diff --git a/app/mainwindow.cpp b/app/mainwindow.cpp
--- a/app/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/app/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -1119,7 +1119,7 @@
 {
     d->updateActions();
     const QUrl url = d->mContextManager->currentUrl();
-    if (!url.isEmpty()) {
+    if (!url.isEmpty() && GwenviewConfig::historyEnabled()) {
         d->mFileOpenRecentAction->addUrl(url);
         d->mGvCore->addUrlToRecentFiles(url);
     }
@@ -1474,10 +1474,16 @@
     d->mDirModel->setBlackListedExtensions(GwenviewConfig::blackListedExtensions());
     d->mDirModel->adjustKindFilter(MimeTypeUtils::KIND_VIDEO, GwenviewConfig::listVideos());
 
-    d->mFileOpenRecentAction->loadEntries(KConfigGroup(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "Recent Files"));
-    foreach(const QUrl &url, d->mFileOpenRecentAction->urls()) {
-        d->mGvCore->addUrlToRecentFiles(url);
+    if (GwenviewConfig::historyEnabled()) {
+        d->mFileOpenRecentAction->loadEntries(KConfigGroup(KSharedConfig::openConfig(), "Recent Files"));
+        foreach(const QUrl& url, d->mFileOpenRecentAction->urls()) {
+            d->mGvCore->addUrlToRecentFiles(url);
+        }
+    } else {
+        d->mFileOpenRecentAction->clear();
     }
+    d->mFileOpenRecentAction->setVisible(GwenviewConfig::historyEnabled());
+
     d->mStartMainPage->loadConfig();
     d->mViewMainPage->loadConfig();
     d->mBrowseMainPage->loadConfig();
diff --git a/lib/contextmanager.cpp b/lib/contextmanager.cpp
--- a/lib/contextmanager.cpp
+++ b/lib/contextmanager.cpp
@@ -310,8 +310,10 @@
 
 void ContextManager::setTargetDirUrl(const QUrl &url)
 {
-    GV_RETURN_IF_FAIL(url.isValid());
-    d->mTargetDirUrl = url;
+    d->mTargetDirUrl =
+        GwenviewConfig::historyEnabled()
+        ? url
+        : QUrl();
 }
 
 void ContextManager::slotRowsInserted()
diff --git a/lib/gwenviewconfig.kcfg b/lib/gwenviewconfig.kcfg
--- a/lib/gwenviewconfig.kcfg
+++ b/lib/gwenviewconfig.kcfg
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@
         </entry>
 
         <entry name="LastTargetDir" type="Path">
-            <default code="true">
-                QUrl::fromLocalFile(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::PicturesLocation)).toString()
-            </default>
         </entry>
 
         <entry name="ThumbnailBarOrientation" type="Enum">