diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c416a32..0a5e5a2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -267,9 +267,9 @@
                 },
                 "tlaplus.tlc.statisticsSharing": {
                     "type": "string",
-                    "scope": "application",
+                    "scope": "machine",
                     "default": "doNotShare",
-                    "markdownDescription": "Allows you to send the TLC usage statistics to [the plublicly available database](https://exec-stats.tlapl.us). You can find more details on what is shared [here](https://github.com/alygin/vscode-tlaplus/wiki/TLC-Statistics-Sharing).",
+                    "markdownDescription": "Allows you to send the TLC usage statistics to [the publicly available database](https://exec-stats.tlapl.us). You can find more details on what is shared [here](https://github.com/tlaplus/tlaplus/blob/master/tlatools/src/util/ExecutionStatisticsCollector.md).",
                     "enum": [
                         "share",
                         "shareWithoutId",
diff --git a/src/commands/checkModel.ts b/src/commands/checkModel.ts
index 1712b34..187a95f 100644
--- a/src/commands/checkModel.ts
+++ b/src/commands/checkModel.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import { saveStreamToFile } from '../outputSaver';
 import { replaceExtension, LANG_TLAPLUS, LANG_TLAPLUS_CFG, listFiles, exists } from '../common';
 import { ModelCheckResultSource, ModelCheckResult } from '../model/check';
 import { ToolOutputChannel } from '../outputChannels';
-import { processTlcStatisticsSetting } from './tlcStatisticsCfg';
 
 export const CMD_CHECK_MODEL_RUN = 'tlaplus.model.check.run';
 export const CMD_CHECK_MODEL_CUSTOM_RUN = 'tlaplus.model.check.customRun';
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ export async function checkModel(diagnostic: vscode.DiagnosticCollection, extCon
     if (!specFiles) {
         return;
     }
-    await processTlcStatisticsSetting();
     doCheckModel(specFiles, false, extContext, diagnostic);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/commands/tlcStatisticsCfg.ts b/src/commands/tlcStatisticsCfg.ts
index de0dbc1..fcce5ca 100644
--- a/src/commands/tlcStatisticsCfg.ts
+++ b/src/commands/tlcStatisticsCfg.ts
@@ -6,61 +6,80 @@ import { exists, readFile, writeFile, mkDir } from '../common';
 const CFG_TLC_STATISTICS_TYPE = 'tlaplus.tlc.statisticsSharing';
 const STAT_SETTINGS_DIR = '.tlaplus';
 const STAT_SETTINGS_FILE = 'esc.txt';
-const STAT_OPT_SHARE = '*';
 const STAT_OPT_SHARE_NO_ID = 'RANDOM_IDENTIFIER';
 const STAT_OPT_DO_NOT_SHARE = 'NO_STATISTICS';
 
-let lastStatCfgValue: string | undefined;
+enum ShareOption {
+    Share = 'share',
+    ShareWithoutId = 'shareWithoutId',
+    DoNotShare = 'doNotShare'
+}
+
+/**
+ * Writes TLC statistics sharing cfg file when the corresponding configuration setting is changed.
+ */
+export function listenTlcStatConfigurationChanges(disposables: vscode.Disposable[]) {
+    vscode.workspace.onDidChangeConfiguration((event) => {
+        if (event.affectsConfiguration(CFG_TLC_STATISTICS_TYPE)) {
+            const cfgOption = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration().get<ShareOption>(CFG_TLC_STATISTICS_TYPE);
+            if (cfgOption) {
+                writeFileOption(cfgOption);
+            }
+        }
+    }, undefined, disposables);
+}
 
 /**
- * Checks the TLC statistics collection setting, rewrites the statistics config file if necessary.
- * The statistics config file contains one of the following:
- * - {installation ID} - when the user allows to share statistics along with the installation ID.
- * - NO_STATISTICS - when the user doesn't want to share statistics.
- * - RANDOM_IDENTIFIER - when the user allows to share statistics but without the installation ID.
- * TLC handles this file automatically when running.
+ * Updates the TLC statistics sharing setting in accordance with the config file if necessary.
  */
-export async function processTlcStatisticsSetting() {
-    const statCfg = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration().get<string>(CFG_TLC_STATISTICS_TYPE);
-    if (statCfg === lastStatCfgValue) {
+export async function syncTlcStatisticsSetting() {
+    const cfgOption = vscode.workspace.getConfiguration().get<string>(CFG_TLC_STATISTICS_TYPE);
+    const fileOption = await readFileOption();
+    if (cfgOption === fileOption) {
         return;
     }
-    lastStatCfgValue = statCfg;
-    switch (statCfg) {
-        case 'share':
-            setStatisticsSetting(STAT_OPT_SHARE);
+    const target = vscode.ConfigurationTarget.Global;
+    return vscode.workspace.getConfiguration().update(CFG_TLC_STATISTICS_TYPE, fileOption, target);
+}
+
+async function readFileOption(): Promise<ShareOption> {
+    const file = path.join(homedir(), STAT_SETTINGS_DIR, STAT_SETTINGS_FILE);
+    if (!await exists(file)) {
+        return ShareOption.DoNotShare;
+    }
+    const fileContents = await readFile(file);
+    if (fileContents.startsWith(STAT_OPT_DO_NOT_SHARE)) {
+        return ShareOption.DoNotShare;
+    } else if (fileContents.startsWith(STAT_OPT_SHARE_NO_ID)) {
+        return ShareOption.ShareWithoutId;
+    } else if (fileContents.length > 0) {
+        return ShareOption.Share;
+    }
+    return ShareOption.DoNotShare;
+}
+
+async function writeFileOption(option: ShareOption) {
+    let contents;
+    switch (option) {
+        case ShareOption.Share:
+            contents = generateRandomInstallationId();
             break;
-        case 'shareWithoutId':
-            setStatisticsSetting(STAT_OPT_SHARE_NO_ID);
+        case ShareOption.ShareWithoutId:
+            contents = STAT_OPT_SHARE_NO_ID;
             break;
-        case 'doNotShare':
-            setStatisticsSetting(STAT_OPT_DO_NOT_SHARE);
+        case ShareOption.DoNotShare:
+            contents = STAT_OPT_DO_NOT_SHARE;
             break;
         default:
-            console.error('Unsupported TLC statistics option: ' + statCfg);
+            console.error('Unsupported TLC statistics option: ' + option);
             return;
     }
-}
-
-async function setStatisticsSetting(option: string) {
     const dir = path.join(homedir(), STAT_SETTINGS_DIR);
     const file = path.join(dir, STAT_SETTINGS_FILE);
-    if (await exists(file)) {
-        const curOption = await readFile(file);
-        if ((option === STAT_OPT_DO_NOT_SHARE || option === STAT_OPT_SHARE_NO_ID) && curOption.startsWith(option)) {
-            return;
-        }
-        if (option === STAT_OPT_SHARE
-                && !curOption.startsWith(STAT_OPT_DO_NOT_SHARE)
-                && !curOption.startsWith(STAT_OPT_SHARE_NO_ID)) {
-            return;
-        }
-    }
-    const fileContents = option === STAT_OPT_SHARE ? generateRandomInstallationId() : option;
     if (!await exists(dir)) {
         await mkDir(dir);
     }
-    await writeFile(file, fileContents + '\n');
+    return writeFile(file, contents + '\n');
 }
 
 function generateRandomInstallationId(): string {
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 69dc63a..2bc9b25 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { TlaCompletionItemProvider } from './completions/tlaCompletions';
 import { CfgCompletionItemProvider } from './completions/cfgCompletions';
 import { TlaDeclarationsProvider } from './declarations/tlaDeclarations';
 import { TlaDocumentInfos } from './model/documentInfo';
+import { syncTlcStatisticsSetting, listenTlcStatConfigurationChanges } from './commands/tlcStatisticsCfg';
 
 const TLAPLUS_FILE_SELECTOR: vscode.DocumentSelector = { scheme: 'file', language: LANG_TLAPLUS };
 const TLAPLUS_CFG_FILE_SELECTOR: vscode.DocumentSelector = { scheme: 'file', language: LANG_TLAPLUS_CFG };
@@ -94,6 +95,9 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
             new TlaDeclarationsProvider(tlaDocInfos)
         )
     );
+    syncTlcStatisticsSetting()
+        .catch((err) => console.error(err))
+        .then(() => listenTlcStatConfigurationChanges(context.subscriptions));
     showChangeLog(context.extensionPath)
         .catch((err) => console.error(err));
 }