diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 88b59834b..10a017af9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ etc/bashrc
 etc/settings.csh
 etc/settings.sh
 
+# make sure that this settings file is not used
+etc/bashrc.preset
+
 # The following files are blacklisted because of a DMCA complaint by ANSYS.
 src/lduSolvers/tools/PriorityArray.C
 src/lduSolvers/tools/PriorityArray.H
diff --git a/.hgignore b/.hgignore
index b256cc978..ff3ef0f1f 100644
--- a/.hgignore
+++ b/.hgignore
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ PlyParser_FoamFileParser_parsetab.py
 # .gitignore
 .timeStamp
 
+# make sure that this settings file is not used
+etc/bashrc.preset
+
 #Test-Harness generated stuff
 testHarness/OpenFOAM/1.6-ext/runDir/tutorialsTestSuites_oneTimeStep
 testHarness/OpenFOAM/1.6-ext/runDir/Testing
diff --git a/etc/bashrc b/etc/bashrc
index 70f6f6ee8..00d8ff419 100644
--- a/etc/bashrc
+++ b/etc/bashrc
@@ -32,6 +32,14 @@
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+prefSettingFile=$0.preset
+if [ -f $prefSettingFile ]
+then
+    #    echo "Found presettings $prefSettingFile"
+    . $prefSettingFile
+fi
+
+
 export WM_PROJECT=OpenFOAM
 export WM_PROJECT_VERSION=1.6-ext
 if [ -n "$WM_PROJECT_VERSION_ADDITION" ]