diff --git a/connector/syncthingconnectionsettings.h b/connector/syncthingconnectionsettings.h
index 22d5c96..f975d78 100644
--- a/connector/syncthingconnectionsettings.h
+++ b/connector/syncthingconnectionsettings.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ struct LIB_SYNCTHING_CONNECTOR_EXPORT SyncthingConnectionSettings {
     int reconnectInterval = defaultReconnectInterval;
     QString httpsCertPath;
     QList<QSslError> expectedSslErrors;
+    bool autoConnect = false;
     bool loadHttpsCert();
 
     static constexpr int defaultTrafficPollInterval = 5000;
diff --git a/widgets/settings/connectionoptionpage.ui b/widgets/settings/connectionoptionpage.ui
index f09b250..eb47719 100644
--- a/widgets/settings/connectionoptionpage.ui
+++ b/widgets/settings/connectionoptionpage.ui
@@ -428,21 +428,21 @@
      </item>
     </layout>
    </item>
-   <item row="14" column="0">
+   <item row="15" column="0">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="statusTextLabel">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Status</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="14" column="1">
+   <item row="15" column="1">
     <widget class="QLabel" name="statusLabel">
      <property name="text">
       <string>disconnected</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="17" column="1">
+   <item row="18" column="1">
     <widget class="QPushButton" name="connectPushButton">
      <property name="text">
       <string>Apply connection settings and try to reconnect with the currently selected config</string>
@@ -453,6 +453,16 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item row="14" column="1">
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="autoConnectCheckBox">
+     <property name="toolTip">
+      <string>Whether to connect automatically on startup. This setting might be overruled by systemd and launcher settings.</string>
+     </property>
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Connect automatically on startup</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
   </layout>
  </widget>
  <customwidgets>
diff --git a/widgets/settings/settings.cpp b/widgets/settings/settings.cpp
index 595cf5d..52916d2 100644
--- a/widgets/settings/settings.cpp
+++ b/widgets/settings/settings.cpp
@@ -136,8 +136,15 @@ Launcher::LauncherStatus Launcher::apply(
     const auto consideredForReconnect = considerForReconnect && isRelevant;
 
     if (currentConnectionSettings && (!considerForReconnect || !isRelevant || isRunning)) {
-        // ensure auto-reconnect is configured according to settings
+        // ensure auto-reconnect is configured according to settings and connect if auto-connect is configured
         connection.setAutoReconnectInterval(currentConnectionSettings->reconnectInterval);
+        if (currentConnectionSettings->autoConnect) {
+            if (reconnectRequired) {
+                connection.reconnect();
+            } else {
+                connection.connect();
+            }
+        }
     } else {
         // disable auto-reconnect regardless of the overall settings
         connection.setAutoReconnectInterval(0);
@@ -227,6 +234,8 @@ void restore()
                 = settings.value(QStringLiteral("errorsPollInterval"), connectionSettings->errorsPollInterval).toInt();
             connectionSettings->reconnectInterval
                 = settings.value(QStringLiteral("reconnectInterval"), connectionSettings->reconnectInterval).toInt();
+            connectionSettings->autoConnect
+                = settings.value(QStringLiteral("autoConnect"), connectionSettings->autoConnect).toBool();
             connectionSettings->httpsCertPath = settings.value(QStringLiteral("httpsCertPath")).toString();
             if (!connectionSettings->loadHttpsCert()) {
                 QMessageBox::critical(nullptr, QCoreApplication::applicationName(),
@@ -336,6 +345,7 @@ void save()
         settings.setValue(QStringLiteral("devStatsPollInterval"), connectionSettings->devStatsPollInterval);
         settings.setValue(QStringLiteral("errorsPollInterval"), connectionSettings->errorsPollInterval);
         settings.setValue(QStringLiteral("reconnectInterval"), connectionSettings->reconnectInterval);
+        settings.setValue(QStringLiteral("autoConnect"), connectionSettings->autoConnect);
         settings.setValue(QStringLiteral("httpsCertPath"), connectionSettings->httpsCertPath);
     }
     settings.endArray();
@@ -468,8 +478,15 @@ Systemd::ServiceStatus Systemd::apply(
     const auto consideredForReconnect = considerForReconnect && isRelevant && unitAvailable;
 
     if (currentConnectionSettings && (!considerForReconnect || !isRelevant || isRunning)) {
-        // ensure auto-reconnect is configured according to settings
+        // ensure auto-reconnect is configured according to settings and connect if auto-connect is configured
         connection.setAutoReconnectInterval(currentConnectionSettings->reconnectInterval);
+        if (currentConnectionSettings->autoConnect) {
+            if (reconnectRequired) {
+                connection.reconnect();
+            } else {
+                connection.connect();
+            }
+        }
     } else {
         // disable auto-reconnect regardless of the overall settings
         connection.setAutoReconnectInterval(0);
diff --git a/widgets/settings/settingsdialog.cpp b/widgets/settings/settingsdialog.cpp
index d30bb3b..d74b149 100644
--- a/widgets/settings/settingsdialog.cpp
+++ b/widgets/settings/settingsdialog.cpp
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ bool ConnectionOptionPage::showConnectionSettings(int index)
     ui()->pollDevStatsSpinBox->setValue(connectionSettings.devStatsPollInterval);
     ui()->pollErrorsSpinBox->setValue(connectionSettings.errorsPollInterval);
     ui()->reconnectSpinBox->setValue(connectionSettings.reconnectInterval);
+    ui()->autoConnectCheckBox->setChecked(connectionSettings.autoConnect);
     setCurrentIndex(index);
     return true;
 }
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ bool ConnectionOptionPage::cacheCurrentSettings(bool applying)
     connectionSettings.devStatsPollInterval = ui()->pollDevStatsSpinBox->value();
     connectionSettings.errorsPollInterval = ui()->pollErrorsSpinBox->value();
     connectionSettings.reconnectInterval = ui()->reconnectSpinBox->value();
+    connectionSettings.autoConnect = ui()->autoConnectCheckBox->isChecked();
     if (!connectionSettings.loadHttpsCert()) {
         const QString errorMessage = QCoreApplication::translate("QtGui::ConnectionOptionPage", "Unable to load specified certificate \"%1\".")
                                          .arg(connectionSettings.httpsCertPath);