diff --git a/src/ProfileManager.cpp b/src/ProfileManager.cpp
--- a/src/ProfileManager.cpp
+++ b/src/ProfileManager.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,29 @@
     std::stable_sort(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>())
@@ -78,38 +101,33 @@
     , _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);
+    _fallbackProfile = Profile::Ptr(new Profile());
+    _fallbackProfile->useFallback();
+    _profiles.insert(_fallbackProfile);
 
-        if (!path.isEmpty()) {
-            Profile::Ptr profile = loadProfile(path);
-            if (profile) {
-                _defaultProfile = profile;
-            }
-        }
-    }
+    _defaultProfile = loadDefaultOrCreateEmpty(this, configFile);
+    _profiles.insert(_defaultProfile);
+    _favorites.insert(_defaultProfile);
 
     Q_ASSERT(_profiles.count() > 0);
     Q_ASSERT(_defaultProfile);
@@ -455,10 +473,6 @@
 
 void ProfileManager::addProfile(const Profile::Ptr &profile)
 {
-    if (_profiles.isEmpty()) {
-        _defaultProfile = profile;
-    }
-
     _profiles.insert(profile);
 
     emit profileAdded(profile);