diff --git a/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp b/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp
index 6816ab4cae..aec0c6df67 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.cpp
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ RiaPreferences::RiaPreferences(void)
     CAF_PDM_InitField(&loadAndShowSoil, "loadAndShowSoil", true, "Load and Show SOIL", "", "", "");
     loadAndShowSoil.uiCapability()->setUiLabelPosition(caf::PdmUiItemInfo::HIDDEN);
 
-    CAF_PDM_InitFieldNoDefault(&readerSettings,        "readerSettings", "Reader Settings", "", "", "");
-    readerSettings = new RifReaderSettings;
+    CAF_PDM_InitFieldNoDefault(&m_readerSettings,        "readerSettings", "Reader Settings", "", "", "");
+    m_readerSettings = new RifReaderSettings;
 
     CAF_PDM_InitField(&autoCreatePlotsOnImport,         "AutoCreatePlotsOnImport", true, "Automatically Create Summary Plots On Import", "", "", "");
     autoCreatePlotsOnImport.uiCapability()->setUiLabelPosition(caf::PdmUiItemInfo::HIDDEN);
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ RiaPreferences::RiaPreferences(void)
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 RiaPreferences::~RiaPreferences(void)
 {
-    delete readerSettings;
+    delete m_readerSettings;
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ RiaPreferences::~RiaPreferences(void)
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void RiaPreferences::defineEditorAttribute(const caf::PdmFieldHandle* field, QString uiConfigName, caf::PdmUiEditorAttribute * attribute)
 {
-    readerSettings->defineEditorAttribute(field, uiConfigName, attribute);
+    m_readerSettings->defineEditorAttribute(field, uiConfigName, attribute);
 
     if (field == &scriptDirectories)
     {
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ void RiaPreferences::defineUiOrdering(QString uiConfigName, caf::PdmUiOrdering&
         newCaseBehaviourGroup->add(&autocomputeDepthRelatedProperties);
         newCaseBehaviourGroup->add(&loadAndShowSoil);
     
-        readerSettings->defineUiOrdering(uiConfigName, *newCaseBehaviourGroup);
+        m_readerSettings->defineUiOrdering(uiConfigName, *newCaseBehaviourGroup);
     }
     else if (uiConfigName == m_tabNames[2])
     {
@@ -227,3 +227,11 @@ QStringList RiaPreferences::tabNames()
     return m_tabNames;
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/// 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+const RifReaderSettings* RiaPreferences::readerSettings() const
+{
+    return m_readerSettings;
+}
+
diff --git a/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.h b/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.h
index f69227aeed..6af66ff662 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.h
+++ b/ApplicationCode/Application/RiaPreferences.h
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ public:
 
     QStringList tabNames();
 
+    const RifReaderSettings* readerSettings() const;
+
 public: // Pdm Fields
     caf::PdmField<caf::AppEnum< RiaApplication::RINavigationPolicy > > navigationPolicy;
 
@@ -71,7 +73,6 @@ public: // Pdm Fields
     caf::PdmField<bool>     autocomputeDepthRelatedProperties;
     caf::PdmField<bool>     loadAndShowSoil;
 
-    caf::PdmChildField<RifReaderSettings*> readerSettings;
 
     // Summary
 
@@ -85,5 +86,7 @@ protected:
     virtual QList<caf::PdmOptionItemInfo>   calculateValueOptions(const caf::PdmFieldHandle* fieldNeedingOptions, bool * useOptionsOnly);
 
 private:
+    caf::PdmChildField<RifReaderSettings*> m_readerSettings;
+
     QStringList m_tabNames;
 };
diff --git a/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.cpp b/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.cpp
index 5ac64818a7..06a8acebba 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.cpp
@@ -19,27 +19,17 @@
 
 #include "RifReaderInterface.h"
 
-#include "RifReaderSettings.h"
+#include "RiaApplication.h"
+#include "RiaPreferences.h"
 
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-/// 
-//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void RifReaderInterface::setReaderSetting(RifReaderSettings* settings)
-{
-    m_settings = settings;
-}
+#include "RifReaderSettings.h"
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /// 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool RifReaderInterface::isFaultImportEnabled()
 {
-    if (m_settings.notNull())
-    {
-        return m_settings->importFaults;
-    }
-
-    return false;
+    return readerSettings()->importFaults;
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -47,12 +37,7 @@ bool RifReaderInterface::isFaultImportEnabled()
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool RifReaderInterface::isImportOfCompleteMswDataEnabled()
 {
-    if (m_settings.notNull())
-    {
-        return m_settings->importAdvancedMswData;
-    }
-
-    return false;
+    return readerSettings()->importAdvancedMswData;
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -60,12 +45,7 @@ bool RifReaderInterface::isImportOfCompleteMswDataEnabled()
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 bool RifReaderInterface::isNNCsEnabled()
 {
-    if (m_settings.notNull())
-    {
-        return m_settings->importNNCs;
-    }
-
-    return false;
+    return readerSettings()->importNNCs;
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -73,12 +53,7 @@ bool RifReaderInterface::isNNCsEnabled()
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 const QString RifReaderInterface::faultIncludeFileAbsolutePathPrefix()
 {
-    if (m_settings.notNull())
-    {
-        return m_settings->faultIncludeFileAbsolutePathPrefix;
-    }
-
-    return QString();
+    return readerSettings()->faultIncludeFileAbsolutePathPrefix;
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -120,3 +95,15 @@ size_t RifReaderInterface::timeStepIndexOnFile(size_t timeStepIndex) const
     return timeStepIndex;
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/// 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+const RifReaderSettings* RifReaderInterface::readerSettings() const
+{
+    RiaPreferences* prefs = RiaApplication::instance()->preferences();
+
+    CVF_ASSERT(prefs->readerSettings());
+
+    return prefs->readerSettings();
+}
+
diff --git a/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.h b/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.h
index a9ece3681a..af485a92dc 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.h
+++ b/ApplicationCode/FileInterface/RifReaderInterface.h
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ public:
     RifReaderInterface()            { }
     virtual ~RifReaderInterface()   { }
 
-    void                        setReaderSetting(RifReaderSettings* settings);
-
     bool                        isFaultImportEnabled();
     bool                        isImportOfCompleteMswDataEnabled();
     bool                        isNNCsEnabled();
@@ -72,8 +70,10 @@ protected:
     size_t                      timeStepIndexOnFile(size_t timeStepIndex) const;
 
 private:
-    std::vector<QString>                m_filenamesWithFaults;
-    caf::PdmPointer<RifReaderSettings>  m_settings;
+    const RifReaderSettings*    readerSettings() const;
+
+private:
+    std::vector<QString>        m_filenamesWithFaults;
     
-    std::vector<size_t>                 m_fileTimeStepIndices;
+    std::vector<size_t>         m_fileTimeStepIndices;
 };
diff --git a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseInputCase.cpp b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseInputCase.cpp
index 46d0e1ffb7..1749bde7b5 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseInputCase.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseInputCase.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ void RimEclipseInputCase::openDataFileSet(const QStringList& fileNames)
 
         for (int i = 0; i < fileNames.size(); i++)
         {
-            if (RifEclipseInputFileTools::openGridFile(fileNames[i], this->eclipseCaseData(), prefs->readerSettings->importFaults()))
+            if (RifEclipseInputFileTools::openGridFile(fileNames[i], this->eclipseCaseData(), prefs->readerSettings()->importFaults()))
             {
                 m_gridFileName = fileNames[i];
 
@@ -192,7 +192,6 @@ bool RimEclipseInputCase::openEclipseGridFile()
         {
             RiaPreferences* prefs = RiaApplication::instance()->preferences();
             readerInterface = new RifReaderEclipseInput;
-            readerInterface->setReaderSetting(prefs->readerSettings());
 
             cvf::ref<RigEclipseCaseData> eclipseCase = new RigEclipseCaseData;
             if (!readerInterface->open(m_gridFileName, eclipseCase.p()))
diff --git a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseResultCase.cpp b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseResultCase.cpp
index c6e42ad632..7b9504d665 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseResultCase.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimEclipseResultCase.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ bool RimEclipseResultCase::importGridAndResultMetaData(bool showTimeStepFilter)
 
         RiaPreferences* prefs = RiaApplication::instance()->preferences();
         cvf::ref<RifReaderEclipseOutput> readerEclipseOutput = new RifReaderEclipseOutput;
-        readerEclipseOutput->setReaderSetting(prefs->readerSettings());
         readerEclipseOutput->setFilenamesWithFaults(this->filesContainingFaults());
 
         if (showTimeStepFilter)