diff --git a/core.cpp b/core.cpp
index 3a57db0d2..2403dcc2b 100644
--- a/core.cpp
+++ b/core.cpp
@@ -109,8 +109,22 @@ void Core::start()
         return;
     }
 
-    // this will attempt to get the last profile from settings
-    loadConfiguration();
+    // where do we find the data file?
+    QString path;
+    {   // read data from whose profile?
+        path = Settings::getSettingsDirPath() + '/' + Settings::getInstance().getCurrentProfile() + TOX_EXT;
+        
+#if 1 // deprecation attempt
+        // if the last profile doesn't exist, fall back to old "data"
+        //! or maybe, should we give an option to choose other existing profiles?
+        QFile file(path);
+        if (!file.exists())
+        {
+            path = Settings::getSettingsDirPath() + '/' + CONFIG_FILE_NAME;
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+    loadConfiguration(path);
 
     tox_callback_friend_request(tox, onFriendRequest, this);
     tox_callback_friend_message(tox, onFriendMessage, this);
@@ -591,6 +605,15 @@ void Core::removeGroup(int groupId)
     tox_del_groupchat(tox, groupId);
 }
 
+QString Core::getIDString()
+{
+    uint8_t friendAddress[TOX_FRIEND_ADDRESS_SIZE];
+    tox_get_address(tox, friendAddress);
+    return CFriendAddress::toString(friendAddress).left(12);
+    // 12 is the smallest multiple of four such that
+    // 16^n > 10^10 (which is roughly the planet's population)
+}
+
 QString Core::getUsername()
 {
     int size = tox_get_self_name_size(tox);
@@ -609,8 +632,8 @@ void Core::setUsername(const QString& username)
     if (tox_set_name(tox, cUsername.data(), cUsername.size()) == -1) {
         emit failedToSetUsername(username);
     } else {
-        saveConfiguration();
         emit usernameSet(username);
+        saveConfiguration();
     }
 }
 
@@ -730,28 +753,8 @@ QString Core::sanitize(QString name)
 }
 
 void Core::loadConfiguration(QString path)
-{ // note to self: this really needs refactoring into the GUI, making the path mandatory here
-  // but for now it's bedtime
-  // also loadFriends/clearFriends is borked as fuck
-    if (path == "")
-    {
-        // read from settings whose profile?
-        QString profile = Settings::getInstance().getCurrentProfile();
-        path = Settings::getSettingsDirPath() + '/' + Settings::getInstance().getCurrentProfile() + TOX_EXT;
-        QFile file(path);
-        
-        // if the last profile doesn't exist, fall back to old "data"
-        if (!file.exists())
-        {
-            path = Settings::getSettingsDirPath() + '/' + CONFIG_FILE_NAME;
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        QString profile = QFileInfo(path).completeBaseName();
-        Settings::getInstance().setCurrentProfile(profile);
-    }
-
+{ // also loadFriends/clearFriends is borked as fuck
+    // setting the profile is now the responsibility of the caller
     QFile conf(path);
     qDebug() << "Core::loadConfiguration: reading from " << path;
 
@@ -795,16 +798,24 @@ void Core::saveConfiguration()
     }
     
     QString profile = Settings::getInstance().getCurrentProfile();
+    //qDebug() << "saveConf read profile: " << profile;
     if (profile == "")
     { // no profile active; this should only happen on startup, if at all
         profile = sanitize(getUsername());
+        if (profile == "") // happens on creation of a new Tox ID
+            profile = getIDString();
+        //qDebug() << "saveConf: read sanitized user as " << profile;
         Settings::getInstance().setCurrentProfile(profile);
     }
     
     QString path = dir + profile + TOX_EXT;
     QFileInfo info(path);
     if (!info.exists()) // fall back to old school 'data'
-        path = dir + '/' + CONFIG_FILE_NAME;
+    {   //path = dir + '/' + CONFIG_FILE_NAME;
+        qDebug() << path << " does not exist";
+    }
+    
+    saveConfiguration(path);
 }
 
 void Core::saveConfiguration(const QString& path)
diff --git a/core.h b/core.h
index 3467ef15c..9ba3e2778 100644
--- a/core.h
+++ b/core.h
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ public:
     
     static QString sanitize(QString name);
     
+    QString getIDString();
+    
     QString getUsername();
     QString getStatusMessage();
 
diff --git a/widget/form/settingsform.cpp b/widget/form/settingsform.cpp
index aaf340bd5..877685a8c 100644
--- a/widget/form/settingsform.cpp
+++ b/widget/form/settingsform.cpp
@@ -31,9 +31,6 @@ SettingsForm::SettingsForm()
     small.setPixelSize(13);
     headLabel.setText(tr("User Settings","\"Headline\" of the window"));
     headLabel.setFont(bold);
-
-    //nameLabel.setText(tr("Name","Username/nick"));
-    //statusTextLabel.setText(tr("Status","Status message"));
     
     idLabel.setText("Tox ID " + tr("(click here to copy)", "Click on this text to copy TID to clipboard"));
     id.setFont(small);
@@ -44,7 +41,6 @@ SettingsForm::SettingsForm()
     id.setFixedHeight(id.document()->size().height());
     
     profilesLabel.setText(tr("Available profiles:", "Labels the profile selection box"));
-    populateProfiles();
     loadConf.setText(tr("Load profile", "button to load selected profile"));
     exportConf.setText(tr("Export profile", "button to save selected profile elsewhere"));
     delConf.setText(tr("Delete profile", "button to delete selected profile from disk"));
@@ -61,10 +57,6 @@ SettingsForm::SettingsForm()
     makeToxPortable.setChecked(Settings::getInstance().getMakeToxPortable());
 
     main->setLayout(&layout);
-    //layout.addWidget(&nameLabel);
-    //layout.addWidget(&name);
-    //layout.addWidget(&statusTextLabel);
-    //layout.addWidget(&statusText);
     layout.addWidget(&idLabel);
     layout.addWidget(&id);
     cbox.addWidget(&profilesLabel);
@@ -123,8 +115,7 @@ void SettingsForm::setFriendAddress(const QString& friendAddress)
 
 void SettingsForm::show(Ui::Widget &ui)
 {
-    //name.setText(ui.nameLabel->text());
-    //statusText.setText(ui.statusLabel->text());
+    populateProfiles();
     ui.mainContent->layout()->addWidget(main);
     ui.mainHead->layout()->addWidget(head);
     main->show();
@@ -134,8 +125,8 @@ void SettingsForm::show(Ui::Widget &ui)
 void SettingsForm::onLoadClicked()
 {
     Widget::getInstance()->getCore()->saveConfiguration();
+    Settings::getInstance().setCurrentProfile(profiles.currentText());
     Widget::getInstance()->getCore()->loadConfiguration(getSelectedSavePath());
-    // loadConf also setsCurrentProfile
 }
 
 void SettingsForm::onExportClicked()
@@ -169,6 +160,7 @@ void SettingsForm::onImportClicked()
     QFileInfo info(path);
     QString profile = info.completeBaseName();
     QString profilePath = Settings::getSettingsDirPath() + profile + Widget::getInstance()->getCore()->TOX_EXT;
+    Settings::getInstance().setCurrentProfile(profile);
     QFile::copy(path, profilePath);
     Widget::getInstance()->getCore()->loadConfiguration(profilePath);
     profiles.addItem(profile);
diff --git a/widget/widget.cpp b/widget/widget.cpp
index 1cb3ba40c..9fb07d766 100644
--- a/widget/widget.cpp
+++ b/widget/widget.cpp
@@ -208,8 +208,9 @@ Widget::Widget(QWidget *parent) :
     qRegisterMetaType<ToxFile>("ToxFile");
     qRegisterMetaType<ToxFile::FileDirection>("ToxFile::FileDirection");
 
+    // QString path = detectProfiles();
     coreThread = new QThread(this);
-    core = new Core(camera, coreThread);
+    core = new Core(camera, coreThread/*, profile*/);
     core->moveToThread(coreThread);
     connect(coreThread, &QThread::started, core, &Core::start);