diff --git a/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/OverlayInstance.tscn b/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/OverlayInstance.tscn
index f9928eb..77dda8a 100644
--- a/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/OverlayInstance.tscn
+++ b/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/OverlayInstance.tscn
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-[gd_scene load_steps=5 format=2]
+[gd_scene load_steps=6 format=2]
 
 [ext_resource path="res://addons/openvr_overlay/overlay_instance.gd" type="Script" id=1]
+[ext_resource path="res://overlay_settings_sync.gd" type="Script" id=2]
 [ext_resource path="res://addons/godot-openvr/OpenVROverlay.gdns" type="Script" id=3]
 
 [sub_resource type="StyleBoxFlat" id=1]
@@ -64,3 +65,6 @@ texture = SubResource( 2 )
 expand = true
 stretch_mode = 5
 flip_v = true
+
+[node name="OverlaySettingsSync" type="Node" parent="."]
+script = ExtResource( 2 )
diff --git a/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/interaction/overlay_grab.gd b/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/interaction/overlay_grab.gd
index 5c3069c..6a67447 100644
--- a/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/interaction/overlay_grab.gd
+++ b/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/interaction/overlay_grab.gd
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ func finish_move():
 
 	# revert target
 	_overlay.update_current_target()
-	_overlay.save_settings()
 
 	_interaction._update_target()
 	_interaction.pause_triggers = false
diff --git a/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/overlay_instance.gd b/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/overlay_instance.gd
index a6fb8b4..4e9bb14 100644
--- a/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/overlay_instance.gd
+++ b/ovr-utils/addons/openvr_overlay/overlay_instance.gd
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 extends Spatial
 
+signal type_changed
+signal overlay_visible_changed
 signal width_changed
 signal alpha_changed
-signal offset_changed
 signal target_changed
-signal overlay_visibility_changed
+signal fallback_changed
+signal offset_changed
 
 const TARGETS = ["head", "left", "right", "world"]
 export (String,  "head", "left", "right", "world") var target = "left" setget set_target
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ export var add_cursor   := false # add cursor module
 
 var _tracker_id := 0
 var _offsets:Dictionary = {
-	"head":  {"pos": Vector3(0, 0, -0.5), "rot": Quat()},
+	"head":  {"pos": Vector3(0, 0, -0.35), "rot": Quat()},
 	"left":  {"pos": Vector3(), "rot": Quat()},
 	"right": {"pos": Vector3(), "rot": Quat()},
 	"world": {"pos": Vector3(0,1,0), "rot": Quat()},
@@ -43,7 +45,6 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 	$VROverlayViewport.size = OverlayInit.ovr_interface.get_render_targetsize()
 	set_notify_transform(true)
 
-	load_settings()
 	if add_cursor or add_grabbing:
 		interaction_handler = load("res://addons/openvr_overlay/OverlayInteraction.tscn").instance()
 		add_child(interaction_handler)
@@ -66,47 +67,6 @@ func add_grab():
 	interaction_handler.add_child(load("res://addons/openvr_overlay/OverlayGrab.tscn").instance())
 
 
-func load_settings():
-	if Settings.s.overlays.has(name):
-		var loaded = Settings.s.overlays[name]
-
-		if loaded.has("fallback"):
-			fallback = loaded.fallback
-		if loaded.has("target"):
-			set_target(loaded.target)
-
-		if loaded.has("offsets"):
-			for t_key in loaded.offsets:
-				var t_offset = loaded.offsets[t_key]
-				_offsets[t_key].pos = t_offset.pos
-				_offsets[t_key].rot = t_offset.rot
-		update_offset()
-
-		if loaded.has("width"):
-			set_width_in_meters(loaded.width)
-		if loaded.has("visible"):
-			set_overlay_visible(loaded.visible)
-		if loaded.has("alpha"):
-			set_alpha(loaded.alpha)
-	else:
-		save_settings()
-
-
-func save_settings():
-	if not Settings.s.overlays.has(name):
-		Settings.s.overlays[name] = {}
-	Settings.s.overlays[name].target = target
-	Settings.s.overlays[name].width = width_meters
-	Settings.s.overlays[name].alpha = alpha
-	Settings.s.overlays[name].fallback = fallback
-	Settings.s.overlays[name].type = type
-
-	if not Settings.s.overlays[name].has("offsets"):
-		Settings.s.overlays[name]["offsets"] = {}
-	for t_key in TARGETS:
-		Settings.s.overlays[name].offsets[t_key] = _offsets[t_key]
-
-
 func update_tracker_id():
 	_tracker_id = -1
 	match current_target:
@@ -150,9 +110,7 @@ func update_current_target():
 func set_overlay_visible(state: bool):
 	overlay_visible = state
 	$VROverlayViewport.overlay_visible = state
-	Settings.s.overlays[name].visible = state
-	emit_signal("overlay_visibility_changed", state)
-	save_settings()
+	emit_signal("overlay_visible_changed", state)
 
 
 func _tracker_changed(tracker_name: String, type: int, id: int):
@@ -210,7 +168,6 @@ func reset_offset() -> void:
 	if current_target == "head":
 		_offsets[current_target].pos.z = -0.5
 	update_offset()
-	save_settings()
 
 
 func _notification(what: int) -> void:
diff --git a/ovr-utils/addons/settings-manager/settings_manager.gd b/ovr-utils/addons/settings-manager/settings_manager.gd
index b694212..db7a87b 100644
--- a/ovr-utils/addons/settings-manager/settings_manager.gd
+++ b/ovr-utils/addons/settings-manager/settings_manager.gd
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ var DEBUG_SETTINGS = false
 var SETTINGS_PATH = "user://overlay_data.json"
 const SETTINGS_DEF = preload("res://addons/settings-manager/settings_definition.gd").DEF
 
-var s: Dictionary = {}
-var _saved_hash: int
+var has_loaded := false
+var s := {}
+var _saved_str: String
+
 
 func _ready() -> void:
 	_init_settings()
@@ -18,7 +20,10 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 
 
 func _on_SaveTimer_timeout() -> void:
-	if s.hash() != _saved_hash:
+	var new_s = str(s)
+	if new_s != _saved_str:
+		_saved_str = new_s
+		print("Saving to ", SETTINGS_PATH)
 		force_save()
 
 
@@ -55,8 +60,6 @@ func force_save():
 	file.close()
 	emit_signal("settings_saved")
 
-	_saved_hash = s.hash()
-
 	if DEBUG_SETTINGS:
 		print("Settings saved to file")
 
@@ -100,10 +103,10 @@ func load_settings() -> void:
 	for key in new_settings:
 		s[key] = _load_sub_setting(new_settings[key], SETTINGS_DEF[key])
 
-	emit_signal("settings_loaded")
 	if DEBUG_SETTINGS:
 		print("Loaded settings from file")
-#		print(s)
+	emit_signal("settings_loaded")
+	has_loaded = true
 
 
 func _load_sub_setting(val, def):
diff --git a/ovr-utils/overlay_manager.gd b/ovr-utils/overlay_manager.gd
index 5a7bfc0..65360cf 100644
--- a/ovr-utils/overlay_manager.gd
+++ b/ovr-utils/overlay_manager.gd
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func add_overlay(type, name):
 	instance.overlay_scene = scene
 	instance.type = type
 	add_child(instance)
-	instance.update_offset()
+#	instance.update_offset()
 	emit_signal("added_overlay", name)
 
 
diff --git a/ovr-utils/overlay_settings_sync.gd b/ovr-utils/overlay_settings_sync.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..277dd89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ovr-utils/overlay_settings_sync.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+extends Node
+
+
+onready var p = get_parent()
+var loaded := false
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	p = get_parent()
+	call_deferred("load_all")
+	p.connect("type_changed",            self, "save_all")
+	p.connect("overlay_visible_changed", self, "save_all")
+	p.connect("width_changed",           self, "save_all")
+	p.connect("alpha_changed",           self, "save_all")
+	p.connect("target_changed",          self, "save_all")
+	p.connect("fallback_changed",        self, "save_all")
+	p.connect("offset_changed",          self, "save_all")
+
+
+func save_all(_args=null) -> void:
+	if not loaded:
+		return
+	if not Settings.s.overlays.has(p.name):
+		Settings.s.overlays[p.name] = {}
+	_save_prop("type",     p.type)
+	_save_prop("visible",  p.overlay_visible)
+	_save_prop("width",    p.width_meters)
+	_save_prop("alpha",    p.alpha)
+	_save_prop("target",   p.target)
+	_save_prop("fallback", p.fallback)
+	_save_prop("offsets",  p._offsets.duplicate(true))
+
+
+func _save_prop(prop_name: String, prop_value) -> void:
+	Settings.s.overlays[p.name][prop_name] = prop_value
+
+func load_all() -> void:
+	if Settings.s.overlays.has(p.name):
+		var loaded = Settings.s.overlays[p.name]
+		# type is assigned at creation
+
+		if loaded.has("visible"):
+			p.overlay_visible = loaded.visible
+		if loaded.has("width"):
+			p.width_meters = loaded.width
+		if loaded.has("alpha"):
+			p.alpha = loaded.alpha
+		if loaded.has("target"):
+			p.target = loaded.target
+		if loaded.has("fallback"):
+			p.fallback = loaded.fallback
+
+		if loaded.has("offsets"):# thorough in case some values are missing in file
+			for t_key in loaded.offsets:
+				var offset = loaded.offsets[t_key]
+				p.set_offset(t_key, offset.pos, offset.rot)
+
+	else:
+		print("FAILED")
+		save_all()
+	loaded = true
diff --git a/ovr-utils/ui/overlay_list_item.gd b/ovr-utils/ui/overlay_list_item.gd
index bb23d7e..4c07bf6 100644
--- a/ovr-utils/ui/overlay_list_item.gd
+++ b/ovr-utils/ui/overlay_list_item.gd
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 	$BasicOptions/Label.text = overlay_name
 	name = overlay_name
 	$MoreOptions/Container/List/Target.selected = overlay.TARGETS.find(overlay.target)
-	overlay.connect("overlay_visibility_changed", self, "_overlay_visibility_changed")
+	overlay.connect("overlay_visible_changed", self, "_overlay_visible_changed")
 
 	$BasicOptions/List/Warning.visible = overlay.overlay_scene == preload("res://special_overlays/UnknownType.tscn")
 	$BasicOptions/List/Warning/WarningInfo/Label.text = overlay.type + "\nnot found"
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func _on_Grab_toggled(state: bool) -> void:
 	overlay.get_node("OverlayInteraction").grab_mode = state
 
 
-func _overlay_visibility_changed(state: bool):
+func _overlay_visible_changed(state: bool):
 	$BasicOptions/List/Visibility.pressed = state
 	if state:
 		$BasicOptions/List/Visibility.icon = preload("res://icons/visible.svg")