diff --git a/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.h b/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.h
index b8fc4a631..2f180b241 100644
--- a/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.h
+++ b/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.h
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ extern NSString * const XQuartzPrefKeySyncPrimaryOnSelect;
 
 @interface NSUserDefaults (XQuartzDefaults)
 
++ (NSUserDefaults *)globalDefaults;
++ (NSUserDefaults *)dockDefaults;
 + (NSUserDefaults *)xquartzDefaults;
 
 @end
diff --git a/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.m b/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.m
index b73003bae..bd5dd2305 100644
--- a/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.m
+++ b/hw/xquartz/NSUserDefaults+XQuartzDefaults.m
@@ -44,6 +44,44 @@ NSString * const XQuartzPrefKeySyncPrimaryOnSelect = @"sync_primary_on_select";
 
 @implementation NSUserDefaults (XQuartzDefaults)
 
++ (NSUserDefaults *)globalDefaults
+{
+    static dispatch_once_t once;
+    static NSUserDefaults *defaults;
+
+    dispatch_once(&once, ^{
+        NSString * const defaultsDomain = @".GlobalPreferences";
+        defaults = [[[NSUserDefaults alloc] initWithSuiteName:defaultsDomain] retain];
+
+        NSDictionary<NSString *, id> * const defaultDefaultsDict = @{
+            @"AppleSpacesSwitchOnActivate" : @(YES),
+        };
+
+        [defaults registerDefaults:defaultDefaultsDict];
+    });
+
+    return defaults;
+}
+
++ (NSUserDefaults *)dockDefaults
+{
+    static dispatch_once_t once;
+    static NSUserDefaults *defaults;
+
+    dispatch_once(&once, ^{
+        NSString * const defaultsDomain = @"com.apple.dock";
+        defaults = [[[NSUserDefaults alloc] initWithSuiteName:defaultsDomain] retain];
+
+        NSDictionary<NSString *, id> * const defaultDefaultsDict = @{
+            @"workspaces" : @(NO),
+        };
+
+        [defaults registerDefaults:defaultDefaultsDict];
+    });
+
+    return defaults;
+}
+
 + (NSUserDefaults *)xquartzDefaults
 {
     static dispatch_once_t once;
diff --git a/hw/xquartz/X11Application.m b/hw/xquartz/X11Application.m
index 31df8c9d4..b0550b69a 100644
--- a/hw/xquartz/X11Application.m
+++ b/hw/xquartz/X11Application.m
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ QuartzModeBundleInit(void);
         case NSApplicationActivatedEventType:
             for_x = NO;
             if ([e window] == nil && x_was_active) {
-                BOOL order_all_windows = YES, workspaces, ok;
+                BOOL order_all_windows = YES;
                 for_appkit = NO;
 
 #if APPKIT_APPFLAGS_HACK
@@ -430,26 +430,9 @@ QuartzModeBundleInit(void);
                 [self set_front_process:nil];
 
                 /* Get the Spaces preference for SwitchOnActivate */
-                (void)CFPreferencesAppSynchronize(CFSTR("com.apple.dock"));
-                workspaces =
-                    CFPreferencesGetAppBooleanValue(CFSTR("workspaces"),
-                                                    CFSTR(
-                                                        "com.apple.dock"),
-                                                    &ok);
-                if (!ok)
-                    workspaces = NO;
-
+                BOOL const workspaces = [NSUserDefaults.dockDefaults boolForKey:@"workspaces"];
                 if (workspaces) {
-                    (void)CFPreferencesAppSynchronize(CFSTR(
-                                                          ".GlobalPreferences"));
-                    order_all_windows =
-                        CFPreferencesGetAppBooleanValue(CFSTR(
-                                                            "AppleSpacesSwitchOnActivate"),
-                                                        CFSTR(
-                                                            ".GlobalPreferences"),
-                                                        &ok);
-                    if (!ok)
-                        order_all_windows = YES;
+                    order_all_windows = [NSUserDefaults.globalDefaults boolForKey:@"AppleSpacesSwitchOnActivate"];
                 }
 
                 /* TODO: In the workspaces && !AppleSpacesSwitchOnActivate case, the windows are ordered
@@ -460,8 +443,7 @@ QuartzModeBundleInit(void);
                  *       be restoring one of them.
                  */
                 if ([e data2] & 0x10) {         // 0x10 (bfCPSOrderAllWindowsForward) is set when we use cmd-tab or the dock icon
-                    DarwinSendDDXEvent(kXquartzBringAllToFront, 1,
-                                       order_all_windows);
+                    DarwinSendDDXEvent(kXquartzBringAllToFront, 1, order_all_windows);
                 }
             }
             break;