diff --git a/app/src/basic/res/xml/preferences.xml b/app/src/basic/res/xml/preferences.xml
index 24066bd1d..c473f4cd0 100644
--- a/app/src/basic/res/xml/preferences.xml
+++ b/app/src/basic/res/xml/preferences.xml
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
         <SwitchPreference
                 android:title="@string/update_auto_download"
                 android:summary="@string/update_auto_download_summary"
-                android:defaultValue="true"
                 android:key="updateAutoDownload"/>
         <org.fdroid.fdroid.views.LiveSeekBarPreference
                 android:key="updateIntervalSeekBarPosition"
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/Preferences.java b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/Preferences.java
index 1ed9009d7..e123a654b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/Preferences.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/Preferences.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import android.support.v7.preference.PreferenceManager;
 import android.text.format.DateUtils;
 import android.util.Log;
 import info.guardianproject.netcipher.NetCipher;
+import org.fdroid.fdroid.installer.PrivilegedInstaller;
 import org.fdroid.fdroid.net.ConnectivityMonitorService;
 
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
@@ -69,11 +70,16 @@ public final class Preferences implements SharedPreferences.OnSharedPreferenceCh
         PreferenceManager.setDefaultValues(context, R.xml.preferences, true);
         preferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
         preferences.registerOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener(this);
+        SharedPreferences.Editor editor = preferences.edit();
         if (preferences.getString(PREF_LOCAL_REPO_NAME, null) == null) {
-            preferences.edit()
-                    .putString(PREF_LOCAL_REPO_NAME, getDefaultLocalRepoName())
-                    .apply();
+            editor.putString(PREF_LOCAL_REPO_NAME, getDefaultLocalRepoName());
         }
+        if (!preferences.contains(PREF_AUTO_DOWNLOAD_INSTALL_UPDATES)) {
+            editor.putBoolean(PREF_AUTO_DOWNLOAD_INSTALL_UPDATES,
+                    PrivilegedInstaller.isExtensionInstalledCorrectly(context)
+                            != PrivilegedInstaller.IS_EXTENSION_INSTALLED_YES);
+        }
+        editor.apply();
     }
 
     public static final String PREF_OVER_WIFI = "overWifi";
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
index 21e0a423c..889b380b7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
         <SwitchPreference
                 android:title="@string/update_auto_download"
                 android:summary="@string/update_auto_download_summary"
-                android:defaultValue="false"
                 android:key="updateAutoDownload"/>
         <org.fdroid.fdroid.views.LiveSeekBarPreference
                 android:key="updateIntervalSeekBarPosition"
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/PreferencesTest.java b/app/src/test/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/PreferencesTest.java
index 3a4b03d85..2149e64fa 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/PreferencesTest.java
+++ b/app/src/test/java/org/fdroid/fdroid/PreferencesTest.java
@@ -74,16 +74,18 @@ public class PreferencesTest {
      * Check that the defaults are being set when using
      * {@link PreferenceManager#getDefaultSharedPreferences(Context)}, and that
      * the values match.  {@link Preferences#Preferences(Context)} sets the
-     * value of {@link Preferences#PREF_LOCAL_REPO_NAME} dynamically, so there
-     * is one more preference.
+     * values of {@link Preferences#PREF_LOCAL_REPO_NAME} and
+     * {@link Preferences#PREF_AUTO_DOWNLOAD_INSTALL_UPDATES} dynamically, so
+     * there are two more preferences.
      */
     @Test
     public void testSetDefaultValues() {
         Preferences.setupForTests(CONTEXT);
 
         SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(CONTEXT);
-        assertEquals(defaults.getAll().size() + 1, sharedPreferences.getAll().size());
+        assertEquals(defaults.getAll().size() + 2, sharedPreferences.getAll().size());
         assertTrue(sharedPreferences.contains(Preferences.PREF_LOCAL_REPO_NAME));
+        assertTrue(sharedPreferences.contains(Preferences.PREF_AUTO_DOWNLOAD_INSTALL_UPDATES));
 
         Map<String, ?> entries = sharedPreferences.getAll();
         for (Map.Entry<String, ?> entry : defaults.getAll().entrySet()) {
@@ -104,8 +106,6 @@ public class PreferencesTest {
         Preferences.setupForTests(CONTEXT);
         Preferences preferences = Preferences.get();
 
-        assertEquals(defaults.getBoolean(Preferences.PREF_AUTO_DOWNLOAD_INSTALL_UPDATES, false),
-                preferences.isAutoDownloadEnabled());
         assertEquals(defaults.getBoolean(Preferences.PREF_EXPERT, false),
                 preferences.expertMode());
         assertEquals(defaults.getBoolean(Preferences.PREF_FORCE_TOUCH_APPS, false),