diff --git a/resources/sql/autopatches/20140722.appname.php b/resources/sql/autopatches/20140722.appname.php
--- a/resources/sql/autopatches/20140722.appname.php
+++ b/resources/sql/autopatches/20140722.appname.php
@@ -74,35 +74,9 @@
 
 /* -(  User preferences  )--------------------------------------------------- */
 
-echo pht('Migrating user preferences...')."\n";
-$table = new PhabricatorUserPreferences();
-$conn_w = $table->establishConnection('w');
-$pref_pinned = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_APP_PINNED;
-
-foreach (new LiskMigrationIterator(new PhabricatorUser()) as $user) {
-  $user_preferences = $user->loadPreferences();
-
-  $old_pinned_apps = $user_preferences->getPreference($pref_pinned);
-  $new_pinned_apps = array();
 
-  if (!$old_pinned_apps) {
-    continue;
-  }
-
-  foreach ($old_pinned_apps as $pinned_app) {
-    $new_pinned_apps[] = idx($map, $pinned_app, $pinned_app);
-  }
-
-  $user_preferences
-    ->setPreference($pref_pinned, $new_pinned_apps);
-
-  queryfx(
-    $conn_w,
-    'UPDATE %T SET preferences = %s WHERE id = %d',
-    $user_preferences->getTableName(),
-    json_encode($user_preferences->getPreferences()),
-    $user_preferences->getID());
-}
+// This originally migrated pinned applications in user preferences, but was
+// removed to simplify preference changes after about 22 months.
 
 
 /* -(  Dashboard installs  )------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/applications/calendar/query/PhabricatorCalendarEventSearchEngine.php b/src/applications/calendar/query/PhabricatorCalendarEventSearchEngine.php
--- a/src/applications/calendar/query/PhabricatorCalendarEventSearchEngine.php
+++ b/src/applications/calendar/query/PhabricatorCalendarEventSearchEngine.php
@@ -151,10 +151,9 @@
       $display_start = $start_day->format('U');
       $display_end = $next->format('U');
 
-      $preferences = $viewer->loadPreferences();
-      $pref_week_day = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_WEEK_START_DAY;
+      $start_of_week = $viewer->getUserSetting(
+        PhabricatorWeekStartDaySetting::SETTINGKEY);
 
-      $start_of_week = $preferences->getPreference($pref_week_day, 0);
       $end_of_week = ($start_of_week + 6) % 7;
 
       $first_of_month = $start_day->format('w');
diff --git a/src/applications/config/controller/PhabricatorConfigWelcomeController.php b/src/applications/config/controller/PhabricatorConfigWelcomeController.php
--- a/src/applications/config/controller/PhabricatorConfigWelcomeController.php
+++ b/src/applications/config/controller/PhabricatorConfigWelcomeController.php
@@ -141,8 +141,14 @@
       $content);
 
     $settings_href = PhabricatorEnv::getURI('/settings/');
-    $prefs = $viewer->loadPreferences()->getPreferences();
-    $have_settings = !empty($prefs);
+
+    $preferences = id(new PhabricatorUserPreferencesQuery())
+      ->setViewer($viewer)
+      ->withUsers(array($viewer))
+      ->executeOne();
+
+    $have_settings = ($preferences && $preferences->getPreferences());
+
     if ($have_settings) {
       $content = pht(
         "=== Adjust Account Settings ===\n\n".
diff --git a/src/applications/conpherence/view/ConpherenceThreadListView.php b/src/applications/conpherence/view/ConpherenceThreadListView.php
--- a/src/applications/conpherence/view/ConpherenceThreadListView.php
+++ b/src/applications/conpherence/view/ConpherenceThreadListView.php
@@ -72,14 +72,6 @@
     $epoch = $data['epoch'];
     $image = $data['image'];
     $dom_id = $thread->getPHID().'-nav-item';
-    $glyph_pref = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_TITLES;
-    $preferences = $user->loadPreferences();
-    if ($preferences->getPreference($glyph_pref) == 'glyph') {
-      $glyph = id(new PhabricatorConpherenceApplication())
-        ->getTitleGlyph().' ';
-    } else {
-      $glyph = null;
-    }
 
     return id(new ConpherenceMenuItemView())
       ->setUser($user)
@@ -93,7 +85,7 @@
       ->addSigil('conpherence-menu-click')
       ->setMetadata(
         array(
-          'title' => $glyph.$data['title'],
+          'title' => $data['title'],
           'id' => $dom_id,
           'threadID' => $thread->getID(),
           ));
diff --git a/src/applications/differential/controller/DifferentialRevisionViewController.php b/src/applications/differential/controller/DifferentialRevisionViewController.php
--- a/src/applications/differential/controller/DifferentialRevisionViewController.php
+++ b/src/applications/differential/controller/DifferentialRevisionViewController.php
@@ -375,18 +375,19 @@
     $crumbs->addTextCrumb($object_id, '/'.$object_id);
     $crumbs->setBorder(true);
 
-    $prefs = $viewer->loadPreferences();
-    $pref_filetree = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_DIFF_FILETREE;
+    $filetree_on = $viewer->compareUserSetting(
+      PhabricatorShowFiletreeSetting::SETTINGKEY,
+      PhabricatorShowFiletreeSetting::VALUE_ENABLE_FILETREE);
+
     $nav = null;
-    if ($prefs->getPreference($pref_filetree)) {
-      $collapsed = $prefs->getPreference(
-        PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_NAV_COLLAPSED,
-        false);
+    if ($filetree_on) {
+      $collapsed_key = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_NAV_COLLAPSED;
+      $collapsed_value = $viewer->getUserSetting($collapsed_key);
 
       $nav = id(new DifferentialChangesetFileTreeSideNavBuilder())
         ->setTitle('D'.$revision->getID())
         ->setBaseURI(new PhutilURI('/D'.$revision->getID()))
-        ->setCollapsed((bool)$collapsed)
+        ->setCollapsed((bool)$collapsed_value)
         ->build($changesets);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/applications/differential/parser/DifferentialChangesetParser.php b/src/applications/differential/parser/DifferentialChangesetParser.php
--- a/src/applications/differential/parser/DifferentialChangesetParser.php
+++ b/src/applications/differential/parser/DifferentialChangesetParser.php
@@ -150,11 +150,14 @@
   }
 
   public static function getDefaultRendererForViewer(PhabricatorUser $viewer) {
-    $prefs = $viewer->loadPreferences();
-    $pref_unified = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_DIFF_UNIFIED;
-    if ($prefs->getPreference($pref_unified) == 'unified') {
+    $is_unified = $viewer->compareUserSetting(
+      PhabricatorUnifiedDiffsSetting::SETTINGKEY,
+      PhabricatorUnifiedDiffsSetting::VALUE_ALWAYS_UNIFIED);
+
+    if ($is_unified) {
       return '1up';
     }
+
     return null;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/applications/differential/query/DifferentialInlineCommentQuery.php b/src/applications/differential/query/DifferentialInlineCommentQuery.php
--- a/src/applications/differential/query/DifferentialInlineCommentQuery.php
+++ b/src/applications/differential/query/DifferentialInlineCommentQuery.php
@@ -175,9 +175,10 @@
 
     $viewer = $this->getViewer();
 
-    $pref = $viewer->loadPreferences()->getPreference(
-      PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_DIFF_GHOSTS);
-    if ($pref == 'disabled') {
+    $no_ghosts = $viewer->compareUserSetting(
+      PhabricatorOlderInlinesSetting::SETTINGKEY,
+      PhabricatorOlderInlinesSetting::VALUE_GHOST_INLINES_DISABLED);
+    if ($no_ghosts) {
       return $inlines;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php b/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php
--- a/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php
+++ b/src/applications/diffusion/controller/DiffusionCommitController.php
@@ -325,14 +325,15 @@
 
     $add_comment = $this->renderAddCommentPanel($commit, $audit_requests);
 
-    $prefs = $viewer->loadPreferences();
-    $pref_filetree = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_DIFF_FILETREE;
+    $filetree_on = $viewer->compareUserSetting(
+      PhabricatorShowFiletreeSetting::SETTINGKEY,
+      PhabricatorShowFiletreeSetting::VALUE_ENABLE_FILETREE);
+
     $pref_collapse = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_NAV_COLLAPSED;
-    $show_filetree = $prefs->getPreference($pref_filetree);
-    $collapsed = $prefs->getPreference($pref_collapse);
+    $collapsed = $viewer->getUserSetting($pref_collapse);
 
     $nav = null;
-    if ($show_changesets && $show_filetree) {
+    if ($show_changesets && $filetree_on) {
       $nav = id(new DifferentialChangesetFileTreeSideNavBuilder())
         ->setTitle($commit->getDisplayName())
         ->setBaseURI(new PhutilURI($commit->getURI()))
diff --git a/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php b/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php
--- a/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php
+++ b/src/applications/people/storage/PhabricatorUser.php
@@ -506,6 +506,11 @@
     return null;
   }
 
+  public function compareUserSetting($key, $value) {
+    $actual = $this->getUserSetting($key);
+    return ($actual == $value);
+  }
+
   public function loadPreferences() {
     if ($this->preferences) {
       return $this->preferences;
diff --git a/src/applications/policy/query/PhabricatorPolicyQuery.php b/src/applications/policy/query/PhabricatorPolicyQuery.php
--- a/src/applications/policy/query/PhabricatorPolicyQuery.php
+++ b/src/applications/policy/query/PhabricatorPolicyQuery.php
@@ -201,8 +201,7 @@
       $default_limit = 5;
 
       // If possible, show the user's 10 most recently used projects.
-      $preferences = $viewer->loadPreferences();
-      $favorites = $preferences->getPreference($pref_key);
+      $favorites = $viewer->getUserSetting($pref_key);
       if (!is_array($favorites)) {
         $favorites = array();
       }
diff --git a/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorProfilePanelEngine.php b/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorProfilePanelEngine.php
--- a/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorProfilePanelEngine.php
+++ b/src/applications/search/engine/PhabricatorProfilePanelEngine.php
@@ -385,8 +385,7 @@
     $collapse_key =
       PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_PROFILE_MENU_COLLAPSED;
 
-    $preferences = $viewer->loadPreferences();
-    $is_collapsed = $preferences->getPreference($collapse_key, false);
+    $is_collapsed = $viewer->getUserSetting($collapse_key);
 
     if ($is_collapsed) {
       $nav->addClass('phui-profile-menu-collapsed');
diff --git a/src/view/form/control/PhabricatorRemarkupControl.php b/src/view/form/control/PhabricatorRemarkupControl.php
--- a/src/view/form/control/PhabricatorRemarkupControl.php
+++ b/src/view/form/control/PhabricatorRemarkupControl.php
@@ -260,15 +260,14 @@
       ),
       $buttons);
 
-    $monospaced_textareas = null;
-    $monospaced_textareas_class = null;
-
-    $monospaced_textareas = $viewer
-      ->loadPreferences()
-      ->getPreference(
-        PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_MONOSPACED_TEXTAREAS);
-    if ($monospaced_textareas == 'enabled') {
+    $use_monospaced = $viewer->compareUserSetting(
+      PhabricatorMonospacedTextareasSetting::SETTINGKEY,
+      PhabricatorMonospacedTextareasSetting::VALUE_TEXT_MONOSPACED);
+
+    if ($use_monospaced) {
       $monospaced_textareas_class = 'PhabricatorMonospaced';
+    } else {
+      $monospaced_textareas_class = null;
     }
 
     $this->setCustomClass(
diff --git a/src/view/page/PhabricatorStandardPageView.php b/src/view/page/PhabricatorStandardPageView.php
--- a/src/view/page/PhabricatorStandardPageView.php
+++ b/src/view/page/PhabricatorStandardPageView.php
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
 
   public function getDurableColumnVisible() {
     $column_key = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_CONPHERENCE_COLUMN;
-    return (bool)$this->getUserPreference($column_key, 0);
+    return (bool)$this->getUserPreference($column_key, false);
   }
 
   public function addQuicksandConfig(array $config) {
@@ -164,12 +164,11 @@
   }
 
   public function getTitle() {
-    $glyph_key = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_TITLES;
-    if ($this->getUserPreference($glyph_key) == 'text') {
-      $use_glyph = false;
-    } else {
-      $use_glyph = true;
-    }
+    $glyph_key = PhabricatorTitleGlyphsSetting::SETTINGKEY;
+    $glyph_on = PhabricatorTitleGlyphsSetting::VALUE_TITLE_GLYPHS;
+    $glyph_setting = $this->getUserPreference($glyph_key, $glyph_on);
+
+    $use_glyph = ($glyph_setting == $glyph_on);
 
     $title = parent::getTitle();
 
@@ -362,8 +361,8 @@
     if ($request) {
       $user = $request->getUser();
       if ($user) {
-        $monospaced = $user->loadPreferences()->getPreference(
-          PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_MONOSPACED);
+        $monospaced = $user->getUserSetting(
+          PhabricatorMonospacedFontSetting::SETTINGKEY);
       }
     }
 
@@ -834,7 +833,7 @@
       return $default;
     }
 
-    return $user->loadPreferences()->getPreference($key, $default);
+    return $user->getUserSetting($key);
   }
 
   public function produceAphrontResponse() {
diff --git a/src/view/phui/calendar/PHUICalendarMonthView.php b/src/view/phui/calendar/PHUICalendarMonthView.php
--- a/src/view/phui/calendar/PHUICalendarMonthView.php
+++ b/src/view/phui/calendar/PHUICalendarMonthView.php
@@ -574,10 +574,10 @@
   }
 
   private function getWeekStartAndEnd() {
-    $preferences = $this->getViewer()->loadPreferences();
-    $pref_week_start = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_WEEK_START_DAY;
+    $viewer = $this->getViewer();
+    $week_key = PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_WEEK_START_DAY;
 
-    $week_start = $preferences->getPreference($pref_week_start, 0);
+    $week_start = $viewer->getUserSetting($week_key);
     $week_end = ($week_start + 6) % 7;
 
     return array($week_start, $week_end);