diff --git a/amiga/gui.c b/amiga/gui.c
index 01f149c31..ab94e8ca0 100755
--- a/amiga/gui.c
+++ b/amiga/gui.c
@@ -540,6 +540,13 @@ nsurl *gui_get_resource_url(const char *path)
 	return url;
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+	ami_set_options(); /* check options and set defaults where required */
+}
+
 void gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 {
 	BPTR lock = 0;
@@ -549,8 +556,6 @@ void gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 	ami_clipboard_init();
 	ami_openurl_open();
 
-	ami_set_options(); /* check options and set defaults where required */
-
 	win_destroyed = false;
 	nsscreentitle = ASPrintf("NetSurf %s",netsurf_version);
 
diff --git a/atari/gui.c b/atari/gui.c
index a2dac21d3..c2158e05e 100755
--- a/atari/gui.c
+++ b/atari/gui.c
@@ -553,12 +553,12 @@ gui_window_remove_caret(struct gui_window *w)
 
 void
 gui_window_set_icon(struct gui_window *g, hlcache_handle *icon)
-{
-	struct bitmap *bmp_icon;
+{
+	struct bitmap *bmp_icon;
 
-	bmp_icon = (icon != NULL) ? content_get_bitmap(icon) : NULL;
-
-	window_set_icon(g, bmp_icon);
+	bmp_icon = (icon != NULL) ? content_get_bitmap(icon) : NULL;
+
+	window_set_icon(g, bmp_icon);
 }
 
 void
@@ -911,6 +911,17 @@ nsurl *gui_get_resource_url(const char *path)
 	return url;
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_file, strdup("cookies"));
+
+	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL) {
+		die("Failed initialising string options");
+	}
+}
+
 static void gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 {
 	char buf[PATH_MAX];
@@ -961,9 +972,6 @@ static void gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 		urldb_load(nsoption_charp(url_file));
 	}
 
-	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL ){
-		nsoption_set_charp(cookie_file, (char*)"cookies");
-	}
 	LOG(("Loading cookies from: %s", nsoption_charp(cookie_file) ));
 	if( strlen(nsoption_charp(cookie_file)) ){
 		urldb_load_cookies(nsoption_charp(cookie_file));
diff --git a/beos/gui.cpp b/beos/gui.cpp
index dc3c33538..b275616f5 100644
--- a/beos/gui.cpp
+++ b/beos/gui.cpp
@@ -475,6 +475,12 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+}
+
 
 void gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 {
diff --git a/cocoa/NetsurfApp.m b/cocoa/NetsurfApp.m
index 65c9f8cd1..4c2dfc185 100644
--- a/cocoa/NetsurfApp.m
+++ b/cocoa/NetsurfApp.m
@@ -164,15 +164,21 @@ void cocoa_autorelease( void )
 	pool = [[NSAutoreleasePool alloc] init];
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+	const char * const ca_bundle = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: @"ca-bundle" ofType: @""] UTF8String];
+
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(ca_bundle, strdup(ca_bundle));
+}
+
 int main( int argc, char **argv )
 {
 	cocoa_autorelease();
 		
 	const char * const messages = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: @"Messages" ofType: @""] UTF8String];
 	const char * const options = cocoa_get_options_file();
-	const char * const ca_bundle = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] pathForResource: @"ca-bundle" ofType: @""] UTF8String];
-
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(ca_bundle, strdup(ca_bundle));
 
 	netsurf_init(&argc, &argv, options, messages);
 
diff --git a/desktop/netsurf.c b/desktop/netsurf.c
index 65765fae4..0b1cffe0a 100644
--- a/desktop/netsurf.c
+++ b/desktop/netsurf.c
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ nserror netsurf_init(int *pargc,
 
 	LOG(("Using '%s' for Options file", options));
 	nsoption_read(options);
+	gui_options_init_defaults();
 
 	messages_load(messages);
 
diff --git a/desktop/options.h b/desktop/options.h
index b96aaec52..53c025c18 100644
--- a/desktop/options.h
+++ b/desktop/options.h
@@ -114,13 +114,16 @@ extern struct ns_options nsoptions;
         }                                       \
     } while (0)
 
-#define nsoption_setnull_charp(OPTION, VALUE) do {	\
-	if (nsoptions.OPTION == NULL) {                 \
+#define nsoption_setnull_charp(OPTION, VALUE)           \
+    do {                                                \
+        if (nsoptions.OPTION == NULL) {                 \
             nsoptions.OPTION = VALUE;                   \
             if (*nsoptions.OPTION == 0) {               \
                 free(nsoptions.OPTION);                 \
                 nsoptions.OPTION = NULL;                \
             }                                           \
+        } else {                                        \
+            free(VALUE);                                \
         }                                               \
     } while (0)
 
@@ -175,5 +178,10 @@ int nsoption_snoptionf(char *string, size_t size, unsigned int option,
  */
 void nsoption_commandline(int *pargc, char **argv);
 
+/**
+ * Set default values for unset front-end specific options
+ */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void);
+
 #endif
 
diff --git a/framebuffer/gui.c b/framebuffer/gui.c
index b8bb5cede..0f3f7b921 100644
--- a/framebuffer/gui.c
+++ b/framebuffer/gui.c
@@ -476,26 +476,27 @@ process_cmdline(int argc, char** argv)
 	return true;
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_file, strdup("~/.netsurf/Cookies"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_jar, strdup("~/.netsurf/Cookies"));
+
+	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(cookie_jar == NULL)) {
+		die("Failed initialising cookie options");
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 {
 	nsfb_t *nsfb;
 
+	/* Override, since we have no support for non-core SELECT menu */
 	nsoption_set_bool(core_select_menu, true);
 
-	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL) {
-		nsoption_set_charp(cookie_file, strdup("~/.netsurf/Cookies"));
-		LOG(("Using '%s' as Cookies file", nsoption_charp(cookie_file)));
-	}
-
-	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_jar) == NULL) {
-		nsoption_set_charp(cookie_jar, strdup("~/.netsurf/Cookies"));
-		LOG(("Using '%s' as Cookie Jar file", nsoption_charp(cookie_jar)));
-	}
-
-	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL || nsoption_charp(cookie_jar == NULL))
-		die("Failed initialising cookie options");
-
 	if (process_cmdline(argc,argv) != true)
 		die("unable to process command line.\n");
 
diff --git a/gtk/gui.c b/gtk/gui.c
index b24fecfb8..891910407 100644
--- a/gtk/gui.c
+++ b/gtk/gui.c
@@ -241,11 +241,49 @@ nsgtk_init_glade(char **respath)
 	widWarning = GTK_WIDGET(gtk_builder_get_object(gladeWarning, "labelWarning"));
 }
 
-static void check_options(char **respath)
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
 {
 	char *hdir = getenv("HOME");
 	char buf[PATH_MAX];
 
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+	snprintf(buf, PATH_MAX, "%s/.netsurf/Cookies", hdir);
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_file, strdup(buf));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_jar, strdup(buf));
+	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(cookie_jar) == NULL)
+		die("Failed initialising cookie options");
+
+	if (nsoption_charp(downloads_directory) == NULL) {
+		snprintf(buf, PATH_MAX, "%s/", hdir);
+		nsoption_set_charp(downloads_directory, strdup(buf));
+	}
+
+	if (nsoption_charp(url_file) == NULL) {
+		snprintf(buf, PATH_MAX, "%s/.netsurf/URLs", hdir);
+		nsoption_set_charp(url_file, strdup(buf));
+	}
+
+	if (nsoption_charp(hotlist_path) == NULL) {
+		snprintf(buf, PATH_MAX, "%s/.netsurf/Hotlist", hdir);
+		nsoption_set_charp(hotlist_path, strdup(buf));
+	}
+
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(ca_path, strdup("/etc/ssl/certs"));
+
+	if (nsoption_charp(url_file) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(ca_path) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(downloads_directory) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(hotlist_path) == NULL) {
+		die("Failed initialising string options");
+	}
+}
+
+static void check_options(char **respath)
+{
+	char *hdir = getenv("HOME");
+	char buf[PATH_MAX];
 	nsoption_set_bool(core_select_menu, true);
 
 	/* Attempt to handle nonsense status bar widths.  These may exist
@@ -259,57 +297,13 @@ static void check_options(char **respath)
 	}
 
 	/* user options should be stored in the users home directory */
-	snprintf(buf, PATH_MAX, "%s/.netsurf/Choices", hdir);      
+	snprintf(buf, PATH_MAX, "%s/.netsurf/Choices", hdir);
 	options_file_location = strdup(buf);
-
-        /* VRS - I do not beleive these setting should search the
-	 * resource path, they should just be set to the default
-	 * values! 
-	 */
-	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL) {
-		filepath_sfinddef(respath, buf, "Cookies", "~/.netsurf/");
-		LOG(("Using '%s' as Cookies file", buf));
-		nsoption_set_charp(cookie_file, strdup(buf));
-	}
-	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_jar) == NULL) {
-		filepath_sfinddef(respath, buf, "Cookies", "~/.netsurf/");
-		LOG(("Using '%s' as Cookie Jar file", buf));
-		nsoption_set_charp(cookie_jar, strdup(buf));
-	}
-	if (nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(cookie_jar) == NULL)
-		die("Failed initialising cookie options");
-
-	if (nsoption_charp(url_file) == NULL) {
-		filepath_sfinddef(respath, buf, "URLs", "~/.netsurf/");
-		LOG(("Using '%s' as URL file", buf));
-		nsoption_set_charp(url_file, strdup(buf));
-	}
-
-        if (nsoption_charp(ca_path) == NULL) {
-		filepath_sfinddef(respath, buf, "certs", "/etc/ssl/");
-                LOG(("Using '%s' as certificate path", buf));
-                nsoption_set_charp(ca_path, strdup(buf));
-        }
-
-        if (nsoption_charp(downloads_directory) == NULL) {
-        	LOG(("Using '%s' as download directory", hdir));
-        	nsoption_set_charp(downloads_directory, strdup(hdir));
-	}
 	
 	filepath_sfinddef(respath, buf, "icons/", "~/.netsurf/");
 	LOG(("Using '%s' as Tree icons dir", buf));
 	tree_set_icon_dir(strdup(buf));
 
-	if (nsoption_charp(hotlist_path) == NULL) {
-		filepath_sfinddef(respath, buf, "Hotlist", "~/.netsurf/");
-		LOG(("Using '%s' as Hotlist file", buf));
-		nsoption_set_charp(hotlist_path, strdup(buf));	
-	}
-	if (nsoption_charp(hotlist_path) == NULL)
-		die("Failed initialising hotlist option");	
-	
-
 	filepath_sfinddef(respath, buf, "Print", "~/.netsurf/");
 	LOG(("Using '%s' as Print Settings file", buf));
 	print_options_file_location = strdup(buf);
diff --git a/monkey/main.c b/monkey/main.c
index 45be754e1..03421ef03 100644
--- a/monkey/main.c
+++ b/monkey/main.c
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ static void quit_handler(int argc, char **argv)
   netsurf_quit = true;
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+  /* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
diff --git a/riscos/gui.c b/riscos/gui.c
index d689094ab..93fc3db65 100644
--- a/riscos/gui.c
+++ b/riscos/gui.c
@@ -328,6 +328,47 @@ nsurl *gui_get_resource_url(const char *path)
 	return url;
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(theme, strdup("Aletheia"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_browser, strdup("0123|58|9"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_hotlist, strdup("40|12|3"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_history, strdup("0|12|3"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_cookies, strdup("0|12"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(ca_bundle, strdup("NetSurf:Resources.ca-bundle"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_file, strdup("NetSurf:Cookies"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_jar, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Cookies"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(url_path, strdup("NetSurf:URL"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(url_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "URL"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(hotlist_path, strdup("NetSurf:Hotlist"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(hotlist_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Hotlist"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(recent_path, strdup("NetSurf:Recent"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(recent_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Recent"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(theme_path, strdup("NetSurf:Themes"));
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(theme_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Themes"));
+
+	if (nsoption_charp(theme) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(toolbar_browser) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(toolbar_hotlist) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(toolbar_history) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(toolbar_cookies) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(ca_bundle) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(cookie_jar) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(url_path) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(url_save) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(hotlist_path) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(hotlist_save) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(recent_path) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(recent_save) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(theme_path) == NULL ||
+			nsoption_charp(theme_save) == NULL) {
+		die("Failed initialising string options");
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * Initialise the gui (RISC OS specific part).
  */
@@ -347,6 +388,7 @@ static void gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 	int length;
 	char *nsdir_temp;
 	byte *base;
+	char *tree_icons_dir;
 
 	/* re-enable all FPU exceptions/traps except inexact operations,
 	 * which we're not interested in, and underflow which is incorrectly
@@ -375,42 +417,11 @@ static void gui_init(int argc, char** argv)
 			ro_plot_patterned_lines = false;
 	}
 
-	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(theme, strdup("Aletheia"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_browser, strdup("0123|58|9"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_hotlist, strdup("40|12|3"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_history, strdup("0|12|3"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(toolbar_cookies, strdup("0|12"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(ca_bundle, strdup("NetSurf:Resources.ca-bundle"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_file, strdup("NetSurf:Cookies"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(cookie_jar, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Cookies"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(url_path, strdup("NetSurf:URL"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(url_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "URL"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(hotlist_path, strdup("NetSurf:Hotlist"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(hotlist_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Hotlist"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(recent_path, strdup("NetSurf:Recent"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(recent_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Recent"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(theme_path, strdup("NetSurf:Themes"));
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(theme_save, strdup(CHOICES_PREFIX "Themes"));
-
-	tree_set_icon_dir(strdup("NetSurf:Resources.Icons"));
-
-	if (nsoption_charp(theme) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(toolbar_browser) == NULL ||
-	    nsoption_charp(toolbar_hotlist) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(toolbar_history) == NULL ||
-	    nsoption_charp(ca_bundle) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(cookie_file) == NULL ||
-	    nsoption_charp(cookie_jar) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(url_path) == NULL ||
-	    nsoption_charp(url_save) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(hotlist_path) == NULL ||
-	    nsoption_charp(hotlist_save) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(recent_path) == NULL ||
-	    nsoption_charp(recent_save) == NULL || 
-	    nsoption_charp(theme_path) == NULL ||
-	    nsoption_charp(theme_save) == NULL)
+	tree_icons_dir = strdup("NetSurf:Resources.Icons");
+	if (tree_icons_dir == NULL)
 		die("Failed initialising string options");
+	tree_set_icon_dir(tree_icons_dir);
+
 
 	/* Create our choices directories */
 	ro_gui_create_dirs();
diff --git a/windows/main.c b/windows/main.c
index 6fbf40174..7d158660a 100644
--- a/windows/main.c
+++ b/windows/main.c
@@ -79,6 +79,15 @@ bool nslog_ensure(FILE *fptr)
 	return true;
 }
 
+/* Documented in desktop/options.h */
+void gui_options_init_defaults(void)
+{
+	/* Set defaults for absent option strings */
+
+	/* ensure homepage option has a default */
+	nsoption_setnull_charp(homepage_url, strdup(NETSURF_HOMEPAGE));
+}
+
 /**
  * Entry point from operating system
  **/
@@ -138,9 +147,6 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hLastInstance, LPSTR lpcli, int ncmd)
 
 	nsws_window_init_pointers(hInstance);
 
-	/* ensure homepage option has a default */
-	nsoption_setnull_charp(homepage_url, strdup(NETSURF_HOMEPAGE));
-
 	/* If there is a url specified on the command line use it */
 	if (argc > 1) {
 		addr = argv[1];