diff --git a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.h b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.h
--- a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.h
+++ b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.h
@@ -209,8 +209,19 @@
     /** Get the load external references override setting */
     bool htmlLoadExtOverride() const;
 
-    /** Override default load external references setting */
-    void setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool override);
+    /** Default behavior for loading external references.
+     *  Use this for specifying the external reference loading behavior as
+     *  specified in the user settings.
+     *  @see setHtmlLoadExtOverride
+     */
+    void setHtmlLoadExtDefault(bool loadExtDefault);
+
+    /** Override default load external references setting
+     *  @warning This must only be called when the user has explicitly
+     *  been asked to retrieve external references!
+     *  @see setHtmlLoadExtDefault
+     */
+    void setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool loadExtOverride);
 
     /** Is html mail to be supported? Takes into account override */
     bool htmlMail() const;
diff --git a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.cpp b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.cpp
--- a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.cpp
+++ b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer.cpp
@@ -286,10 +286,16 @@
     d->setDisplayFormatMessageOverwrite(format);
 }
 
-void Viewer::setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool override)
+void Viewer::setHtmlLoadExtDefault(bool loadExtDefault)
 {
     Q_D(Viewer);
-    d->setHtmlLoadExtOverride(override);
+    d->setHtmlLoadExtDefault(loadExtDefault);
+}
+
+void Viewer::setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool loadExtOverride)
+{
+    Q_D(Viewer);
+    d->setHtmlLoadExtOverride(loadExtOverride);
 }
 
 bool Viewer::htmlLoadExtOverride() const
diff --git a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.h b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.h
--- a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.h
+++ b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.h
@@ -379,8 +379,19 @@
     /** Get the load external references override setting */
     bool htmlLoadExtOverride() const;
 
-    /** Override default load external references setting */
-    void setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool override);
+    /** Default behavior for loading external references.
+     *  Use this for specifying the external reference loading behavior as
+     *  specified in the user settings.
+     *  @see setHtmlLoadExtOverride
+     */
+    void setHtmlLoadExtDefault(bool loadExtDefault);
+
+    /** Override default load external references setting
+     *  @warning This must only be called when the user has explicitly
+     *  been asked to retrieve external references!
+     *  @see setHtmlLoadExtDefault
+     */
+    void setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool loadExtOverride);
 
     /** Enforce message decryption. */
     void setDecryptMessageOverwrite(bool overwrite = true);
@@ -580,10 +591,10 @@
 
     MimeTreeParser::NodeHelper *mNodeHelper = nullptr;
     void slotDelayPrintPreview();
-public:
     bool mHtmlMailGlobalSetting;
-    bool mHtmlLoadExternalGlobalSetting;
+    bool mHtmlLoadExternalDefaultSetting;
     bool mHtmlLoadExtOverride;
+public:
     KMime::Message::Ptr mMessage; //the current message, if it was set manually
     Akonadi::Item mMessageItem; //the message item from Akonadi
     // widgets:
diff --git a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.cpp b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.cpp
--- a/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.cpp
+++ b/messageviewer/src/viewer/viewer_p.cpp
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@
     mDisplayFormatMessageOverwrite = MessageViewer::Viewer::UseGlobalSetting;
     mHtmlLoadExtOverride = false;
 
-    mHtmlLoadExternalGlobalSetting = false;
+    mHtmlLoadExternalDefaultSetting = false;
     mHtmlMailGlobalSetting = false;
 
     mUpdateReaderWinTimer.setObjectName(QStringLiteral("mUpdateReaderWinTimer"));
@@ -1093,8 +1093,6 @@
     }
 
     mHtmlMailGlobalSetting = MessageViewer::MessageViewerSettings::self()->htmlMail();
-    mHtmlLoadExternalGlobalSetting
-        = MessageViewer::MessageViewerSettings::self()->htmlLoadExternal();
 
     readGravatarConfig();
     if (mHeaderStyleMenuManager) {
@@ -2811,8 +2809,8 @@
         return mHtmlLoadExtOverride;
     }
 
-    return (mHtmlLoadExternalGlobalSetting && !mHtmlLoadExtOverride)
-           || (!mHtmlLoadExternalGlobalSetting && mHtmlLoadExtOverride);
+    return (mHtmlLoadExternalDefaultSetting && !mHtmlLoadExtOverride)
+           || (!mHtmlLoadExternalDefaultSetting && mHtmlLoadExtOverride);
 }
 
 void ViewerPrivate::setDisplayFormatMessageOverwrite(Viewer::DisplayFormatMessage format)
@@ -2834,9 +2832,14 @@
     return mDisplayFormatMessageOverwrite;
 }
 
-void ViewerPrivate::setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool override)
+void ViewerPrivate::setHtmlLoadExtDefault(bool loadExtDefault)
 {
-    mHtmlLoadExtOverride = override;
+    mHtmlLoadExternalDefaultSetting = loadExtDefault;
+}
+
+void ViewerPrivate::setHtmlLoadExtOverride(bool loadExtOverride)
+{
+    mHtmlLoadExtOverride = loadExtOverride;
 }
 
 bool ViewerPrivate::htmlLoadExtOverride() const