diff --git a/src/core/settings.c b/src/core/settings.c
index 7ded9ae2..b13163e0 100644
--- a/src/core/settings.c
+++ b/src/core/settings.c
@@ -605,13 +605,13 @@ int settings_save(const char *fname, int autosave)
         return !error;
 }
 
-static void sig_autosave(void)
+static int sig_autosave(void)
 {
 	char *fname, *str;
 
 	if (!settings_get_bool("settings_autosave") ||
 	    config_last_modifycounter == mainconfig->modifycounter)
-		return;
+		return 1;
 
 	if (!irssi_config_is_changed(NULL))
 		settings_save(NULL, TRUE);
@@ -628,6 +628,8 @@ static void sig_autosave(void)
                 settings_save(fname, TRUE);
 		g_free(fname);
 	}
+
+        return 1;
 }
 
 void settings_init(void)
diff --git a/src/core/write-buffer.c b/src/core/write-buffer.c
index 762fc24e..1c3eef82 100644
--- a/src/core/write-buffer.c
+++ b/src/core/write-buffer.c
@@ -126,13 +126,16 @@ void write_buffer_flush(void)
         block_count = 0;
 }
 
+static int flush_timeout(void)
+{
+	write_buffer_flush();
+        return 1;
+}
+
 static void read_settings(void)
 {
 	int msecs;
 
-	if (timeout_tag != -1)
-                g_source_remove(timeout_tag);
-
 	write_buffer_flush();
 
 	write_buffer_max_blocks = settings_get_int("write_buffer_kb") *
@@ -140,9 +143,14 @@ static void read_settings(void)
 
 	if (settings_get_int("write_buffer_mins") > 0) {
                 msecs = settings_get_int("write_buffer_mins")*60*1000;
-		timeout_tag = g_timeout_add(msecs,
-					    (GSourceFunc) write_buffer_flush,
-					    NULL);
+		if (timeout_tag == -1) {
+			timeout_tag = g_timeout_add(msecs,
+						    (GSourceFunc) flush_timeout,
+						    NULL);
+		}
+	} else if (timeout_tag != -1) {
+		g_source_remove(timeout_tag);
+                timeout_tag = -1;
 	}
 }