diff --git a/web/app.js b/web/app.js
index 252d6fa21..b009ad9f8 100644
--- a/web/app.js
+++ b/web/app.js
@@ -179,6 +179,9 @@ let PDFViewerApplication = {
       preferences.get('sidebarViewOnLoad').then(function resolved(value) {
         AppOptions.set('sidebarViewOnLoad', value);
       }),
+      preferences.get('cursorToolOnLoad').then(function resolved(value) {
+        AppOptions.set('cursorToolOnLoad', value);
+      }),
       preferences.get('pdfBugEnabled').then(function resolved(value) {
         AppOptions.set('pdfBugEnabled', value);
       }),
@@ -434,7 +437,7 @@ let PDFViewerApplication = {
       this.pdfCursorTools = new PDFCursorTools({
         container,
         eventBus,
-        preferences: this.preferences,
+        cursorToolOnLoad: AppOptions.get('cursorToolOnLoad'),
       });
 
       this.toolbar = new Toolbar(appConfig.toolbar, container, eventBus,
diff --git a/web/app_options.js b/web/app_options.js
index c851c9a76..8fdd20a60 100644
--- a/web/app_options.js
+++ b/web/app_options.js
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ const OptionKind = {
  *              compare with the format of `default_preferences.json`.
  */
 const defaultOptions = {
+  cursorToolOnLoad: {
+    /** @type {number} */
+    value: 0,
+    kind: OptionKind.VIEWER,
+  },
   defaultUrl: {
     /** @type {string} */
     value: 'compressed.tracemonkey-pldi-09.pdf',
diff --git a/web/pdf_cursor_tools.js b/web/pdf_cursor_tools.js
index 1e4108994..8d230a598 100644
--- a/web/pdf_cursor_tools.js
+++ b/web/pdf_cursor_tools.js
@@ -25,15 +25,16 @@ const CursorTool = {
  * @typedef {Object} PDFCursorToolsOptions
  * @property {HTMLDivElement} container - The document container.
  * @property {EventBus} eventBus - The application event bus.
- * @property {BasePreferences} preferences - Object for reading/writing
- *                                           persistent settings.
+ * @property {number} cursorToolOnLoad - (optional) The cursor tool that will be
+ *   enabled on load; the constants from {CursorTool} should be used.
+ *   The default value is `CursorTool.SELECT`.
  */
 
 class PDFCursorTools {
   /**
    * @param {PDFCursorToolsOptions} options
    */
-  constructor({ container, eventBus, preferences, }) {
+  constructor({ container, eventBus, cursorToolOnLoad = CursorTool.SELECT, }) {
     this.container = container;
     this.eventBus = eventBus;
 
@@ -46,9 +47,9 @@ class PDFCursorTools {
 
     this._addEventListeners();
 
-    preferences.get('cursorToolOnLoad').then((value) => {
-      this.switchTool(value);
-    }).catch(() => { });
+    Promise.resolve().then(() => {
+      this.switchTool(cursorToolOnLoad);
+    });
   }
 
   /**