diff --git a/src/SessionManager.cpp b/src/SessionManager.cpp
index 2b1678a93..7ecf78b30 100644
--- a/src/SessionManager.cpp
+++ b/src/SessionManager.cpp
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ void SessionManager::sortProfiles(QList<Profile::Ptr>& list)
 void SessionManager::saveSettings()
 {
     // save default profile
-    setDefaultProfile(_defaultProfile);
+    saveDefaultProfile();
 
     // save shortcuts
     saveShortcuts();
@@ -570,16 +570,20 @@ bool SessionManager::deleteProfile(Profile::Ptr type)
 
     return true;
 }
+
 void SessionManager::setDefaultProfile(Profile::Ptr profile)
 {
     Q_ASSERT(_profiles.contains(profile));
 
     _defaultProfile = profile;
+}
 
-    QString path = profile->path();
+void SessionManager::saveDefaultProfile()
+{
+    QString path = _defaultProfile->path();
 
     if (path.isEmpty())
-        path = KDE4ProfileWriter().getPath(profile);
+        path = KDE4ProfileWriter().getPath(_defaultProfile);
 
     QFileInfo fileInfo(path);
 
@@ -588,6 +592,7 @@ void SessionManager::setDefaultProfile(Profile::Ptr profile)
     KConfigGroup group = config->group("Desktop Entry");
     group.writeEntry("DefaultProfile", fileInfo.fileName());
 }
+
 QSet<Profile::Ptr> SessionManager::findFavorites()
 {
     loadFavorites();
diff --git a/src/SessionManager.h b/src/SessionManager.h
index c28834281..f8e8124d7 100644
--- a/src/SessionManager.h
+++ b/src/SessionManager.h
@@ -315,6 +315,12 @@ private:
     void loadFavorites();
     //saves the set of favorite sessions
     void saveFavorites();
+
+    // records which profile is set as the default profile
+    // Note: it does not save the profile itself into disk. That is
+    // what saveProfile() does.
+    void saveDefaultProfile();
+
     // saves a profile to a file
     // returns the path to which the profile was saved, which will
     // be the same as the path property of profile if valid or a newly generated path