diff --git a/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro b/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro
index adf38c6..5750661 100644
--- a/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro
+++ b/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ SOURCES += main.cpp \
     controllers/MusicController.cpp \
     models/MusicModel.cpp \
     MouseEventSpy.cpp \
-    EnergySaver.cpp
+    EnergySaver.cpp \
+    controllers/SettingsHandler.cpp
 
 RESOURCES += qml.qrc \
     lenapi.qrc
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ HEADERS += \
     controllers/MusicController.h \
     models/MusicModel.h \
     MouseEventSpy.h \
-    EnergySaver.h
+    EnergySaver.h \
+    controllers/SettingsHandler.h
 
 INCLUDEPATH+=/usr/local/include
diff --git a/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro.user b/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro.user
index e56d4b5..430c2b1 100644
--- a/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro.user
+++ b/LenaPi/LenaPi.pro.user
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <!DOCTYPE QtCreatorProject>
-<!-- Written by QtCreator 4.8.2, 2021-09-25T15:10:11. -->
+<!-- Written by QtCreator 4.8.2, 2021-09-26T21:51:47. -->
 <qtcreator>
  <data>
   <variable>EnvironmentId</variable>
diff --git a/LenaPi/controllers/SettingsHandler.cpp b/LenaPi/controllers/SettingsHandler.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dd1373
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LenaPi/controllers/SettingsHandler.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#include "SettingsHandler.h"
+
+constexpr const char* const rootPath = "rootPath";
+constexpr const char* const profile = "profile";
+constexpr const char* const enableEnergySaver = "enableEnergySaver";
+constexpr const char* const timeout = "timeout";
+constexpr const char* const shutdownScript = "shutdownScript";
+
+SettingsHandler::SettingsHandler(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
+{
+    initDefaults();
+}
+
+SettingsHandler::SettingsHandler(QSettings *settings, QObject *parent) : SettingsHandler(parent)
+{
+    setSettings(settings);
+}
+
+SettingsHandler* SettingsHandler::createSettingsHandlerAndFillWithDefaultsIfMissing(QSettings *settings)
+{
+    const auto handler = new SettingsHandler(settings);
+    handler->fillWithDefaultIfMissing();
+    return handler;
+}
+
+void SettingsHandler::fillWithDefaultIfMissing()
+{
+    for(const auto& key : mDefaults.keys()){
+        if(!mSettings->contains(key)){
+            mSettings->setValue(key,mDefaults.value(key));
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+QString SettingsHandler::getRootPath() const
+{
+    return mSettings->value(rootPath).toString();
+}
+
+QString SettingsHandler::getProfile() const
+{
+    return mSettings->value(profile).toString();
+}
+
+bool SettingsHandler::isEnergySaverEnabled() const
+{
+    return mSettings->value(enableEnergySaver).toBool();
+}
+
+int SettingsHandler::getEnergySaverTimeout() const
+{
+    return mSettings->value(timeout).toInt();
+}
+
+QString SettingsHandler::getShutdownScript() const
+{
+    return mSettings->value(shutdownScript).toString();
+}
+
+void SettingsHandler::initDefaults()
+{
+    mDefaults.insert(rootPath, "/home/ar/source/lenaMusic/");
+    mDefaults.insert(profile, "RasPiTouch");
+    mDefaults.insert(enableEnergySaver, true);
+    mDefaults.insert(timeout, 60);
+    mDefaults.insert(shutdownScript, "/usr/local/sbin/do_shutdown.sh");
+}
+
+
+
diff --git a/LenaPi/controllers/SettingsHandler.h b/LenaPi/controllers/SettingsHandler.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83b9868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LenaPi/controllers/SettingsHandler.h
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#ifndef SETTINGSHANDLER_H
+#define SETTINGSHANDLER_H
+
+#include <QObject>
+#include <qsettings.h>
+
+/**
+ * @brief Handles app settings
+ */
+class SettingsHandler : public QObject
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+
+public:
+    explicit SettingsHandler(QObject *parent = nullptr);
+    SettingsHandler(QSettings* settings, QObject *parent = nullptr);
+
+    static SettingsHandler* createSettingsHandlerAndFillWithDefaultsIfMissing(QSettings* settings);
+
+    inline void setSettings(QSettings* settings) { mSettings = settings;}
+    inline QSettings* getSettings() const { return mSettings; }
+    void fillWithDefaultIfMissing();
+
+    QString getRootPath() const;
+    QString getProfile() const;
+    bool isEnergySaverEnabled() const;
+    int getEnergySaverTimeout() const;
+    QString getShutdownScript() const;
+
+
+private:
+    void initDefaults();
+    QSettings* mSettings;
+    QHash<QString,QVariant> mDefaults;
+};
+
+#endif // SETTINGSHANDLER_H
diff --git a/LenaPi/main.cpp b/LenaPi/main.cpp
index baa329e..e4633a4 100644
--- a/LenaPi/main.cpp
+++ b/LenaPi/main.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "controllers/NavigationController.h"
 #include "MouseEventSpy.h"
 #include "EnergySaver.h"
+#include "controllers/SettingsHandler.h"
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -41,24 +42,21 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
 
     /* Read Settings */
-    const auto rootPath = settings->value("rootPath", "/home/ar/source/lenaMusic/").toString(); // path to music files
-    const auto profile = settings->value("profile", "RasPiTouch").toString(); // known profiles are "RasPiTouch" and "Desktop"
-    const auto isEnergySavingEnabled = settings->value("enableEnergySaver", true).toBool(); // enable/disable energy saver
-    const auto energySaverTimeout = settings->value("timeout", 60).toInt(); //timeout in seconds
-    const auto shutdownScript = settings->value("shutdownScript", "/usr/local/sbin/do_shutdown.sh").toString();
+    const auto settingsHandler = SettingsHandler::createSettingsHandlerAndFillWithDefaultsIfMissing(settings);
+
 
     // init main app
     NavigationController navController;
     navController.setContext(engine.rootContext());
-    navController.init(rootPath);
-    navController.setUiProfile(profile);
+    navController.init(settingsHandler->getRootPath());
+    navController.setUiProfile(settingsHandler->getProfile());
 
-    if(isEnergySavingEnabled){
+    if(settingsHandler->isEnergySaverEnabled()){
         /* install MouseEventSpy and energy saver used for auto shut down of device
          *  if not used for a predefined time.
          */
         MouseEventSpy::init();
-        EnergySaver::init(energySaverTimeout, shutdownScript);
+        EnergySaver::init(settingsHandler->getEnergySaverTimeout(), settingsHandler->getShutdownScript());
         QObject::connect(MouseEventSpy::instance(), &MouseEventSpy::mouseEventDetected,
                          EnergySaver::instance(), &EnergySaver::restartTimer);
     }