diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c7429f9e..24e8d2fa 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ CPPLIB = -lstdc++
 CFLAGS = -I ~/include -O3 $(WARNS) $(LIBS) `pkg-config --cflags glib-2.0`
 OBJS = log.o windows.o title_bar.o status_bar.o input_win.o jabber.o \
        profanity.o util.o command.o history.o contact_list.o prof_history.o \
-	   contact.o main.o
+	   contact.o preferences.o main.o
 TESTOBJS = test_contact_list.o contact_list.o contact.o \
 	       test_util.o test_prof_history.o prof_history.o util.o
 
@@ -20,13 +20,14 @@ title_bar.o: windows.h
 status_bar.o: windows.h util.h
 input_win.o: windows.h
 jabber.o: jabber.h log.h windows.h contact_list.h
-profanity.o: log.h windows.h jabber.h command.h
+profanity.o: log.h windows.h jabber.h command.h preferences.h
 util.o: util.h
 command.o: command.h util.h history.h contact_list.h
 history.o: history.h prof_history.h
 contact_list.o: contact_list.h contact.h
 prof_history.o: prof_history.h
 contact.o: contact.h
+preferences.o: preferences.h windows.h
 main.o: profanity.h
 
 test_contact_list.o: contact_list.h contact.h
diff --git a/preferences.c b/preferences.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5e5284a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preferences.c
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/* 
+ * preferences.c
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 James Booth <boothj5@gmail.com>
+ * 
+ * This file is part of Profanity.
+ *
+ * Profanity is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Profanity is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with Profanity.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+#include "windows.h"
+
+void prefs_load(void)
+{
+    GKeyFile *g_prefs = g_key_file_new();
+
+    g_key_file_load_from_file(g_prefs, "/home/james/.profanity",
+        G_KEY_FILE_NONE, NULL);
+
+    gboolean beep = g_key_file_get_boolean(g_prefs, "settings", "beep", NULL);
+    gboolean flash = g_key_file_get_boolean(g_prefs, "settings", "flash", NULL);
+
+    win_set_beep(beep);
+    status_bar_set_flash(flash);
+
+//    g_key_file_set_string(g_prefs, "settings", "somekey2", "someothervalue");
+//    gsize g_data_len;
+//    char *g_prefs_data = g_key_file_to_data(g_prefs, &g_data_len, NULL);
+//    g_file_set_contents("/home/james/.profanity", g_prefs_data, g_data_len, NULL);
+}
diff --git a/preferences.h b/preferences.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1349592
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preferences.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/* 
+ * preferences.h
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 James Booth <boothj5@gmail.com>
+ * 
+ * This file is part of Profanity.
+ *
+ * Profanity is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Profanity is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with Profanity.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef PREFERENCES_H
+#define PREFERENCES_H
+
+void prefs_load(void);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/profanity.c b/profanity.c
index f87fca6a..ad914567 100644
--- a/profanity.c
+++ b/profanity.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "windows.h"
 #include "jabber.h"
 #include "command.h"
+#include "preferences.h"
 
 static void _profanity_shutdown(void);
 
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ void profanity_init(const int disable_tls)
     gui_init();
     jabber_init(disable_tls);
     command_init();
+    prefs_load();
     atexit(_profanity_shutdown);
 }
 
diff --git a/windows.c b/windows.c
index eeb2a5ab..6462a790 100644
--- a/windows.c
+++ b/windows.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ static int dirty;
 static int max_cols = 0;
 
 // allow beep?
-static int do_beep = TRUE;
+static int do_beep = FALSE;
 
 static void _create_windows(void);
 static int _find_prof_win_index(const char * const contact);