diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b658585eba4663cb2c07ad7cac55a5fd9a0dd3fe..f38be52dcdd64685aac28568ac7bb41a9e230413 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,3 +4,4 @@ _build/
 .vscode
 target
 .flatpak-builder
+.fenv
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index a1dfc9604a8a64550382205cf6172061813dbb73..b5a74758490a00090814deda28716dccbd0e22e3 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ other-checks:
   image: alpine
   script:
     - apk add --no-cache git
-    - git ls-files 'src/*.rs' 'src/*.ui' 'data/*.ui' 'data/*.desktop.in*' '*.metainfo.xml.in*' > po/POTFILES.in
+    - git ls-files 'src/*.rs' 'src/*.ui' 'data/*.ui' 'data/*.desktop.in*' '*.gschema.xml.in' '*.metainfo.xml.in*' > po/POTFILES.in
     - git diff --exit-code
 
 pages:
@@ -147,4 +147,4 @@ nightly@aarch64:
   extends: ".publish_nightly"
   stage: deploy
   dependencies:
-    - flatpak@aarch64
\ No newline at end of file
+    - flatpak@aarch64
diff --git a/data/meson.build b/data/meson.build
index ef6b855d1ab4e9b9bb50e794227906107bfdc329..fced285cfaa17aafd52b0226eaaef25eb2df2811 100644
--- a/data/meson.build
+++ b/data/meson.build
@@ -90,6 +90,26 @@ appstream_file = i18n.merge_file(
 
 subdir('icons')
 
+# GSchema
+gschema_conf = configuration_data()
+gschema_conf.set('app-id', app_id)
+gschema_conf.set('gettext-package', meson.project_name())
+configure_file(
+  input: '@0@.gschema.xml.in'.format(base_id),
+  output: '@0@.gschema.xml'.format(app_id),
+  configuration: gschema_conf,
+  install: true,
+  install_dir: iv_datadir / 'glib-2.0' / 'schemas'
+)
+
+# Validate GSchema
+test(
+  'validate-gschema', glib_compile_schemas,
+  args: [
+    '--strict', '--dry-run', meson.current_source_dir()
+  ]
+)
+
 # Post install
 
 gnome.post_install()
diff --git a/data/org.gnome.Loupe.gschema.xml.in b/data/org.gnome.Loupe.gschema.xml.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..13ac2ead51440e870e30bfd25d48fa681dfe73ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/org.gnome.Loupe.gschema.xml.in
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<schemalist>
+  <schema path="/org/gnome/Loupe/" id="@app-id@" gettext-domain="@gettext-package@">
+    <key name="show-properties" type="b">
+      <default>false</default>
+      <summary>Show the image properties sidebar</summary>
+    </key>
+  </schema>
+</schemalist>
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b3c5b6ae39a4cdea115ce166628acc3f8cbaf8ea..a1f0fd1488832b2afaca12752de924a6a0e9710c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ dependency('gweather4', version: '>=4.0.0')
 dependency('lcms2', version: '>=2.12.0')
 
 cargo = find_program('cargo', required: true)
+glib_compile_schemas = find_program('glib-compile-schemas', required: true)
 
 iv_prefix = get_option('prefix')
 iv_bindir = iv_prefix / get_option('bindir')
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ if get_option('profile') != 'release'
   endif
 endif
 
+base_id = 'org.gnome.Loupe'
 app_id = 'org.gnome.Loupe@0@'.format(profile)
 iv_version = meson.project_version() + version_suffix
 
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ endif
 gnome.post_install(
   gtk_update_icon_cache: true,
   update_desktop_database: true,
+  glib_compile_schemas: true,
 )
 
 meson.add_dist_script(
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 7d5f3615a02cccedfaf3459b949a55d7a9df5668..b94f54646a3325cba033ed850ccefe752e1333f0 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 data/org.gnome.Loupe.desktop.in.in
+data/org.gnome.Loupe.gschema.xml.in
 data/org.gnome.Loupe.metainfo.xml.in.in
 data/resources/gtk/help-overlay.ui
 src/about.rs
diff --git a/src/application.rs b/src/application.rs
index 6f40d63afa396ff0be11e0e2b3ad63df776f3bbf..586f167a110e469376d91004b5f4bf208f433e36 100644
--- a/src/application.rs
+++ b/src/application.rs
@@ -33,8 +33,18 @@ mod imp {
 
     // The basic struct that holds our
     // state and widgets
-    #[derive(Default, Debug)]
-    pub struct LpApplication {}
+    #[derive(Debug)]
+    pub struct LpApplication {
+        pub settings: gio::Settings,
+    }
+
+    impl Default for LpApplication {
+        fn default() -> Self {
+            Self {
+                settings: gio::Settings::new(config::APP_ID),
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
     // Sets up the basics for the GObject
     // The `#[glib::object_subclass] macro implements
@@ -209,4 +219,17 @@ impl LpApplication {
             }
         });
     }
+
+    pub fn settings(&self) -> gio::Settings {
+        self.imp().settings.clone()
+    }
+}
+
+impl Default for LpApplication {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        gio::Application::default()
+            .unwrap()
+            .downcast::<LpApplication>()
+            .unwrap()
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/window.rs b/src/window.rs
index 10d1690ff918209ebcd45003d14b385978dd889d..db69af6c609f9ce64b683bd537693413c260f74b 100644
--- a/src/window.rs
+++ b/src/window.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ use gtk::CompositeTemplate;
 use std::cell::{Cell, OnceCell, RefCell};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
+use crate::application::LpApplication;
 use crate::config;
 use crate::util::{Direction, Position};
 use crate::widgets::{LpDragOverlay, LpImage, LpImageView, LpPropertiesView};
@@ -275,6 +276,10 @@ mod imp {
                 .connect_pressed(clone!(@weak obj => move |_,_,_,_| {
                     obj.image_view().navigate(Direction::Back);
                 }));
+            self.properties_button
+                .connect_toggled(clone!(@weak obj => move |_| {
+                    obj.on_properties_button_toggled();
+                }));
 
             if config::PROFILE == ".Devel" {
                 obj.add_css_class("devel");
@@ -754,7 +759,6 @@ impl LpWindow {
 
         let has_image = current_page.is_some();
 
-        imp.properties_button.set_sensitive(has_image);
         self.set_actions_enabled(has_image);
         self.action_set_enabled(
             "win.trash",
@@ -764,15 +768,41 @@ impl LpWindow {
         );
 
         if has_image {
+            // Properties buttons was not enabled before. Pickup config state for enabling
+            // it again.
+            if !imp.properties_button.is_sensitive() {
+                let settings = LpApplication::default().settings();
+                imp.properties_button
+                    .set_active(settings.boolean("show-properties"));
+            }
             imp.stack.set_visible_child(&*imp.image_view);
             imp.image_view.grab_focus();
             self.schedule_hide_controls();
         } else {
+            imp.properties_button.set_active(false);
             imp.stack.set_visible_child(&*imp.status_page);
             imp.status_page.grab_focus();
             // Leave fullscreen since status page has no controls to leave it
             self.set_fullscreened(false);
         }
+
+        imp.properties_button.set_sensitive(has_image);
+    }
+
+    /// When the image-properties sidebar is displayed or hidden, we should update the
+    /// "show-properties" setting.
+    fn on_properties_button_toggled(&self) {
+        let imp = self.imp();
+        // When no image is shown, we skip this update as the sidebar should always be hidden.
+        // This can happen when deleting a picture.
+        if imp.image_view.current_page().is_none() {
+            return;
+        }
+        let settings = LpApplication::default().settings();
+        let result = settings.set_boolean("show-properties", imp.properties_button.is_active());
+        if let Err(err) = result {
+            log::warn!("Failed to save show-properties state, {}", err);
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn update_title(&self) {