diff --git a/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMain.cpp b/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMain.cpp
index 4a3489ea1e..89a41f2af9 100644
--- a/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMain.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMain.cpp
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
     }
 #endif
 
+    RiaMainTools::deleteStaleSettingsLockFiles();
+
     // The Qt::AA_ShareOpenGLContexts setting is needed when we have multiple viz widgets in flight
     // and we have a setup where these widgets belong to different top-level windows, or end up
     // belonging to different top-level windows through re-parenting.
diff --git a/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.cpp b/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.cpp
index 8f5700acbb..f82e3488fe 100644
--- a/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.cpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 #include "RiaMainTools.h"
+#include "RiaBaseDefs.h"
 #include "RiaFileLogger.h"
 #include "RiaLogging.h"
 #include "RiaRegressionTestRunner.h"
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@
 #include "cafPdmDefaultObjectFactory.h"
 #include "cafPdmUiFieldEditorHandle.h"
 
+#include <QDir>
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ///
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -53,10 +56,12 @@ void manageSegFailure( int signalCode )
     exit( 1 );
 }
 
+namespace RiaMainTools
+{
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ///
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void RiaMainTools::initializeSingletons()
+void initializeSingletons()
 {
     caf::CmdFeatureManager::createSingleton();
     RiaRegressionTestRunner::createSingleton();
@@ -67,7 +72,7 @@ void RiaMainTools::initializeSingletons()
 /// This method is used to release memory allocated by static functions. This enables use of memory allocation tools
 /// after the application has closed down.
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void RiaMainTools::releaseSingletonAndFactoryObjects()
+void releaseSingletonAndFactoryObjects()
 {
     caf::CmdFeatureManager::deleteSingleton();
     RiaRegressionTestRunner::deleteSingleton();
@@ -87,3 +92,51 @@ void RiaMainTools::releaseSingletonAndFactoryObjects()
         factory->deleteCreatorObjects();
     }
 }
+
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/// On Linux, application settings are stored in a text file in the users home folder. On Windows, these settings are
+/// stored in Registry. Users have reported stale lock files the configuration directory. In some cases, these lock
+/// files can prevent the application from starting. It appears that the application start, but no GUI is displayed.
+///
+/// This method deletes stale lock files.
+///
+/// https://github.com/OPM/ResInsight/issues/12205
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void deleteStaleSettingsLockFiles()
+{
+    auto organizationName = QString( RI_COMPANY_NAME );
+    auto applicationName  = QString( RI_APPLICATION_NAME );
+
+    auto lockFilePath = QDir::homePath() + "/.config/" + organizationName + "/" + applicationName + ".conf.lock";
+
+    auto isLockStale = []( const QString& lockFilePath ) -> bool
+    {
+        QFileInfo lockFileInfo( lockFilePath );
+
+        if ( !lockFileInfo.exists() ) return false;
+
+        QDateTime currentTime      = QDateTime::currentDateTime();
+        int       thresholdSeconds = 2 * 60; // 2 minutes
+
+        return lockFileInfo.lastModified().secsTo( currentTime ) > thresholdSeconds;
+    };
+
+    if ( isLockStale( lockFilePath ) )
+    {
+        QFile lockFile( lockFilePath );
+
+        QString logMessage;
+        if ( lockFile.remove() )
+        {
+            logMessage = QString( "Deleted stale lock file: %1" ).arg( lockFilePath );
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            logMessage = QString( "Tried, but failed to delete stale lock file: %1" ).arg( lockFilePath );
+        }
+
+        qDebug() << logMessage;
+    }
+}
+
+} // namespace RiaMainTools
diff --git a/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.h b/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.h
index 025e9bc256..d3add41c2e 100644
--- a/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.h
+++ b/ApplicationExeCode/RiaMainTools.h
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 #pragma once
 
-class RiaMainTools
+namespace RiaMainTools
 {
-public:
-    static void initializeSingletons();
-    static void releaseSingletonAndFactoryObjects();
-};
+void initializeSingletons();
+void releaseSingletonAndFactoryObjects();
+void deleteStaleSettingsLockFiles();
+}; // namespace RiaMainTools
diff --git a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp
index 0bfa6424b5..42ef15e7d4 100644
--- a/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationLibCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include "RiaApplication.h"
 #include "RiaColorTables.h"
+#include "RiaGuiApplication.h"
 #include "RiaLogging.h"
 #include "RiaPreferencesGeoMech.h"
 #include "RiaPreferencesGrid.h"
@@ -839,6 +840,8 @@ std::map<RiaDefines::FontSettingType, RiaFontCache::FontSize> RiaPreferences::de
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void RiaPreferences::writePreferencesToApplicationStore()
 {
+    if ( !RiaGuiApplication::isRunning() ) return;
+
     caf::PdmSettings::writeFieldsToApplicationStore( this );
 }