diff --git a/src/Gui/Application.cpp b/src/Gui/Application.cpp
index d94d5198d0..76d43fb475 100644
--- a/src/Gui/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/Application.cpp
@@ -1256,8 +1256,14 @@ bool Application::activateWorkbench(const char* name)
 
         // now get the newly activated workbench
         Workbench* newWb = WorkbenchManager::instance()->active();
-        if (newWb)
+        if (newWb) {
+            if (!Instance->d->startingUp) {
+                std::string name = newWb->name();
+                App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+                                      SetASCII("LastModule", name.c_str());
+            }
             newWb->activated();
+        }
     }
     catch (Py::Exception&) {
         Base::PyException e; // extract the Python error text
@@ -2021,15 +2027,26 @@ void Application::runApplication(void)
     // Activate the correct workbench
     std::string start = App::Application::Config()["StartWorkbench"];
     Base::Console().Log("Init: Activating default workbench %s\n", start.c_str());
-    start = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+    std::string autoload = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
                            GetASCII("AutoloadModule", start.c_str());
+    if ("$LastModule" == autoload) {
+        start = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+                               GetASCII("LastModule", start.c_str());
+    } else {
+        start = autoload;
+    }
     // if the auto workbench is not visible then force to use the default workbech
     // and replace the wrong entry in the parameters
     QStringList wb = app.workbenches();
     if (!wb.contains(QString::fromLatin1(start.c_str()))) {
         start = App::Application::Config()["StartWorkbench"];
-        App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
-                              SetASCII("AutoloadModule", start.c_str());
+        if ("$LastModule" == autoload) {
+            App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+                                  SetASCII("LastModule", start.c_str());
+        } else {
+            App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+                                  SetASCII("AutoloadModule", start.c_str());
+        }
     }
 
     // Call this before showing the main window because otherwise:
diff --git a/src/Gui/DlgGeneralImp.cpp b/src/Gui/DlgGeneralImp.cpp
index 7350ad9fbe..881589b4d6 100644
--- a/src/Gui/DlgGeneralImp.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/DlgGeneralImp.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ DlgGeneralImp::DlgGeneralImp( QWidget* parent )
         menuText[text] = *it;
     }
 
+    {   // add special workbench to selection
+        QPixmap px = Application::Instance->workbenchIcon(QString::fromLatin1("NoneWorkbench"));
+        QString key = QString::fromLatin1("<last>");
+        QString value = QString::fromLatin1("$LastModule");
+        if (px.isNull())
+            ui->AutoloadModuleCombo->addItem(key, QVariant(value));
+        else
+            ui->AutoloadModuleCombo->addItem(px, key, QVariant(value));
+    }
+
     for (QMap<QString, QString>::Iterator it = menuText.begin(); it != menuText.end(); ++it) {
         QPixmap px = Application::Instance->workbenchIcon(it.value());
         if (px.isNull())
diff --git a/src/Main/FreeCADGuiPy.cpp b/src/Main/FreeCADGuiPy.cpp
index 547c190f4a..43efa5714d 100644
--- a/src/Main/FreeCADGuiPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Main/FreeCADGuiPy.cpp
@@ -298,15 +298,26 @@ QWidget* setupMainWindow()
         // Activate the correct workbench
         std::string start = App::Application::Config()["StartWorkbench"];
         Base::Console().Log("Init: Activating default workbench %s\n", start.c_str());
-        start = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+        std::string autoload = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
                                GetASCII("AutoloadModule", start.c_str());
+        if ("$LastModule" == autoload) {
+            start = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+                                   GetASCII("LastModule", start.c_str());
+        } else {
+            start = autoload;
+        }
         // if the auto workbench is not visible then force to use the default workbech
         // and replace the wrong entry in the parameters
         QStringList wb = Gui::Application::Instance->workbenches();
         if (!wb.contains(QString::fromLatin1(start.c_str()))) {
             start = App::Application::Config()["StartWorkbench"];
-            App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
-                                  SetASCII("AutoloadModule", start.c_str());
+            if ("$LastModule" == autoload) {
+                App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+                                      SetASCII("LastModule", start.c_str());
+            } else {
+                App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General")->
+                                      SetASCII("AutoloadModule", start.c_str());
+            }
         }
 
         Gui::Application::Instance->activateWorkbench(start.c_str());
diff --git a/src/Mod/Start/Gui/DlgStartPreferencesImp.cpp b/src/Mod/Start/Gui/DlgStartPreferencesImp.cpp
index d9e4ea5911..ab9cff0a02 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Start/Gui/DlgStartPreferencesImp.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Start/Gui/DlgStartPreferencesImp.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,16 @@ DlgStartPreferencesImp::DlgStartPreferencesImp( QWidget* parent )
         menuText[text] = *it;
     }
 
+    {   // add special workbench to selection
+        QPixmap px = Gui::Application::Instance->workbenchIcon(QString::fromLatin1("NoneWorkbench"));
+        QString key = QString::fromLatin1("<last>");
+        QString value = QString::fromLatin1("$LastModule");
+        if (px.isNull())
+            AutoloadModuleCombo->addItem(key, QVariant(value));
+        else
+            AutoloadModuleCombo->addItem(px, key, QVariant(value));
+    }
+
     for (QMap<QString, QString>::Iterator it = menuText.begin(); it != menuText.end(); ++it) {
         QPixmap px = Gui::Application::Instance->workbenchIcon(it.value());
         if (px.isNull())
diff --git a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py
index 3f63056cfb..76e94c3a5c 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/StartPage.py
@@ -567,6 +567,8 @@ def postStart():
 
     # switch workbench
     wb = param.GetString("AutoloadModule","")
+    if "$LastModule" == wb:
+        wb = FreeCAD.ParamGet("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/General").GetString("LastModule","")
     if wb:
         # don't switch workbenches if we are not in Start anymore
         if FreeCADGui.activeWorkbench() and (FreeCADGui.activeWorkbench().name() == "StartWorkbench"):