diff --git a/src/LyX.cpp b/src/LyX.cpp
index be2c159703..3f43e1d956 100644
--- a/src/LyX.cpp
+++ b/src/LyX.cpp
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ bool LyX::init()
 	system_lcolor = lcolor;
 
 	// This one is edited through the preferences dialog.
-	if (!readRcFile("preferences"))
+	if (!readRcFile("preferences", true))
 		return false;
 
 	if (!readEncodingsFile("encodings", "unicodesymbols"))
@@ -960,21 +960,22 @@ bool LyX::queryUserLyXDir(bool explicit_userdir)
 }
 
 
-bool LyX::readRcFile(string const & name)
+bool LyX::readRcFile(string const & name, bool check_format)
 {
 	LYXERR(Debug::INIT, "About to read " << name << "... ");
 
 	FileName const lyxrc_path = libFileSearch(string(), name);
-	if (!lyxrc_path.empty()) {
-		LYXERR(Debug::INIT, "Found in " << lyxrc_path);
-		if (!lyxrc.read(lyxrc_path)) {
-			showFileError(name);
-			return false;
-		}
-	} else {
+	if (lyxrc_path.empty()) {
 		LYXERR(Debug::INIT, "Not found." << lyxrc_path);
+		// FIXME
+		// This was the previous logic, but can it be right??
+		return true;
 	}
-	return true;
+	LYXERR(Debug::INIT, "Found in " << lyxrc_path);
+	bool const success = lyxrc.read(lyxrc_path, check_format);
+	if (!success)
+		showFileError(name);
+	return success;
 }
 
 // Read the languages file `name'
diff --git a/src/LyX.h b/src/LyX.h
index c9674eba37..4e66f2c196 100644
--- a/src/LyX.h
+++ b/src/LyX.h
@@ -108,7 +108,9 @@ private:
 	 */
 	bool queryUserLyXDir(bool explicit_userdir);
 	/// read lyxrc/preferences
-	bool readRcFile(std::string const & name);
+	/// \param check_format: whether to try to convert the format of
+	/// the file, if there is a mismatch.
+	bool readRcFile(std::string const & name, bool check_format = false);
 	/// read the given languages file
 	bool readLanguagesFile(std::string const & name);
 	/// read the encodings.
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.cpp b/src/LyXRC.cpp
index 487255f5fb..94edf17154 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXRC.cpp
@@ -377,13 +377,13 @@ void oldFontFormat(string & family, string & foundry)
 } // namespace anon
 
 
-bool LyXRC::read(FileName const & filename)
+bool LyXRC::read(FileName const & filename, bool check_format)
 {
 	Lexer lexrc(lyxrcTags);
 	lexrc.setFile(filename);
 	LYXERR(Debug::LYXRC, "Reading '" << filename << "'...");
-	ReturnValues retval = read(lexrc);
-	if (retval != FormatMismatch)
+	ReturnValues retval = read(lexrc, check_format);
+	if (!check_format || retval != FormatMismatch)
 		return retval == ReadOK;
 
 	LYXERR(Debug::FILES, "Converting LyXRC file to " << LYXRC_FILEFORMAT);
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ bool LyXRC::read(FileName const & filename)
 	Lexer lexrc2(lyxrcTags);
 	lexrc2.setFile(tempfile);
 	LYXERR(Debug::LYXRC, "Reading '" << tempfile << "'...");
-	retval = read(lexrc2);
+	retval = read(lexrc2, check_format);
 	tempfile.removeFile();
 	return retval == ReadOK;
 }
@@ -410,11 +410,11 @@ bool LyXRC::read(istream & is)
 	Lexer lexrc(lyxrcTags);
 	lexrc.setStream(is);
 	LYXERR(Debug::LYXRC, "Reading istream...");
-	return read(lexrc) == ReadOK;
+	return read(lexrc, false) == ReadOK;
 }
 
 
-LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc)
+LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc, bool check_format)
 {
 	if (lyxerr.debugging(Debug::PARSER))
 		lexrc.printTable(lyxerr);
@@ -453,9 +453,9 @@ LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc)
 				FileName const tmp =
 					libFileSearch(string(),
 						      lexrc.getString());
-				if (read(tmp)) {
-					lexrc.printError("Error reading "
-							 "included file: " + tmp.absFileName());
+				if (read(tmp, check_format)) {
+					lexrc.printError(
+					    "Error reading included file: " + tmp.absFileName());
 				}
 			}
 			break;
@@ -1262,7 +1262,7 @@ LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc)
 
 		// This is triggered the first time through the loop unless
 		// we hit a format tag.
-		if (format != LYXRC_FILEFORMAT)
+		if (check_format && format != LYXRC_FILEFORMAT)
 			return FormatMismatch;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/LyXRC.h b/src/LyXRC.h
index 4d4dcf6c5f..d94b861cb3 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.h
+++ b/src/LyXRC.h
@@ -191,21 +191,20 @@ public:
 	LyXRC();
 	///
 	void setDefaults();
-	///
-	bool read(support::FileName const & filename);
+	/// \param check_format: whether to try to convert the file format,
+	/// if it is not current. this should only be true, really, for the
+	/// user's own preferences file.
+	bool read(support::FileName const & filename, bool check_format);
 	///
 	bool read(std::istream &);
 private:
 	enum ReturnValues {
 		ReadOK,
-		FileError,
 		ReadError,
 		FormatMismatch
 	};
 	///
-	ReturnValues readWithoutConv(support::FileName const &);
-	///
-	ReturnValues read(Lexer &);
+	ReturnValues read(Lexer &, bool check_format);
 public:
 	///
 	typedef std::set<std::string> CommandSet;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
index 2ddcb0d214..e5e7765cb8 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiApplication.cpp
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ void GuiApplication::reconfigure(string const & option)
 	// emit message signal.
 	if (current_view_)
 		current_view_->message(_("Reloading configuration..."));
-	lyxrc.read(libFileSearch(QString(), "lyxrc.defaults"));
+	lyxrc.read(libFileSearch(QString(), "lyxrc.defaults"), false);
 	// Re-read packages.lst
 	LaTeXFeatures::getAvailable();