diff --git a/crates/client/src/client.rs b/crates/client/src/client.rs
index cb8185c7ed326ed7d45726a99077c53903118316..e3f87645953b2d8efff862bc50c51f25f1f04bf7 100644
--- a/crates/client/src/client.rs
+++ b/crates/client/src/client.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ use release_channel::{AppVersion, ReleaseChannel};
 use rpc::proto::{AnyTypedEnvelope, EnvelopedMessage, PeerId, RequestMessage};
 use schemars::JsonSchema;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use settings::{Settings, SettingsKey, SettingsSources, SettingsUi};
+use settings::{Settings, SettingsContent, SettingsKey, SettingsUi};
 use std::{
     any::TypeId,
     convert::TryFrom,
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ use telemetry::Telemetry;
 use thiserror::Error;
 use tokio::net::TcpStream;
 use url::Url;
-use util::{ConnectionResult, ResultExt};
+use util::{ConnectionResult, MergeFrom, ResultExt};
 
 pub use rpc::*;
 pub use telemetry_events::Event;
@@ -96,29 +96,25 @@ actions!(
     ]
 );
 
-#[derive(Clone, Default, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema, SettingsUi, SettingsKey)]
-#[settings_key(None)]
-pub struct ClientSettingsContent {
-    server_url: Option<String>,
-}
-
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 pub struct ClientSettings {
     pub server_url: String,
 }
 
 impl Settings for ClientSettings {
-    type FileContent = ClientSettingsContent;
+    fn from_defaults(content: &settings::SettingsContent, _cx: &mut App) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            server_url: content.server_url.clone().unwrap(),
+        }
+    }
 
-    fn load(sources: SettingsSources<Self::FileContent>, _: &mut App) -> Result<Self> {
-        let mut result = sources.json_merge::<Self>()?;
-        if let Some(server_url) = &*ZED_SERVER_URL {
-            result.server_url.clone_from(server_url)
+    fn refine(&mut self, content: &settings::SettingsContent, _: &mut App) {
+        if let Some(server_url) = content.server_url.clone() {
+            self.server_url = server_url
         }
-        Ok(result)
     }
 
-    fn import_from_vscode(_vscode: &settings::VsCodeSettings, _current: &mut Self::FileContent) {}
+    fn import_from_vscode(_vscode: &settings::VsCodeSettings, _current: &mut SettingsContent) {}
 }
 
 #[derive(Default, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema, SettingsUi, SettingsKey)]
@@ -133,19 +129,19 @@ pub struct ProxySettings {
 }
 
 impl Settings for ProxySettings {
-    type FileContent = ProxySettingsContent;
-
-    fn load(sources: SettingsSources<Self::FileContent>, _: &mut App) -> Result<Self> {
-        Ok(Self {
-            proxy: sources
-                .user
-                .or(sources.server)
-                .and_then(|value| value.proxy.clone())
-                .or(sources.default.proxy.clone()),
-        })
+    fn from_defaults(content: &settings::SettingsContent, _cx: &mut App) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            proxy: content.proxy.clone(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn refine(&mut self, content: &settings::SettingsContent, _: &mut App) {
+        if let Some(proxy) = content.proxy.clone() {
+            self.proxy = Some(proxy)
+        }
     }
 
-    fn import_from_vscode(vscode: &settings::VsCodeSettings, current: &mut Self::FileContent) {
+    fn import_from_vscode(vscode: &settings::VsCodeSettings, current: &mut SettingsContent) {
         vscode.string_setting("http.proxy", &mut current.proxy);
     }
 }
@@ -524,37 +520,41 @@ pub struct TelemetrySettings {
     pub metrics: bool,
 }
 
-/// Control what info is collected by Zed.
-#[derive(Default, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema, Debug, SettingsUi, SettingsKey)]
-#[settings_key(key = "telemetry")]
-pub struct TelemetrySettingsContent {
-    /// Send debug info like crash reports.
-    ///
-    /// Default: true
-    pub diagnostics: Option<bool>,
-    /// Send anonymized usage data like what languages you're using Zed with.
-    ///
-    /// Default: true
-    pub metrics: Option<bool>,
-}
-
 impl settings::Settings for TelemetrySettings {
-    type FileContent = TelemetrySettingsContent;
+    fn from_defaults(content: &SettingsContent, _cx: &mut App) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            diagnostics: content.telemetry.as_ref().unwrap().diagnostics.unwrap(),
+            metrics: content.telemetry.as_ref().unwrap().metrics.unwrap(),
+        }
+    }
 
-    fn load(sources: SettingsSources<Self::FileContent>, _: &mut App) -> Result<Self> {
-        sources.json_merge()
+    fn refine(&mut self, content: &SettingsContent, cx: &mut App) {
+        let Some(telemetry) = &content.telemetry else {
+            return;
+        };
+        self.diagnostics.merge_from(&telemetry.diagnostics);
+        self.metrics.merge_from(&telemetry.metrics);
     }
 
-    fn import_from_vscode(vscode: &settings::VsCodeSettings, current: &mut Self::FileContent) {
-        vscode.enum_setting("telemetry.telemetryLevel", &mut current.metrics, |s| {
+    fn import_from_vscode(vscode: &settings::VsCodeSettings, current: &mut SettingsContent) {
+        let mut telemetry = settings::TelemetrySettingsContent::default();
+        vscode.enum_setting("telemetry.telemetryLevel", &mut telemetry.metrics, |s| {
             Some(s == "all")
         });
-        vscode.enum_setting("telemetry.telemetryLevel", &mut current.diagnostics, |s| {
-            Some(matches!(s, "all" | "error" | "crash"))
-        });
+        vscode.enum_setting(
+            "telemetry.telemetryLevel",
+            &mut telemetry.diagnostics,
+            |s| Some(matches!(s, "all" | "error" | "crash")),
+        );
         // we could translate telemetry.telemetryLevel, but just because users didn't want
         // to send microsoft telemetry doesn't mean they don't want to send it to zed. their
         // all/error/crash/off correspond to combinations of our "diagnostics" and "metrics".
+        if let Some(diagnostics) = telemetry.diagnostics {
+            current.telemetry.get_or_insert_default().diagnostics = Some(diagnostics)
+        }
+        if let Some(metrics) = telemetry.metrics {
+            current.telemetry.get_or_insert_default().metrics = Some(metrics)
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/settings/src/settings_content.rs b/crates/settings/src/settings_content.rs
index 54c25198c4f0d6f56e963cd1670caf4ee40815e4..6fee5fad886ac47ec97cb4a87a975ff2406e4861 100644
--- a/crates/settings/src/settings_content.rs
+++ b/crates/settings/src/settings_content.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,14 @@ pub struct SettingsContent {
     /// Example: {"log": {"client": "warn"}}
     pub log: Option<HashMap<String, String>>,
 
+    pub proxy: Option<String>,
+
+    /// The URL of the Zed server to connect to.
+    pub server_url: Option<String>,
+
+    /// Control what info is collected by Zed.
+    pub telemetry: Option<TelemetrySettingsContent>,
+
     /// Configuration of the terminal in Zed.
     pub terminal: Option<TerminalSettingsContent>,
 
@@ -265,3 +273,15 @@ pub struct WorktreeSettingsContent {
     /// Default: [ "**/.env*" ]
     pub private_files: Option<Vec<String>>,
 }
+/// Control what info is collected by Zed.
+#[derive(Default, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema, Debug)]
+pub struct TelemetrySettingsContent {
+    /// Send debug info like crash reports.
+    ///
+    /// Default: true
+    pub diagnostics: Option<bool>,
+    /// Send anonymized usage data like what languages you're using Zed with.
+    ///
+    /// Default: true
+    pub metrics: Option<bool>,
+}