diff --git a/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp b/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp
index ede063ba36..e8c41c61ef 100644
--- a/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp
+++ b/common/settings/settings_manager.cpp
@@ -69,8 +69,7 @@ SETTINGS_MANAGER::SETTINGS_MANAGER( bool aHeadless ) :
     m_ok = true;
 
     // create the common settings shared by all applications.  Not loaded immediately
-    m_common_settings = static_cast<COMMON_SETTINGS*>( RegisterSettings( new COMMON_SETTINGS,
-                                                                         false ) );
+    m_common_settings = RegisterSettings( new COMMON_SETTINGS, false );
 
     loadAllColorSettings();
 }
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ SETTINGS_MANAGER::~SETTINGS_MANAGER()
 }
 
 
-JSON_SETTINGS* SETTINGS_MANAGER::RegisterSettings( JSON_SETTINGS* aSettings, bool aLoadNow )
+JSON_SETTINGS* SETTINGS_MANAGER::registerSettings( JSON_SETTINGS* aSettings, bool aLoadNow )
 {
     std::unique_ptr<JSON_SETTINGS> ptr( aSettings );
 
@@ -213,18 +212,17 @@ COLOR_SETTINGS* SETTINGS_MANAGER::loadColorSettingsByName( const wxString& aName
         return nullptr;
     }
 
-    auto cs = static_cast<COLOR_SETTINGS*>( RegisterSettings( new COLOR_SETTINGS( aName ) ) );
+    COLOR_SETTINGS* settings = RegisterSettings( new COLOR_SETTINGS( aName ) );
 
-    if( cs->GetFilename() != aName.ToStdString() )
+    if( settings->GetFilename() != aName.ToStdString() )
     {
-        // wxLogTrace is actually a macro so these braces are needed to keep Coverity from
-        // worrying about dangline else clauses....
-        wxLogTrace( traceSettings, "Warning: stored filename is actually %s, ", cs->GetFilename() );
+        wxLogTrace( traceSettings, "Warning: stored filename is actually %s, ",
+                    settings->GetFilename() );
     }
 
-    m_color_settings[aName] = cs;
+    m_color_settings[aName] = settings;
 
-    return cs;
+    return settings;
 }
 
 
@@ -262,8 +260,8 @@ COLOR_SETTINGS* SETTINGS_MANAGER::registerColorSettings( const wxString& aName )
 {
     if( !m_color_settings.count( aName ) )
     {
-        auto cs = static_cast<COLOR_SETTINGS*>( RegisterSettings( new COLOR_SETTINGS( aName ) ) );
-        m_color_settings[aName] = cs;
+        COLOR_SETTINGS* colorSettings = RegisterSettings( new COLOR_SETTINGS( aName ) );
+        m_color_settings[aName] = colorSettings;
     }
 
     return m_color_settings.at( aName );
@@ -296,10 +294,7 @@ void SETTINGS_MANAGER::loadAllColorSettings()
 {
     // Create the built-in color settings
     for( COLOR_SETTINGS* settings : COLOR_SETTINGS::CreateBuiltinColorSettings() )
-    {
-        m_color_settings[settings->GetFilename()] =
-                static_cast<COLOR_SETTINGS*>( RegisterSettings( settings, false ) );
-    }
+        m_color_settings[settings->GetFilename()] = RegisterSettings( settings, false );
 
     // Search for and load any other settings
     COLOR_SETTINGS_LOADER loader( [&]( const wxString& aFilename )
@@ -809,7 +804,7 @@ bool SETTINGS_MANAGER::LoadProject( const wxString& aFullPath, bool aSetActive )
     PROJECT_LOCAL_SETTINGS* settings = new PROJECT_LOCAL_SETTINGS( m_projects[fullPath], fn );
 
     if( aSetActive )
-        settings = static_cast<PROJECT_LOCAL_SETTINGS*>( RegisterSettings( settings ) );
+        settings = RegisterSettings( settings );
 
     m_projects[fullPath]->setLocalSettings( settings );
 
@@ -974,8 +969,7 @@ bool SETTINGS_MANAGER::loadProjectFile( PROJECT& aProject )
     wxFileName fullFn( aProject.GetProjectFullName() );
     wxString fn( fullFn.GetName() );
 
-    PROJECT_FILE* file = static_cast<PROJECT_FILE*>( RegisterSettings( new PROJECT_FILE( fn ),
-                                                                       false ) );
+    PROJECT_FILE* file = RegisterSettings( new PROJECT_FILE( fn ), false );
 
     m_project_files[aProject.GetProjectFullName()] = file;
 
diff --git a/include/settings/settings_manager.h b/include/settings/settings_manager.h
index 5c91546c7d..eb0780a290 100644
--- a/include/settings/settings_manager.h
+++ b/include/settings/settings_manager.h
@@ -59,7 +59,11 @@ public:
      * @param aSettings is a settings object to register
      * @return a handle to the owned pointer
      */
-    JSON_SETTINGS* RegisterSettings( JSON_SETTINGS* aSettings, bool aLoadNow = true );
+    template<typename T>
+    T* RegisterSettings( T* aSettings, bool aLoadNow = true )
+    {
+        return static_cast<T*>( registerSettings( aSettings, aLoadNow ) );
+    }
 
     void Load();
 
@@ -81,18 +85,18 @@ public:
      * If the settings have not been loaded, creates a new object owned by the
      * settings manager and returns a pointer to it.
      *
-     * @tparam AppSettings is a type derived from APP_SETTINGS_BASE
+     * @tparam T is a type derived from APP_SETTINGS_BASE
      * @param aLoadNow is true to load the registered file from disk immediately
      * @return a pointer to a loaded settings object
      */
-    template<typename AppSettings>
-    AppSettings* GetAppSettings( bool aLoadNow = true )
+    template<typename T>
+    T* GetAppSettings( bool aLoadNow = true )
     {
-        AppSettings* ret      = nullptr;
-        size_t       typeHash = typeid( AppSettings ).hash_code();
+        T*     ret      = nullptr;
+        size_t typeHash = typeid( T ).hash_code();
 
          if( m_app_settings_cache.count( typeHash ) )
-            ret = dynamic_cast<AppSettings*>( m_app_settings_cache.at( typeHash ) );
+            ret = dynamic_cast<T*>( m_app_settings_cache.at( typeHash ) );
 
         if( ret )
             return ret;
@@ -100,18 +104,18 @@ public:
         auto it = std::find_if( m_settings.begin(), m_settings.end(),
                                 []( const std::unique_ptr<JSON_SETTINGS>& aSettings )
                                 {
-                                    return dynamic_cast<AppSettings*>( aSettings.get() );
+                                    return dynamic_cast<T*>( aSettings.get() );
                                 } );
 
         if( it != m_settings.end() )
         {
-            ret = dynamic_cast<AppSettings*>( it->get() );
+            ret = dynamic_cast<T*>( it->get() );
         }
         else
         {
             try
             {
-                ret = static_cast<AppSettings*>( RegisterSettings( new AppSettings, aLoadNow ) );
+                ret = static_cast<T*>( RegisterSettings( new T, aLoadNow ) );
             }
             catch( ... )
             {
@@ -342,6 +346,8 @@ public:
 
 private:
 
+    JSON_SETTINGS* registerSettings( JSON_SETTINGS* aSettings, bool aLoadNow = true );
+
     /**
      * Determines the base path for user settings files.
      *