diff --git a/app/tools/gimpfiltertool.c b/app/tools/gimpfiltertool.c
index 922cdad2c5..9112f169d4 100644
--- a/app/tools/gimpfiltertool.c
+++ b/app/tools/gimpfiltertool.c
@@ -163,6 +163,9 @@ static void      gimp_filter_tool_flush          (GimpDrawableFilter  *filter,
 static void      gimp_filter_tool_config_notify  (GObject             *object,
                                                   const GParamSpec    *pspec,
                                                   GimpFilterTool      *filter_tool);
+static void      gimp_filter_tool_unset_setting  (GObject             *object,
+                                                  const GParamSpec    *pspec,
+                                                  GimpFilterTool      *filter_tool);
 static void      gimp_filter_tool_mask_changed   (GimpImage           *image,
                                                   GimpFilterTool      *filter_tool);
 
@@ -1001,6 +1004,9 @@ gimp_filter_tool_halt (GimpFilterTool *filter_tool)
       g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (filter_tool->config,
                                             gimp_filter_tool_config_notify,
                                             filter_tool);
+      g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (filter_tool->config,
+                                            gimp_filter_tool_unset_setting,
+                                            filter_tool);
       g_clear_object (&filter_tool->config);
     }
 
@@ -1140,6 +1146,18 @@ gimp_filter_tool_config_notify (GObject          *object,
                                                            pspec);
 }
 
+static void
+gimp_filter_tool_unset_setting (GObject          *object,
+                                const GParamSpec *pspec,
+                                GimpFilterTool   *filter_tool)
+{
+  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (filter_tool->config,
+                                        gimp_filter_tool_unset_setting,
+                                        filter_tool);
+
+  gimp_settings_box_unset (GIMP_SETTINGS_BOX (filter_tool->settings_box));
+}
+
 static void
 gimp_filter_tool_mask_changed (GimpImage      *image,
                                GimpFilterTool *filter_tool)
@@ -1421,6 +1439,9 @@ gimp_filter_tool_get_operation (GimpFilterTool *filter_tool)
       g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (filter_tool->config,
                                             gimp_filter_tool_config_notify,
                                             filter_tool);
+      g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (filter_tool->config,
+                                            gimp_filter_tool_unset_setting,
+                                            filter_tool);
       g_clear_object (&filter_tool->config);
     }
 
@@ -1516,10 +1537,22 @@ gimp_filter_tool_set_config (GimpFilterTool *filter_tool,
   g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_FILTER_TOOL (filter_tool));
   g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_SETTINGS (config));
 
+  /* if the user didn't change a setting since the last set_config(),
+   * this handler is still connected
+   */
+  g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (filter_tool->config,
+                                        gimp_filter_tool_unset_setting,
+                                        filter_tool);
+
   GIMP_FILTER_TOOL_GET_CLASS (filter_tool)->set_config (filter_tool, config);
 
   if (filter_tool->widget)
     gimp_filter_tool_reset_widget (filter_tool, filter_tool->widget);
+
+  if (filter_tool->settings_box)
+    g_signal_connect_object (filter_tool->config, "notify",
+                             G_CALLBACK (gimp_filter_tool_unset_setting),
+                             G_OBJECT (filter_tool), 0);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.c b/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.c
index 521e7f4fbe..2cc59192b2 100644
--- a/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.c
+++ b/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.c
@@ -553,12 +553,8 @@ gimp_settings_box_setting_selected (GimpContainerView *view,
                                     GimpSettingsBox   *box)
 {
   if (object)
-    {
-      g_signal_emit (box, settings_box_signals[SELECTED], 0,
-                     object);
-
-      gimp_container_view_select_item (view, NULL);
-    }
+    g_signal_emit (box, settings_box_signals[SELECTED], 0,
+                   object);
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -961,3 +957,15 @@ gimp_settings_box_add_current (GimpSettingsBox *box,
 
   gimp_operation_config_serialize (private->gimp, private->container, NULL);
 }
+
+void
+gimp_settings_box_unset (GimpSettingsBox *box)
+{
+  GimpSettingsBoxPrivate *private;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_SETTINGS_BOX (box));
+
+  private = GET_PRIVATE (box);
+
+  gimp_container_view_select_item (GIMP_CONTAINER_VIEW (private->combo), NULL);
+}
diff --git a/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.h b/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.h
index 5f4e546608..7879083bda 100644
--- a/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.h
+++ b/app/widgets/gimpsettingsbox.h
@@ -70,5 +70,7 @@ GtkWidget * gimp_settings_box_get_combo   (GimpSettingsBox *box);
 void        gimp_settings_box_add_current (GimpSettingsBox *box,
                                            gint             max_recent);
 
+void        gimp_settings_box_unset       (GimpSettingsBox *box);
+
 
 #endif  /*  __GIMP_SETTINGS_BOX_H__  */