diff --git a/gameblocks/modules/user-interface/StorageSettingsStore.js b/gameblocks/modules/user-interface/StorageSettingsStore.js
index 7f3e52d..65767ba 100644
--- a/gameblocks/modules/user-interface/StorageSettingsStore.js
+++ b/gameblocks/modules/user-interface/StorageSettingsStore.js
@@ -58,9 +58,10 @@ export class JsonSettingsStore {
 
   load() {
     const saved = readJsonStorageItem(this.storage, this.storageKey, null);
+    this.settings = { ...this.defaults };
     if (saved && typeof saved === 'object') {
       this.settings = {
-        ...this.settings,
+        ...this.defaults,
         ...saved,
       };
     }
diff --git a/gameblocks/modules/user-interface/StorageSettingsStore.test.js b/gameblocks/modules/user-interface/StorageSettingsStore.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5c965a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gameblocks/modules/user-interface/StorageSettingsStore.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import test from 'node:test';
+import { JsonSettingsStore } from './StorageSettingsStore.js';
+
+function memoryStorage(initial = {}) {
+  const data = { ...initial };
+  return {
+    getItem(key) {
+      return Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(data, key) ? data[key] : null;
+    },
+    setItem(key, value) {
+      data[key] = String(value);
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+test('load merges saved keys onto defaults, not dirty in-memory settings', () => {
+  const storage = memoryStorage({
+    demo: JSON.stringify({ volume: 0.2 }),
+  });
+  const store = new JsonSettingsStore(storage, 'demo', { volume: 1, muted: false });
+  store.update({ volume: 0.9, extra: 'stale' });
+  const loaded = store.load();
+  assert.equal(loaded.volume, 0.2);
+  assert.equal(loaded.muted, false);
+  assert.equal(loaded.extra, undefined);
+});
+
+test('load with empty storage restores defaults', () => {
+  const store = new JsonSettingsStore(memoryStorage(), 'demo', { volume: 1 });
+  store.update({ volume: 0 });
+  const loaded = store.load();
+  assert.equal(loaded.volume, 1);
+});