diff --git a/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt b/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt
index 5269da0a72..91a9355220 100644
--- a/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt
+++ b/core/src/com/unciv/logic/files/UncivFiles.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.JsonReader
 import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.SerializationException
 import com.unciv.Constants
 import com.unciv.UncivGame
+import com.unciv.json.fromJsonFile
 import com.unciv.json.json
 import com.unciv.logic.CompatibilityVersion
 import com.unciv.logic.GameInfo
@@ -378,6 +379,17 @@ class UncivFiles(
                 return field
             }
 
+        /** Specialized function to access settings before Gdx is initialized.
+         *
+         * @param baseDirectory Path to the directory where the file should be - if not set, the OS current directory is used (which is "/" on Android)
+         */
+        fun getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers(baseDirectory: String): GameSettings {
+            // FileHandle is Gdx, but the class and JsonParser are not dependent on app initialization
+            // In fact, at this point Gdx.app or Gdx.files are null but this still works.
+            val file = FileHandle(baseDirectory + File.separator + SETTINGS_FILE_NAME)
+            return if (file.exists()) json().fromJsonFile(GameSettings::class.java, file)
+            else GameSettings().apply { isFreshlyCreated = true }
+        }
 
         /** @throws IncompatibleGameInfoVersionException if the [gameData] was created by a version of this game that is incompatible with the current one. */
         fun gameInfoFromString(gameData: String): GameInfo {
diff --git a/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt b/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt
index 41c586d7d8..23c8843498 100644
--- a/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt
+++ b/desktop/src/com/unciv/app/desktop/DesktopLauncher.kt
@@ -4,11 +4,9 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.backends.lwjgl3.Lwjgl3ApplicationConfiguration
 import com.badlogic.gdx.files.FileHandle
 import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.glutils.HdpiMode
 import com.unciv.app.desktop.DesktopScreenMode.Companion.getMaximumWindowBounds
-import com.unciv.json.fromJsonFile
 import com.unciv.json.json
 import com.unciv.logic.files.SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
 import com.unciv.logic.files.UncivFiles
-import com.unciv.models.metadata.GameSettings
 import com.unciv.models.metadata.GameSettings.ScreenSize
 import com.unciv.models.metadata.GameSettings.WindowState
 import com.unciv.models.ruleset.Ruleset
@@ -78,15 +76,14 @@ internal object DesktopLauncher {
         // LibGDX not yet configured, use regular java class
         val maximumWindowBounds = getMaximumWindowBounds()
 
-        val settingsFileLocation = if (customDataDir == null) SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
-        else customDataDir + File.separator + SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
+        val settingsDirectory = customDataDir ?: "."
 
-        val settings = getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers(settingsFileLocation)
+        val settings = UncivFiles.getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers(settingsDirectory)
         if (settings.isFreshlyCreated) {
             settings.screenSize = ScreenSize.Large // By default we guess that Desktops have larger screens
             settings.windowState = WindowState(maximumWindowBounds)
 
-            FileHandle(settingsFileLocation).writeString(json().toJson(settings), false, Charsets.UTF_8.name()) // so when we later open the game we get fullscreen
+            FileHandle(settingsDirectory + File.separator + SETTINGS_FILE_NAME).writeString(json().toJson(settings), false, Charsets.UTF_8.name()) // so when we later open the game we get fullscreen
         }
         // Kludge! This is a workaround - the matching call in DesktopDisplay doesn't "take" quite permanently,
         // the window might revert to the "config" values when the user moves the window - worse if they
@@ -107,14 +104,4 @@ internal object DesktopLauncher {
         HardenGdxAudio(DesktopGame(config, customDataDir), config)
         exitProcess(0)
     }
-
-    /** Specialized function to access settings before Gdx is initialized.
-     */
-    private fun getSettingsForPlatformLaunchers(settingsFileLocation: String): GameSettings {
-        // FileHandle is Gdx, but the class and JsonParser are not dependent on app initialization
-        // In fact, at this point Gdx.app or Gdx.files are null but this still works.
-        val file = FileHandle(settingsFileLocation)
-        return if (file.exists()) json().fromJsonFile(GameSettings::class.java, file)
-        else GameSettings().apply { isFreshlyCreated = true }
-    }
 }