diff --git a/src/plugins/todo/optionspage.cpp b/src/plugins/todo/optionspage.cpp
index 5c2c7d084db..d449c5b7ac7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/todo/optionspage.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/todo/optionspage.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ void OptionsPage::apply()
 {
     Settings newSettings = m_widget->settings();
 
+    // "apply" itself is interpreted as "use these keywords, also for other themes".
+    newSettings.keywordsEdited = true;
+
     if (newSettings != m_settings) {
         m_settings = newSettings;
         emit settingsChanged(m_settings);
diff --git a/src/plugins/todo/settings.cpp b/src/plugins/todo/settings.cpp
index 654165b6411..b61d106812a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/todo/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/todo/settings.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ namespace Internal {
 
 void Settings::save(QSettings *settings) const
 {
+    if (!keywordsEdited)
+        return;
+
     settings->beginGroup(QLatin1String(Constants::SETTINGS_GROUP));
     settings->setValue(QLatin1String(Constants::SCANNING_SCOPE), scanningScope);
 
@@ -97,6 +100,7 @@ void Settings::load(QSettings *settings)
             newKeywords << keyword;
         }
         keywords = newKeywords;
+        keywordsEdited = true; // Otherwise they wouldn't have been saved
     }
     settings->endArray();
 
@@ -135,12 +139,15 @@ void Settings::setDefault()
     keyword.iconType = IconType::Warning;
     keyword.color = QColor(QLatin1String(Constants::COLOR_WARNING_BG));
     keywords.append(keyword);
+
+    keywordsEdited = false;
 }
 
 bool Settings::equals(const Settings &other) const
 {
     return (keywords == other.keywords)
-            && (scanningScope == other.scanningScope);
+            && (scanningScope == other.scanningScope)
+            && (keywordsEdited == other.keywordsEdited);
 }
 
 bool operator ==(Settings &s1, Settings &s2)
diff --git a/src/plugins/todo/settings.h b/src/plugins/todo/settings.h
index 69ac06c0cca..e7bedd2cae2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/todo/settings.h
+++ b/src/plugins/todo/settings.h
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ class Settings {
 public:
     KeywordList keywords;
     ScanningScope scanningScope = ScanningScopeCurrentFile;
+    bool keywordsEdited = false;
+
     void save(QSettings *settings) const;
     void load(QSettings *settings);
     void setDefault();