diff --git a/src/components/eventBus.js b/src/components/eventBus.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4b7292718a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/eventBus.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+import Vue from "vue";
+export const EventBus = new Vue();
diff --git a/src/components/port-picker/PortPicker.vue b/src/components/port-picker/PortPicker.vue
index 40c90ffa86..6d91ea31f3 100644
--- a/src/components/port-picker/PortPicker.vue
+++ b/src/components/port-picker/PortPicker.vue
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default {
   },
   data() {
     return {
-      port: 'virtual',
+      port: 'manual',
     };
   },
 };
diff --git a/src/components/port-picker/PortsInput.vue b/src/components/port-picker/PortsInput.vue
index 3a637f43e6..f17cda70ac 100644
--- a/src/components/port-picker/PortsInput.vue
+++ b/src/components/port-picker/PortsInput.vue
@@ -11,12 +11,15 @@
         @value="value"
         @input="$emit('input', $event.target.value)"
       >
-        <option value="virtual">
-          {{ $t("portsSelectVirtual") }}
-        </option>
         <option value="manual">
           {{ $t("portsSelectManual") }}
         </option>
+        <option
+          v-if="showVirtual"
+          value="virtual"
+        >
+          {{ $t("portsSelectVirtual") }}
+        </option>
       </select>
     </div>
     <div id="auto-connect-and-baud">
@@ -43,16 +46,20 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
+import { get as getConfig } from '../../js/ConfigStorage';
+import { EventBus } from '../eventBus';
+
 export default {
     props: {
       value: {
         type: String,
-        // TODO: this should be loaded from config
-        default: 'virtual',
+        default: 'manual',
       },
     },
+
     data() {
         return {
+            showVirtual: false,
             selectedBaudRate: "115200",
             baudRates: [
                 { value: "1000000", label: "1000000" },
@@ -71,6 +78,17 @@ export default {
             ],
         };
     },
+    mounted() {
+      EventBus.$on('config-storage:set', this.setShowVirtual);
+    },
+    destroyed() {
+      EventBus.$off('config-storage:set', this.setShowVirtual);
+    },
+    methods: {
+      setShowVirtual() {
+        this.showVirtual = getConfig('showVirtualMode').showVirtualMode;
+      },
+    },
 };
 </script>
 <style scoped>
diff --git a/src/js/ConfigStorage.js b/src/js/ConfigStorage.js
index 8cda5bd121..bef1fe3afa 100644
--- a/src/js/ConfigStorage.js
+++ b/src/js/ConfigStorage.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { EventBus } from "../components/eventBus";
+
 /**
  * Gets one or more items from localStorage
  * @param {string | string[]} key string or array of strings
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ export function set(input) {
     tmpObj[element] = input[element];
     try {
       localStorage.setItem(element, JSON.stringify(tmpObj));
+      EventBus.$emit(`config-storage:set`, 'element');
     } catch (e) {
       console.error(e);
     }