{
-  //read the settings sync
-  settingsStr = fs.readFileSync(settingsFilename).toString();
-} catch(e){
-  console.warn('No settings file found. Continuing using defaults!');
-}
 
-// try to parse the settings
-var settings;
-try {
-  if(settingsStr) {
-    settings = vm.runInContext('exports = '+settingsStr, vm.createContext(), "settings.json");
+exports.reloadSettings = function reloadSettings() {
+  // Discover where the settings file lives
+  var settingsFilename = argv.settings || "settings.json";
+  settingsFilename = path.resolve(path.join(root, settingsFilename));
+
+  var settingsStr;
+  try{
+    //read the settings sync
+    settingsStr = fs.readFileSync(settingsFilename).toString();
+  } catch(e){
+    console.warn('No settings file found. Continuing using defaults!');
   }
-}catch(e){
-  console.error('There was an error processing your settings.json file: '+e.message);
-  process.exit(1);
-}
 
-//loop trough the settings
-for(var i in settings)
-{
-  //test if the setting start with a low character
-  if(i.charAt(0).search("[a-z]") !== 0)
+  // try to parse the settings
+  var settings;
+  try {
+    if(settingsStr) {
+      settings = vm.runInContext('exports = '+settingsStr, vm.createContext(), "settings.json");
+    }
+  }catch(e){
+    console.error('There was an error processing your settings.json file: '+e.message);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  //loop trough the settings
+  for(var i in settings)
   {
-    console.warn("Settings should start with a low character: '" + i + "'");
+    //test if the setting start with a low character
+    if(i.charAt(0).search("[a-z]") !== 0)
+    {
+      console.warn("Settings should start with a low character: '" + i + "'");
+    }
+
+    //we know this setting, so we overwrite it
+    //or it's a settings hash, specific to a plugin
+    if(exports[i] !== undefined || i.indexOf('ep_')==0)
+    {
+      exports[i] = settings[i];
+    }
+    //this setting is unkown, output a warning and throw it away
+    else
+    {
+      console.warn("Unknown Setting: '" + i + "'. This setting doesn't exist or it was removed");
+    }
   }
 
-  //we know this setting, so we overwrite it
-  //or it's a settings hash, specific to a plugin
-  if(exports[i] !== undefined || i.indexOf('ep_')==0)
-  {
-    exports[i] = settings[i];
-  }
-  //this setting is unkown, output a warning and throw it away
-  else
-  {
-    console.warn("Unknown Setting: '" + i + "'. This setting doesn't exist or it was removed");
+  if(exports.dbType === "dirty"){
+    console.warn("DirtyDB is used. This is fine for testing but not recommended for production.")
   }
 }
 
-if(exports.dbType === "dirty"){
-  console.warn("DirtyDB is used. This is fine for testing but not recommended for production.")
-}
+// initially load settings
+exports.reloadSettings();