diff --git a/crates/client/src/client.rs b/crates/client/src/client.rs
index 311d9a2b8872cd3d63ad861cc986849d93d1e240..c9b83d805a4a87a65eda95f5b765c35841627d30 100644
--- a/crates/client/src/client.rs
+++ b/crates/client/src/client.rs
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ pub struct TelemetrySettings {
     pub metrics: bool,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+#[derive(Default, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
 pub struct TelemetrySettingsContent {
     pub diagnostics: Option<bool>,
     pub metrics: Option<bool>,
diff --git a/crates/editor/src/editor_settings.rs b/crates/editor/src/editor_settings.rs
index 5108d2740875bd38dabea3c4ca06ca78784d1f35..a3f38a3dc096c6a4ce8365911313c31c147d06e7 100644
--- a/crates/editor/src/editor_settings.rs
+++ b/crates/editor/src/editor_settings.rs
@@ -10,17 +10,16 @@ pub struct EditorSettings {
     pub show_scrollbars: ShowScrollbars,
 }
 
-#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema, PartialEq, Eq)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
 pub enum ShowScrollbars {
-    #[default]
     Auto,
     System,
     Always,
     Never,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+#[derive(Clone, Default, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
 pub struct EditorSettingsContent {
     pub cursor_blink: Option<bool>,
     pub hover_popover_enabled: Option<bool>,
diff --git a/crates/language/src/language_settings.rs b/crates/language/src/language_settings.rs
index d877304f1d991eeb22a58022f6c9723be71ba1cd..c98297c03648f7db9c307a592b4f7bf2dcfe279d 100644
--- a/crates/language/src/language_settings.rs
+++ b/crates/language/src/language_settings.rs
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ pub struct CopilotSettings {
     pub disabled_globs: Vec<GlobMatcher>,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+#[derive(Clone, Default, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
 pub struct AllLanguageSettingsContent {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub features: Option<FeaturesContent>,
diff --git a/crates/project/src/project_settings.rs b/crates/project/src/project_settings.rs
index 92e8cfcca79fc59f17a879c5c7ade0264a6b40bf..c542d1d13fd42c3cd2721c92981e74129556a554 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/project_settings.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/project_settings.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use settings::Setting;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-#[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+#[derive(Clone, Default, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
 pub struct ProjectSettings {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub lsp: HashMap<Arc<str>, LspSettings>,
diff --git a/crates/settings/src/settings_store.rs b/crates/settings/src/settings_store.rs
index dd81b05434af71680f85f18b644839d7a6b47875..329b290a3192c66545e7001635917e448acc1e81 100644
--- a/crates/settings/src/settings_store.rs
+++ b/crates/settings/src/settings_store.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub trait Setting: 'static {
     const KEY: Option<&'static str>;
 
     /// The type that is stored in an individual JSON file.
-    type FileContent: Clone + Serialize + DeserializeOwned + JsonSchema;
+    type FileContent: Clone + Default + Serialize + DeserializeOwned + JsonSchema;
 
     /// The logic for combining together values from one or more JSON files into the
     /// final value for this setting.
@@ -460,11 +460,12 @@ impl SettingsStore {
 
                 // If the global settings file changed, reload the global value for the field.
                 if changed_local_path.is_none() {
-                    setting_value.set_global_value(setting_value.load_setting(
-                        &default_settings,
-                        &user_settings_stack,
-                        cx,
-                    )?);
+                    if let Some(value) = setting_value
+                        .load_setting(&default_settings, &user_settings_stack, cx)
+                        .log_err()
+                    {
+                        setting_value.set_global_value(value);
+                    }
                 }
 
                 // Reload the local values for the setting.
@@ -495,14 +496,12 @@ impl SettingsStore {
                             continue;
                         }
 
-                        setting_value.set_local_value(
-                            path.clone(),
-                            setting_value.load_setting(
-                                &default_settings,
-                                &user_settings_stack,
-                                cx,
-                            )?,
-                        );
+                        if let Some(value) = setting_value
+                            .load_setting(&default_settings, &user_settings_stack, cx)
+                            .log_err()
+                        {
+                            setting_value.set_local_value(path.clone(), value);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -536,7 +535,12 @@ impl<T: Setting> AnySettingValue for SettingValue<T> {
 
     fn deserialize_setting(&self, mut json: &serde_json::Value) -> Result<DeserializedSetting> {
         if let Some(key) = T::KEY {
-            json = json.get(key).unwrap_or(&serde_json::Value::Null);
+            if let Some(value) = json.get(key) {
+                json = value;
+            } else {
+                let value = T::FileContent::default();
+                return Ok(DeserializedSetting(Box::new(value)));
+            }
         }
         let value = T::FileContent::deserialize(json)?;
         Ok(DeserializedSetting(Box::new(value)))
@@ -1126,7 +1130,7 @@ mod tests {
         staff: bool,
     }
 
-    #[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+    #[derive(Default, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
     struct UserSettingsJson {
         name: Option<String>,
         age: Option<u32>,
@@ -1170,7 +1174,7 @@ mod tests {
         key2: String,
     }
 
-    #[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+    #[derive(Clone, Default, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
     struct MultiKeySettingsJson {
         key1: Option<String>,
         key2: Option<String>,
@@ -1203,7 +1207,7 @@ mod tests {
         Hour24,
     }
 
-    #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+    #[derive(Clone, Default, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
     struct JournalSettingsJson {
         pub path: Option<String>,
         pub hour_format: Option<HourFormat>,
@@ -1223,7 +1227,7 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
-    #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+    #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
     struct LanguageSettings {
         #[serde(default)]
         languages: HashMap<String, LanguageSettingEntry>,
diff --git a/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs b/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs
index 41e47964910575a06fb0891c5e75d6ced13eefd7..4ec0a22b06800869bce8dcbd0ef13a5e646b2c8b 100644
--- a/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs
+++ b/crates/workspace/src/workspace_settings.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub struct WorkspaceSettings {
     pub git: GitSettings,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
+#[derive(Clone, Default, Serialize, Deserialize, JsonSchema)]
 pub struct WorkspaceSettingsContent {
     pub active_pane_magnification: Option<f32>,
     pub confirm_quit: Option<bool>,