diff --git a/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c b/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c
index 6c1866b5b..20bcc375c 100644
--- a/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c
+++ b/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c
@@ -104,6 +104,32 @@ g_delayed_settings_backend_read (GSettingsBackend   *backend,
   return result;
 }
 
+static GVariant *
+g_delayed_settings_backend_read_user_value (GSettingsBackend   *backend,
+                                            const gchar        *key,
+                                            const GVariantType *expected_type)
+{
+  GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed = G_DELAYED_SETTINGS_BACKEND (backend);
+  gboolean value_found = FALSE;
+  gpointer result = NULL;
+
+  /* If we find an explicit NULL in our changeset then we want to return
+   * NULL (because the user value has been reset).
+   *
+   * Otherwise, chain up.
+   */
+  g_mutex_lock (&delayed->priv->lock);
+  value_found = g_tree_lookup_extended (delayed->priv->delayed, key, NULL, &result);
+  if (result)
+    g_variant_ref (result);
+  g_mutex_unlock (&delayed->priv->lock);
+
+  if (value_found)
+    return result;
+
+  return g_settings_backend_read_user_value (delayed->priv->backend, key, expected_type);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 g_delayed_settings_backend_write (GSettingsBackend *backend,
                                   const gchar      *key,
@@ -429,6 +455,7 @@ g_delayed_settings_backend_class_init (GDelayedSettingsBackendClass *class)
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (class);
 
   backend_class->read = g_delayed_settings_backend_read;
+  backend_class->read_user_value = g_delayed_settings_backend_read_user_value;
   backend_class->write = g_delayed_settings_backend_write;
   backend_class->write_tree = g_delayed_settings_backend_write_tree;
   backend_class->reset = g_delayed_settings_backend_reset;
diff --git a/gio/gsettingsbackend.c b/gio/gsettingsbackend.c
index 608a452af..be28dc1e9 100644
--- a/gio/gsettingsbackend.c
+++ b/gio/gsettingsbackend.c
@@ -745,6 +745,43 @@ g_settings_backend_read (GSettingsBackend   *backend,
   return value;
 }
 
+/*< private >
+ * g_settings_backend_read_user_value:
+ * @backend: a #GSettingsBackend implementation
+ * @key: the key to read
+ * @expected_type: a #GVariantType
+ *
+ * Reads the 'user value' of a key.
+ *
+ * This is the value of the key that the user has control over and has
+ * set for themselves.  Put another way: if the user did not set the
+ * value for themselves, then this will return %NULL (even if the
+ * sysadmin has provided a default value).
+ *
+ * Returns: the value that was read, or %NULL
+ */
+GVariant *
+g_settings_backend_read_user_value (GSettingsBackend   *backend,
+                                    const gchar        *key,
+                                    const GVariantType *expected_type)
+{
+  GVariant *value;
+
+  value = G_SETTINGS_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)
+    ->read_user_value (backend, key, expected_type);
+
+  if (value != NULL)
+    value = g_variant_take_ref (value);
+
+  if G_UNLIKELY (value && !g_variant_is_of_type (value, expected_type))
+    {
+      g_variant_unref (value);
+      value = NULL;
+    }
+
+  return value;
+}
+
 /*< private >
  * g_settings_backend_write:
  * @backend: a #GSettingsBackend implementation
@@ -903,6 +940,14 @@ ignore_subscription (GSettingsBackend *backend,
 {
 }
 
+static GVariant *
+g_settings_backend_real_read_user_value (GSettingsBackend   *backend,
+                                         const gchar        *key,
+                                         const GVariantType *expected_type)
+{
+  return g_settings_backend_read (backend, key, expected_type, FALSE);
+}
+
 static void
 g_settings_backend_init (GSettingsBackend *backend)
 {
@@ -918,6 +963,8 @@ g_settings_backend_class_init (GSettingsBackendClass *class)
   class->subscribe = ignore_subscription;
   class->unsubscribe = ignore_subscription;
 
+  class->read_user_value = g_settings_backend_real_read_user_value;
+
   gobject_class->finalize = g_settings_backend_finalize;
 }
 
diff --git a/gio/gsettingsbackend.h b/gio/gsettingsbackend.h
index 293ca651f..2c253559b 100644
--- a/gio/gsettingsbackend.h
+++ b/gio/gsettingsbackend.h
@@ -93,7 +93,11 @@ struct _GSettingsBackendClass
   GPermission * (*get_permission)   (GSettingsBackend    *backend,
                                      const gchar         *path);
 
-  gpointer padding[24];
+  GVariant *    (*read_user_value)  (GSettingsBackend    *backend,
+                                     const gchar         *key,
+                                     const GVariantType  *expected_type);
+
+  gpointer padding[23];
 };
 
 struct _GSettingsBackend
diff --git a/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h b/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h
index f782c7cbc..0c22f9074 100644
--- a/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h
+++ b/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ GVariant *              g_settings_backend_read                         (GSettin
                                                                          const gchar                    *key,
                                                                          const GVariantType             *expected_type,
                                                                          gboolean                        default_value);
+GVariant *              g_settings_backend_read_user_value              (GSettingsBackend               *backend,
+                                                                         const gchar                    *key,
+                                                                         const GVariantType             *expected_type);
 gboolean                g_settings_backend_write                        (GSettingsBackend               *backend,
                                                                          const gchar                    *key,
                                                                          GVariant                       *value,