diff --git a/src/browser.hxx b/src/browser.hxx
index bfc47ff..4b57c66 100644
--- a/src/browser.hxx
+++ b/src/browser.hxx
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
         _url(0), _find(new qbrowserlib::ButtonLineEdit),
         _kiosk(kiosk),
         _downloadManager(new DownloadManager),
-        _settings(mimeTypes, this, settings, !kiosk),
         _errorLog(this), _logincertificate(this),
         _proxy("http://swisssign.com", this),
         _showErrorLog(0),
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
         _searchEngines(new QComboBox),
         _bookmarkfile(bookmarkfile) {
       TRC; LOG<<urls;
-      qbrowserlib::Executor::instance(&_settings);
+      qbrowserlib::Settings::instance(mimeTypes, this, settings, !kiosk);
       _home = "about:blank";
       if (urls.size()) _home = urls.at(0);
       setupUi(this);
@@ -204,7 +203,8 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
                      SLOT(downloadError(QString))));
       assert(connect(_downloadManager.data(), SIGNAL(metaDataChanged(QNetworkReply*)),
                      SLOT(metaDataChanged(QNetworkReply*))));
-      assert(connect(&_settings, SIGNAL(newSettings()), SLOT(newSettings())));
+      assert(connect(&qbrowserlib::Settings::instance(),
+                     SIGNAL(newSettings()), SLOT(newSettings())));
       newSettings();
       on_actionNewTab_triggered();
 
@@ -223,7 +223,9 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
         delete _bookmarks; _bookmarks=0;
       }
       if (!_kiosk &&
-          ((!_startUrl && _settings.flag("SaveWindowState") && _settings()) ||
+          ((!_startUrl &&
+            qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().flag("SaveWindowState") &&
+            qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()) ||
            _bookmarkfile.readable()))
         loadWin();
       if (urls.size()) load(urls.at(0));
@@ -259,7 +261,9 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
     void closeEvent(QCloseEvent *event) {
       TRC;
       if (!_kiosk &&
-          ((!_startUrl && _settings.flag("SaveWindowState") && _settings()) ||
+          ((!_startUrl &&
+            qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().flag("SaveWindowState") &&
+            qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()) ||
            _bookmarkfile.writeable()))
         saveWin();
       QMainWindow::closeEvent(event);
@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
     }
     
     void load(QString page) {
-      _settings.replaceSearchEngine(page);
+      qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().replaceSearchEngine(page);
       if (QUrl(page).scheme()=="") page = "http://"+page;
       if (qobject_cast<QComboBox*>(_url))
         qobject_cast<QComboBox*>(_url)->lineEdit()->setText(page);
@@ -584,8 +588,8 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
     void newSettings() {
       _searchEngines->clear();
       for (qbrowserlib::Settings::SearchEngines::const_iterator
-             it(_settings.searchEngines().begin());
-           it!=_settings.searchEngines().end(); it++)
+             it(qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().searchEngines().begin());
+           it!=qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().searchEngines().end(); it++)
         if (QFile(":/icons/"+it.key()).exists())
           _searchEngines->addItem(QIcon(":/icons/"+it.key()), "", it.value());
         else
@@ -854,7 +858,7 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
     }
     
     void on_actionSettings_triggered() {
-      _settings.show();
+      qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().show();
     }
 
     void on_actionSaveWindowState_triggered() {
@@ -868,14 +872,17 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
     void saveWin() {
       TRC; LOG<<"Save Window State";
       saveBookmarks();
-      if (!_settings()) return;
+      if (!qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()) return;
       QStringList tabs;
       for (int i(0); i<_tabs->count(); ++i)
         tabs<<qobject_cast<QWebView*>(_tabs->widget(i))->url().toString();
-      _settings()->setValue("Window/Tabs", tabs);
-      _settings()->setValue("Window/CurrentTab", _tabs->currentIndex());
-      _settings()->setValue("Window/Geometry", saveGeometry());
-      _settings()->setValue("Window/WindowState", saveState());
+      qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()->setValue("Window/Tabs", tabs);
+      qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()
+        ->setValue("Window/CurrentTab", _tabs->currentIndex());
+      qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()
+        ->setValue("Window/Geometry", saveGeometry());
+      qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()
+        ->setValue("Window/WindowState", saveState());
     }
 
     void saveBookmarks() {
@@ -889,17 +896,17 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
       if (_bookmarkfile.writeable()) {
         LOG<<"write to bookmark file"<<_bookmarkfile.name();
         _bookmarkfile.write(urls);
-      } else if (_settings()) {
+      } else if (qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()) {
         LOG<<"write to settings";
-        _settings()->setValue("Window/Urls", urls);
+        qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()->setValue("Window/Urls", urls);
       } else LOG<<"bookmarks not saved";
     }
 
     void loadWin() {
       TRC;
       loadBookmarks();
-      if (!_settings()) return;
-      QStringList tabs(_settings()->value("Window/Tabs").toStringList());
+      if (!qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()) return;
+      QStringList tabs(qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()->value("Window/Tabs").toStringList());
       int oldCnt(_tabs->count());
       for (QStringList::iterator it(tabs.begin()); it!=tabs.end(); ++it) {
         LOG<<"-------------------------------------------------------------";
@@ -909,9 +916,12 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
       for (int i(0); i<oldCnt && _tabs->count()>1; ++i) _tabs->removeTab(0);
       _tabs->setTabsClosable(_tabs->count()>1);
       //_tabs->tabBar()->setShown(_tabs->count()>1);
-      _tabs->setCurrentIndex(_settings()->value("Window/CurrentTab").toInt());
-      restoreGeometry(_settings()->value("Window/Geometry").toByteArray());
-      restoreState(_settings()->value("Window/WindowState").toByteArray());
+      _tabs->setCurrentIndex(qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()
+                             ->value("Window/CurrentTab").toInt());
+      restoreGeometry(qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()
+                      ->value("Window/Geometry").toByteArray());
+      restoreState(qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()
+                   ->value("Window/WindowState").toByteArray());
     }
 
     void loadBookmarks() {
@@ -920,9 +930,10 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
       if (_bookmarkfile.readable()) {
         LOG<<"load from file"<<_bookmarkfile.name();
         urls = _bookmarkfile.read();
-      } else if (_settings()) {
+      } else if (qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()) {
         LOG<<"load from settings";
-        urls = _settings()->value("Window/Urls").toStringList();
+        urls = qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()()
+          ->value("Window/Urls").toStringList();
       }
       urls.removeAll("");
       urls.removeDuplicates();
@@ -1369,7 +1380,7 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
       }
       LOG<<"Filename:"<<filename;
       QStringList type
-        (_settings.mimetype
+        (qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().mimetype
          (reply->header(QNetworkRequest::ContentTypeHeader).toString(),
           filename));
     }
@@ -1524,7 +1535,6 @@ class Browser: public QMainWindow, protected Ui::Browser {
     QPrinter _printer;
     SslClientAuthNetworkAccessManager _networkManager;
     QSharedPointer<DownloadManager> _downloadManager;
-    qbrowserlib::Settings _settings;
     ErrorLog _errorLog;
     LoginCertificate _logincertificate;
     gui::Proxy _proxy;
diff --git a/src/qbrowserlib/executor.hxx b/src/qbrowserlib/executor.hxx
index 9d071c3..a1fa7d2 100644
--- a/src/qbrowserlib/executor.hxx
+++ b/src/qbrowserlib/executor.hxx
@@ -31,13 +31,13 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
 
     private:
 
-      Executor(Settings* settings=0): _settings(settings) {} // singleton
+      Executor() {} // singleton
       Executor(const Executor&); // singleton
 
     public:
               
-      static Executor& instance(Settings* settings=0) {
-        static Executor _instance(settings);
+      static Executor& instance() {
+        static Executor _instance;
         return _instance;
       }
       
@@ -46,10 +46,11 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
         for (DownloadProcesses::iterator it(_downloadProcesses.begin());
              it!=_downloadProcesses.end(); ++it) {
           LOG<<"cleanup:"<<it->second->fileName();
-          it->second->setAutoRemove(_settings && _settings->flag("CloseApps"));
+          it->second->setAutoRemove(qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()
+                                    .flag("CloseApps"));
           delete it->second;
           it->second = 0;
-          if (_settings && _settings->flag("CloseApps")) {
+          if (qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().flag("CloseApps")) {
             LOG<<"terminate process";
             it->first->terminate();
             delete it->first;
@@ -57,10 +58,6 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
         }
       }
 
-      Settings* settings() {
-        return _settings;
-      }
-
     public Q_SLOTS:
 
       void run(QNetworkReply* reply, QString filename, QString command) {
@@ -107,7 +104,8 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
             == _downloadProcesses.end()) return;
         if (_downloadProcesses[qobject_cast<QProcess*>(sender())])
           _downloadProcesses[qobject_cast<QProcess*>(sender())]
-            ->setAutoRemove(_settings && _settings->flag("CloseApps"));
+            ->setAutoRemove(qbrowserlib::Settings::instance()
+                            .flag("CloseApps"));
         delete _downloadProcesses[qobject_cast<QProcess*>(sender())];
         _downloadProcesses.erase(qobject_cast<QProcess*>(sender()));
         applicationFinished();
@@ -117,7 +115,6 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
       
       typedef std::map<QProcess*, TemporaryFile*> DownloadProcesses;
       DownloadProcesses _downloadProcesses;
-      Settings* _settings;
       QNetworkReply* _reply;
       QString _filename;
       QString _command;
diff --git a/src/qbrowserlib/saveorrun.hxx b/src/qbrowserlib/saveorrun.hxx
index b1ce0ee..fe9ddd6 100644
--- a/src/qbrowserlib/saveorrun.hxx
+++ b/src/qbrowserlib/saveorrun.hxx
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
         TRC;
         QString filename(remoteFilename());
         QStringList type
-          (qbrowserlib::Executor::instance().settings()->mimetype
+          (qbrowserlib::Settings::instance().mimetype
            (_reply->header(QNetworkRequest::ContentTypeHeader).toString(),
             filename));
         if (!type.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/qbrowserlib/settings.hxx b/src/qbrowserlib/settings.hxx
index 9ef2512..2283835 100644
--- a/src/qbrowserlib/settings.hxx
+++ b/src/qbrowserlib/settings.hxx
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
 
     public:
 
+      //! Singleton
+      static Settings& instance(MimeTypes mimetypes=MimeTypes(), QWidget* p=0,
+                                QSettings* settings=0, bool autoWrite=true) {
+        static Settings _instance(mimetypes, p, settings, autoWrite);
+        return _instance;
+      }
+      
+    private:
+
+      Settings(const Settings&); // singleton
+      
       Settings(MimeTypes mimetypes, QWidget* p=0,
                QSettings* settings=0, bool autoWrite=true):
           QDialog(p), _settings(settings),
@@ -114,6 +125,8 @@ namespace qbrowserlib {
         on__buttons_rejected();
       }
 
+    public:
+
       static bool DEBUG;
 
       void setSettings(QSettings* settings) {