diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt
index 3bf2870652..0e7e77e295 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.JsonReader
 import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.SerializationException
 import com.unciv.Constants
 import com.unciv.UncivGame
-import com.unciv.json.fromJsonFile
 import com.unciv.json.json
 import com.unciv.logic.CompatibilityVersion
 import com.unciv.logic.GameInfo
@@ -379,17 +378,6 @@ class UncivFiles(
                 return field
             }
 
-        /** Specialized function to access settings before Gdx is initialized.
-         *
-         * @param base Path to the directory where the file should be - if not set, the OS current directory is used (which is "/" on Android)
-         */
-        fun getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers(base: String = "."): GameSettings {
-            // FileHandle is Gdx, but the class and JsonParser are not dependent on app initialization
-            // In fact, at this point Gdx.app or Gdx.files are null but this still works.
-            val file = FileHandle(base + File.separator + SETTINGS_FILE_NAME)
-            return if (file.exists()) json().fromJsonFile(GameSettings::class.java, file)
-            else GameSettings().apply { isFreshlyCreated = true }
-        }
 
         /** @throws IncompatibleGameInfoVersionException if the [gameData] was created by a version of this game that is incompatible with the current one. */
         fun gameInfoFromString(gameData: String): GameInfo {
diff --git a/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt b/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt
index 37b0b74abf..41c586d7d8 100644
--- a/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt
+++ b/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.lwjgl3.Lwjgl3ApplicationConfiguration
 import com.badlogic.gdx.files.FileHandle
 import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.glutils.HdpiMode
 import com.unciv.app.desktop.DesktopScreenMode.Companion.getMaximumWindowBounds
+import com.unciv.json.fromJsonFile
 import com.unciv.json.json
 import com.unciv.logic.files.SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
 import com.unciv.logic.files.UncivFiles
+import com.unciv.models.metadata.GameSettings
 import com.unciv.models.metadata.GameSettings.ScreenSize
 import com.unciv.models.metadata.GameSettings.WindowState
 import com.unciv.models.ruleset.Ruleset
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ import com.unciv.ui.components.fonts.Fonts
 import com.unciv.ui.screens.basescreen.BaseScreen
 import com.unciv.utils.Display
 import com.unciv.utils.Log
+import java.io.File
 import kotlin.system.exitProcess
 
 internal object DesktopLauncher {
@@ -43,6 +46,9 @@ internal object DesktopLauncher {
             exitProcess(if (errors.any { it.errorSeverityToReport == RulesetErrorSeverity.Error }) 1 else 0)
         }
 
+        val customDataDirPrefix="--data-dir="
+        val customDataDir = arg.find { it.startsWith(customDataDirPrefix) }?.removePrefix(customDataDirPrefix)
+
         // Setup Desktop logging
         Log.backend = DesktopLogBackend()
 
@@ -72,11 +78,15 @@ internal object DesktopLauncher {
         // LibGDX not yet configured, use regular java class
         val maximumWindowBounds = getMaximumWindowBounds()
 
-        val settings = UncivFiles.getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers()
+        val settingsFileLocation = if (customDataDir == null) SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
+        else customDataDir + File.separator + SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
+
+        val settings = getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers(settingsFileLocation)
         if (settings.isFreshlyCreated) {
             settings.screenSize = ScreenSize.Large // By default we guess that Desktops have larger screens
             settings.windowState = WindowState(maximumWindowBounds)
-            FileHandle(SETTINGS_FILE_NAME).writeString(json().toJson(settings), false, Charsets.UTF_8.name()) // so when we later open the game we get fullscreen
+
+            FileHandle(settingsFileLocation).writeString(json().toJson(settings), false, Charsets.UTF_8.name()) // so when we later open the game we get fullscreen
         }
         // Kludge! This is a workaround - the matching call in DesktopDisplay doesn't "take" quite permanently,
         // the window might revert to the "config" values when the user moves the window - worse if they
@@ -92,11 +102,19 @@ internal object DesktopLauncher {
         }
 
 
-        val customDataDirPrefix="--data-dir="
-        val customDataDir = arg.find { it.startsWith(customDataDirPrefix) }?.removePrefix(customDataDirPrefix)
 
         // HardenGdxAudio extends Lwjgl3Application, and the Lwjgl3Application constructor runs as long as the game runs
         HardenGdxAudio(DesktopGame(config, customDataDir), config)
         exitProcess(0)
     }
+
+    /** Specialized function to access settings before Gdx is initialized.
+     */
+    private fun getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers(settingsFileLocation: String): GameSettings {
+        // FileHandle is Gdx, but the class and JsonParser are not dependent on app initialization
+        // In fact, at this point Gdx.app or Gdx.files are null but this still works.
+        val file = FileHandle(settingsFileLocation)
+        return if (file.exists()) json().fromJsonFile(GameSettings::class.java, file)
+        else GameSettings().apply { isFreshlyCreated = true }
+    }
 }