diff --git a/lbrynet/conf.py b/lbrynet/conf.py
index acd265809..ef87333a5 100644
--- a/lbrynet/conf.py
+++ b/lbrynet/conf.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import base58
 import copy
 import json
 import logging
@@ -8,6 +9,9 @@ import yaml
 from appdirs import user_data_dir
 import envparse
 
+from lbrynet.core import utils
+
+
 LBRYCRD_WALLET = 'lbrycrd'
 LBRYUM_WALLET = 'lbryum'
 PTC_WALLET = 'ptc'
@@ -366,9 +370,23 @@ def save_settings(path=None):
         settings_file.write(encoder(to_save))
 
 
-# TODO: don't load the configuration automatically. The configuration
-#       should be loaded at runtime, not at module import time. Module
-#       import should have no side-effects. This is also bad because
-#       it means that settings are read from the environment even for
-#       tests, which is rarely what you want to happen.
-settings = Config()
+settings = None
+
+
+def initialize_settings():
+    global settings
+    settings = Config()
+    settings.lbryid = get_lbryid()
+    settings.session_id = base58.b58encode(utils.generate_id())
+
+
+def get_lbryid():
+    lbryid_filename = os.path.join(settings.ensure_data_dir(), "lbryid")
+    if os.path.isfile(lbryid_filename):
+        with open(lbryid_filename, "r") as lbryid_file:
+            return base58.b58decode(lbryid_file.read())
+    else:
+        lbryid = utils.generate_id()
+        with open(lbryid_filename, "w") as lbryid_file:
+            lbryid_file.write(base58.b58encode(lbryid))
+        return lbryid
diff --git a/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/Daemon.py b/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/Daemon.py
index 5c3cdb26c..bcc6a4d52 100644
--- a/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/Daemon.py
+++ b/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/Daemon.py
@@ -259,14 +259,14 @@ class Daemon(AuthJSONRPCServer):
         self.db_revision_file = conf.settings.get_db_revision_filename()
         self.session = None
         self.uploaded_temp_files = []
-        self._session_id = base58.b58encode(utils.generate_id())
+        self._session_id = conf.settings.session_id
         # TODO: this should probably be passed into the daemon, or
         # possibly have the entire log upload functionality taken out
         # of the daemon, but I don't want to deal with that now
         self.log_uploader = log_support.LogUploader.load('lbrynet', self.log_file)
 
         self.analytics_manager = analytics_manager
-        self.lbryid = PENDING_ID
+        self.lbryid = conf.settings.lbryid
         self.daemon_conf = conf.settings.get_conf_filename()
 
         self.wallet_user = None
diff --git a/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/DaemonControl.py b/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/DaemonControl.py
index 9119e31c3..54d1b1e21 100644
--- a/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/DaemonControl.py
+++ b/lbrynet/lbrynet_daemon/DaemonControl.py
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ def start():
               'should selectively be applied.'))
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
+    conf.initialize_settings()
     utils.setup_certs_for_windows()
 
     conf.update_settings_from_file()
diff --git a/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/lbrygui/main.py b/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/lbrygui/main.py
index 5a0aa10d7..dbb4428a4 100644
--- a/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/lbrygui/main.py
+++ b/packaging/osx/lbry-osx-app/lbrygui/main.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ log = logging.getLogger()
 
 
 def main():
+    conf.initialize_settings()
     conf.update_settings_from_file()
     log_file = conf.settings.get_log_filename()
     log_support.configure_logging(log_file, console=True)
diff --git a/packaging/windows/lbry-win32-app/LBRYWin32App.py b/packaging/windows/lbry-win32-app/LBRYWin32App.py
index 62895c163..a5b0b5998 100644
--- a/packaging/windows/lbry-win32-app/LBRYWin32App.py
+++ b/packaging/windows/lbry-win32-app/LBRYWin32App.py
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ def main(lbry_name=None):
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     utils.setup_certs_for_windows()
+    conf.initialize_settings()
     conf.update_settings_from_file()
 
     log_file = conf.settings.get_log_filename()
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index 6ce67146e..70081d97d 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -2,3 +2,8 @@
 # and so we need to ensure that it is also
 # setup for the tests
 from lbrynet.core import log_support
+from lbrynet import conf
+
+
+# TODO: stop doing this, would be better to mock out the settings
+conf.initialize_settings()