diff --git a/add/data/xql/getPreferences.xql b/add/data/xql/getPreferences.xql
index 3c3eaae42..d6c1dd21c 100644
--- a/add/data/xql/getPreferences.xql
+++ b/add/data/xql/getPreferences.xql
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@ declare option output:omit-xml-declaration "yes";
 let $mode := request:get-parameter('mode', '')
 let $edition := request:get-parameter('edition', '')
 
-(:let $base := concat('file:', system:get-module-load-path()):)
-(:let $file := doc(concat($base, '/../prefs/edirom-prefs.xml')):)
-let $file := doc('../prefs/edirom-prefs.xml')
+let $file := doc($edition:default-prefs-location)
 
 let $projectFile := doc(edition:getPreferencesURI($edition))
 
diff --git a/add/data/xqm/edition.xqm b/add/data/xqm/edition.xqm
index 777e9f882..e0d3b383a 100644
--- a/add/data/xqm/edition.xqm
+++ b/add/data/xqm/edition.xqm
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ import module namespace functx="http://www.functx.com";
 declare namespace edirom = "http://www.edirom.de/ns/1.3";
 declare namespace xlink = "http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink";
 
+(: VARIABLE DECLARATIONS =================================================== :)
+
+declare variable $edition:default-prefs-location as xs:string := '../prefs/edirom-prefs.xml';
+
 (: FUNCTION DECLARATIONS =================================================== :)
 
 (:~
@@ -118,16 +122,15 @@ declare function edition:getLanguageCodesSorted($uri as xs:string) as xs:string
 };
 
 (:~
- : Returns the URI for the preferences file
+ : Returns the URI of the preferences file for a given edition
  :
  : @param $uri The URI of the Edition's document to process
- : @return The URI of the preference file
+ : @return The URI of the edition's preference file or the default edirom preferences as fallback
  :)
-declare function edition:getPreferencesURI($uri as xs:string) as xs:string {
-    
-    if(doc($uri)//edirom:preferences/@xlink:href => string()) then(
-        doc($uri)//edirom:preferences/@xlink:href => string()
-    ) else ('../prefs/edirom-prefs.xml')
+declare function edition:getPreferencesURI($uri as xs:string?) as xs:string {
+    if(doc-available($uri) and doc($uri)//edirom:preferences/@xlink:href => string()) 
+    then(doc($uri)//edirom:preferences/@xlink:href => string()) 
+    else $edition:default-prefs-location
 };
 
 (:~
diff --git a/add/data/xqm/util.xqm b/add/data/xqm/util.xqm
index dfbe2a145..8381b3710 100644
--- a/add/data/xqm/util.xqm
+++ b/add/data/xqm/util.xqm
@@ -279,21 +279,20 @@ declare function eutil:getLanguageString($key as xs:string, $values as xs:string
 };
 
 (:~
- : Return a value of preference to key
+ : Returns a value from the preferences for a given key
  :
- : @param $key The key to search for
- : @return The string
+ : @param $key The key to look up
+ : @param $edition The current edition URI
+ : @return The preference value
  :)
 declare function eutil:getPreference($key as xs:string, $edition as xs:string?) as xs:string {
 
-    let $file := doc('../prefs/edirom-prefs.xml')
-    let $projectFile := doc(edition:getPreferencesURI($edition))
+    let $preferencesFile := 
+        try { doc(edition:getPreferencesURI($edition)) }
+        catch * { util:log-system-out('Failed to load preferences') }
 
     return
-        if($projectFile != 'null' and $projectFile//entry[@key = $key]) then
-            ($projectFile//entry[@key = $key]/string(@value))
-        else
-            ($file//entry[@key = $key]/string(@value))
+        $preferencesFile//entry[@key = $key]/@value => string()
 
 };