diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPlatform.java b/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPlatform.java
index 2e9b88a39..91e9ef974 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPlatform.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/debug/TargetPlatform.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ public class TargetPlatform {
    * Contains preferences for every defined board
    */
   private Map<String, TargetBoard> boards = new LinkedHashMap<String, TargetBoard>();
+  private TargetBoard defaultBoard;
 
   /**
    * Contains preferences for every defined programmer
@@ -86,11 +87,16 @@ public class TargetPlatform {
       boardsPreferences.remove("menu");
 
       // Create boards
-      for (String id : boardsPreferences.keySet()) {
+      Set<String> boardIDs = boardsPreferences.keySet();
+      for (String id : boardIDs) {
         PreferencesMap preferences = boardsPreferences.get(id);
         TargetBoard board = new TargetBoard(id, preferences, this);
         boards.put(id, board);
       }
+      if (!boardIDs.isEmpty()) {
+        PreferencesMap preferences = boardsPreferences.get(boardIDs.iterator().next());
+        defaultBoard = new TargetBoard(id, preferences, this);
+      }
     } catch (IOException e) {
       throw new TargetPlatformException(format(_("Error loading {0}"),
                                                boardsFile.getAbsolutePath()), e);
@@ -156,7 +162,10 @@ public class TargetPlatform {
   }
 
   public TargetBoard getBoard(String boardId) {
-    return boards.get(boardId);
+    if (boards.containsKey(boardId)) {
+      return boards.get(boardId);
+    }
+    return defaultBoard;
   }
 
   public TargetPackage getContainerPackage() {
diff --git a/app/test/processing/app/AbstractWithPreferencesTest.java b/app/test/processing/app/AbstractWithPreferencesTest.java
index dd2946eeb..ca07ec385 100644
--- a/app/test/processing/app/AbstractWithPreferencesTest.java
+++ b/app/test/processing/app/AbstractWithPreferencesTest.java
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 package processing.app;
 
-import org.junit.BeforeClass;
+import org.junit.Before;
 
 public abstract class AbstractWithPreferencesTest {
 
-  @BeforeClass
-  public static void init() throws Exception {
+  @Before
+  public void init() throws Exception {
     Base.initPlatform();
     Preferences.init(null);
+    Theme.init();
+
+    Base.untitledFolder = Base.createTempFolder("untitled");
+    Base.untitledFolder.deleteOnExit();
+
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/test/processing/app/DefaultTargetTest.java b/app/test/processing/app/DefaultTargetTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f019e9f80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/test/processing/app/DefaultTargetTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package processing.app;
+
+import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import processing.app.debug.TargetBoard;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotEquals;
+
+public class DefaultTargetTest extends AbstractWithPreferencesTest {
+
+  private String oldBoardID;
+
+  @Before
+  public void saveBoardFromPreferences() throws Exception {
+    oldBoardID = Preferences.get("board");
+  }
+
+  @After
+  public void restoreBoardIntoPreferences() throws Exception {
+    Preferences.set("board", oldBoardID);
+    Preferences.save();
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testDefaultTarget() throws Exception {
+    Preferences.set("board", "unreal_board");
+
+    // should not raise an exception
+    new Base(new String[0]);
+
+    TargetBoard targetBoard = Base.getTargetBoard();
+    assertNotEquals("unreal_board", targetBoard.getId());
+  }
+}