diff --git a/cosmic-settings/src/app.rs b/cosmic-settings/src/app.rs
index d543c98..e413af4 100644
--- a/cosmic-settings/src/app.rs
+++ b/cosmic-settings/src/app.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ use std::{borrow::Cow, str::FromStr};
 #[allow(clippy::struct_excessive_bools)]
 #[allow(clippy::module_name_repetitions)]
 pub struct SettingsApp {
+    last_active_page: Box<str>,
     active_page: page::Entity,
     active_context_page: Option<page::Entity>,
     loaded_pages: BTreeSet<page::Entity>,
@@ -182,11 +183,14 @@ impl cosmic::Application for SettingsApp {
     }
 
     fn init(core: Core, flags: Self::Flags) -> (Self, Task<Self::Message>) {
+        let config = Config::new();
+
         let mut app = SettingsApp {
             active_page: page::Entity::default(),
             active_context_page: None,
+            last_active_page: config.active_page(),
             loaded_pages: BTreeSet::new(),
-            config: Config::new(),
+            config,
             core,
             nav_model: nav_bar::Model::default(),
             page_sender: None,
@@ -219,7 +223,7 @@ impl cosmic::Application for SettingsApp {
             Some(p) => app.subtask_to_page(&p),
             None => app
                 .pages
-                .find_page_by_id(&app.config.active_page)
+                .find_page_by_id(&app.last_active_page)
                 .map(|(id, _info)| id),
         }
         .unwrap_or(desktop_id);
@@ -849,9 +853,8 @@ impl SettingsApp {
                 .unwrap_or(iced::Task::none())
                 .map(Message::PageMessage)
                 .map(Into::into);
-            self.config.active_page = Box::from(&*self.pages.info[page].id);
-            self.config
-                .set_active_page(Box::from(&*self.pages.info[page].id));
+            self.last_active_page = Box::from(&*self.pages.info[page].id);
+            self.config.set_active_page(self.last_active_page.clone());
         }
 
         self.search_clear();
diff --git a/cosmic-settings/src/config.rs b/cosmic-settings/src/config.rs
index db9af4d..21d4780 100644
--- a/cosmic-settings/src/config.rs
+++ b/cosmic-settings/src/config.rs
@@ -8,68 +8,53 @@ use cosmic::{
 
 const NAME: &str = "com.system76.CosmicSettings";
 
-const ACTIVE_PAGE: &str = "active-page";
+const ACTIVE_PAGE: &str = "active_page";
 const ACCENT_PALETTE_DARK: &str = "accent_palette_dark";
 const ACCENT_PALETTE_LIGHT: &str = "accent_palette_light";
 
 #[must_use]
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct Config {
-    pub cosmic_config: Option<cosmic_config::Config>,
-    pub active_page: Box<str>,
+    config: cosmic_config::Config,
+    state: cosmic_config::Config,
 }
 
 impl Config {
     pub fn new() -> Self {
-        let mut config = Self::default();
-
-        let context = match cosmic_config::Config::new(NAME, 1) {
-            Ok(context) => context,
+        let config = match cosmic_config::Config::new(NAME, 1) {
+            Ok(config) => config,
             Err(why) => {
-                tracing::warn!(?why, "failed to get config");
-                return Self::default();
+                panic!("failed to get {NAME} config: {:?}", why);
             }
         };
 
-        if let Ok(page) = context.get::<Box<str>>(ACTIVE_PAGE) {
-            config.active_page = page;
-        }
+        let state = match cosmic_config::Config::new_state(NAME, 1) {
+            Ok(state) => state,
+            Err(why) => {
+                panic!("failed to get {NAME} state: {:?}", why);
+            }
+        };
 
-        config.cosmic_config = Some(context);
-
-        config
+        Self { config, state }
     }
 
     pub fn accent_palette_dark(&self) -> Result<Vec<Srgba>, cosmic_config::Error> {
-        self.cosmic_config
-            .as_ref()
-            .unwrap()
-            .get::<Vec<Srgba>>(ACCENT_PALETTE_DARK)
+        self.config.get::<Vec<Srgba>>(ACCENT_PALETTE_DARK)
     }
 
     pub fn accent_palette_light(&self) -> Result<Vec<Srgba>, cosmic_config::Error> {
-        self.cosmic_config
-            .as_ref()
-            .unwrap()
-            .get::<Vec<Srgba>>(ACCENT_PALETTE_LIGHT)
+        self.config.get::<Vec<Srgba>>(ACCENT_PALETTE_LIGHT)
     }
 
-    pub fn set_active_page(&mut self, page: Box<str>) {
-        if let Some(context) = self.cosmic_config.as_ref() {
-            if let Err(why) = context.set::<Box<str>>(ACTIVE_PAGE, page.clone()) {
-                tracing::error!(?why, "failed to store active page ID");
-            }
-        }
-
-        self.active_page = page;
+    pub fn active_page(&self) -> Box<str> {
+        self.state
+            .get::<Box<str>>(ACTIVE_PAGE)
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| Box::from("desktop"))
     }
-}
 
-impl Default for Config {
-    fn default() -> Self {
-        Self {
-            cosmic_config: None,
-            active_page: Box::from("desktop"),
+    pub fn set_active_page(&self, page: Box<str>) {
+        if let Err(why) = self.state.set::<Box<str>>(ACTIVE_PAGE, page.clone()) {
+            tracing::error!(?why, "failed to store active page ID");
         }
     }
 }