diff --git a/src/preferences/PreferenceStorage.js b/src/preferences/PreferenceStorage.js
index 202ca36f407..eb1e50f4f83 100644
--- a/src/preferences/PreferenceStorage.js
+++ b/src/preferences/PreferenceStorage.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 /**
  * PreferenceStorage defines an interface for persisting preference data as
  * name/value pairs for a module or plugin.
+ * 
+ * @deprecated Use PreferencesManager APIs instead.
  */
 define(function (require, exports, module) {
     "use strict";
diff --git a/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js b/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js
index 14e9ce3178c..2a4ba5b118d 100644
--- a/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js
+++ b/src/preferences/PreferencesBase.js
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
         /**
          * MemoryStorage is not stored in a file, so fileChanged is ignored.
          * 
-         * @param {string} filename File that has changed
+         * @param {string} filePath File that has changed
          */
-        fileChanged: function (filename) {
+        fileChanged: function (filePath) {
         }
     };
     
@@ -241,10 +241,10 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
         /**
          * If the filename matches this Storage's path, a changed message is triggered.
          * 
-         * @param {string} filename File that has changed
+         * @param {string} filePath File that has changed
          */
-        fileChanged: function (filename) {
-            if (filename === this.path) {
+        fileChanged: function (filePath) {
+            if (filePath === this.path) {
                 $(this).trigger("changed");
             }
         }
@@ -485,10 +485,10 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
          * Tells the Scope that the given file has been changed so that the
          * Storage can be reloaded if needed.
          * 
-         * @param {string} filename Name of the file that has changed
+         * @param {string} filePath File that has changed
          */
-        fileChanged: function (filename) {
-            this.storage.fileChanged(filename);
+        fileChanged: function (filePath) {
+            this.storage.fileChanged(filePath);
         },
         
         /**
@@ -1693,11 +1693,11 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
          * Tells the PreferencesSystem that the given file has been changed so that any
          * related Scopes can be reloaded.
          * 
-         * @param {string} filename Name of the file that has changed
+         * @param {string} filePath File that has changed
          */
-        fileChanged: function (filename) {
+        fileChanged: function (filePath) {
             _.forEach(this._scopes, function (scope) {
-                scope.fileChanged(filename);
+                scope.fileChanged(filePath);
             });
         },
         
diff --git a/src/preferences/PreferencesImpl.js b/src/preferences/PreferencesImpl.js
index 42fbc95c2ef..0ade1df22a9 100644
--- a/src/preferences/PreferencesImpl.js
+++ b/src/preferences/PreferencesImpl.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
     "use strict";
     
     var PreferencesBase = require("./PreferencesBase"),
+        ProjectManager  = require("project/ProjectManager"),
         Async           = require("utils/Async"),
     
         // The SETTINGS_FILENAME is used with a preceding "." within user projects
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
                 });
         });
 
+    
     // "State" is stored like preferences but it is not generally intended to be user-editable.
     // It's for more internal, implicit things like window size, working set, etc.
     var stateManager = new PreferencesBase.PreferencesSystem();
@@ -112,6 +114,18 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
     smUserScope.addLayer(stateProjectLayer);
     var smUserScopeLoading = stateManager.addScope("user", smUserScope);
     
+    
+    // Listen for times where we might be unwatching a root that contains one of the user-level prefs files,
+    // and force a re-read of the file in order to ensure we can write to it later (see #7300).
+    $(ProjectManager).on("projectClose", function (event, rootDir) {
+        var prefsDir = brackets.app.getApplicationSupportDirectory() + "/";
+        if (prefsDir.indexOf(rootDir.fullPath) === 0) {
+            manager.fileChanged(userPrefFile);
+            stateManager.fileChanged(userStateFile);
+        }
+    });
+    
+    
     // Semi-Public API. Use this at your own risk. The public API is in PreferencesManager.
     exports.manager             = manager;
     exports.projectStorage      = projectStorage;
diff --git a/src/project/ProjectManager.js b/src/project/ProjectManager.js
index 929f7588b2c..f1d623a14bd 100644
--- a/src/project/ProjectManager.js
+++ b/src/project/ProjectManager.js
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@
  * the file tree.
  *
  * This module dispatches these events:
- *    - beforeProjectClose -- before _projectRoot changes
+ *    - beforeProjectClose -- before _projectRoot changes, but working set files still open
+ *    - projectClose       -- *just* before _projectRoot changes; working set already cleared & project root unwatched
  *    - beforeAppClose     -- before Brackets quits entirely
  *    - projectOpen        -- after _projectRoot changes and the tree is re-rendered
  *    - projectRefresh     -- when project tree is re-rendered for a reason other than
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
     /**
      * @private
      * @see getProjectRoot()
+     * @type {Directory}
      */
     var _projectRoot = null;
 
@@ -674,15 +676,15 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
                 var events        = $._data(_projectTree[0], "events"),
                     eventsForType = events ? events[type] : null,
                     event         = eventsForType ? _.find(eventsForType, function (e) {
-                                        return e.namespace === namespace && e.selector === selector;
-                                    }) : null,
+                        return e.namespace === namespace && e.selector === selector;
+                    }) : null,
                     eventHandler  = event ? event.handler : null;
                 if (!eventHandler) {
                     console.error(type + "." + namespace + " " + selector + " handler not found!");
                 }
                 return eventHandler;
             };
-            var createCustomHandler = function(originalHandler) {
+            var createCustomHandler = function (originalHandler) {
                 return function (event) {
                     var $node = $(event.target).parent("li"),
                         methodName;
@@ -1102,8 +1104,9 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
             if (_projectRoot && _projectRoot.fullPath === rootPath) {
                 return (new $.Deferred()).resolve().promise();
             }
+            
+            // About to close current project (if any)
             if (_projectRoot) {
-                // close current project
                 $(exports).triggerHandler("beforeProjectClose", _projectRoot);
             }
             
@@ -1111,6 +1114,11 @@ define(function (require, exports, module) {
             DocumentManager.closeAll();
     
             _unwatchProjectRoot().always(function () {
+                // Done closing old project (if any)
+                if (_projectRoot) {
+                    $(exports).triggerHandler("projectClose", _projectRoot);
+                }
+                
                 startLoad.resolve();
             });
         }