diff --git a/ui/preference_utils.c b/ui/preference_utils.c
index e8c1c16727..6ecada4fc2 100644
--- a/ui/preference_utils.c
+++ b/ui/preference_utils.c
@@ -187,7 +187,8 @@ column_prefs_add_custom(gint fmt, const gchar *title, const gchar *custom_fields
         last_cfmt = (fmt_data *) clp->data;
         if (position > 0 && position <= colnr) {
             /* Custom fields may be added at any position, depending on the given argument */
-            prefs.col_list = g_list_insert(prefs.col_list, cfmt, position);
+            colnr = position;
+            prefs.col_list = g_list_insert(prefs.col_list, cfmt, colnr);
         } else if (last_cfmt->fmt == COL_INFO) {
             /* Last column is COL_INFO, add custom column before this */
             colnr -= 1;
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ column_prefs_add_custom(gint fmt, const gchar *title, const gchar *custom_fields
         cfmt->visible = FALSE;  /* Will be set to TRUE in visible_toggled() when added to list */
         prefs.col_list = g_list_append(prefs.col_list, cfmt);
     }
+    recent_insert_column(colnr);
 
     return colnr;
 }
@@ -274,6 +276,7 @@ void
 column_prefs_remove_nth(gint col)
 {
     column_prefs_remove_link(g_list_nth(prefs.col_list, col));
+    recent_remove_column(col);
 }
 
 void save_migrated_uat(const char *uat_name, gboolean *old_pref)
diff --git a/ui/qt/models/column_list_model.cpp b/ui/qt/models/column_list_model.cpp
index 56e7d0fca7..681a60c0e7 100644
--- a/ui/qt/models/column_list_model.cpp
+++ b/ui/qt/models/column_list_model.cpp
@@ -563,10 +563,12 @@ void ColumnListModel::saveColumns()
 
     prefs.col_list = new_col_list;
 
+    recent_free_column_width_info(&recent);
     for (int row = 0; row < store_.count(); row++)
     {
         ListElement elem = store_.at(row);
 
+        recent_insert_column(row);
         recent_set_column_width(row, elem.width);
         recent_set_column_xalign(row, elem.xalign);
     }
diff --git a/ui/qt/packet_list.cpp b/ui/qt/packet_list.cpp
index d5c9d3e20a..6193cb8a2c 100644
--- a/ui/qt/packet_list.cpp
+++ b/ui/qt/packet_list.cpp
@@ -1823,6 +1823,7 @@ void PacketList::sectionResized(int col, int, int new_width)
 void PacketList::sectionMoved(int logicalIndex, int oldVisualIndex, int newVisualIndex)
 {
     GList *new_col_list = NULL;
+    GList *new_recent_col_list = NULL;
     QList<int> saved_sizes;
     int sort_idx;
 
@@ -1847,9 +1848,14 @@ void PacketList::sectionMoved(int logicalIndex, int oldVisualIndex, int newVisua
         saved_sizes << header()->sectionSize(log_idx);
 
         void *pref_data = g_list_nth_data(prefs.col_list, log_idx);
-        if (!pref_data) continue;
+        if (pref_data) {
+            new_col_list = g_list_append(new_col_list, pref_data);
+        }
 
-        new_col_list = g_list_append(new_col_list, pref_data);
+        pref_data = g_list_nth_data(recent.col_width_list, log_idx);
+        if (pref_data) {
+            new_recent_col_list = g_list_append(new_recent_col_list, pref_data);
+        }
     }
 
     // Undo move to ensure that the logical indices map to the visual indices,
@@ -1867,6 +1873,8 @@ void PacketList::sectionMoved(int logicalIndex, int oldVisualIndex, int newVisua
 
     g_list_free(prefs.col_list);
     prefs.col_list = new_col_list;
+    g_list_free(recent.col_width_list);
+    recent.col_width_list = new_recent_col_list;
 
     thaw(true);
 
diff --git a/ui/recent.c b/ui/recent.c
index 7fa6597791..dd6161dfb2 100644
--- a/ui/recent.c
+++ b/ui/recent.c
@@ -208,18 +208,17 @@ static const value_string show_bytes_decode_values[] = {
 };
 
 static void
-free_col_width_data(gpointer data, gpointer user_data _U_)
+free_col_width_data(gpointer data)
 {
     col_width_data *cfmt = (col_width_data *)data;
     g_free(cfmt->cfield);
     g_free(cfmt);
 }
 
-static void
-free_col_width_info(recent_settings_t *rs)
+void
+recent_free_column_width_info(recent_settings_t *rs)
 {
-    g_list_foreach(rs->col_width_list, free_col_width_data, NULL);
-    g_list_free(rs->col_width_list);
+    g_list_free_full(rs->col_width_list, free_col_width_data);
     rs->col_width_list = NULL;
 }
 
@@ -1473,7 +1472,7 @@ read_set_recent_pair_static(gchar *key, const gchar *value,
             /* Go past the width.  */
             col_l_elt = col_l_elt->next;
         }
-        free_col_width_info(&recent);
+        recent_free_column_width_info(&recent);
         recent.col_width_list = NULL;
         col_l_elt = g_list_first(col_l);
         while (col_l_elt) {
@@ -1696,7 +1695,7 @@ recent_read_profile_static(char **rf_path_return, int *rf_errno_return)
     }
 
     if (recent.col_width_list) {
-        free_col_width_info(&recent);
+        recent_free_column_width_info(&recent);
     }
 
     if (recent.gui_fileopen_remembered_dir) {
@@ -1801,6 +1800,43 @@ recent_read_dynamic(char **rf_path_return, int *rf_errno_return)
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+void
+recent_insert_column(int col)
+{
+    col_width_data *col_w;
+    int cfmt;
+    const char *cfield = NULL;
+
+    cfmt = get_column_format(col);
+    if (cfmt == COL_CUSTOM) {
+        cfield = get_column_custom_fields(col);
+    }
+
+    col_w = g_new(col_width_data, 1);
+    col_w->cfmt = cfmt;
+    col_w->cfield = g_strdup(cfield);
+    col_w->width = -1;
+    col_w->xalign = COLUMN_XALIGN_DEFAULT;
+    recent.col_width_list = g_list_insert(recent.col_width_list, col_w, col);
+}
+
+void
+recent_remove_column(int col)
+{
+    GList *col_l = g_list_nth(recent.col_width_list, col);
+    col_width_data *col_w;
+
+    if (!col_l) return;
+
+    col_w = (col_width_data*)col_l->data;
+
+    if (col_w) {
+        free_col_width_data(col_w);
+    }
+
+    recent.col_width_list = g_list_delete_link(recent.col_width_list, col_l);
+}
+
 gint
 recent_get_column_width(gint col)
 {
@@ -1942,7 +1978,7 @@ recent_init(void)
 void
 recent_cleanup(void)
 {
-    free_col_width_info(&recent);
+    recent_free_column_width_info(&recent);
     g_free(recent.gui_geometry_main);
     g_free(recent.gui_geometry_main_master_split);
     g_free(recent.gui_geometry_main_extra_split);
diff --git a/ui/recent.h b/ui/recent.h
index 0ab08b2a60..14c0dcd3f9 100644
--- a/ui/recent.h
+++ b/ui/recent.h
@@ -232,6 +232,28 @@ extern gboolean recent_read_dynamic(char **rf_path_return, int *rf_errno_return)
  */
 extern int recent_set_arg(char *prefarg);
 
+/** Free the recent settings list of column width information
+ *
+ * @param rs the recent settings (currently a global)
+ */
+extern void recent_free_column_width_info(recent_settings_t *rs);
+
+/** Insert an entry in the recent column width setting for
+ * the given column, which should have been just added to
+ * the column list preference. (This keeps them in sync.)
+ *
+ * @param col column number
+ */
+extern void recent_insert_column(int col);
+
+/** Remove an entry in the recent column width setting for
+ * the given column, which should have been just removed to
+ * the column list preference. (This keeps them in sync.)
+ *
+ * @param col column number
+ */
+extern void recent_remove_column(int col);
+
 /** Get the column width for the given column
  *
  * @param col column number