diff --git a/MultiSettings.cpp b/MultiSettings.cpp
index 918625805..c1f33cd25 100644
--- a/MultiSettings.cpp
+++ b/MultiSettings.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class MultiSettings::impl final
   Q_OBJECT
 
 public:
-  explicit impl ();
+  explicit impl (MultiSettings const * parent);
   bool reposition ();
   void create_menu_actions (QMainWindow * main_window, QMenu * menu);
   bool exit ();
@@ -183,6 +183,9 @@ private:
   // remove a configuration
   void delete_configuration (QMainWindow *);
 
+  MultiSettings const * parent_;  // required for emitting signals
+  bool name_change_emit_pending_; // delayed until menu built
+
   QFont original_font_;
   QString current_;
 
@@ -203,8 +206,10 @@ private:
 };
 
 #include "MultiSettings.moc"
+#include "moc_MultiSettings.cpp"
 
 MultiSettings::MultiSettings ()
+  : m_ {this}
 {
 }
 
@@ -265,8 +270,10 @@ bool MultiSettings::exit ()
   return m_->exit ();
 }
 
-MultiSettings::impl::impl ()
+MultiSettings::impl::impl (MultiSettings const * parent)
   : settings_ {settings_path (), QSettings::IniFormat}
+  , parent_ {parent}
+  , name_change_emit_pending_ {true}
   , reposition_type_ {RepositionType::unchanged}
   , exit_flag_ {true}
   , configurations_group_ {new QActionGroup {this}}
@@ -382,6 +389,7 @@ bool MultiSettings::impl::reposition ()
   reposition_type_ = RepositionType::unchanged; // reset
   bool exit {exit_flag_};
   exit_flag_ = true;           // reset exit flag so normal exit works
+
   return exit;
 }
 
@@ -430,6 +438,12 @@ void MultiSettings::impl::create_menu_actions (QMainWindow * main_window, QMenu
       delete_configuration (main_window);
     });
   if (current_group.size ()) settings_.beginGroup (current_group);
+
+  if (name_change_emit_pending_)
+    {
+      Q_EMIT parent_->configurationNameChanged (current_);
+      name_change_emit_pending_ = false;
+    }
 }
 
 // call this at the end of the main program loop to determine if the
@@ -442,6 +456,9 @@ bool MultiSettings::impl::exit ()
     }
   action_connections_.clear ();
 
+  // ensure that configuration name changed signal gets fired on restart
+  name_change_emit_pending_ = true;
+
   // do any configuration swap required and return exit flag
   return reposition ();
 }
@@ -532,6 +549,7 @@ void MultiSettings::impl::select_configuration (QMainWindow * main_window)
           }
           // and set up the restart
           current_ = target_name;
+          Q_EMIT parent_->configurationNameChanged (current_);
           reposition_type_ = RepositionType::save_and_replace;
           exit_flag_ = false;
           main_window->close ();
@@ -708,6 +726,7 @@ void MultiSettings::impl::rename_configuration (QMainWindow * main_window)
               settings_.setValue (multi_settings_current_name_key, dialog.new_name ());
               settings_.sync ();
               current_ = dialog.new_name ();
+              Q_EMIT parent_->configurationNameChanged (current_);
             }
           else
             {
diff --git a/MultiSettings.hpp b/MultiSettings.hpp
index 1fdc0308f..ba132ef67 100644
--- a/MultiSettings.hpp
+++ b/MultiSettings.hpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef MULTISETTINGS_HPP__
 #define MULTISETTINGS_HPP__
 
+#include <QObject>
 #include <QVariant>
 
 #include "pimpl_h.hpp"
@@ -59,7 +60,10 @@ class QString;
 //
 
 class MultiSettings
+  : public QObject
 {
+  Q_OBJECT
+
 public:
   explicit MultiSettings ();
   MultiSettings (MultiSettings const&) = delete;
@@ -86,6 +90,9 @@ public:
   // again.
   bool exit ();
 
+  // emitted when the name of the current configuration changes
+  Q_SIGNAL void configurationNameChanged (QString const& name) const;
+
 private:
   class impl;
   pimpl<impl> m_;
diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index 7deb75cae..fdeb8a0ed 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QDir const& temp_directory, bool multiple,
   m_manual {network_manager}
 {
   ui->setupUi(this);
+  createStatusBar();
   add_child_to_event_filter (this);
   ui->dxGridEntry->setValidator (new MaidenheadLocatorValidator {this});
   ui->dxCallEntry->setValidator (new CallsignValidator {this});
@@ -580,6 +581,15 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QDir const& temp_directory, bool multiple,
   connect (&m_config, &Configuration::udp_server_port_changed, m_messageClient, &MessageClient::set_server_port);
 
   // set up configurations menu
+  connect (m_multi_settings, &MultiSettings::configurationNameChanged, [this] (QString const& name) {
+      if ("Default" != name) {
+        config_label.setText (name);
+        config_label.show ();
+      }
+      else {
+        config_label.hide ();
+      }
+    });
   m_multi_settings->create_menu_actions (this, ui->menuConfig);
   m_configurations_button = m_rigErrorMessageBox.addButton (tr ("Configurations...")
                                                             , QMessageBox::ActionRole);
@@ -666,8 +676,6 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QDir const& temp_directory, bool multiple,
   ui->decodedTextLabel2->setText(t);
 
   readSettings();		         //Restore user's setup params
-  m_configName = m_multi_settings->common_value("CurrentName").toString();
-  createStatusBar();
 
   m_audioThread.start (m_audioThreadPriority);
 
@@ -1701,13 +1709,11 @@ void MainWindow::createStatusBar()                           //createStatusBar
   tx_status_label.setFrameStyle (QFrame::Panel | QFrame::Sunken);
   statusBar()->addWidget (&tx_status_label);
 
-  if(m_configName!="Default") {
-    config_label.setAlignment (Qt::AlignHCenter);
-    config_label.setMinimumSize (QSize {80, 18});
-    config_label.setFrameStyle (QFrame::Panel | QFrame::Sunken);
-    config_label.setText(m_configName);
-    statusBar()->addWidget (&config_label);
-  }
+  config_label.setAlignment (Qt::AlignHCenter);
+  config_label.setMinimumSize (QSize {80, 18});
+  config_label.setFrameStyle (QFrame::Panel | QFrame::Sunken);
+  statusBar()->addWidget (&config_label);
+  config_label.hide ();         // only shown for non-default configuration
 
   mode_label.setAlignment (Qt::AlignHCenter);
   mode_label.setMinimumSize (QSize {80, 18});
@@ -2952,11 +2958,6 @@ void MainWindow::guiUpdate()
 
 //Once per second:
   if(nsec != m_sec0) {
-    if(m_multi_settings->common_value("CurrentName").toString() != m_configName &&
-       m_configName!="Default") {
-      m_configName=m_multi_settings->common_value("CurrentName").toString();
-      config_label.setText(m_configName);
-    }
     if(m_auto and m_mode=="Echo" and m_bEchoTxOK) {
       progressBar.setMaximum(6);
       progressBar.setValue(int(m_s6));
diff --git a/mainwindow.h b/mainwindow.h
index a766fa6d2..f426a4964 100644
--- a/mainwindow.h
+++ b/mainwindow.h
@@ -489,7 +489,6 @@ private:
   QString m_msgSent0;
   QString m_fileToSave;
   QString m_calls;
-  QString m_configName;
 
   QSet<QString> m_pfx;
   QSet<QString> m_sfx;