diff --git a/conf/e2/config.json b/conf/e2/config.json
index fa8566eab..217cfffe9 100644
--- a/conf/e2/config.json
+++ b/conf/e2/config.json
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     "settings": {
         "game.id": 2,
         "game.name": "Eressea",
+        "orders.default": "work",
         "NewbieImmunity": 8,
         "modules.wormholes": true,
         "entertain.base": 0,
diff --git a/conf/e2/config.xml b/conf/e2/config.xml
index d1eac12d8..5516fd601 100644
--- a/conf/e2/config.xml
+++ b/conf/e2/config.xml
@@ -67,9 +67,5 @@
       <text locale="de">ERESSEA 2 BEFEHLE</text>
       <text locale="en">ERESSEA 2 ORDERS</text>
     </string>
-    <string name="defaultorder">
-      <text locale="de">ARBEITEN</text>
-      <text locale="en">WORK</text>
-    </string>
   </strings>
 </eressea>
diff --git a/conf/e3/config.json b/conf/e3/config.json
index a1fc05b74..c9a86c8da 100644
--- a/conf/e3/config.json
+++ b/conf/e3/config.json
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     "settings": {
         "game.id": 3,
         "game.name": "E3",
+        "orders.default": "work",
         "database.gameid": 7,
         "NewbieImmunity": 4,
         "modules.astralspace": false,
diff --git a/conf/e3/config.xml b/conf/e3/config.xml
index 0531f69d2..04af3858d 100644
--- a/conf/e3/config.xml
+++ b/conf/e3/config.xml
@@ -59,9 +59,5 @@
       <text locale="de">ERESSEA 3 BEFEHLE</text>
       <text locale="en">ERESSEA 3 ORDERS</text>
     </string>
-    <string name="defaultorder">
-      <text locale="de">ARBEITEN</text>
-      <text locale="en">WORK</text>
-    </string> 
   </strings>
 </eressea>
diff --git a/conf/e4/config.json b/conf/e4/config.json
index 345558dff..7a73de86f 100644
--- a/conf/e4/config.json
+++ b/conf/e4/config.json
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     "settings": {
         "game.id": 4,
         "game.name": "Deveron",
+        "orders.default": "work",
         "database.gameid": 7,
         "NewbieImmunity": 4,
         "modules.astralspace": false,
diff --git a/conf/e4/config.xml b/conf/e4/config.xml
index ffa1c5df8..2def4f1a8 100644
--- a/conf/e4/config.xml
+++ b/conf/e4/config.xml
@@ -60,9 +60,5 @@
       <text locale="de">ERESSEA 4 BEFEHLE</text>
       <text locale="en">ERESSEA 4 ORDERS</text>
     </string>
-    <string name="defaultorder">
-      <text locale="de">ARBEITEN</text>
-      <text locale="en">WORK</text>
-    </string>
   </strings>
 </eressea>
diff --git a/res/eressea/strings.xml b/res/eressea/strings.xml
index 6b6cf8903..b7db0eb4b 100644
--- a/res/eressea/strings.xml
+++ b/res/eressea/strings.xml
@@ -284,10 +284,6 @@
     getting it after the second turn, please make one of your units give the
     order OPTION COMPUTER.</text>
   </string>
-  <string name="defaultorder">
-    <text locale="de">ARBEITEN</text>
-    <text locale="en">WORK</text>
-  </string>
   <string name="temple">
     <text locale="de">Tempel</text>
     <text locale="en">temple</text>
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.c b/src/kernel/config.c
index cc769b2c9..597841c46 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.c
@@ -1003,29 +1003,24 @@ void kernel_init(void)
 }
 
 static order * defaults[MAXLOCALES];
-keyword_t default_keyword = NOKEYWORD;
 
-void set_default_order(int kwd) {
-    default_keyword = (keyword_t)kwd;
-}
-
-// TODO: outside of tests, default_keyword is never used, why is this here?
-// see also test_long_order_hungry
 order *default_order(const struct locale *lang)
 {
     int i = locale_index(lang);
     order *result = 0;
     assert(i < MAXLOCALES);
 
-    if (default_keyword != NOKEYWORD) {
-        return create_order(default_keyword, lang, 0);
-    }
-
     result = defaults[i];
     if (!result) {
-        const char * str = LOC(lang, "defaultorder");
+        const char * str;
+        keyword_t kwd = NOKEYWORD;
+        str = config_get("orders.default");
         if (str) {
-            result = defaults[i] = parse_order(str, lang);
+            kwd = findkeyword(str);
+        }
+        if (kwd != NOKEYWORD) {
+            result = create_order(kwd, lang, NULL);
+            defaults[i] = result;
         }
     }
     return result ? copy_order(result) : 0;
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.h b/src/kernel/config.h
index dda7873aa..87d44492d 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.h
+++ b/src/kernel/config.h
@@ -195,7 +195,6 @@ struct param;
     bool IsImmune(const struct faction *f);
 
     struct order *default_order(const struct locale *lang);
-    void set_default_order(int kwd);
 
     int entertainmoney(const struct region *r);
     void init_parameters(struct locale *lang);
diff --git a/src/kernel/config.test.c b/src/kernel/config.test.c
index 7cd495284..d5b46581c 100644
--- a/src/kernel/config.test.c
+++ b/src/kernel/config.test.c
@@ -180,7 +180,8 @@ static void test_default_order(CuTest *tc) {
     loc = test_create_locale();
     ord = default_order(loc);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, ord);
-    locale_setstring(loc, "defaultorder", "work");
+
+    config_set("orders.default", "work");
     ord = default_order(loc);
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, ord);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, K_WORK, getkeyword(ord));
diff --git a/src/laws.test.c b/src/laws.test.c
index 1b2136db7..94296400d 100644
--- a/src/laws.test.c
+++ b/src/laws.test.c
@@ -1003,8 +1003,6 @@ static void test_long_order_buy_cast(CuTest *tc) {
 }
 
 static void test_long_order_hungry(CuTest *tc) {
-    // FIXME: set_default_order is a test-only function, this is a bad test.
-    // see also default_order
     unit *u;
     test_cleanup();
     config_set("hunger.long", "1");
@@ -1012,12 +1010,11 @@ static void test_long_order_hungry(CuTest *tc) {
     fset(u, UFL_HUNGER);
     unit_addorder(u, create_order(K_MOVE, u->faction->locale, 0));
     unit_addorder(u, create_order(K_DESTROY, u->faction->locale, 0));
-    set_default_order(K_WORK);
+    config_set("orders.default", "work");
     update_long_order(u);
     CuAssertIntEquals(tc, K_WORK, getkeyword(u->thisorder));
     CuAssertPtrNotNull(tc, u->orders);
     CuAssertPtrEquals(tc, 0, u->faction->msgs);
-    set_default_order(NOKEYWORD);
     test_cleanup();
 }