diff --git a/src/plugins_engine.c b/src/plugins_engine.c
index 1083eef02..9f910320a 100644
--- a/src/plugins_engine.c
+++ b/src/plugins_engine.c
@@ -53,12 +53,12 @@ liferea_plugins_engine_init (LifereaPluginsEngine * engine)
 	GError *error = NULL;
 	GVariant *list;
 	PeasPluginInfo *plugin_installer_plugin_info = NULL;
+	GSettings *plugin_settings;
 
-	engine->priv = liferea_plugins_engine_get_instance_private (engine);
-	engine->priv->plugin_settings = g_settings_new ("net.sf.liferea.plugins");
+	plugin_settings = g_settings_new ("net.sf.liferea.plugins");
 
 	/* Disable incompatible webkit-settings plugin */
-	list = g_settings_get_value (engine->priv->plugin_settings, "active-plugins");
+	list = g_settings_get_value (plugin_settings, "active-plugins");
 	names = g_variant_get_strv (list, &length);
 	if (g_strv_contains (names, "webkit-settings")) {
 		GVariantBuilder b;
@@ -71,10 +71,12 @@ liferea_plugins_engine_init (LifereaPluginsEngine * engine)
 		}
 		g_free (list);
 		list = g_variant_builder_end (&b);
-		g_settings_set_value (engine->priv->plugin_settings, "active-plugins", list);
+		g_settings_set_value (plugin_settings, "active-plugins", list);
 	}
 	g_free (names);
 
+	engine->priv = liferea_plugins_engine_get_instance_private (engine);
+	engine->priv->plugin_settings = plugin_settings;
 	peas_engine_enable_loader (PEAS_ENGINE (engine), "python3");
 
 	/* Require Lifereas's typelib. */