diff --git a/ide/environmentopts.pp b/ide/environmentopts.pp
index aaf5ae8011..9c29b87064 100644
--- a/ide/environmentopts.pp
+++ b/ide/environmentopts.pp
@@ -98,10 +98,13 @@ type
     SubDirectory: string;
   end;
 const
+  // Important: When changing any of these values increase EnvOptsVersion
+  //            and add code to read old options
   DefaultBackupTypeProject = bakSameName;
   DefaultBackupTypeOther = bakUserDefinedAddExt;
   DefaultBackupAddExt = 'bak';
   DefaultBackupMaxCounter = 9;
+  DefaultBackupSubDirectory = 'backup';
 
   { Debugging }
 
@@ -1390,13 +1393,13 @@ begin
     BackupType:=DefaultBackupTypeProject;
     AdditionalExtension:=DefaultBackupAddExt;  // for bakUserDefinedAddExt
     MaxCounter:=DefaultBackupMaxCounter;       // for bakCounter
-    SubDirectory:='';
+    SubDirectory:=DefaultBackupSubDirectory;
   end;
   with FBackupInfoOtherFiles do begin
     BackupType:=DefaultBackupTypeOther;
     AdditionalExtension:=DefaultBackupAddExt;  // for bakUserDefinedAddExt
     MaxCounter:=DefaultBackupMaxCounter;       // for bakCounter
-    SubDirectory:='';
+    SubDirectory:=DefaultBackupSubDirectory;
   end;
   
   // external tools
@@ -1556,11 +1559,11 @@ procedure TEnvironmentOptions.LoadNonDesktop(Path: String);
         end;
       end;
       AdditionalExtension:=FXMLCfg.GetValue(Path+'AdditionalExtension',DefaultBackupAddExt);
-      MaxCounter:=FXMLCfg.GetValue(Path+'MaxCounter',DefaultBackupMaxCounter);
+      MaxCounter:=FXMLCfg.GetValue(Path+'MaxCounter',9); // DefaultBackupMaxCounter
       if FFileVersion<101 then
         SubDirectory:=''
       else
-        SubDirectory:=FXMLCfg.GetValue(Path+'SubDirectory','backup');
+        SubDirectory:=FXMLCfg.GetValue(Path+'SubDirectory','backup'); // DefaultBackupSubDirectory;
     end;
   end;
 
@@ -1913,7 +1916,7 @@ procedure TEnvironmentOptions.SaveNonDesktop(Path: String);
       FXMLCfg.SetDeleteValue(Path+'Type',BackupTypeToName(BackupType),BackupTypeToName(DefaultBackupType));
       FXMLCfg.SetDeleteValue(Path+'AdditionalExtension',AdditionalExtension,DefaultBackupAddExt);
       FXMLCfg.SetDeleteValue(Path+'MaxCounter',MaxCounter,DefaultBackupMaxCounter);
-      FXMLCfg.SetDeleteValue(Path+'SubDirectory',SubDirectory,'backup');
+      FXMLCfg.SetDeleteValue(Path+'SubDirectory',SubDirectory,DefaultBackupSubDirectory);
     end;
   end;