diff --git a/classes/footnotes.php b/classes/footnotes.php
index 6ad26d1..0eb5af3 100644
--- a/classes/footnotes.php
+++ b/classes/footnotes.php
@@ -36,13 +36,6 @@ class Class_Footnotes
         add_action('init', array($this, 'init'));
         add_action('admin_init', array($this, 'admin_init'));
         add_action('admin_menu', array($this, 'admin_menu'));
-
-        /* register hook for activating the plugin */
-        register_activation_hook(__FILE__, array($this, 'activate'));
-        /* register hook for deactivating the plugin */
-        register_deactivation_hook(__FILE__, array($this, 'deactivate'));
-        /* register hook for uninstalling the plugin */
-        register_uninstall_hook(__FILE__, array($this, 'uninstall'));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -70,7 +63,21 @@ class Class_Footnotes
      */
     function uninstall()
     {
-        require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/../includes/uninstall.php');
+		/* uninstalling the plugin is only allowed for logged in users */
+		if (!is_user_logged_in()) {
+			wp_die(__('You must be logged in to run this script.', FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
+		}
+
+		/* current user needs the permission to (un)install plugins */
+		if (!current_user_can('install_plugins')) {
+			wp_die(__('You do not have permission to run this script.', FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
+		}
+
+		/*
+		 * delete the settings container in the database
+		 * @since 1.0.6
+		 */
+		delete_option(FOOTNOTE_SETTINGS_CONTAINER);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/includes/plugin-settings.php b/includes/plugin-settings.php
index 1be7091..65b21ee 100644
--- a/includes/plugin-settings.php
+++ b/includes/plugin-settings.php
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ function footnotes_plugin_settings_link($links, $file)
 function footnotes_filter_options($p_str_OptionsField, $p_arr_DefaultValues, $p_bool_ConvertHtmlChars = true)
 {
     $l_arr_Options = get_option($p_str_OptionsField);
+	/* if no settings set yet return default values */
+	if (empty($l_arr_Options)) {
+		return $p_arr_DefaultValues;
+	}
     /* loop through all keys in the array and filters them */
     foreach ($l_arr_Options as $l_str_Key => $l_str_Value) {
         /* removes special chars from the settings value */
diff --git a/includes/uninstall.php b/includes/uninstall.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 139ea88..0000000
--- a/includes/uninstall.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-/**
- * Created by Stefan Herndler.
- * User: Stefan
- * Date: 15.05.14
- * Time: 16:21
- * Version: 1.0.6
- * Since: 1.0
- */
-
-/* check if the wordpress function to uninstall plugins is active */
-if (!defined('WP_UNINSTALL_PLUGIN')) {
-    header('Status: 403 Forbidden');
-    header('HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden');
-    exit();
-}
-
-/*
- * requires the defines of the plugin
- * @since 1.0.6
- */
-require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/defines.php');
-
-/* uninstalling the plugin is only allowed for logged in users */
-if (!is_user_logged_in()) {
-    wp_die(__('You must be logged in to run this script.', FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
-}
-
-/* current user needs the permission to (un)install plugins */
-if (!current_user_can('install_plugins')) {
-    wp_die(__('You do not have permission to run this script.', FOOTNOTES_PLUGIN_NAME));
-}
-
-/*
- * delete the settings container in the database
- * @since 1.0.6
- */
-delete_option(FOOTNOTE_SETTINGS_CONTAINER);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 86f34c9..0d992ca 100755
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@ if (!function_exists('is_admin')) {
     exit();
 }
 
+/* register hook for activating the plugin */
+register_activation_hook(__FILE__, array('Class_Footnotes', 'activate'));
+/* register hook for deactivating the plugin */
+register_deactivation_hook(__FILE__, array('Class_Footnotes', 'deactivate'));
+/* register hook for uninstalling the plugin */
+register_uninstall_hook(__FILE__, array('Class_Footnotes', 'uninstall'));
+
+
 /* action to locate language and load the wordpress-specific language file */
 add_action('plugins_loaded', 'footnotes_load_language');
 
diff --git a/readme.txt b/readme.txt
index 854c25b..88beebc 100755
--- a/readme.txt
+++ b/readme.txt
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ No, this Plugin has been written from scratch. Of course some inspirations on ho
 - Update: Setting where the reference container appears on public pages can also be set to the widget area
 - Add: link to the wordpress.org support page in the plugin main page
 - Update: Changed plugin URL from GitHub to WordPress
+- Bugfix: uninstall function to really remove all settings done in the settings page
+- Bugfix: load default settings after plugin is installed
 
 = 1.1.0 =
 - Update: Global styling for the public plugin name