diff --git a/webextension/main.js b/webextension/main.js
index 1ae6fb2..7665a80 100644
--- a/webextension/main.js
+++ b/webextension/main.js
@@ -6,26 +6,27 @@ var port = browser.runtime.connect({name: "connection-to-legacy"});
 //
 // Handle addon settings
 //
-var defaultSettings = {
-    right: false,
-    hideInFullscreen: true,
-    compact: false,
-    "style.tab.status": false,
-    theme: "dark",
-    tabtoolbarPosition: "top",
-    toggleDisplayHotkey: "control-alt-v",
-    width: 250,
-    debug: false,
-    showHiddenSettings: false,
-    experiment: false
+var settings;
+var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+xhr.onreadystatechange = function()
+{
+    settings = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+}
+xhr.open("GET", "options/options.json", true);
+xhr.send();
+
+
+function get_options_object()
+{
+    return settings;
 }
 
 function restore_default_settings()
 {
-    Object.keys(defaultSettings).forEach(function(k)
+    Object.keys(settings).forEach(function(optionsElement)
     {
-        save_setting(k, defaultSettings[k]);
-        sdk_send_changed_setting(k);
+        save_setting(settings[optionsElement]["name"], settings[optionsElement]["value"]);
+        sdk_send_changed_setting(settings[optionsElement]["name"]);
     });
 }
 
@@ -54,9 +55,9 @@ function get_setting(name)
             if (!results.hasOwnProperty(name))
             {
                 debug_log("VTR WebExt setting '"+ name +"': not saved use default value.");
-                if(defaultSettings.hasOwnProperty(name))
+                if(settings.hasOwnProperty(name))
                 {
-                    results[name] = defaultSettings[name];
+                    results[name] = settings[name]["value"];
                 }
                 else
                 {
diff --git a/webextension/options/options.js b/webextension/options/options.js
index c984678..48cb6e2 100644
--- a/webextension/options/options.js
+++ b/webextension/options/options.js
@@ -1,128 +1,10 @@
 var main = browser.extension.getBackgroundPage();
 var blockSaveEvent = false;
 
-var settings = [
-    {
-		"name": "right",
-		"type": "bool",
-		"title": "Display tabs on the right",
-		"value": false
-	},
-	{
-		"name": "hideInFullscreen",
-		"type": "bool",
-		"title": "Hide tabs in fullscreen",
-		"value": true
-	},
-	{
-		"name": "compact",
-		"type": "bool",
-		"title": "Compact Mode (hides text labels)",
-		"value": false
-	},
-    {
-        "name": "style.tab.status",
-        "type": "bool",
-        "title": "Show Tab Status on Text Label",
-        "description": "Unloaded: strike-through; Unread/busy: underline",
-        "value": false
-    },
-	{
-		"name": "theme",
-		"type": "menulist",
-		"title": "Theme",
-		"value": "dark",
-		"options": [
-			{
-				"value": "none",
-				"label": "None / Firefox default"
-			},
-			{
-				"value": "dark",
-				"label": "Dark (recommended)"
-			},
-			{
-				"value": "light",
-				"label": "Light (recommended)"
-			},
-			{
-				"value": "windows",
-				"label": "Windows"
-			},
-			{
-				"value": "darwin",
-				"label": "Darwin"
-			},
-			{
-				"value": "linux",
-				"label": "Linux"
-			}
-		]
-	},
-	{
-		"name": "tabtoolbarPosition",
-		"type": "menulist",
-		"title": "Toolbar Position",
-		"value": "top",
-		"options": [
-			{
-				"value": "top",
-				"label": "Top"
-			},
-			{
-				"value": "bottom",
-				"label": "Bottom"
-			}
-		]
-	},
-	{
-		"name": "toggleDisplayHotkey",
-		"type": "string",
-		"title": "Hotkey for hiding/showing tabbar",
-		"value": "control-shift-v"
-	},
-	{
-		"name": "toggleDrawInTitlebar",
-		"type": "control",
-		"title": "Enable/Disable titlebar",
-		"label": "Toggle titlebar",
-		"description": "Enable the titlebar if the window control buttons are overlapping with Firefox elements"
-	},
-	{
-		"name": "setDefaultPrefs",
-		"type": "control",
-		"title": "Reset preferences of VTR",
-		"label": "Restore default preferences"
-	},
-    {
-        "name": "showHiddenSettings",
-        "type": "bool",
-        "title": "Display hidden settings",
-        "value": false,
-        "hidden": true
-    },
-	{
-		"name": "width",
-		"type": "integer",
-		"title": "Width of the tab sidebar",
-		"value": 250,
-		"hidden": true
-	},
-    {
-		"name": "debug",
-		"type": "bool",
-		"title": "Enable console logging for debugging",
-		"value": false,
-		"hidden": true
-	},
-    {
-		"name": "experiment",
-		"type": "bool",
-		"title": "Enable VTR experimental features <b>(**unstable!**)</b>",
-		"value": false,
-		"hidden": true
-	},
-];
+var settings = main.get_options_object();
+
+main.debug_log("the setting object: ");
+main.debug_log(settings);
 
 function setDefaultPrefs()
 {
diff --git a/webextension/options/options.json b/webextension/options/options.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e02eac0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webextension/options/options.json
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+{
+    "right": {
+		"name": "right",
+		"type": "bool",
+		"title": "Display tabs on the right",
+		"value": false
+	},
+	"hideInFullscreen": {
+		"name": "hideInFullscreen",
+		"type": "bool",
+		"title": "Hide tabs in fullscreen",
+		"value": true
+	},
+	"compact": {
+		"name": "compact",
+		"type": "bool",
+		"title": "Compact Mode (hides text labels)",
+		"value": false
+	},
+    "style.tab.status": {
+        "name": "style.tab.status",
+        "type": "bool",
+        "title": "Show Tab Status on Text Label",
+        "description": "Unloaded: strike-through; Unread/busy: underline",
+        "value": false
+    },
+	"theme": {
+		"name": "theme",
+		"type": "menulist",
+		"title": "Theme",
+		"value": "dark",
+		"options": [
+			{
+				"value": "none",
+				"label": "None / Firefox default"
+			},
+			{
+				"value": "dark",
+				"label": "Dark (recommended)"
+			},
+			{
+				"value": "light",
+				"label": "Light (recommended)"
+			},
+			{
+				"value": "windows",
+				"label": "Windows"
+			},
+			{
+				"value": "darwin",
+				"label": "Darwin"
+			},
+			{
+				"value": "linux",
+				"label": "Linux"
+			}
+		]
+	},
+	"tabtoolbarPosition": {
+		"name": "tabtoolbarPosition",
+		"type": "menulist",
+		"title": "Toolbar Position",
+		"value": "top",
+		"options": [
+			{
+				"value": "top",
+				"label": "Top"
+			},
+			{
+				"value": "bottom",
+				"label": "Bottom"
+			}
+		]
+	},
+	"toggleDisplayHotkey": {
+		"name": "toggleDisplayHotkey",
+		"type": "string",
+		"title": "Hotkey for hiding/showing tabbar",
+		"value": "control-alt-v"
+	},
+	"toggleDrawInTitlebar": {
+		"name": "toggleDrawInTitlebar",
+		"type": "control",
+		"title": "Enable/Disable titlebar",
+		"label": "Toggle titlebar",
+		"description": "Enable the titlebar if the window control buttons are overlapping with Firefox elements"
+	},
+	"setDefaultPrefs": {
+		"name": "setDefaultPrefs",
+		"type": "control",
+		"title": "Reset preferences of VTR",
+		"label": "Restore default preferences"
+	},
+    "showHiddenSettings": {
+        "name": "showHiddenSettings",
+        "type": "bool",
+        "title": "Display hidden settings",
+        "value": false,
+        "hidden": true
+    },
+	"width": {
+		"name": "width",
+		"type": "integer",
+		"title": "Width of the tab sidebar",
+		"value": 250,
+		"hidden": true
+	},
+    "debug": {
+		"name": "debug",
+		"type": "bool",
+		"title": "Enable console logging for debugging",
+		"value": false,
+		"hidden": true
+	},
+    "experiment": {
+		"name": "experiment",
+		"type": "bool",
+		"title": "Enable VTR experimental features <b>(**unstable!**)</b>",
+		"value": false,
+		"hidden": true
+	}
+}