diff --git a/negpy/desktop/view/widgets/export_settings_form.py b/negpy/desktop/view/widgets/export_settings_form.py
index 0f7b7d20..70ed0e15 100644
--- a/negpy/desktop/view/widgets/export_settings_form.py
+++ b/negpy/desktop/view/widgets/export_settings_form.py
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@
 _LABEL_WIDTH = 90
 
 
+def _coerce_output_mode(mode: Any) -> ExportPresetOutputMode:
+    """Persisted configs come back from JSON as plain strings. The destination
+    combo holds StrEnum members as item data, and findData() compares across the
+    QVariant boundary — a plain string never matches, so the row must be
+    normalized to the enum before lookup."""
+    try:
+        return ExportPresetOutputMode(mode)
+    except ValueError:
+        return ExportPresetOutputMode.ABSOLUTE
+
+
 def constrain_combo(combo: QComboBox, min_chars: int = 6) -> None:
     """Stop long item text from stretching the panel: size the combo to a small
     minimum and elide overflow, filling its row via the layout's spare space."""
@@ -509,7 +520,7 @@ def load(self, v: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
             out_path = v.get("icc_output_path")
             self.icc_output_combo.setCurrentText(os.path.basename(out_path) if out_path else "None")
 
-            mode = v.get("output_mode", ExportPresetOutputMode.ABSOLUTE)
+            mode = _coerce_output_mode(v.get("output_mode"))
             idx = self.output_mode_combo.findData(mode)
             if idx >= 0:
                 self.output_mode_combo.setCurrentIndex(idx)
diff --git a/tests/test_export_settings_form.py b/tests/test_export_settings_form.py
index d1883a9f..6378c842 100644
--- a/tests/test_export_settings_form.py
+++ b/tests/test_export_settings_form.py
@@ -120,6 +120,22 @@ def test_destination_subfields_track_output_mode(qapp):
     assert form._abspath_container.isHidden()
 
 
+def test_destination_mode_restored_from_persisted_plain_string(qapp):
+    """Saved settings come back from JSON as plain strings, not StrEnum members —
+    the combo must still land on the saved destination mode."""
+    form = ExportSettingsForm()
+    for mode in ExportPresetOutputMode:
+        form.load(_values(output_mode=str(mode.value)))
+        assert form.output_mode_combo.currentData() == mode, mode
+        assert form.values()["output_mode"] == mode, mode
+
+
+def test_destination_mode_falls_back_to_absolute_when_unknown(qapp):
+    form = ExportSettingsForm()
+    form.load(_values(output_mode="not_a_mode"))
+    assert form.values()["output_mode"] == ExportPresetOutputMode.ABSOLUTE
+
+
 def test_load_does_not_emit_changed(qapp):
     form = ExportSettingsForm()
     fired = []