diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.py
index 32d45c6043..033b038b65 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.py
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@ class ChooseLibrary(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         loc = unicode(self.old_location.text()).format(lp)
         self.old_location.setText(loc)
         self.browse_button.clicked.connect(self.choose_loc)
+        self.empty_library.toggled.connect(self.empty_library_toggled)
+        self.copy_structure.setEnabled(False)
+
+    def empty_library_toggled(self, to_what):
+        self.copy_structure.setEnabled(to_what)
 
     def choose_loc(self, *args):
         loc = choose_dir(self, 'choose library location',
@@ -64,7 +69,7 @@ class ChooseLibrary(QDialog, Ui_Dialog):
     def perform_action(self, ac, loc):
         if ac in ('new', 'existing'):
             prefs['library_path'] = loc
-            self.callback(loc)
+            self.callback(loc, copy_structure=self.copy_structure.isChecked())
         else:
             move_library(self.db.library_path, loc, self.parent(),
                     self.callback)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.ui
index 6cf1b4386c..c281ecc0f4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/choose_library.ui
@@ -49,11 +49,26 @@
     </widget>
    </item>
    <item row="5" column="0" colspan="3">
-    <widget class="QRadioButton" name="empty_library">
-     <property name="text">
-      <string>&amp;Create an empty library at the new location</string>
-     </property>
-    </widget>
+    <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="hbox1">
+     <item>
+      <widget class="QRadioButton" name="empty_library">
+       <property name="text">
+        <string>&amp;Create an empty library at the new location</string>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
+     <item>
+      <widget class="QCheckBox" name="copy_structure">
+       <property name="text">
+        <string>&amp;Copy structure from the current library</string>
+       </property>
+       <property name="toolTip">
+        <string>Copy the custom columns, saved searches, column widths, plugboards,
+user categories, and other information from the old to the new library</string>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
+     </item>
+    </layout>
    </item>
    <item row="6" column="0" colspan="3">
     <widget class="QRadioButton" name="move_library">
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
index dd3925e732..f97589e466 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
@@ -378,13 +378,16 @@ class Main(MainWindow, MainWindowMixin, DeviceMixin, EmailMixin, # {{{
     def booklists(self):
         return self.memory_view.model().db, self.card_a_view.model().db, self.card_b_view.model().db
 
-    def library_moved(self, newloc):
+    def library_moved(self, newloc, copy_structure=False):
         if newloc is None: return
+        default_prefs = None
         try:
             olddb = self.library_view.model().db
+            if copy_structure:
+                default_prefs = olddb.prefs
         except:
             olddb = None
-        db = LibraryDatabase2(newloc)
+        db = LibraryDatabase2(newloc, default_prefs=default_prefs)
         if self.content_server is not None:
             self.content_server.set_database(db)
         self.library_path = newloc
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/database2.py b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
index b9ab54b80a..27266f2f9a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/database2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class LibraryDatabase2(LibraryDatabase, SchemaUpgrade, CustomColumns):
     def exists_at(cls, path):
         return path and os.path.exists(os.path.join(path, 'metadata.db'))
 
-    def __init__(self, library_path, row_factory=False):
+    def __init__(self, library_path, row_factory=False, default_prefs=None):
         self.field_metadata = FieldMetadata()
         self.dirtied_queue = Queue()
         if not os.path.exists(library_path):
@@ -127,10 +127,29 @@ class LibraryDatabase2(LibraryDatabase, SchemaUpgrade, CustomColumns):
         if isinstance(self.dbpath, unicode) and not iswindows:
             self.dbpath = self.dbpath.encode(filesystem_encoding)
 
+        apply_default_prefs = not os.path.exists(self.dbpath)
         self.connect()
+
         self.is_case_sensitive = not iswindows and not isosx and \
             not os.path.exists(self.dbpath.replace('metadata.db', 'MeTAdAtA.dB'))
         SchemaUpgrade.__init__(self)
+
+        # if we are to copy the prefs and structure from some other DB, then
+        # we need to do it before we call initialize_dynamic
+        if apply_default_prefs and default_prefs is not None:
+            prefs = DBPrefs(self)
+            for key in default_prefs:
+                # be sure that prefs not to be copied are listed below
+                if key in ['news_to_be_synced']:
+                    continue
+                try:
+                    prefs[key] = default_prefs[key]
+                except:
+                    pass # ignore options that don't exist anymore
+            fmvals = [f for f in default_prefs['field_metadata'].values() if f['is_custom']]
+            for f in fmvals:
+                self.create_custom_column(f['label'], f['name'], f['datatype'],
+                        f['is_multiple'] is not None, f['is_editable'], f['display'])
         self.initialize_dynamic()
 
     def get_property(self, idx, index_is_id=False, loc=-1):