diff --git a/qt/mainwin.cc b/qt/mainwin.cc
index 2f333a7f0..6703c7aa6 100644
--- a/qt/mainwin.cc
+++ b/qt/mainwin.cc
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ namespace
 TrMainWindow :: TrMainWindow( Session& session, Prefs& prefs, TorrentModel& model, bool minimized ):
     myLastFullUpdateTime( 0 ),
     mySessionDialog( new SessionDialog( session, prefs, this ) ),
-    myPrefsDialog( new PrefsDialog( session, prefs, this ) ),
+    myPrefsDialog( 0 ),
     myAboutDialog( new AboutDialog( this ) ),
     myStatsDialog( new StatsDialog( session, this ) ),
     myDetailsDialog( 0 ),
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ TrMainWindow :: TrMainWindow( Session& session, Prefs& prefs, TorrentModel& mode
     connect( ui.action_AddFile, SIGNAL(triggered()), this, SLOT(openTorrent()));
     connect( ui.action_AddURL, SIGNAL(triggered()), this, SLOT(openURL()));
     connect( ui.action_New, SIGNAL(triggered()), this, SLOT(newTorrent()));
-    connect( ui.action_Preferences, SIGNAL(triggered()), myPrefsDialog, SLOT(show()));
+    connect( ui.action_Preferences, SIGNAL(triggered()), this, SLOT(openPreferences()));
     connect( ui.action_Statistics, SIGNAL(triggered()), myStatsDialog, SLOT(show()));
     connect( ui.action_About, SIGNAL(triggered()), myAboutDialog, SLOT(show()));
     connect( ui.action_Contents, SIGNAL(triggered()), this, SLOT(openHelp()));
@@ -629,6 +629,23 @@ TrMainWindow :: setSortAscendingPref( bool b )
 *****
 ****/
 
+void
+TrMainWindow :: onPrefsDestroyed( )
+{
+    myPrefsDialog = 0;
+}
+
+void
+TrMainWindow :: openPreferences( )
+{
+    if( myPrefsDialog == 0 ) {
+        myPrefsDialog = new PrefsDialog( mySession, myPrefs, this );
+        connect( myPrefsDialog, SIGNAL(destroyed(QObject*)), this, SLOT(onPrefsDestroyed()));
+    }
+
+    myPrefsDialog->show( );
+}
+
 void
 TrMainWindow :: onDetailsDestroyed( )
 {
diff --git a/qt/mainwin.h b/qt/mainwin.h
index 537145a4b..e18f66871 100644
--- a/qt/mainwin.h
+++ b/qt/mainwin.h
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ class TrMainWindow: public QMainWindow
         void openURL( QString );
 
     private slots:
+        void onPrefsDestroyed( );
+        void openPreferences( );
         void onDetailsDestroyed( );
         void onShowModeClicked( );
         void showAll( );
diff --git a/qt/prefs-dialog.cc b/qt/prefs-dialog.cc
index 68adf26b1..e4ba3659c 100644
--- a/qt/prefs-dialog.cc
+++ b/qt/prefs-dialog.cc
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ PrefsDialog :: PrefsDialog( Session& session, Prefs& prefs, QWidget * parent ):
     myLayout->addWidget( t );
 
     QDialogButtonBox * buttons = new QDialogButtonBox( QDialogButtonBox::Close, Qt::Horizontal, this );
-    connect( buttons, SIGNAL(rejected()), this, SLOT(hide()) ); // "close" triggers rejected
+    connect( buttons, SIGNAL(rejected()), this, SLOT(deleteLater()) ); // "close" triggers rejected
     myLayout->addWidget( buttons );
 
     connect( &mySession, SIGNAL(sessionUpdated()), this, SLOT(sessionUpdated()));