     @IBAction func showNotifications(sender: NSButton) {
         if showNotifCheckbox.state == NSOnState {
             showsDesktopNotifications = true
+            showNotifications.setBool(true, forKey: "ShowNotifications")
         } else if showNotifCheckbox.state == NSOffState {
             showsDesktopNotifications = false
-        }
+            showNotifications.setBool(false, forKey: "ShowNotifications")
+        }
+        showNotifications.synchronize()
     }
     
     /* LAUNCH AND TERMINATION EVENTS */
     func applicationDidFinishLaunching(aNotification: NSNotification) {
         self.preferencesWindow!.orderOut(self)
         
+        if self.showNotifications.boolForKey("ShowNotifications") {
+            showNotifCheckbox.state = NSOnState
+        } else {
+            showNotifCheckbox.state = NSOffState
+        }
+        
         if defDataDir.stringForKey("defDataDir") != nil {
             let customDataDirectory = defDataDir.stringForKey("defDataDir")!
             dataStoreTextfield.stringValue = customDataDirectory

    /* ITEM ACTIONS */
    @IBAction func startServer(sender: NSMenuItem) {
        startMongod()
        if let port = getPort() {
            self.serverStatusMenuItem.title = "Running on Port \(port)"
            
            if showsDesktopNotifications {
                showNotification("mongod-starter", text: "MongoDB server running on port \(port)", senderTitle: sender.title)
            }
            
        } else {
            self.serverStatusMenuItem.title = "Running on Port 27017"
            
            if showsDesktopNotifications {
                showNotification("mongod-starter", text: "MongoDB server running on port 27017", senderTitle: sender.title)
            }
        }
    }
   
    @IBAction func stopServer(sender: NSMenuItem) {
        stopMongod()
        
        if showsDesktopNotifications {
            showNotification("mongod-starter", text: "MongoDB server has been stopped", senderTitle: sender.title)
        }
    }
    
    @IBAction func openPreferences(sender: NSMenuItem) {

    let defBinDir = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults()
    let defDataDir = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults()
    let configFileDir = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults()
    let showNotifications = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults()
    var dataPath: String
    var binPath: String
    var configPath: String
