diff --git a/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Controller/Root/Account.php b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Controller/Root/Account.php
index 467701d37f..1b3e8f5c11 100644
--- a/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Controller/Root/Account.php
+++ b/lib/Alchemy/Phrasea/Controller/Root/Account.php
@@ -424,13 +424,10 @@ class Account implements ControllerProviderInterface
 
         foreach ($app['events-manager']->list_notifications_available($app['authentication']->getUser()->get_id()) as $notifications) {
             foreach ($notifications as $notification) {
-                $notifId = $notification['id'];
-                $notifName = sprintf('notification_%s', $notifId);
-
-                if (isset($requestedNotifications[$notifId])) {
-                    $app['authentication']->getUser()->setPrefs($notifName, '1');
+                if (isset($requestedNotifications[$notification['id']])) {
+                    $app['authentication']->getUser()->set_notification_preference($app, $notification['id'], '1');
                 } else {
-                    $app['authentication']->getUser()->setPrefs($notifName, '0');
+                    $app['authentication']->getUser()->set_notification_preference($app, $notification['id'], '0');
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/lib/classes/User/Adapter.php b/lib/classes/User/Adapter.php
index ae1d0fdb1f..98b464bfc2 100644
--- a/lib/classes/User/Adapter.php
+++ b/lib/classes/User/Adapter.php
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class User_Adapter implements User_Interface, cache_cacheableInterface
      *
      * @var array
      */
-    protected static $def_values = array(
+    public static $def_values = array(
         'view'                    => 'thumbs',
         'images_per_page'         => 20,
         'images_size'             => 120,
@@ -318,6 +318,9 @@ class User_Adapter implements User_Interface, cache_cacheableInterface
 
     protected $password;
 
+    protected $preferences_loaded = false;
+    protected $notifications_preferences_loaded = false;
+
     /**
      *
      * @param Integer     $id
@@ -1307,7 +1310,7 @@ class User_Adapter implements User_Interface, cache_cacheableInterface
 
     protected function load_preferences()
     {
-        if ($this->_prefs) {
+        if ($this->preferences_loaded) {
             return $this;
         }
 
@@ -1328,36 +1331,36 @@ class User_Adapter implements User_Interface, cache_cacheableInterface
                 }
 
                 $this->_prefs[$k] = $v;
-                $this->update_pref($k, $v);
             }
         }
 
+        $this->preferences_loaded = true;
+
         return $this;
     }
 
     protected function load_notifications_preferences(Application $app)
     {
+        $this->load_preferences();
+
         $notifications = $app['events-manager']->list_notifications_available($this->id);
 
         foreach ($notifications as $notification_group => $nots) {
             foreach ($nots as $notification) {
                 if (!isset($this->_prefs['notification_' . $notification['id']])) {
                     $this->_prefs['notification_' . $notification['id']] = '1';
-
-                    $this->update_pref('notification_' . $notification['id'], '1');
                 }
             }
         }
         $this->notification_preferences_loaded = true;
     }
-    protected $notifications_preferences_loaded = false;
 
     public function get_notifications_preference(Application $app, $notification_id)
     {
         if (!$this->notifications_preferences_loaded)
             $this->load_notifications_preferences($app);
 
-        return $this->_prefs['notification_' . $notification_id];
+        return isset($this->_prefs['notification_' . $notification_id]) ? $this->_prefs['notification_' . $notification_id] : '0';
     }
 
     public function set_notification_preference(Application $app, $notification_id, $value)
@@ -1365,7 +1368,12 @@ class User_Adapter implements User_Interface, cache_cacheableInterface
         if (!$this->notifications_preferences_loaded)
             $this->load_notifications_preferences($app);
 
-        return $this->_prefs['notification_' . $notification_id] = $value ? '1' : '0';
+        $prop = 'notification_' . $notification_id;
+        $value = $value ? '1' : '0';
+
+        $this->setPrefs($prop, $value);
+
+        return ;
     }
 
     public function get_display_name()
@@ -1490,15 +1498,11 @@ class User_Adapter implements User_Interface, cache_cacheableInterface
         return $this->_prefs[$prop];
     }
 
-    public function getPrefs($prop)
+    public function getPrefs($prop, $default = null)
     {
         $this->load_preferences();
-        if (!isset($this->_prefs[$prop])) {
-            $this->_prefs[$prop] = null;
-            $this->update_pref($prop, null);
-        }
 
-        return $this->_prefs[$prop];
+        return array_key_exists($prop, $this->_prefs) ? $this->_prefs[$prop] : $default;
     }
 
     public static function updateClientInfos(Application $app, $app_id)
diff --git a/lib/classes/eventsmanager/notifyAbstract.php b/lib/classes/eventsmanager/notifyAbstract.php
index df9a1ef5d9..272a7f82a3 100644
--- a/lib/classes/eventsmanager/notifyAbstract.php
+++ b/lib/classes/eventsmanager/notifyAbstract.php
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ abstract class eventsmanager_notifyAbstract extends eventsmanager_eventAbstract
     protected function get_prefs($class, $usr_id)
     {
         $user = User_Adapter::getInstance($usr_id, $this->app);
-        $pref = $user->getPrefs('notification_' . $class);
+        $pref = $user->get_notifications_preference($this->app, $class);
 
         return null !== $pref ? $pref : 1;
     }
diff --git a/lib/classes/patch/381alpha3a.php b/lib/classes/patch/381alpha3a.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4d391c529c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/classes/patch/381alpha3a.php
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of Phraseanet
+ *
+ * (c) 2005-2012 Alchemy
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
+ * file that was distributed with this source code.
+ */
+
+use Alchemy\Phrasea\Application;
+
+class patch_381alpha3a implements patchInterface
+{
+    /** @var string */
+    private $release = '3.8.1-alpha.3';
+
+    /** @var array */
+    private $concern = array(base::APPLICATION_BOX);
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function get_release()
+    {
+        return $this->release;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function require_all_upgrades()
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function concern()
+    {
+        return $this->concern;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritdoc}
+     */
+    public function apply(base $appbox, Application $app)
+    {
+        $propSql = $propArgs = array();
+        $n = 0;
+
+        foreach (\User_Adapter::$def_values as $prop => $value) {
+            if ('start_page_query' === $prop) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            $propSql[] = '(prop = :prop_'.$n.' AND value = :value_'.$n.')';
+            $propArgs[':prop_'.$n] = $prop;
+            $propArgs[':value_'.$n] = $value;
+            $n++;
+        }
+
+        $sql = "DELETE FROM usr_settings
+                WHERE 1 AND (".implode(' OR ', $propSql)." OR value IS NULL OR (value = 1 AND prop LIKE 'notification_%'))";
+
+        $stmt = $appbox->get_connection()->prepare($sql);
+        $stmt->execute($propArgs);
+        $stmt->closeCursor();
+
+        return true;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/templates/web/account/account.html.twig b/templates/web/account/account.html.twig
index 9b579b6d83..ddaf32b5b4 100644
--- a/templates/web/account/account.html.twig
+++ b/templates/web/account/account.html.twig
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
                                         {% for notification in nots %}
                                             <li>
                                                 <label class="checkbox" for="notif_{{ notification["id"] }}">
-                                                    <input type="checkbox" id="notif_{{ notification["id"] }}" name="notifications[{{ notification["id"] }}]" {% if not app["authentication"].getUser().getPrefs("notification_" ~ notification["id"]) == "0" %}checked{% endif %} value="1"/>
+                                                    <input type="checkbox" id="notif_{{ notification["id"] }}" name="notifications[{{ notification["id"] }}]" {% if not app["authentication"].getUser().get_notifications_preference(app, notification["id"]) == "0" %}checked{% endif %} value="1"/>
                                                     {{ notification["description"] }}
                                                 </label>
                                                 <p class="form_alert help-block"></p>
diff --git a/tests/classes/userTest.php b/tests/classes/userTest.php
index 954474a449..d2625ecd06 100644
--- a/tests/classes/userTest.php
+++ b/tests/classes/userTest.php
@@ -48,4 +48,50 @@ class userTest extends PhraseanetPHPUnitAbstract
         $repo = self::$DI['app']['EM']->getRepository('Entities\UsrAuthProvider');
         $this->assertNull($repo->findWithProviderAndId('custom-one', 12345));
     }
+
+    public function testGetPref()
+    {
+        $user = $this->get_user();
+
+        $this->assertNull($user->getPrefs('lalala'));
+        $this->assertSame('popo', $user->getPrefs('lalala', 'popo'));
+        $this->assertSame(\User_Adapter::$def_values['editing_top_box'], $user->getPrefs('editing_top_box'));
+    }
+
+    public function testSetPref()
+    {
+        $user = $this->get_user();
+
+        $user->setPrefs('prout', 'pooop');
+        $this->assertSame('pooop', $user->getPrefs('prout'));
+    }
+
+    public function testGetNotificationPref()
+    {
+        $user = $this->get_user();
+
+        $this->assertSame('1', $user->get_notifications_preference(self::$DI['app'], 'eventsmanager_notify_push'));
+    }
+
+    public function testNotificationPref()
+    {
+        $user = $this->get_user();
+
+        $this->assertSame('1', $user->get_notifications_preference(self::$DI['app'], 'eventsmanager_notify_push'));
+        $user->set_notification_preference(self::$DI['app'], 'eventsmanager_notify_push', false);
+        $this->assertSame('0', $user->get_notifications_preference(self::$DI['app'], 'eventsmanager_notify_push'));
+        $user->set_notification_preference(self::$DI['app'], 'eventsmanager_notify_push', true);
+        $this->assertSame('1', $user->get_notifications_preference(self::$DI['app'], 'eventsmanager_notify_push'));
+    }
+
+    private function get_user()
+    {
+        $usr_id = \User_Adapter::get_usr_id_from_login(self::$DI['app'], 'notif_ref_test');
+        if ($usr_id) {
+            $user = \User_Adapter::getInstance($usr_id, self::$DI['app']);
+            $user->delete();
+        }
+
+        return \User_Adapter::create(self::$DI['app'], 'notif_ref_test', mt_rand(), null, false);
+    }
 }