diff --git a/cmd/micro/initlua.go b/cmd/micro/initlua.go
index 583085a0..ffe175a0 100644
--- a/cmd/micro/initlua.go
+++ b/cmd/micro/initlua.go
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ func luaImportMicroConfig() *lua.LTable {
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "RegisterCommonOption", luar.New(ulua.L, config.RegisterCommonOptionPlug))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "RegisterGlobalOption", luar.New(ulua.L, config.RegisterGlobalOptionPlug))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "GetGlobalOption", luar.New(ulua.L, config.GetGlobalOption))
-	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "SetGlobalOption", luar.New(ulua.L, action.SetGlobalOption))
-	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "SetGlobalOptionNative", luar.New(ulua.L, action.SetGlobalOptionNative))
+	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "SetGlobalOption", luar.New(ulua.L, action.SetGlobalOptionPlug))
+	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "SetGlobalOptionNative", luar.New(ulua.L, action.SetGlobalOptionNativePlug))
 	ulua.L.SetField(pkg, "ConfigDir", luar.New(ulua.L, config.ConfigDir))
 
 	return pkg
diff --git a/internal/action/command.go b/internal/action/command.go
index 3828afdb..bc26f0e9 100644
--- a/internal/action/command.go
+++ b/internal/action/command.go
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ func doSetGlobalOptionNative(option string, nativeValue any) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func SetGlobalOptionNative(option string, nativeValue any) error {
+func SetGlobalOptionNative(option string, nativeValue any, writeToFile bool) error {
 	if err := config.OptionIsValid(option, nativeValue); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -653,6 +653,10 @@ func SetGlobalOptionNative(option string, nativeValue any) error {
 		delete(b.LocalSettings, option)
 	}
 
+	if !writeToFile {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	err := config.WriteSettings(filepath.Join(config.ConfigDir, "settings.json"))
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, util.ErrOverwrite) {
@@ -665,7 +669,7 @@ func SetGlobalOptionNative(option string, nativeValue any) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func SetGlobalOption(option, value string) error {
+func SetGlobalOption(option, value string, writeToFile bool) error {
 	if _, ok := config.GlobalSettings[option]; !ok {
 		return config.ErrInvalidOption
 	}
@@ -675,7 +679,15 @@ func SetGlobalOption(option, value string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	return SetGlobalOptionNative(option, nativeValue)
+	return SetGlobalOptionNative(option, nativeValue, writeToFile)
+}
+
+func SetGlobalOptionNativePlug(option string, nativeValue any) error {
+	return SetGlobalOptionNative(option, nativeValue, false)
+}
+
+func SetGlobalOptionPlug(option, value string) error {
+	return SetGlobalOption(option, value, false)
 }
 
 // ResetCmd resets a setting to its default value
@@ -689,7 +701,7 @@ func (h *BufPane) ResetCmd(args []string) {
 	defaults := config.DefaultAllSettings()
 
 	if _, ok := defaults[option]; ok {
-		SetGlobalOptionNative(option, defaults[option])
+		SetGlobalOptionNative(option, defaults[option], true)
 		return
 	}
 	InfoBar.Error(config.ErrInvalidOption)
@@ -705,7 +717,7 @@ func (h *BufPane) SetCmd(args []string) {
 	option := args[0]
 	value := args[1]
 
-	err := SetGlobalOption(option, value)
+	err := SetGlobalOption(option, value, true)
 	if err == config.ErrInvalidOption {
 		err := h.Buf.SetOption(option, value)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -761,7 +773,7 @@ func (h *BufPane) toggleOption(option string, local bool) error {
 			return err
 		}
 	} else {
-		if err := SetGlobalOptionNative(option, newVal); err != nil {
+		if err := SetGlobalOptionNative(option, newVal, true); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/runtime/help/plugins.md b/runtime/help/plugins.md
index 8ce8fe6c..4e35b8c3 100644
--- a/runtime/help/plugins.md
+++ b/runtime/help/plugins.md
@@ -223,9 +223,9 @@ The packages and their contents are listed below (in Go type signatures):
        given plugin in the `GlobalSettings` map.
 
     - `SetGlobalOption(option, value string) error`: sets an option to a
-       given value. Same as using the `> set` command. This will try to convert
-       the value into the proper type for the option. Can return an error if the
-       option name is not valid, or the value can not be converted.
+       given value. This will try to convert the value into the proper
+       type for the option. Can return an error if the option name is not
+       valid, or the value can not be converted.
 
     - `SetGlobalOptionNative(option string, value any) error`: sets
        an option to a given value, where the type of value is the actual