diff --git a/pylot/RELEASE-VERSION b/pylot/RELEASE-VERSION
index a434f915..7509fd8d 100644
--- a/pylot/RELEASE-VERSION
+++ b/pylot/RELEASE-VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-a2ab-dirty
+cae5-dirty
diff --git a/pylot/core/io/inputs.py b/pylot/core/io/inputs.py
index 7500b2c5..40428633 100644
--- a/pylot/core/io/inputs.py
+++ b/pylot/core/io/inputs.py
@@ -47,47 +47,12 @@ class AutoPickParameter(object):
         self.__init_default_paras()
         self.__init_subsettings()
         self.__filename = fnin
-        parFileCont = {}
+        self._verbosity = verbosity
+        self._parFileCont = {}
         # io from parsed arguments alternatively
         for key, val in kwargs.items():
-            parFileCont[key] = val
-
-        if self.__filename is not None:
-            inputFile = open(self.__filename, 'r')
-        else:
-            return
-        try:
-            lines = inputFile.readlines()
-            for line in lines:
-                parspl = line.split('\t')[:2]
-                parFileCont[parspl[0].strip()] = parspl[1]
-        except IndexError as e:
-            if verbosity > 0:
-                self._printParameterError(e)
-            inputFile.seek(0)
-            lines = inputFile.readlines()
-            for line in lines:
-                if not line.startswith(('#', '%', '\n', ' ')):
-                    parspl = line.split('#')[:2]
-                    parFileCont[parspl[1].strip()] = parspl[0].strip()
-        for key, value in parFileCont.items():
-            try:
-                val = int(value)
-            except:
-                try:
-                    val = float(value)
-                except:
-                    if len(value.split(' ')) > 1:
-                        vallist = value.strip().split(' ')
-                        val = []
-                        for val0 in vallist:
-                            val0 = float(val0)
-                            val.append(val0)
-                    else:
-                        val = str(value.strip())
-            parFileCont[key] = val
-        self.__parameter = parFileCont
-
+            self._parFileCont[key] = val
+        self.from_file()
         if fnout:
             self.export2File(fnout)
 
@@ -199,6 +164,51 @@ class AutoPickParameter(object):
     def _printParameterError(errmsg):
         print('ParameterError:\n non-existent parameter %s' % errmsg)
 
+    def reset_defaults(self):
+        defaults = self.get_defaults()
+        for param in defaults:
+            self.setParamKV(param, defaults[param]['value'])
+        
+    def from_file(self, fnin=None):
+        if not fnin:
+            if self.__filename is not None:
+                fnin = self.__filename
+            else:
+                return
+
+        inputFile = open(fnin, 'r')
+        try:
+            lines = inputFile.readlines()
+            for line in lines:
+                parspl = line.split('\t')[:2]
+                self._parFileCont[parspl[0].strip()] = parspl[1]
+        except IndexError as e:
+            if self._verbosity > 0:
+                self._printParameterError(e)
+            inputFile.seek(0)
+            lines = inputFile.readlines()
+            for line in lines:
+                if not line.startswith(('#', '%', '\n', ' ')):
+                    parspl = line.split('#')[:2]
+                    self._parFileCont[parspl[1].strip()] = parspl[0].strip()
+        for key, value in self._parFileCont.items():
+            try:
+                val = int(value)
+            except:
+                try:
+                    val = float(value)
+                except:
+                    if len(value.split(' ')) > 1:
+                        vallist = value.strip().split(' ')
+                        val = []
+                        for val0 in vallist:
+                            val0 = float(val0)
+                            val.append(val0)
+                    else:
+                        val = str(value.strip())
+            self._parFileCont[key] = val
+        self.__parameter = self._parFileCont
+
     def export2File(self, fnout):
         fid_out = open(fnout, 'w')
         lines = []
diff --git a/pylot/core/util/widgets.py b/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
index 03f82638..ccb0afc0 100644
--- a/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
+++ b/pylot/core/util/widgets.py
@@ -1764,7 +1764,8 @@ class AutoPickParaBox(QtGui.QWidget):
         QtGui.QWidget.__init__(self, parent)
         self.ap = ap
         self.tabs = QtGui.QTabWidget()
-        self.layout = QtGui.QHBoxLayout()
+        self.layout = QtGui.QVBoxLayout()
+        self._init_buttons()
         self.layout.addWidget(self.tabs)
         self.boxes = {}
         self._init_sublayouts()
@@ -1778,6 +1779,19 @@ class AutoPickParaBox(QtGui.QWidget):
         self._main_layout = QtGui.QVBoxLayout()
         self._advanced_layout = QtGui.QVBoxLayout()
         self._create_advanced_cb()
+
+    def _init_buttons(self):
+        self._buttons_layout = QtGui.QHBoxLayout()
+        self.loadButton = QtGui.QPushButton('&Load settings')
+        self.saveButton = QtGui.QPushButton('&Save settings')
+        self.defaultsButton = QtGui.QPushButton('&Defaults')
+        self._buttons_layout.addWidget(self.loadButton)
+        self._buttons_layout.addWidget(self.saveButton)
+        self._buttons_layout.addWidget(self.defaultsButton)
+        self.layout.addLayout(self._buttons_layout)
+        self.loadButton.clicked.connect(self.openFile)
+        self.saveButton.clicked.connect(self.saveFile)
+        self.defaultsButton.clicked.connect(self.restoreDefaults)
         
     def _create_advanced_cb(self):
         self._advanced_cb = QtGui.QCheckBox('Enable Advanced Settings')
@@ -1954,6 +1968,42 @@ class AutoPickParaBox(QtGui.QWidget):
             value = tuple(value)
         return value
 
+    def openFile(self):
+        fd = QtGui.QFileDialog()
+        fname = fd.getOpenFileName(self, 'Browse for settings file.', '*.in')
+        if fname[0]:
+            try:
+                self.ap.from_file(fname[0])
+                self.params_to_gui()
+            except Exception as e:
+                self._warn('Could not open file {}:\n{}'.format(fname[0], e))
+                return
+
+    def saveFile(self):
+        fd = QtGui.QFileDialog()
+        fname = fd.getSaveFileName(self, 'Browse for settings file.', '*.in')
+        if fname[0]:
+            try:
+                self.params_from_gui()
+                self.ap.export2File(fname[0])
+            except Exception as e:
+                self._warn('Could not save file {}:\n{}'.format(fname[0], e))
+                return
+            
+    def restoreDefaults(self):
+        try:
+            self.ap.reset_defaults()
+            self.params_to_gui()
+        except Exception as e:
+            self._warn('Could not restore defaults:\n{}'.format(e))
+            return
+            
+    def _warn(self, message):
+        self.qmb = QtGui.QMessageBox(QtGui.QMessageBox.Icon.Warning,
+                                     'Warning', message)
+        self.qmb.show()        
+            
+            
 class ParametersTab(PropTab):
     def __init__(self, parent=None, infile=None):
         super(ParametersTab, self).__init__(parent)