diff --git a/source/net/filebot/Main.java b/source/net/filebot/Main.java
index e6fe2daf..4c497819 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/Main.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/Main.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.security.PermissionCollection;
 import java.security.Permissions;
 import java.security.Policy;
 import java.security.ProtectionDomain;
+import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ public class Main {
 					Settings.forPackage(Main.class).clear();
 
 					// restore preferences on start if empty (TODO: remove after a few releases)
-					ApplicationFolder.AppData.resolve("preferences.backup.xml").delete();
+					getPreferencesBackupFile().delete();
 				}
 
 				// clear caches
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ public class Main {
 				// restore preferences on start if empty (TODO: remove after a few releases)
 				try {
 					if (Preferences.userNodeForPackage(Main.class).keys().length == 0) {
-						File f = ApplicationFolder.AppData.resolve("preferences.backup.xml");
+						File f = getPreferencesBackupFile();
 						if (f.exists()) {
 							log.fine("Restore user preferences: " + f);
 							Settings.restore(f);
@@ -242,7 +243,15 @@ public class Main {
 			}
 
 			// restore preferences on start if empty (TODO: remove after a few releases)
-			Settings.store(ApplicationFolder.AppData.resolve("preferences.backup.xml"));
+			try {
+				File f = getPreferencesBackupFile();
+				if (!f.exists() || !lastModifiedWithin(f, Duration.ofDays(90))) {
+					log.fine("Store user preferences: " + f);
+					Settings.store(f);
+				}
+			} catch (Exception e) {
+				debug.log(Level.WARNING, "Failed to store preferences", e);
+			}
 
 			System.exit(0);
 		}));
@@ -271,6 +280,10 @@ public class Main {
 		frame.setVisible(true);
 	}
 
+	private static File getPreferencesBackupFile() {
+		return ApplicationFolder.AppData.resolve("preferences.backup.xml");
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Show update notifications if updates are available
 	 */
diff --git a/source/net/filebot/util/FileUtilities.java b/source/net/filebot/util/FileUtilities.java
index 0372a17d..524b0817 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/util/FileUtilities.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/util/FileUtilities.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ import java.nio.file.StandardOpenOption;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.BasicFileAttributes;
 import java.security.MessageDigest;
 import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
+import java.time.Duration;
+import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Comparator;
@@ -431,6 +433,14 @@ public final class FileUtilities {
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	public static boolean lastModifiedWithin(File f, Duration d) throws IOException {
+		Instant now = Instant.now();
+		Instant lastModifiedTime = Files.getLastModifiedTime(f.toPath()).toInstant();
+		Duration age = Duration.between(lastModifiedTime, now);
+
+		return d.compareTo(age) > 0;
+	}
+
 	public static List<File> sortByUniquePath(Collection<File> files) {
 		TreeSet<File> sortedSet = new TreeSet<File>(CASE_INSENSITIVE_PATH_ORDER); // sort by unique lower-case paths
 		sortedSet.addAll(files);