diff --git a/src/Config/Config.cpp b/src/Config/Config.cpp
index d6f3e9b82..8bbfeebda 100644
--- a/src/Config/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config/Config.cpp
@@ -588,6 +588,12 @@ extern "C" bool IniSectionClear(LPCWSTR lpSectionName, bool bRemoveEmpty)
 }
 // ============================================================================
 
+extern "C" int IniSectionGetKeyCount(LPCWSTR lpSectionName)
+{
+    return s_INI.GetSectionSize(lpSectionName);
+}
+// ============================================================================
+
 extern "C" bool IniClearAllSections(LPCWSTR lpPrefix, bool bRemoveEmpty)
 {
     CSimpleIni::TNamesDepend Sections;
@@ -1177,8 +1183,6 @@ void LoadSettings()
 {
     WCHAR tchKeyName[MIDSZ_BUFFER] = { L'\0' };
 
-    CFG_VERSION const _ver = Path_IsEmpty(Paths.IniFile) ? CFG_VER_CURRENT : CFG_VER_NONE;
-
     auto* const pPathBuffer = (wchar_t*)AllocMem(PATHLONG_MAX_CCH * sizeof(wchar_t), HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY);
 
     bool bDirtyFlag = false; // do we have to save the file on done
@@ -1190,8 +1194,8 @@ void LoadSettings()
     const WCHAR* const IniSecSettings2 = Constants.Settings2_Section;
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    // prerequisites
-    Globals.iCfgVersionRead = IniSectionGetInt(IniSecSettings, L"SettingsVersion", _ver);
+    // prerequisites - assume current version if SettingsVersion is not defined
+    Globals.iCfgVersionRead = IniSectionGetInt(IniSecSettings, L"SettingsVersion", CFG_VER_CURRENT);
 
     Defaults.SaveSettings = Path_IsNotEmpty(Paths.IniFile);
     Settings.SaveSettings = Defaults.SaveSettings && IniSectionGetBool(IniSecSettings, L"SaveSettings", Defaults.SaveSettings);
@@ -2401,6 +2405,10 @@ bool SaveAllSettings(bool bForceSaveSettings)
 
     if (ok) {
 
+        if (Globals.bIniFileFromScratch) {
+            IniSectionSetString(_W(SAPPNAME), NULL, NULL);
+        }
+
         _SaveSettings(bForceSaveSettings);
 
         if (Globals.bCanSaveIniFile) {
@@ -2436,6 +2444,8 @@ bool SaveAllSettings(bool bForceSaveSettings)
 
     ok = (ok ? CloseSettingsFile(__func__, true) : true);
 
+    Globals.bIniFileFromScratch = false; // INI has content now
+
     // maybe separate INI files for Style-Themes
     if (Globals.uCurrentThemeIndex > 0) {
         Style_SaveSettings(bForceSaveSettings);
diff --git a/src/Config/Config.h b/src/Config/Config.h
index 1430f9d95..e5425e3e6 100644
--- a/src/Config/Config.h
+++ b/src/Config/Config.h
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ inline bool IniSectionSetPos(LPCWSTR lpSectionName, LPCWSTR lpKeyName, DocPos po
 //
 bool IniSectionDelete(LPCWSTR lpSectionName, LPCWSTR lpKeyName, bool bRemoveEmpty);
 bool IniSectionClear(LPCWSTR lpSectionName, bool bRemoveEmpty);
+int  IniSectionGetKeyCount(LPCWSTR lpSectionName);
 bool IniClearAllSections(LPCWSTR lpPrefix, bool bRemoveEmpty);
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/MuiLanguage.c b/src/MuiLanguage.c
index 4feb3f830..21c39390f 100644
--- a/src/MuiLanguage.c
+++ b/src/MuiLanguage.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ void SetMuiLanguage(const unsigned muiLngIndex) {
 
             StringCchCopyW(Settings2.PreferredLanguageLocaleName, COUNTOF(Settings2.PreferredLanguageLocaleName), pLocaleName);
 
-            if (Globals.bCanSaveIniFile) {
+            if (Globals.bCanSaveIniFile && !Globals.bIniFileFromScratch) {
                 if (StrCmpIW(Settings2.PreferredLanguageLocaleName, Default_PreferredLanguageLocaleName) != 0) {
                     IniFileSetString(Paths.IniFile, Constants.Settings2_Section, SettingName, Settings2.PreferredLanguageLocaleName);
                 } else {
diff --git a/src/Styles.c b/src/Styles.c
index 2abad7453..40b4a4713 100644
--- a/src/Styles.c
+++ b/src/Styles.c
@@ -1154,6 +1154,13 @@ bool Style_ToIniSection(bool bForceAll)
     IniSectionDelete(L"Default Text", NULL, true);
     IniSectionDelete(L"2nd Default Text", NULL, true);
 
+    // remove empty lexer sections (preserve canonical order for non-empty ones)
+    for (int iLexer = 0; iLexer < COUNTOF(g_pLexArray); ++iLexer) {
+        if (IniSectionGetKeyCount(g_pLexArray[iLexer]->pszName) == 0) {
+            IniSectionClear(g_pLexArray[iLexer]->pszName, true);
+        }
+    }
+
     return true;
 }