diff --git a/src/ProfileManager.h b/src/ProfileManager.h
--- a/src/ProfileManager.h
+++ b/src/ProfileManager.h
@@ -159,13 +159,6 @@
      */
     Profile::Ptr defaultProfile() const;
 
-    /**
-     * Returns a Profile object with hard-coded settings which is always available.
-     * This can be used as a parent for new profiles which provides suitable default settings
-     * for all properties.
-     */
-    Profile::Ptr fallbackProfile() const;
-
     /**
      * Specifies whether a profile should be included in the user's
      * list of favorite profiles.
@@ -276,7 +269,6 @@
     QSet<Profile::Ptr> _favorites; // list of favorite profiles
 
     Profile::Ptr _defaultProfile;
-    Profile::Ptr _fallbackProfile;
 
     bool _loadedAllProfiles; // set to true after loadAllProfiles has been called
     bool _loadedFavorites; // set to true after loadFavorites has been called
diff --git a/src/ProfileManager.cpp b/src/ProfileManager.cpp
--- a/src/ProfileManager.cpp
+++ b/src/ProfileManager.cpp
@@ -68,48 +68,62 @@
     qStableSort(list.begin(), list.end(), profileNameLessThan);
 }
 
+static QString entryOrDefault(KConfigGroup group, QString key, QString defaultValue) {
+    QString read = group.readEntry(key, "");
+
+    if (read.isEmpty()) {
+        return defaultValue;
+    }
+
+    return read;
+}
+
+static Profile::Ptr loadDefaultOrCreateEmpty(ProfileManager *manager, QString path) {
+    Profile::Ptr profile = manager->loadProfile(path);
+
+    if (!profile) {
+        profile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile());
+        profile->useFallback();
+        profile->setProperty(Profile::Path, path);
+        profile->setHidden(false);
+    }
+
+    return profile;
+}
+
 ProfileManager::ProfileManager()
     : _profiles(QSet<Profile::Ptr>())
     , _favorites(QSet<Profile::Ptr>())
     , _defaultProfile(nullptr)
-    , _fallbackProfile(nullptr)
     , _loadedAllProfiles(false)
     , _loadedFavorites(false)
     , _shortcuts(QMap<QKeySequence, ShortcutData>())
     , _profileList(nullptr)
 {
-    //load fallback profile
-    _fallbackProfile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile());
-    _fallbackProfile->useFallback();
-    addProfile(_fallbackProfile);
+    const QString fallbackDefaultProfile = QDir(QStandardPaths::writableLocation(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation)).filePath(QStringLiteral("konsole/default.profile"));
+    const QString sharedConfigFilename = QStringLiteral("konsolerc");
+    const QString configGroupName = QStringLiteral("Desktop Entry");
+    const QString defaultProfileEntry = QStringLiteral("DefaultProfile");
+
+    // if the hosting application of konsolepart does not specify its own
+    // default profile, use the default profile of stand-alone Konsole.
+    const KSharedConfigPtr konsoleConfig = KSharedConfig::openConfig(sharedConfigFilename);
+    const KConfigGroup konsoleGroup = konsoleConfig->group(configGroupName);
+
+    const QString konsoleConfigDefaultProfile = entryOrDefault(konsoleGroup, defaultProfileEntry, fallbackDefaultProfile);
 
     // lookup the default profile specified in <App>rc
     // for stand-alone Konsole, appConfig is just konsolerc
     // for konsolepart, appConfig might be yakuakerc, dolphinrc, katerc...
-    KSharedConfigPtr appConfig = KSharedConfig::openConfig();
-    KConfigGroup group = appConfig->group("Desktop Entry");
-    QString defaultProfileFileName = group.readEntry("DefaultProfile", "");
+    const KSharedConfigPtr appConfig = KSharedConfig::openConfig();
+    const KConfigGroup appGroup = appConfig->group(configGroupName);
 
-    // if the hosting application of konsolepart does not specify its own
-    // default profile, use the default profile of stand-alone Konsole.
-    if (defaultProfileFileName.isEmpty()) {
-        KSharedConfigPtr konsoleConfig = KSharedConfig::openConfig(QStringLiteral("konsolerc"));
-        group = konsoleConfig->group("Desktop Entry");
-        defaultProfileFileName = group.readEntry("DefaultProfile", "");
-    }
+    const QString configFile = entryOrDefault(appGroup, defaultProfileEntry, konsoleConfigDefaultProfile);
 
-    _defaultProfile = _fallbackProfile;
-    if (!defaultProfileFileName.isEmpty()) {
-        // load the default profile
-        const QString path = QStandardPaths::locate(QStandardPaths::GenericDataLocation, QStringLiteral("konsole/") + defaultProfileFileName);
+    _defaultProfile = loadDefaultOrCreateEmpty(this, configFile);
 
-        if (!path.isEmpty()) {
-            Profile::Ptr profile = loadProfile(path);
-            if (profile) {
-                _defaultProfile = profile;
-            }
-        }
-    }
+    _profiles.insert(_defaultProfile);
+    _favorites.insert(_defaultProfile);
 
     Q_ASSERT(_profiles.count() > 0);
     Q_ASSERT(_defaultProfile);
@@ -130,11 +144,6 @@
 
 Profile::Ptr ProfileManager::loadProfile(const QString& shortPath)
 {
-    // the fallback profile has a 'special' path name, "FALLBACK/"
-    if (shortPath == _fallbackProfile->path()) {
-        return _fallbackProfile;
-    }
-
     QString path = shortPath;
 
     // add a suggested suffix and relative prefix if missing
@@ -175,8 +184,8 @@
     PopStackOnExit<QString> popGuardOnExit(recursionGuard);
 
     if (recursionGuard.contains(path)) {
-        qCDebug(KonsoleDebug) << "Ignoring attempt to load profile recursively from" << path;
-        return _fallbackProfile;
+        qWarning("Attempt to load profile recursively; will load empty profile");
+        return Profile::Ptr(new Profile());
     } else {
         recursionGuard.push(path);
     }
@@ -184,7 +193,8 @@
     // load the profile
     ProfileReader reader;
 
-    Profile::Ptr newProfile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile(fallbackProfile()));
+    Profile::Ptr newProfile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile());
+    newProfile->useFallback();
     newProfile->setProperty(Profile::Path, path);
 
     QString parentProfilePath;
@@ -253,11 +263,6 @@
     QList<Profile::Ptr> havingIndices;
 
     for (const auto & i : list) {
-        // dis-regard the fallback profile
-        if (i->path() == _fallbackProfile->path()) {
-            continue;
-        }
-
         if (i->menuIndexAsInt() == 0) {
             lackingIndices.append(i);
         } else {
@@ -331,10 +336,6 @@
 {
     return _defaultProfile;
 }
-Profile::Ptr ProfileManager::fallbackProfile() const
-{
-    return _fallbackProfile;
-}
 
 QString ProfileManager::saveProfile(const Profile::Ptr &profile)
 {
@@ -360,46 +361,7 @@
     // never save a profile with empty name into disk!
     persistent = persistent && !profile->name().isEmpty();
 
-    Profile::Ptr newProfile;
-
-    // If we are asked to store the fallback profile (which has an
-    // invalid path by design), we reset the path to an empty string
-    // which will make the profile writer automatically generate a
-    // proper path.
-    if (persistent && profile->path() == _fallbackProfile->path()) {
-
-        // Generate a new name, so it is obvious what is actually built-in
-        // in the profile manager
-        QList<Profile::Ptr> existingProfiles = allProfiles();
-        QStringList existingProfileNames;
-        foreach(Profile::Ptr existingProfile, existingProfiles) {
-            existingProfileNames.append(existingProfile->name());
-        }
-
-        int nameSuffix = 1;
-        QString newName;
-        QString newTranslatedName;
-        do {
-            newName = QStringLiteral("Profile ") + QString::number(nameSuffix);
-            newTranslatedName = i18nc("The default name of a profile", "Profile #%1", nameSuffix);
-            // TODO: remove the # above and below - too many issues
-            newTranslatedName.remove(QLatin1Char('#'));
-            nameSuffix++;
-        } while (existingProfileNames.contains(newName));
-
-        newProfile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile(ProfileManager::instance()->fallbackProfile()));
-        newProfile->clone(profile, true);
-        newProfile->setProperty(Profile::UntranslatedName, newName);
-        newProfile->setProperty(Profile::Name, newTranslatedName);
-        newProfile->setProperty(Profile::MenuIndex, QStringLiteral("0"));
-        newProfile->setHidden(false);
-
-        addProfile(newProfile);
-        setDefaultProfile(newProfile);
-
-    } else {
-        newProfile = profile;
-    };
+    Profile::Ptr newProfile = profile;
 
     // insert the changes into the existing Profile instance
     QListIterator<Profile::Property> iter(propertyMap.keys());
@@ -455,10 +417,6 @@
 
 void ProfileManager::addProfile(const Profile::Ptr &profile)
 {
-    if (_profiles.isEmpty()) {
-        _defaultProfile = profile;
-    }
-
     _profiles.insert(profile);
 
     emit profileAdded(profile);
diff --git a/src/SessionController.cpp b/src/SessionController.cpp
--- a/src/SessionController.cpp
+++ b/src/SessionController.cpp
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@
     action->setText(i18n("Edit Current Profile..."));
     action->setIcon(QIcon::fromTheme(QStringLiteral("document-properties")));
 
-    _switchProfileMenu = new KActionMenu(i18n("Switch Profile"), this);
+    _switchProfileMenu = new KActionMenu(i18n("Favorite Profiles"), this);
     collection->addAction(QStringLiteral("switch-profile"), _switchProfileMenu);
 
     // History
diff --git a/src/settings/ProfileSettings.cpp b/src/settings/ProfileSettings.cpp
--- a/src/settings/ProfileSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings/ProfileSettings.cpp
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@
 
     Q_ASSERT(sourceProfile);
 
-    auto newProfile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile(ProfileManager::instance()->fallbackProfile()));
+    auto newProfile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile());
     newProfile->clone(sourceProfile, true);
     newProfile->setProperty(Profile::Name, i18nc("@item This will be used as part of the file name", "New Profile"));
     newProfile->setProperty(Profile::UntranslatedName, QStringLiteral("New Profile"));