diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e05f4495..dfadb833 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 * Pebble: Allow to select the preferred activity tracker via settings activity (Health, Misfit, Morpheuz)
 * Pebble: Fix wrong(previous) contact being displayed on the pebble 
 * Mi Band: improvements to pairing
+* Fix a problem related to shared preferences storage of activity settings.
 
 ####Version 0.7.4
 * Refactored the settings activity: User details are now generic instead of miband specific. Old settings are preserved.
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/GBApplication.java b/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/GBApplication.java
index 9807b9cd..ee33a7de 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/GBApplication.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/GBApplication.java
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public class GBApplication extends Application {
     private static SharedPreferences sharedPrefs;
     private static final String PREFS_VERSION = "shared_preferences_version";
     //if preferences have to be migrated, increment the following and add the migration logic in migratePrefs below; see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16397848/how-can-i-migrate-android-preferences-with-a-new-version
-    private static final int CURRENT_PREFS_VERSION = 1;
+    private static final int CURRENT_PREFS_VERSION = 2;
     private static LimitedQueue mIDSenderLookup = new LimitedQueue(16);
 
     public static final String ACTION_QUIT
@@ -251,20 +251,25 @@ public class GBApplication extends Application {
     }
 
     private int getPrefsFileVersion() {
-        return sharedPrefs.getInt(PREFS_VERSION, 0); //0 is legacy
+        try {
+            return Integer.parseInt(sharedPrefs.getString(PREFS_VERSION, "0")); //0 is legacy
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            //in version 1 this was an int
+            return 1;
+        }
     }
 
     private void migratePrefs(int oldVersion) {
+        SharedPreferences.Editor editor = sharedPrefs.edit();
         switch (oldVersion)  {
             case 0:
-                SharedPreferences.Editor editor = sharedPrefs.edit();
                 String legacyGender = sharedPrefs.getString("mi_user_gender", null);
                 String legacyHeight = sharedPrefs.getString("mi_user_height_cm", null);
                 String legacyWeigth = sharedPrefs.getString("mi_user_weight_kg", null);
                 String legacyYOB = sharedPrefs.getString("mi_user_year_of_birth",null);
                 if(legacyGender != null) {
                     int gender = "male".equals(legacyGender) ? 1 : "female".equals(legacyGender) ? 0 : 2;
-                    editor.putInt(ActivityUser.PREF_USER_GENDER, gender);
+                    editor.putString(ActivityUser.PREF_USER_GENDER, Integer.toString(gender));
                     editor.remove("mi_user_gender");
                 }
                 if(legacyHeight != null) {
@@ -279,10 +284,18 @@ public class GBApplication extends Application {
                     editor.putString(ActivityUser.PREF_USER_YEAR_OF_BIRTH, legacyYOB);
                     editor.remove("mi_user_year_of_birth");
                 }
-                editor.putInt(PREFS_VERSION, CURRENT_PREFS_VERSION);
+                editor.putString(PREFS_VERSION, Integer.toString(CURRENT_PREFS_VERSION));
                 editor.commit();
                 break;
+            case 1:
+                Integer legacyGender_1 = sharedPrefs.getInt(ActivityUser.PREF_USER_GENDER, 2);
+                if(legacyGender_1 != null) {
+                    editor.putString(ActivityUser.PREF_USER_GENDER, Integer.toString(legacyGender_1));
+                }
+                editor.putString(PREFS_VERSION, Integer.toString(CURRENT_PREFS_VERSION));
+                break;
         }
+        editor.commit();
     }
 
     public static LimitedQueue getIDSenderLookup() {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/model/ActivityUser.java b/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/model/ActivityUser.java
index 46e14ea6..f2c87c49 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/model/ActivityUser.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/nodomain/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge/model/ActivityUser.java
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ public class ActivityUser {
 
     private void fetchPreferences() {
         SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(GBApplication.getContext());
-        activityUserGender = prefs.getInt(PREF_USER_GENDER, defaultUserGender);
+        activityUserGender = Integer.parseInt(prefs.getString(PREF_USER_GENDER, Integer.toString(defaultUserGender)));
         activityUserHeightCm = Integer.parseInt(prefs.getString(PREF_USER_HEIGHT_CM, Integer.toString(defaultUserHeightCm)));
         activityUserWeightKg = Integer.parseInt(prefs.getString(PREF_USER_WEIGHT_KG, Integer.toString(defaultUserWeightKg)));
         activityUserYearOfBirth = Integer.parseInt(prefs.getString(PREF_USER_YEAR_OF_BIRTH, Integer.toString(defaultUserYearOfBirth)));
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
index 53a526ee..cb2a8a6f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences.xml
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
             android:title="@string/activity_prefs_year_birth" />
 
         <ListPreference
-            android:defaultValue="male"
+            android:defaultValue="2"
             android:entries="@array/gender"
             android:entryValues="@array/gender_values"
             android:key="activity_user_gender"