diff --git a/src/d_iwad.cpp b/src/d_iwad.cpp
index e09baa26d..7574347bc 100644
--- a/src/d_iwad.cpp
+++ b/src/d_iwad.cpp
@@ -387,7 +387,6 @@ int FIWadManager::IdentifyVersion (TArray<FString> &wadfiles, const char *iwad,
 	bool iwadparmfound = false;
 	FString custwad;
 
-	ParseIWadInfos(zdoom_wad);
 	wads.Resize(mIWadNames.Size());
 	foundwads.Resize(mIWads.Size());
 	memset(&foundwads[0], 0, foundwads.Size() * sizeof(foundwads[0]));
diff --git a/src/d_main.cpp b/src/d_main.cpp
index 78d12e651..5f4f09d4d 100644
--- a/src/d_main.cpp
+++ b/src/d_main.cpp
@@ -1978,10 +1978,6 @@ static void D_DoomInit()
 	}
 		
 	FRandom::StaticClearRandom ();
-
-	Printf ("M_LoadDefaults: Load system defaults.\n");
-	M_LoadDefaults ();			// load before initing other systems
-
 }
 
 //==========================================================================
@@ -2203,7 +2199,8 @@ void D_DoomMain (void)
 	DArgs *execFiles;
 	TArray<FString> pwads;
 	FString *args;
-	int argcount;
+	int argcount;	
+	FIWadManager *iwad_man;
 
 	// +logfile gets checked too late to catch the full startup log in the logfile so do some extra check for it here.
 	FString logfile = Args->TakeValue("+logfile");
@@ -2233,8 +2230,6 @@ void D_DoomMain (void)
 	}
 
 	D_DoomInit();
-	PClass::StaticInit ();
-	atterm(FinalGC);
 
 	// [RH] Make sure zdoom.pk3 is always loaded,
 	// as it contains magic stuff we need.
@@ -2246,6 +2241,14 @@ void D_DoomMain (void)
 	}
 	FString basewad = wad;
 
+	iwad_man = new FIWadManager;
+	iwad_man->ParseIWadInfos(basewad);
+
+	Printf ("M_LoadDefaults: Load system defaults.\n");
+	M_LoadDefaults (iwad_man);			// load before initing other systems
+
+	PClass::StaticInit ();
+	atterm(FinalGC);
 
 	// reinit from here
 
@@ -2267,7 +2270,11 @@ void D_DoomMain (void)
 		// restart is initiated without a defined IWAD assume for now that it's not going to change.
 		if (iwad.IsEmpty()) iwad = lastIWAD;
 
-		FIWadManager *iwad_man = new FIWadManager;
+		if (iwad_man == NULL)
+		{
+			iwad_man = new FIWadManager;
+			iwad_man->ParseIWadInfos(basewad);
+		}
 		const FIWADInfo *iwad_info = iwad_man->FindIWAD(allwads, iwad, basewad);
 		gameinfo.gametype = iwad_info->gametype;
 		gameinfo.flags = iwad_info->flags;
@@ -2486,6 +2493,7 @@ void D_DoomMain (void)
 		FBaseCVar::EnableNoSet ();
 
 		delete iwad_man;	// now we won't need this anymore
+		iwad_man = NULL;
 
 		// [RH] Run any saved commands from the command line or autoexec.cfg now.
 		gamestate = GS_FULLCONSOLE;
diff --git a/src/d_main.h b/src/d_main.h
index e4641c41d..afca8bc3b 100644
--- a/src/d_main.h
+++ b/src/d_main.h
@@ -115,15 +115,13 @@ extern FStartupInfo DoomStartupInfo;
 //
 //==========================================================================
 
-struct FIWadManager
+class FIWadManager
 {
-private:
 	TArray<FIWADInfo> mIWads;
 	TArray<FString> mIWadNames;
 	TArray<int> mLumpsFound;
 
 	void ParseIWadInfo(const char *fn, const char *data, int datasize);
-	void ParseIWadInfos(const char *fn);
 	void ClearChecks();
 	void CheckLumpName(const char *name);
 	int GetIWadInfo();
@@ -131,7 +129,19 @@ private:
 	int CheckIWAD (const char *doomwaddir, WadStuff *wads);
 	int IdentifyVersion (TArray<FString> &wadfiles, const char *iwad, const char *zdoom_wad);
 public:
+	void ParseIWadInfos(const char *fn);
 	const FIWADInfo *FindIWAD(TArray<FString> &wadfiles, const char *iwad, const char *basewad);
+	const FString *GetAutoname(unsigned int num) const
+	{
+		if (num < mIWads.Size()) return &mIWads[num].Autoname;
+		else return NULL;
+	}
+	int GetIWadFlags(unsigned int num) const
+	{
+		if (num < mIWads.Size()) return mIWads[num].flags;
+		else return false;
+	}
+
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/gameconfigfile.cpp b/src/gameconfigfile.cpp
index e17a3e127..112bcbe1b 100644
--- a/src/gameconfigfile.cpp
+++ b/src/gameconfigfile.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ extern HWND Window;
 #include "doomstat.h"
 #include "i_system.h"
 #include "gi.h"
+#include "d_main.h"
 
 EXTERN_CVAR (Bool, con_centernotify)
 EXTERN_CVAR (Int, msg0color)
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ EXTERN_CVAR (Color, am_cdwallcolor)
 EXTERN_CVAR (Float, spc_amp)
 EXTERN_CVAR (Bool, wi_percents)
 
-FGameConfigFile::FGameConfigFile ()
+FGameConfigFile::FGameConfigFile (FIWadManager *iwad_man)
 {
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 	FString user_docs, user_app_support, local_app_support;
@@ -163,30 +164,36 @@ FGameConfigFile::FGameConfigFile ()
 	// Create auto-load sections, so users know what's available.
 	// Note that this totem pole is the reverse of the order that
 	// they will appear in the file.
-#if 0
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Harmony.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("UrbanBrawl.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Chex3.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Chex1.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Chex.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Strife.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("HexenDK.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Hexen.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("HereticSR.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Heretic.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("FreeDM.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Freedoom2.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Freedoom1.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Freedoom.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Plutonia.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("TNT.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Doom2BFG.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Doom2.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("DoomBFG.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("DoomU.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Doom1.Autoload");
-	CreateSectionAtStart("Doom.Autoload");
-#endif
+
+	double last = 0;
+	if (SetSection ("LastRun"))
+	{
+		const char *lastver = GetValueForKey ("Version");
+		if (lastver != NULL) last = atof(lastver);
+	}
+
+	// don't create the autoload section if we are about to migrate an old config because it'd mess up the upcoming migration step.
+	// This will be taken care of once the game runs again with the migrated config file.
+	if (last >= 211)
+	{
+		const FString *pAuto;
+		for (int num = 0; (pAuto = iwad_man->GetAutoname(num)) != NULL; num++)
+		{
+			if (!(iwad_man->GetIWadFlags(num) & GI_SHAREWARE))	// we do not want autoload sections for shareware IWADs (which may have an autoname for resource filtering)
+			{
+				FString workname = *pAuto;
+
+				while (workname.IsNotEmpty())
+				{
+					FString section = workname + ".Autoload";
+					CreateSectionAtStart(section.GetChars());
+					long dotpos = workname.LastIndexOf('.');
+					if (dotpos < 0) break;
+					workname.Truncate(dotpos);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	CreateSectionAtStart("Global.Autoload");
 
 	// The same goes for auto-exec files.
@@ -345,6 +352,7 @@ void FGameConfigFile::DoGlobalSetup ()
 				RenameSection("FreeDM.Autoload", "doom.freedoom.freedm.Autoload");
 				RenameSection("Freedoom2.Autoload", "doom.freedoom.phase2.Autoload");
 				RenameSection("Freedoom1.Autoload", "doom.freedoom.phase1.Autoload");
+				RenameSection("Freedoom.Autoload", "doom.freedoom.Autoload");
 				RenameSection("DoomBFG.Autoload", "doom.doom1.bfg.Autoload");
 				RenameSection("DoomU.Autoload", "doom.doom1.ultimate.Autoload");
 				RenameSection("Doom1.Autoload", "doom.doom1.registered.Autoload");
diff --git a/src/gameconfigfile.h b/src/gameconfigfile.h
index 57956f7cd..5862bb79e 100644
--- a/src/gameconfigfile.h
+++ b/src/gameconfigfile.h
@@ -38,11 +38,12 @@
 #include "configfile.h"
 
 class DArgs;
+class FIWadManager;
 
 class FGameConfigFile : public FConfigFile
 {
 public:
-	FGameConfigFile ();
+	FGameConfigFile (FIWadManager *iwad_man);
 	~FGameConfigFile ();
 
 	void DoGlobalSetup ();
diff --git a/src/m_misc.cpp b/src/m_misc.cpp
index 7f4fa482d..1369bdb52 100644
--- a/src/m_misc.cpp
+++ b/src/m_misc.cpp
@@ -410,9 +410,9 @@ CCMD (writeini)
 // M_LoadDefaults
 //
 
-void M_LoadDefaults ()
+void M_LoadDefaults (FIWadManager *iwad_man)
 {
-	GameConfig = new FGameConfigFile;
+	GameConfig = new FGameConfigFile(iwad_man);
 	GameConfig->DoGlobalSetup ();
 	atterm (M_SaveDefaultsFinal);
 }
diff --git a/src/m_misc.h b/src/m_misc.h
index 9599306de..ea146c690 100644
--- a/src/m_misc.h
+++ b/src/m_misc.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 
 class FConfigFile;
 class FGameConfigFile;
+class FIWadManager;
 
 extern FGameConfigFile *GameConfig;
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ void M_FindResponseFile (void);
 //		Pass a NULL to get the original behavior.
 void M_ScreenShot (const char *filename);
 
-void M_LoadDefaults ();
+void M_LoadDefaults (FIWadManager *iwad_man);
 
 bool M_SaveDefaults (const char *filename);
 void M_SaveCustomKeys (FConfigFile *config, char *section, char *subsection, size_t sublen);