diff --git a/searx/settings_loader.py b/searx/settings_loader.py
index d499ffc73..ae577f93b 100644
--- a/searx/settings_loader.py
+++ b/searx/settings_loader.py
@@ -65,25 +65,54 @@ def update_dict(default_dict, user_dict):
 
 
 def update_settings(default_settings, user_settings):
-    # merge everything except the engines
+    # merge everything except the engines and categories_as_tabs
     for k, v in user_settings.items():
-        if k not in ('use_default_settings', 'engines'):
-            if k in default_settings and isinstance(v, Mapping):
-                update_dict(default_settings[k], v)
-            else:
-                default_settings[k] = v
-
-    categories_as_tabs = user_settings.get('categories_as_tabs')
-    if categories_as_tabs:
-        default_settings['categories_as_tabs'] = categories_as_tabs
+        if k in ('use_default_settings', 'engines', 'categories_as_tabs'):
+            continue
+        if k in default_settings and isinstance(v, Mapping):
+            update_dict(default_settings[k], v)
+        else:
+            default_settings[k] = v
 
     # parse the engines
     remove_engines = None
     keep_only_engines = None
+    remove_cat = None
+    keep_only_cat = None
     use_default_settings = user_settings.get('use_default_settings')
     if isinstance(use_default_settings, dict):
         remove_engines = use_default_settings.get('engines', {}).get('remove')
         keep_only_engines = use_default_settings.get('engines', {}).get('keep_only')
+        remove_cat = use_default_settings.get('categories_as_tabs', {}).get('remove')
+        keep_only_cat = use_default_settings.get('categories_as_tabs', {}).get('keep_only')
+
+    if 'categories_as_tabs' in user_settings or remove_cat is not None or keep_only_cat is not None:
+        categories_as_tabs = default_settings['categories_as_tabs']
+
+        # parse "use_default_settings.categories_as_tabs.remove"
+        if remove_cat is not None:
+            categories_as_tabs = dict(
+                filterfalse(lambda category_tuple: category_tuple[0] in remove_cat, categories_as_tabs.items())
+            )
+
+        # parse "use_default_settings.categories_as_tabs.keep_only"
+        if keep_only_cat is not None:
+            categories_as_tabs = dict(
+                filter(lambda category_tuple: category_tuple[0] in keep_only_cat, categories_as_tabs.items())
+            )
+
+        # parse "categories_as_tabs"
+        user_cat = user_settings.get('categories_as_tabs')
+        if user_cat:
+            for user_category_name, user_category_definition in user_cat.items():
+                default_cat = categories_as_tabs.get(user_category_name)
+                if default_cat:
+                    update_dict(default_cat, user_category_definition)
+                else:
+                    categories_as_tabs[user_category_name] = user_category_definition
+
+        # store the result
+        default_settings['categories_as_tabs'] = categories_as_tabs
 
     if 'engines' in user_settings or remove_engines is not None or keep_only_engines is not None:
         engines = default_settings['engines']
diff --git a/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_keep_only.yml b/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_keep_only.yml
index 42401762e..d2281d8ba 100644
--- a/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_keep_only.yml
+++ b/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_keep_only.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ use_default_settings:
     keep_only:
       - wikibooks
       - wikinews
+  categories_as_tabs:
+    keep_only:
+      - general
+      - images
 server:
   secret_key: "user_secret_key"
   bind_address: "0.0.0.0"
diff --git a/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove.yml b/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove.yml
index c15e2c964..cf7390435 100644
--- a/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove.yml
+++ b/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ use_default_settings:
     remove:
       - wikibooks
       - wikinews
+  categories_as_tabs:
+    remove:
+      - files
+      - social media
 server:
   secret_key: "user_secret_key"
   bind_address: "0.0.0.0"
diff --git a/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove2.yml b/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove2.yml
index 1d594fb81..5c42bebdd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove2.yml
+++ b/tests/unit/settings/user_settings_remove2.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ use_default_settings:
     remove:
       - wikibooks
       - wikinews
+  categories_as_tabs:
+    remove:
+      - files
+      - social media
+categories_as_tabs:
+  onions:
 server:
   secret_key: "user_secret_key"
   bind_address: "0.0.0.0"
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_settings_loader.py b/tests/unit/test_settings_loader.py
index 13a2d4f37..1b8d52bbd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_settings_loader.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_settings_loader.py
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@ class TestUserSettings(SearxTestCase):
             self.assertNotIn('wikinews', engine_names)
             self.assertNotIn('wikibooks', engine_names)
             self.assertIn('wikipedia', engine_names)
+            # check categories_as_tabs
+            self.assertEqual(
+                list(settings['categories_as_tabs'].keys()),
+                ['general', 'images', 'videos', 'news', 'map', 'music', 'it', 'science'],
+            )
 
     def test_user_settings_remove2(self):
         with patch.dict(
@@ -98,6 +103,11 @@ class TestUserSettings(SearxTestCase):
             self.assertEqual(wikipedia[0]['tokens'], ['secret_token'])
             newengine = list(filter(lambda engine: (engine.get('name')) == 'newengine', settings['engines']))
             self.assertEqual(newengine[0]['engine'], 'dummy')
+            # check categories_as_tabs
+            self.assertEqual(
+                list(settings['categories_as_tabs'].keys()),
+                ['general', 'images', 'videos', 'news', 'map', 'music', 'it', 'science', 'onions'],
+            )
 
     def test_user_settings_keep_only(self):
         with patch.dict(
@@ -109,6 +119,8 @@ class TestUserSettings(SearxTestCase):
             self.assertEqual(engine_names, ['wikibooks', 'wikinews', 'wikipedia', 'newengine'])
             # wikipedia has been removed, then added again with the "engine" section of user_settings_keep_only.yml
             self.assertEqual(len(settings['engines'][2]), 1)
+            # check categories_as_tabs
+            self.assertEqual(list(settings['categories_as_tabs'].keys()), ['general', 'images'])
 
     def test_custom_settings(self):
         with patch.dict(