diff --git a/freecad/kiconnect/init_gui.py b/freecad/kiconnect/init_gui.py
index 493dc6f..8ea61c6 100644
--- a/freecad/kiconnect/init_gui.py
+++ b/freecad/kiconnect/init_gui.py
@@ -19,12 +19,18 @@ TRANSLATIONSPATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "resources", "transla
 Gui.addLanguagePath(TRANSLATIONSPATH)
 Gui.updateLocale()
 
+default_preferences = [
+('Bool', 'debug_reload', True),
+('Bool', 'prefs_toolbar', True),
+('Float', 'default_thickness', 1.6),
+]
+
 class KiConnect(Gui.Workbench):
     MenuText = translate("Workbench", "KiConnect")
     ToolTip = translate("Workbench", "KiConnect PCB Workbench")
     Icon = os.path.join(settings.ICONPATH, "kiconnect.svg")
 
-    toolbox = [ 'kiconn_new', 'kiconn_reload', 'kiconn_sync_to', 'kiconn_sync_from' ]
+    toolbox = [ 'kiconn_new', 'kiconn_sync_to', 'kiconn_sync_from' ]
 
     def GetClassName(self):
         return "Gui::PythonWorkbench"
@@ -35,11 +41,24 @@ class KiConnect(Gui.Workbench):
         here is the place to import all the commands
         """
 
+        # setup default preferences on first load
+        if settings.preferences.IsEmpty():
+            for pref in default_preferences:
+                print('setting pref: ', f'Set{pref[0]}', pref[1], pref[2])
+                getattr(settings.preferences, f'Set{pref[0]}')(pref[1], pref[2])
+
+        # add debug reload button if enabled
+        if settings.preferences.GetBool('debug_reload'):
+            self.toolbox.append('kiconn_reload')
+
         print('setting up toolbar')
         # NOTE: Context for this commands must be "Workbench"
         self.appendToolbar(QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("Workbench", "KiConnect"), self.toolbox)
         self.appendMenu(QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("Workbench", "KiConnect"), self.toolbox)
 
+        Gui.addPreferencePage(os.path.join(settings.UIPATH, 'preferences.ui'), 'KiConnect')
+
+
     def Activated(self):
         App.Console.PrintMessage(translate("Log", "Workbench KiConnect activated.") + "\n")
 
diff --git a/freecad/kiconnect/resources/ui/preferences.ui b/freecad/kiconnect/resources/ui/preferences.ui
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc67141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/freecad/kiconnect/resources/ui/preferences.ui
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<ui version="4.0">
+ <class>KiConnect::DlgSettingsKiConnect</class>
+ <widget class="QWidget" name="KiConnect::DlgSettingsKiConnect">
+  <property name="geometry">
+   <rect>
+    <x>0</x>
+    <y>0</y>
+    <width>1151</width>
+    <height>591</height>
+   </rect>
+  </property>
+  <property name="maximumSize">
+   <size>
+    <width>1151</width>
+    <height>16777215</height>
+   </size>
+  </property>
+  <property name="windowTitle">
+   <string>General</string>
+  </property>
+  <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout">
+   <item>
+    <widget class="QGroupBox" name="defaults_group">
+     <property name="title">
+      <string>Defaults</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="alignment">
+      <set>Qt::AlignmentFlag::AlignCenter</set>
+     </property>
+     <property name="checkable">
+      <bool>false</bool>
+     </property>
+     <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_5">
+      <item>
+       <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout">
+        <item>
+         <widget class="QLabel" name="label_2">
+          <property name="text">
+           <string>Default Board Thickness</string>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+        <item>
+         <widget class="Gui::PrefDoubleSpinBox" name="doubleSpinBox">
+          <property name="singleStep">
+           <double>0.100000000000000</double>
+          </property>
+          <property name="value">
+           <double>1.600000000000000</double>
+          </property>
+          <property name="prefEntry" stdset="0">
+           <cstring>board_thickness</cstring>
+          </property>
+          <property name="prefPath" stdset="0">
+           <cstring>Mod/KiConnect</cstring>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+       </layout>
+      </item>
+      <item>
+       <widget class="Gui::PrefCheckBox" name="checkBox">
+        <property name="text">
+         <string> Preferences from toolbar</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="checked">
+         <bool>true</bool>
+        </property>
+        <property name="prefEntry" stdset="0">
+         <cstring>Mod/KiConnect</cstring>
+        </property>
+        <property name="prefPath" stdset="0">
+         <cstring>prefs_toolbar</cstring>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
+     </layout>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+   <item>
+    <widget class="QGroupBox" name="debug_group">
+     <property name="title">
+      <string>Debug and Development</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="alignment">
+      <set>Qt::AlignmentFlag::AlignCenter</set>
+     </property>
+     <property name="checkable">
+      <bool>false</bool>
+     </property>
+     <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_6">
+      <item>
+       <widget class="Gui::PrefCheckBox" name="check_debug_reload">
+        <property name="font">
+         <font>
+          <pointsize>10</pointsize>
+          <bold>false</bold>
+         </font>
+        </property>
+        <property name="text">
+         <string>Enable Reload</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="tristate">
+         <bool>false</bool>
+        </property>
+        <property name="prefEntry" stdset="0">
+         <cstring>debug_reload</cstring>
+        </property>
+        <property name="prefPath" stdset="0">
+         <cstring>Mod/KiConnect</cstring>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
+     </layout>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
+  </layout>
+ </widget>
+ <customwidgets>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>Gui::PrefCheckBox</class>
+   <extends>QCheckBox</extends>
+   <header>Gui/PrefWidgets.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>Gui::PrefDoubleSpinBox</class>
+   <extends>QDoubleSpinBox</extends>
+   <header>Gui/PrefWidgets.h</header>
+  </customwidget>
+ </customwidgets>
+ <resources/>
+ <connections/>
+</ui>
diff --git a/freecad/kiconnect/settings.py b/freecad/kiconnect/settings.py
index fb80af2..0857a8a 100644
--- a/freecad/kiconnect/settings.py
+++ b/freecad/kiconnect/settings.py
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 import os
+import FreeCAD as App
 
 BOARD_THICKNESS = 0.80
 ICONPATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "resources", 'icons')
+UIPATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "resources", 'ui')
 KICAD9_3DMODEL_DIR = '/usr/share/kicad/3dmodels/'
+PREF_PATH = 'User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/Mod/KiConnect'
+
+preferences = App.ParamGet(PREF_PATH)