--- a/src/core/prefs.c

+++ b/src/core/prefs.c

@@ -1962,6 +1962,10 @@ init_commands (void)

 static void

 init_workspace_names (void)

 {

+  int i;

+  for (i = 0; i < MAX_REASONABLE_WORKSPACES; i++)

+    workspace_names[i] = NULL;

+

 #ifdef HAVE_MATECONF

   GSList *list, *l;

   const char *str_val;

@@ -1980,14 +1984,15 @@ init_workspace_names (void)

       mateconf_entry_free (entry);

     }

   g_slist_free (list);

-#else

-  int i;

+#endif /* HAVE_MATECONF */

+

+  /* initialise any we didn't see */

   for (i = 0; i < MAX_REASONABLE_WORKSPACES; i++)

-    workspace_names[i] = g_strdup_printf (_("Workspace %d"), i + 1);

+    if (workspace_names[i]==NULL)

+      workspace_names[i] = g_strdup_printf (_("Workspace %d"), i + 1);

   meta_topic (META_DEBUG_PREFS,

               "Initialized workspace names\n");

-#endif /* HAVE_MATECONF */

 }

 static gboolean