diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 133f80bbad..9082e560a9 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -929,7 +929,7 @@ int main ( int argc, char** argv )
                              bMuteMeInPersonalMix );
 
             // load settings from init-file (command line options override)
-            CClientSettings Settings ( &Client, strIniFileName, pApp, bUseGUI );
+            CClientSettings Settings ( &Client, strIniFileName );
             Settings.Load ( CommandLineOptions );
 
 #    ifndef NO_JSON_RPC
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ int main ( int argc, char** argv )
             if ( bUseGUI )
             {
                 // load settings from init-file (command line options override)
-                CServerSettings Settings ( &Server, strIniFileName, pApp, bUseGUI );
+                CServerSettings Settings ( &Server, strIniFileName );
                 Settings.Load ( CommandLineOptions );
 
                 // load translation
diff --git a/src/settings.h b/src/settings.h
index 95ebba7d16..619f666761 100644
--- a/src/settings.h
+++ b/src/settings.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class CSettings : public QObject
     Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-    CSettings ( const QCoreApplication* pApp, const bool bUseGUI ) :
+    CSettings() :
         vecWindowPosMain(), // empty array
         strLanguage ( "" ),
         strFileName ( "" )
@@ -53,10 +53,12 @@ class CSettings : public QObject
         QObject::connect ( QCoreApplication::instance(), &QCoreApplication::aboutToQuit, this, &CSettings::OnAboutToQuit );
 
 #ifndef HEADLESS
-        if ( bUseGUI )
-        {
-            const QGuiApplication* pGApp = static_cast<const QGuiApplication*> ( pApp );
+        // The Jamulus App will be created as either a QCoreApplication or QApplication (a subclass of QGuiApplication).
+        // State signals are only delivered to QGuiApplications, so we determine here whether we instantiated the GUI.
+        const QGuiApplication* pGApp = dynamic_cast<const QGuiApplication*> ( QCoreApplication::instance() );
 
+        if ( pGApp != nullptr )
+        {
             QObject::connect ( pGApp, &QGuiApplication::saveStateRequest, this, [=] ( QSessionManager& ) { Save(); } );
 
             QObject::connect ( pGApp, &QGuiApplication::applicationStateChanged, this, [=] ( Qt::ApplicationState state ) {
@@ -129,8 +131,8 @@ public slots:
 class CClientSettings : public CSettings
 {
 public:
-    CClientSettings ( CClient* pNCliP, const QString& sNFiName, const QCoreApplication* pApp, const bool bUseGUI ) :
-        CSettings ( pApp, bUseGUI ),
+    CClientSettings ( CClient* pNCliP, const QString& sNFiName ) :
+        CSettings(),
         vecStoredFaderTags ( MAX_NUM_STORED_FADER_SETTINGS, "" ),
         vecStoredFaderLevels ( MAX_NUM_STORED_FADER_SETTINGS, AUD_MIX_FADER_MAX ),
         vecStoredPanValues ( MAX_NUM_STORED_FADER_SETTINGS, AUD_MIX_PAN_MAX / 2 ),
@@ -206,9 +208,7 @@ class CClientSettings : public CSettings
 class CServerSettings : public CSettings
 {
 public:
-    CServerSettings ( CServer* pNSerP, const QString& sNFiName, const QCoreApplication* pApp, const bool bUseGUI ) :
-        CSettings ( pApp, bUseGUI ),
-        pServer ( pNSerP )
+    CServerSettings ( CServer* pNSerP, const QString& sNFiName ) : CSettings(), pServer ( pNSerP )
     {
         SetFileName ( sNFiName, DEFAULT_INI_FILE_NAME_SERVER );
     }