diff --git a/src/SpectacleConfig.cpp b/src/SpectacleConfig.cpp
--- a/src/SpectacleConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/SpectacleConfig.cpp
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@
 
 bool SpectacleConfig::rememberLastRectangularRegion() const
 {
-    return mGuiConfig.readEntry(QStringLiteral("rememberLastRectangularRegion"), false);
+    return mGuiConfig.readEntry(QStringLiteral("rememberLastRectangularRegion"), true);
 }
 
 void SpectacleConfig::setRememberLastRectangularRegion(bool enabled)
@@ -218,7 +218,8 @@
 bool SpectacleConfig::alwaysRememberRegion() const
 {
     // Default Value is for compatibility reasons as the old behavior was always to remember across restarts
-    return mGuiConfig.readEntry(QStringLiteral("alwaysRememberRegion"), rememberLastRectangularRegion());
+    bool useOldBehavior = mGuiConfig.readEntry(QStringLiteral("rememberLastRectangularRegion"), false);
+    return mGuiConfig.readEntry(QStringLiteral("alwaysRememberRegion"), useOldBehavior);
 }
 
 void SpectacleConfig::setAlwaysRememberRegion (bool enabled)