diff --git a/src/core/settings.c b/src/core/settings.c
index 65c7b1d9..9c0999c9 100644
--- a/src/core/settings.c
+++ b/src/core/settings.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ static GHashTable *settings;
 static char *last_error_msg;
 static int timeout_tag;
 
+static int config_last_modifycounter;
 static time_t config_last_mtime;
 static long config_last_size;
 static unsigned int config_last_checksum;
@@ -379,7 +380,8 @@ int settings_save(const char *fname)
 		fname = mainconfig->fname;
 
 	error = config_write(mainconfig, fname, 0660) != 0;
-        irssi_config_save_state(fname);
+	irssi_config_save_state(fname);
+	config_last_modifycounter = mainconfig->modifycounter;
 	if (error) {
 		str = g_strdup_printf(_("Couldn't save "
 					"configuration file: %s"),
@@ -394,7 +396,8 @@ static void sig_autosave(void)
 {
 	char *fname, *str;
 
-	if (!settings_get_bool("settings_autosave"))
+	if (!settings_get_bool("settings_autosave") ||
+	    config_last_modifycounter == mainconfig->modifycounter)
 		return;
 
 	if (!irssi_config_is_changed(NULL))
@@ -419,6 +422,7 @@ void settings_init(void)
 				    (GCompareFunc) g_str_equal);
 
 	config_last_mtime = 0;
+	config_last_modifycounter = 0;
 	init_configfile();
 
 	settings_add_bool("misc", "settings_autosave", TRUE);
diff --git a/src/lib-config/iconfig.h b/src/lib-config/iconfig.h
index f6910642..c00fdd0c 100644
--- a/src/lib-config/iconfig.h
+++ b/src/lib-config/iconfig.h
@@ -46,12 +46,13 @@ typedef struct {
 struct _config_rec {
 	char *fname;
 	int handle;
-        int create_mode;
+	int create_mode;
+	int modifycounter; /* increase every time something is changed */
 
 	char *last_error;
 	CONFIG_NODE *mainnode;
 	GHashTable *cache; /* path -> node (for querying) */
-        GHashTable *cache_nodes; /* node -> path (for removing) */
+	GHashTable *cache_nodes; /* node -> path (for removing) */
 
 	GScanner *scanner;
 
diff --git a/src/lib-config/set.c b/src/lib-config/set.c
index f48aa3b9..342d2b70 100644
--- a/src/lib-config/set.c
+++ b/src/lib-config/set.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ void config_node_remove(CONFIG_REC *rec, CONFIG_NODE *parent, CONFIG_NODE *node)
 	g_return_if_fail(parent != NULL);
 	g_return_if_fail(node != NULL);
 
+	rec->modifycounter++;
 	cache_remove(rec, node);
 	parent->value = g_slist_remove(parent->value, node);
 
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ void config_node_set_str(CONFIG_REC *rec, CONFIG_NODE *parent, const char *key,
 	}
 
 	node->value = g_strdup(value);
+	rec->modifycounter++;
 }
 
 void config_node_set_int(CONFIG_NODE *parent, const char *key, int value)