diff --git a/src/app/main.cpp b/src/app/main.cpp
index 57b4281c51f..b10eea891c5 100644
--- a/src/app/main.cpp
+++ b/src/app/main.cpp
@@ -698,8 +698,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     }
     restarter.setArguments(options.preAppArguments + PluginManager::argumentsForRestart()
                            + lastSessionArgument());
+    // if settingspath is not provided we need to pass on the settings in use
+    const QString settingspath = options.preAppArguments.contains(QLatin1String(SETTINGS_OPTION))
+            ? QString() : options.settingsPath;
     const PluginManager::ProcessData processData = { restarter.executable(),
-            options.preAppArguments + PluginManager::argumentsForRestart(), restarter.workingPath() };
+            options.preAppArguments + PluginManager::argumentsForRestart(), restarter.workingPath(),
+            settingspath};
     PluginManager::setCreatorProcessData(processData);
 
     const PluginSpecSet plugins = PluginManager::plugins();
diff --git a/src/libs/extensionsystem/pluginmanager.h b/src/libs/extensionsystem/pluginmanager.h
index 17be0dbfbe5..bd93d3d78fd 100644
--- a/src/libs/extensionsystem/pluginmanager.h
+++ b/src/libs/extensionsystem/pluginmanager.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ public:
         QString m_executable;
         QStringList m_args;
         QString m_workingPath;
+        QString m_settingsPath;
     };
 
     static void setCreatorProcessData(const ProcessData &data);
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/autotestunittests.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/autotestunittests.cpp
index 6ae27bd70d6..e395e71379c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/autotestunittests.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/autotestunittests.cpp
@@ -310,7 +310,10 @@ void AutoTestUnitTests::testCodeParserBoostTest_data()
 void AutoTestUnitTests::testStringTable()
 {
     const PluginManager::ProcessData data = PluginManager::creatorProcessData();
-    QCOMPARE(QProcess::execute(data.m_executable, data.m_args + QStringList({ "-scenario", "TestStringTable" })), 0);
+    QStringList additionalArgs{ "-scenario", "TestStringTable" };
+    if (!data.m_args.contains("-settingspath") && !data.m_settingsPath.isEmpty())
+        additionalArgs << "-settingspath" << data.m_settingsPath;
+    QCOMPARE(QProcess::execute(data.m_executable, data.m_args + additionalArgs), 0);
 }
 
 } // namespace Internal