diff --git a/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java b/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java
index f1cf744d89..05b9bd88e1 100644
--- a/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java
+++ b/core/launcher/src/main/java/org/phoebus/product/Launcher.java
@@ -27,16 +27,15 @@
 
 @SuppressWarnings("nls")
 public class Launcher {
-    private static final String SETTINGS_OPTION = "-settings";
     private static final String LOGGING_OPTION = "-logging";
     private static final String DEFAULT_LOGGING_FILE="/logging.properties";
     private static final String LOGGING_PROP = "java.util.logging.config.file";
-    
+
     public static void main(final String[] original_args) throws Exception {
         // First Handle arguments, potentially not even starting the UI
-        // settings and logging will define the phoebus.install value if not exist 
+        // settings and logging will define the phoebus.install value if not exist
         final List<String> args = new ArrayList<>(List.of(original_args));
-        
+
         //Handle logging first
         int indexOf = args.indexOf(LOGGING_OPTION);
         String loggingFilePath = null;
@@ -60,22 +59,22 @@ public static void main(final String[] original_args) throws Exception {
                 errorLoggingOption = "User logging file " + loggingFilePath + " not found";
             }
         }
-        
+
         //If no logging found use the default one
         if(loggingStream == null) {
             loggingFilePath =  Launcher.class.getResource(DEFAULT_LOGGING_FILE).getFile();
             loggingStream = Launcher.class.getResourceAsStream(DEFAULT_LOGGING_FILE);
         }
-            
+
         //Load logging configuration
         LogManager.getLogManager().readConfiguration(loggingStream);
         final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(Launcher.class.getPackageName());
         logger.log(Level.CONFIG, "Loading logging configuration from " + loggingFilePath);
-        
+
         if(errorLoggingOption != null) {
             logger.log(Level.WARNING, errorLoggingOption);
         }
-        
+
         boolean showLaunchError = false;
 
         // Can't change default charset, but warn if it's not UTF-8.
@@ -92,35 +91,21 @@ public static void main(final String[] original_args) throws Exception {
             logger.severe("Default charset is " + cs.displayName() + " instead of UTF-8.");
             logger.severe("Add    -D\"file.encoding=UTF-8\"    to java command line or JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS");
         }
-        
-        //Handle user settings.ini in order to get Locations informations
-        //as user home directory and phoebus folder name
-        //Install path will be set on call of install()
-        //Locations.initialize();
-        indexOf = args.indexOf(SETTINGS_OPTION);
-        File site_settings = null;
-        if(indexOf > 0 && indexOf <= args.size()) {
-            String settingsFilePath = args.get(indexOf + 1);
-            site_settings = new File(settingsFilePath);
-        }
-        
-        if(site_settings == null || !site_settings.exists()) {
-            // Check for site-specific settings.ini bundled into distribution
-            // before potentially adding command-line settings.
-            String settingsError = site_settings != null ? site_settings.getAbsolutePath() + " not found" : "is not defined";
-            logger.log(Level.WARNING, "Settings file " + settingsError);
-            site_settings = new File(Locations.install(), "settings.ini");
-        }
-        
-        if(site_settings != null && site_settings.exists()) {
-            logger.info("Loading settings from " + site_settings.getAbsolutePath());
-            FileInputStream fileInputStream = new FileInputStream(site_settings);
+
+        Locations.initialize();
+        // Check for site-specific settings.ini bundled into distribution
+        // before potentially adding command-line settings.
+        final File site_settings = new File(Locations.install(), "settings.ini");
+        if (site_settings.canRead())
+        {
+            logger.info("Loading bundled settings from " + site_settings.getAbsolutePath());
+            final FileInputStream fileInputStream = new FileInputStream(site_settings);
             if (site_settings.getName().endsWith(".xml"))
                 Preferences.importPreferences(fileInputStream);
             else
                 PropertyPreferenceLoader.load(fileInputStream);
         }
-    
+
         // Handle arguments, potentially not even starting the UI
         final Iterator<String> iter = args.iterator();
         int port = -1;