diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/toolbar.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/toolbar.py
index 1d11127192..9b6de47c5e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/toolbar.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/toolbar.py
@@ -11,22 +11,8 @@ from PyQt4.Qt import QWidget, QAbstractListModel, Qt, QIcon, \
         QVariant, QItemSelectionModel
 
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.config.toolbar_ui import Ui_Form
-from calibre.gui2.layout import TOOLBAR_NO_DEVICE, TOOLBAR_DEVICE
-from calibre.gui2.init import LIBRARY_CONTEXT_MENU, DEVICE_CONTEXT_MENU
 from calibre.gui2 import gprefs, NONE, warning_dialog
 
-DEFAULTS = {
-        'toolbar': TOOLBAR_NO_DEVICE,
-        'toolbar-device': TOOLBAR_DEVICE,
-        'context-menu': LIBRARY_CONTEXT_MENU,
-        'context-menu-device': DEVICE_CONTEXT_MENU,
-}
-
-UNREMOVABLE = {
-        'toolbar': ['Preferences'],
-        'toolbar-device': ['Send To Device', 'Location Manager'],
-}
-
 
 class FakeAction(object):
 
@@ -86,7 +72,7 @@ class AllModel(BaseModel):
 
     def __init__(self, key, gui):
         BaseModel.__init__(self)
-        current = gprefs.get('action-layout-'+key, DEFAULTS[key])
+        current = gprefs['action-layout-'+key]
         all = list(gui.iactions.keys()) + ['Donate']
         all = [x for x in all if x not in current] + [None]
         all = [self.name_to_action(x, gui) for x in all]
@@ -125,7 +111,7 @@ class CurrentModel(BaseModel):
 
     def __init__(self, key, gui):
         BaseModel.__init__(self)
-        current = gprefs.get('action-layout-'+key, DEFAULTS[key])
+        current = gprefs['action-layout-'+key]
         self._data =  [self.name_to_action(x, gui) for x in current]
         self.key = key
         self.gui = gui
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/init.py b/src/calibre/gui2/init.py
index 5d34159076..9d8cd7de1c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/init.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/init.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from PyQt4.Qt import Qt, QStackedWidget, QMenu, \
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs
 from calibre.constants import isosx, __appname__, preferred_encoding, \
     __version__
-from calibre.gui2 import config, is_widescreen
+from calibre.gui2 import config, is_widescreen, gprefs
 from calibre.gui2.library.views import BooksView, DeviceBooksView
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import Splitter
 from calibre.gui2.tag_view import TagBrowserWidget
@@ -27,15 +27,16 @@ def partial(*args, **kwargs):
     _keep_refs.append(ans)
     return ans
 
-LIBRARY_CONTEXT_MENU = (
+gprefs.defaults['action-layout-context-menu'] = (
         'Edit Metadata', 'Send To Device', 'Save To Disk',
         'Connect Share', 'Copy To Library', None,
         'Convert Books', 'View', 'Open Folder', 'Show Book Details',
         'Similar Books', None, 'Remove Books',
         )
 
-DEVICE_CONTEXT_MENU = ('View', 'Save To Disk', None, 'Remove Books', None,
-                       'Add To Library', 'Edit Collections',
+gprefs.defaults['action-layout-context-menu-device'] = (
+        'View', 'Save To Disk', None, 'Remove Books', None,
+        'Add To Library', 'Edit Collections',
         )
 
 class LibraryViewMixin(object): # {{{
@@ -48,9 +49,9 @@ class LibraryViewMixin(object): # {{{
                     m.addSeparator()
                 elif what in self.iactions:
                     m.addAction(self.iactions[what].qaction)
-        populate_menu(lm, LIBRARY_CONTEXT_MENU)
+        populate_menu(lm, gprefs['action-layout-context-menu'])
         dm = QMenu(self)
-        populate_menu(dm, DEVICE_CONTEXT_MENU)
+        populate_menu(dm, gprefs['action-layout-context-menu-device'])
         ec = self.iactions['Edit Collections'].qaction
         self.library_view.set_context_menu(lm, ec)
         for v in (self.memory_view, self.card_a_view, self.card_b_view):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/layout.py b/src/calibre/gui2/layout.py
index 6c87fe9da3..7b06119d13 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/layout.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/layout.py
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ from calibre.gui2 import config, gprefs
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import ComboBoxWithHelp
 from calibre import human_readable
 
-TOOLBAR_NO_DEVICE = (
+gprefs.defaults['action-layout-toolbar'] = (
         'Add Books', 'Edit Metadata', None, 'Convert Books', 'View', None,
         'Choose Library', 'Donate', None, 'Fetch News', 'Save To Disk',
         'Connect Share', None, 'Remove Books', None, 'Help', 'Preferences',
         )
 
-TOOLBAR_DEVICE = (
+gprefs.defaults['action-layout-toolbar-device'] = (
         'Add Books', 'Edit Metadata', None, 'Convert Books', 'View',
         'Send To Device', None, None, 'Location Manager', None, None,
         'Fetch News', 'Save To Disk', 'Connect Share', None,
@@ -248,7 +248,8 @@ class ToolBar(QToolBar): # {{{
 
     def build_bar(self):
         showing_device = self.location_manager.has_device
-        actions = TOOLBAR_DEVICE if showing_device else TOOLBAR_NO_DEVICE
+        actions = '-device' if showing_device else ''
+        actions = gprefs['action-layout-toolbar'+actions]
 
         self.clear()