diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/integration.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/integration.ts
index a34af0d9a396dfabef66159cd68d50f8d3efc9b8..a2b34c156baf0a0d125f79febc6979ec0f23a7d8 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/integration.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-browser/integration.ts
@@ -130,13 +130,25 @@ export class ElectronIntegration {
 		ipc.on('vscode:showAutoSaveInfo', () => {
 			this.messageService.show(
 				Severity.Info, {
-					message: nls.localize('autoSaveInfo', "The **File | Auto Save** option moved into settings. Please configure **files.autoSaveDelay: 1** to restore the old behavior."),
+					message: nls.localize('autoSaveInfo', "The **File | Auto Save** option moved into settings and **files.autoSaveDelay: 1** will be added to preserve it."),
 					actions: [
 						CloseAction,
 						this.instantiationService.createInstance(OpenGlobalSettingsAction, OpenGlobalSettingsAction.ID, OpenGlobalSettingsAction.LABEL)
 					]
-			});
+				});
 		});
+
+		ipc.on('vscode:showAutoSaveError', () => {
+			this.messageService.show(
+				Severity.Warning, {
+					message: nls.localize('autoSaveError', "Unable to write to settings. Please add **files.autoSaveDelay: 1** to settings.json."),
+					actions: [
+						CloseAction,
+						this.instantiationService.createInstance(OpenGlobalSettingsAction, OpenGlobalSettingsAction.ID, OpenGlobalSettingsAction.LABEL)
+					]
+				});
+		});
+
 	}
 
 	private resolveKeybindings(actionIds: string[]): TPromise<{ id: string; binding: number; }[]> {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/windows.ts b/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/windows.ts
index b174d2c82f2ebad1cf5f61653b6896b199020d41..06effaaba9986df50e1e5b49c435a473cec6c62a 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/windows.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/electron-main/windows.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import window = require('vs/workbench/electron-main/window');
 import lifecycle = require('vs/workbench/electron-main/lifecycle');
 import nls = require('vs/nls');
 import paths = require('vs/base/common/paths');
+import json = require('vs/base/common/json');
 import arrays = require('vs/base/common/arrays');
 import objects = require('vs/base/common/objects');
 import storage = require('vs/workbench/electron-main/storage');
@@ -175,10 +176,7 @@ export class WindowsManager {
 				eventEmitter.emit(EventTypes.READY, win);
 
 				// TODO@Ben remove me in a couple of versions
-				if (storage.getItem<number>('autoSaveDelay') === 1000) {
-					storage.removeItem('autoSaveDelay');
-					win.send('vscode:showAutoSaveInfo');
-				}
+				this.migrateAutoSave(win);
 			}
 		});
 
@@ -342,6 +340,46 @@ export class WindowsManager {
 		});
 	}
 
+	private migrateAutoSave(win: window.VSCodeWindow): void {
+		if (storage.getItem<number>('autoSaveDelay') === 1000) {
+			storage.removeItem('autoSaveDelay');
+			win.send('vscode:showAutoSaveInfo');
+
+			try {
+
+				// Initial settings file
+				if (!fs.existsSync(env.appSettingsPath)) {
+					fs.writeFileSync(env.appSettingsPath, JSON.stringify({ 'files.autoSaveDelay': 1 }, null, '    '));
+				}
+
+				// Update existing settings file
+				else {
+					const settingsRaw = fs.readFileSync(env.appSettingsPath).toString();
+					const lastClosing = settingsRaw.lastIndexOf('}');
+					const errors = [];
+					const res = json.parse(settingsRaw, errors);
+
+					// We found a closing '}' and the JSON does not contain errors
+					if (lastClosing > 0 && !errors.length) {
+						const hasOtherKeys = Object.getOwnPropertyNames(res).length > 0;
+
+						const migratedSettings = settingsRaw.substring(0, lastClosing) + '\n    // Migrated from previous File | Auto Save setting:\n' + (hasOtherKeys ? '    , "files.autoSaveDelay": 1\n' : '    "files.autoSaveDelay": 1\n') + '}';
+
+						fs.writeFileSync(env.appSettingsPath, migratedSettings);
+					}
+
+					// Otherwise inform user that we cannot migrate the settings
+					else {
+						win.send('vscode:showAutoSaveError');
+					}
+				}
+			} catch (error) {
+				env.log(error);
+				win.send('vscode:showAutoSaveError');
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	public reload(win: window.VSCodeWindow, cli?: env.ICommandLineArguments): void {
 
 		// Only reload when the window has not vetoed this
@@ -600,7 +638,7 @@ export class WindowsManager {
 			recentPaths.unshift(workspacePath);
 		}
 
-				// Clear those dupes
+		// Clear those dupes
 		recentPaths = arrays.distinct(recentPaths);
 
 		// Make sure it is bounded