diff --git a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
--- a/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
+++ b/src/__phutil_library_map__.php
@@ -3008,6 +3008,7 @@
     'PhabricatorPhurlURLTransactionComment' => 'applications/phurl/storage/PhabricatorPhurlURLTransactionComment.php',
     'PhabricatorPhurlURLTransactionQuery' => 'applications/phurl/query/PhabricatorPhurlURLTransactionQuery.php',
     'PhabricatorPhurlURLViewController' => 'applications/phurl/controller/PhabricatorPhurlURLViewController.php',
+    'PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting' => 'applications/settings/setting/PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting.php',
     'PhabricatorPirateEnglishTranslation' => 'infrastructure/internationalization/translation/PhabricatorPirateEnglishTranslation.php',
     'PhabricatorPlatformSite' => 'aphront/site/PhabricatorPlatformSite.php',
     'PhabricatorPointsEditField' => 'applications/transactions/editfield/PhabricatorPointsEditField.php',
@@ -7680,6 +7681,7 @@
     'PhabricatorPhurlURLTransactionComment' => 'PhabricatorApplicationTransactionComment',
     'PhabricatorPhurlURLTransactionQuery' => 'PhabricatorApplicationTransactionQuery',
     'PhabricatorPhurlURLViewController' => 'PhabricatorPhurlController',
+    'PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting' => 'PhabricatorInternalSetting',
     'PhabricatorPirateEnglishTranslation' => 'PhutilTranslation',
     'PhabricatorPlatformSite' => 'PhabricatorSite',
     'PhabricatorPointsEditField' => 'PhabricatorEditField',
diff --git a/src/applications/home/controller/PhabricatorHomeController.php b/src/applications/home/controller/PhabricatorHomeController.php
--- a/src/applications/home/controller/PhabricatorHomeController.php
+++ b/src/applications/home/controller/PhabricatorHomeController.php
@@ -15,9 +15,8 @@
       ->withLaunchable(true)
       ->execute();
 
-    $pinned = $user->loadPreferences()->getPinnedApplications(
-      $applications,
-      $user);
+    $pinned = $user->getUserSetting(
+      PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting::SETTINGKEY);
 
     // Force "Applications" to appear at the bottom.
     $meta_app = 'PhabricatorApplicationsApplication';
diff --git a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEditEngineSettingsPanel.php b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEditEngineSettingsPanel.php
--- a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEditEngineSettingsPanel.php
+++ b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEditEngineSettingsPanel.php
@@ -26,12 +26,7 @@
       ->setIsSelfEdit($is_self)
       ->setProfileURI($profile_uri);
 
-    $preferences = $user->loadPreferences();
-
-    PhabricatorPolicyFilter::requireCapability(
-      $viewer,
-      $preferences,
-      PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_EDIT);
+    $preferences = $this->loadTargetPreferences();
 
     $engine->setTargetObject($preferences);
 
diff --git a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorHomePreferencesSettingsPanel.php b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorHomePreferencesSettingsPanel.php
--- a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorHomePreferencesSettingsPanel.php
+++ b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorHomePreferencesSettingsPanel.php
@@ -16,18 +16,19 @@
   }
 
   public function processRequest(AphrontRequest $request) {
-    $user = $request->getUser();
-    $preferences = $user->loadPreferences();
+    $viewer = $this->getViewer();
+    $preferences = $this->loadTargetPreferences();
+
+    $pinned_key = PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting::SETTINGKEY;
+    $pinned = $preferences->getSettingValue($pinned_key);
 
     $apps = id(new PhabricatorApplicationQuery())
-      ->setViewer($user)
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
       ->withInstalled(true)
       ->withUnlisted(false)
       ->withLaunchable(true)
       ->execute();
 
-    $pinned = $preferences->getPinnedApplications($apps, $user);
-
     $app_list = array();
     foreach ($pinned as $app) {
       if (isset($apps[$app])) {
@@ -35,6 +36,23 @@
       }
     }
 
+    if ($request->getBool('reset')) {
+        if ($request->isFormPost()) {
+          $this->writePinnedApplications($preferences, null);
+          return id(new AphrontRedirectResponse())
+            ->setURI($this->getPanelURI());
+        }
+
+        return $this->newDialog()
+          ->setTitle(pht('Reset Applications'))
+          ->addHiddenInput('reset', 'true')
+          ->appendParagraph(
+            pht('Reset pinned applications to their defaults?'))
+          ->addSubmitButton(pht('Reset Applications'))
+          ->addCancelButton($this->getPanelURI());
+      }
+
+
     if ($request->getBool('add')) {
       $options = array();
       foreach ($apps as $app) {
@@ -48,10 +66,8 @@
         $pin = $request->getStr('pin');
         if (isset($options[$pin]) && !in_array($pin, $pinned)) {
           $pinned[] = $pin;
-          $preferences->setPreference(
-            PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_APP_PINNED,
-            $pinned);
-          $preferences->save();
+
+          $this->writePinnedApplications($preferences, $pinned);
 
           return id(new AphrontRedirectResponse())
             ->setURI($this->getPanelURI());
@@ -65,21 +81,18 @@
         ->setDisabledOptions(array_keys($app_list));
 
       $form = id(new AphrontFormView())
-        ->setUser($user)
+        ->setViewer($viewer)
         ->addHiddenInput('add', 'true')
         ->appendRemarkupInstructions(
           pht('Choose an application to pin to your home page.'))
         ->appendChild($options_control);
 
-      $dialog = id(new AphrontDialogView())
-        ->setUser($user)
+      return $this->newDialog()
         ->setWidth(AphrontDialogView::WIDTH_FORM)
         ->setTitle(pht('Pin Application'))
         ->appendChild($form->buildLayoutView())
         ->addSubmitButton(pht('Pin Application'))
         ->addCancelButton($this->getPanelURI());
-
-      return id(new AphrontDialogResponse())->setDialog($dialog);
     }
 
     $unpin = $request->getStr('unpin');
@@ -88,35 +101,28 @@
       if ($app) {
         if ($request->isFormPost()) {
           $pinned = array_diff($pinned, array($unpin));
-          $preferences->setPreference(
-            PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_APP_PINNED,
-            $pinned);
-          $preferences->save();
+
+          $this->writePinnedApplications($preferences, $pinned);
 
           return id(new AphrontRedirectResponse())
             ->setURI($this->getPanelURI());
         }
 
-        $dialog = id(new AphrontDialogView())
-          ->setUser($user)
+        return $this->newDialog()
           ->setTitle(pht('Unpin Application'))
+          ->addHiddenInput('unpin', $unpin)
           ->appendParagraph(
             pht(
               'Unpin the %s application from your home page?',
               phutil_tag('strong', array(), $app->getName())))
           ->addSubmitButton(pht('Unpin Application'))
-          ->addCanceLButton($this->getPanelURI());
-
-        return id(new AphrontDialogResponse())->setDialog($dialog);
+          ->addCancelButton($this->getPanelURI());
       }
     }
 
     $order = $request->getStrList('order');
     if ($order && $request->validateCSRF()) {
-      $preferences->setPreference(
-        PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_APP_PINNED,
-        $order);
-      $preferences->save();
+      $this->writePinnedApplications($preferences, $order);
 
       return id(new AphrontRedirectResponse())
         ->setURI($this->getPanelURI());
@@ -125,7 +131,7 @@
     $list_id = celerity_generate_unique_node_id();
 
     $list = id(new PHUIObjectItemListView())
-      ->setUser($user)
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
       ->setID($list_id);
 
     Javelin::initBehavior(
@@ -182,7 +188,14 @@
           ->setText(pht('Pin Application'))
           ->setHref($this->getPanelURI().'?add=true')
           ->setWorkflow(true)
-          ->setIcon('fa-thumb-tack'));
+          ->setIcon('fa-thumb-tack'))
+      ->addActionLink(
+        id(new PHUIButtonView())
+          ->setTag('a')
+          ->setText(pht('Reset to Defaults'))
+          ->setHref($this->getPanelURI().'?reset=true')
+          ->setWorkflow(true)
+          ->setIcon('fa-recycle'));
 
     $box = id(new PHUIObjectBoxView())
       ->setHeader($header)
@@ -191,4 +204,23 @@
     return $box;
   }
 
+  private function writePinnedApplications(
+    PhabricatorUserPreferences $preferences,
+    $pinned) {
+
+    $viewer = $this->getViewer();
+    $request = $this->getController()->getRequest();
+    $pinned_key = PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting::SETTINGKEY;
+
+    $editor = id(new PhabricatorUserPreferencesEditor())
+      ->setActor($viewer)
+      ->setContentSourceFromRequest($request)
+      ->setContinueOnNoEffect(true)
+      ->setContinueOnMissingFields(true);
+
+    $xactions = array();
+    $xactions[] = $preferences->newTransaction($pinned_key, $pinned);
+    $editor->applyTransactions($preferences, $xactions);
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorSettingsPanel.php b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorSettingsPanel.php
--- a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorSettingsPanel.php
+++ b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorSettingsPanel.php
@@ -217,4 +217,22 @@
       ->addString($this->getPanelName());
   }
 
+  protected function loadTargetPreferences() {
+    $viewer = $this->getViewer();
+    $user = $this->getUser();
+
+    $preferences = PhabricatorUserPreferences::loadUserPreferences($user);
+
+    PhabricatorPolicyFilter::requireCapability(
+      $viewer,
+      $preferences,
+      PhabricatorPolicyCapability::CAN_EDIT);
+
+    return $preferences;
+  }
+
+  protected function newDialog() {
+    return $this->getController()->newDialog();
+  }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/applications/settings/setting/PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting.php b/src/applications/settings/setting/PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting.php
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/applications/settings/setting/PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting.php
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?php
+
+final class PhabricatorPinnedApplicationsSetting
+  extends PhabricatorInternalSetting {
+
+  const SETTINGKEY = 'app-pinned';
+
+  public function getSettingName() {
+    return pht('Pinned Applications');
+  }
+
+  public function getSettingDefaultValue() {
+    $viewer = $this->getViewer();
+
+    $applications = id(new PhabricatorApplicationQuery())
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
+      ->withInstalled(true)
+      ->withUnlisted(false)
+      ->withLaunchable(true)
+      ->execute();
+
+    $pinned = array();
+    foreach ($applications as $application) {
+      if ($application->isPinnedByDefault($viewer)) {
+        $pinned[] = get_class($application);
+      }
+    }
+
+    return $pinned;
+  }
+
+
+}
diff --git a/src/applications/settings/storage/PhabricatorUserPreferences.php b/src/applications/settings/storage/PhabricatorUserPreferences.php
--- a/src/applications/settings/storage/PhabricatorUserPreferences.php
+++ b/src/applications/settings/storage/PhabricatorUserPreferences.php
@@ -73,47 +73,26 @@
       return null;
     }
 
-    return $setting->getSettingDefaultValue();
-  }
+    $setting = id(clone $setting)
+      ->setViewer($this->getUser());
 
-  private static function getSettingObject($key) {
-    $settings = PhabricatorSetting::getAllSettings();
-    return idx($settings, $key);
+    return $setting->getSettingDefaultValue();
   }
 
-  public function getPinnedApplications(array $apps, PhabricatorUser $viewer) {
-    $pref_pinned = self::PREFERENCE_APP_PINNED;
-    $pinned = $this->getPreference($pref_pinned);
-
-    if ($pinned) {
-      return $pinned;
+  public function getSettingValue($key) {
+    if (array_key_exists($key, $this->preferences)) {
+      return $this->preferences[$key];
     }
 
-    $pref_tiles = self::PREFERENCE_APP_TILES;
-    $tiles = $this->getPreference($pref_tiles, array());
-    $full_tile = 'full';
-
-    $large = array();
-    foreach ($apps as $app) {
-      $show = $app->isPinnedByDefault($viewer);
+    // TODO: If this setting set inherits from another preference set,
+    // we would look it up here.
 
-      // TODO: This is legacy stuff, clean it up eventually. This approximately
-      // retains the old "tiles" preference.
-      if (isset($tiles[get_class($app)])) {
-        $show = ($tiles[get_class($app)] == $full_tile);
-      }
-
-      if ($show) {
-        $large[] = get_class($app);
-      }
-    }
-
-    return $large;
+    return $this->getDefaultValue($key);
   }
 
-  public static function filterMonospacedCSSRule($monospaced) {
-    // Prevent the user from doing dangerous things.
-    return preg_replace('([^a-z0-9 ,"./]+)i', '', $monospaced);
+  private static function getSettingObject($key) {
+    $settings = PhabricatorSetting::getAllSettings();
+    return idx($settings, $key);
   }
 
   public function attachUser(PhabricatorUser $user = null) {