diff --git a/calendar/gui/e-cal-model.c b/calendar/gui/e-cal-model.c
index ad1cdfd..19c649d 100644
--- a/calendar/gui/e-cal-model.c
+++ b/calendar/gui/e-cal-model.c
@@ -505,16 +505,16 @@ set_classification (ECalModelComponent *comp_data,
 			icalproperty_free (prop);
 		}
 	} else {
-	  icalproperty_class ical_class;
-
-	  if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp (value, "PUBLIC"))
-	    ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PUBLIC;
-	  else if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp (value, "PRIVATE"))
-	    ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PRIVATE;
-	  else if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp (value, "CONFIDENTIAL"))
-	    ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_CONFIDENTIAL;
-	  else
-	    ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_NONE;
+		icalproperty_class ical_class;
+
+		if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp (value, "PUBLIC"))
+			ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PUBLIC;
+		else if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp (value, "PRIVATE"))
+			ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PRIVATE;
+		else if (!g_ascii_strcasecmp (value, "CONFIDENTIAL"))
+			ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_CONFIDENTIAL;
+		else
+			ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_NONE;
 
 		if (!prop) {
 			prop = icalproperty_new_class (ical_class);
@@ -1385,6 +1385,7 @@ cal_model_create_component_from_values_thread (EAlertSinkThreadJobData *job_data
 	ESource *source;
 	EClient *client;
 	ECalModelComponent *comp_data;
+	icalproperty *prop;
 	const gchar *source_uid;
 	gchar *display_name;
 	GError *local_error = NULL;
@@ -1459,6 +1460,23 @@ cal_model_create_component_from_values_thread (EAlertSinkThreadJobData *job_data
 			model_class->fill_component_from_values (ccd->model, comp_data, ccd->values);
 		}
 
+		prop = icalcomponent_get_first_property (comp_data->icalcomp, ICAL_CLASS_PROPERTY);
+		if (!prop || icalproperty_get_class (prop) == ICAL_CLASS_NONE) {
+			icalproperty_class ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PUBLIC;
+			GSettings *settings;
+
+			settings = e_util_ref_settings ("org.gnome.evolution.calendar");
+			if (g_settings_get_boolean (settings, "classify-private"))
+				ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PRIVATE;
+			g_object_unref (settings);
+
+			if (!prop) {
+				prop = icalproperty_new_class (ical_class);
+				icalcomponent_add_property (comp_data->icalcomp, prop);
+			} else
+				icalproperty_set_class (prop, ical_class);
+		}
+
 		ccd->success = e_cal_client_create_object_sync (comp_data->client, comp_data->icalcomp, &uid, cancellable, error);
 
 		g_free (uid);
diff --git a/calendar/gui/e-cal-ops.c b/calendar/gui/e-cal-ops.c
index a3f014c..8d497dd 100644
--- a/calendar/gui/e-cal-ops.c
+++ b/calendar/gui/e-cal-ops.c
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ e_cal_ops_create_component (ECalModel *model,
 {
 	ECalDataModel *data_model;
 	ESource *source;
+	icalproperty *prop;
 	const gchar *description;
 	const gchar *alert_ident;
 	gchar *display_name;
@@ -210,6 +211,23 @@ e_cal_ops_create_component (ECalModel *model,
 	bod->user_data = user_data;
 	bod->user_data_free = user_data_free;
 
+	prop = icalcomponent_get_first_property (bod->icalcomp, ICAL_CLASS_PROPERTY);
+	if (!prop || icalproperty_get_class (prop) == ICAL_CLASS_NONE) {
+		icalproperty_class ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PUBLIC;
+		GSettings *settings;
+
+		settings = e_util_ref_settings ("org.gnome.evolution.calendar");
+		if (g_settings_get_boolean (settings, "classify-private"))
+			ical_class = ICAL_CLASS_PRIVATE;
+		g_object_unref (settings);
+
+		if (!prop) {
+			prop = icalproperty_new_class (ical_class);
+			icalcomponent_add_property (bod->icalcomp, prop);
+		} else
+			icalproperty_set_class (prop, ical_class);
+	}
+
 	display_name = e_util_get_source_full_name (e_cal_model_get_registry (model), source);
 	cancellable = e_cal_data_model_submit_thread_job (data_model, description, alert_ident,
 		display_name, cal_ops_create_component_thread,
diff --git a/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-event.c b/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-event.c
index db28281..2d161c2 100644
--- a/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-event.c
+++ b/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-event.c
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ ece_event_fill_widgets (ECompEditor *comp_editor,
 	icaltimezone *zone = NULL;
 	gboolean all_day_event = FALSE;
 	GtkAction *action;
+	guint32 flags;
 
 	g_return_if_fail (E_IS_COMP_EDITOR_EVENT (comp_editor));
 	g_return_if_fail (component != NULL);
@@ -238,6 +239,7 @@ ece_event_fill_widgets (ECompEditor *comp_editor,
 
 	event_editor = E_COMP_EDITOR_EVENT (comp_editor);
 
+	flags = e_comp_editor_get_flags (comp_editor);
 	dtstart = icaltime_null_time ();
 	dtend = icaltime_null_time ();
 
@@ -262,10 +264,8 @@ ece_event_fill_widgets (ECompEditor *comp_editor,
 	}
 
 	if (zone) {
-		ECompEditorEvent *event_editor;
 		GtkWidget *edit_widget;
 
-		event_editor = E_COMP_EDITOR_EVENT (comp_editor);
 		edit_widget = e_comp_editor_property_part_get_edit_widget (event_editor->priv->timezone);
 
 		e_timezone_entry_set_timezone (E_TIMEZONE_ENTRY (edit_widget), zone);
@@ -287,8 +287,6 @@ ece_event_fill_widgets (ECompEditor *comp_editor,
 	}
 
 	if (icaltime_is_valid_time (dtend) && !icaltime_is_null_time (dtend)) {
-		ECompEditorEvent *event_editor;
-
 		if (dtstart.is_date && dtend.is_date) {
 			all_day_event = TRUE;
 			if (icaltime_compare_date_only (dtend, dtstart) > 0) {
@@ -296,7 +294,6 @@ ece_event_fill_widgets (ECompEditor *comp_editor,
 			}
 		}
 
-		event_editor = E_COMP_EDITOR_EVENT (comp_editor);
 		e_comp_editor_property_part_datetime_set_value (
 			E_COMP_EDITOR_PROPERTY_PART_DATETIME (event_editor->priv->dtend), dtend);
 	}
@@ -308,8 +305,21 @@ ece_event_fill_widgets (ECompEditor *comp_editor,
 		action = e_comp_editor_get_action (comp_editor, "classify-private");
 	else if (prop && icalproperty_get_class (prop) == ICAL_CLASS_CONFIDENTIAL)
 		action = e_comp_editor_get_action (comp_editor, "classify-confidential");
-	else
+	else if (!(flags & E_COMP_EDITOR_FLAG_IS_NEW))
 		action = e_comp_editor_get_action (comp_editor, "classify-public");
+	else {
+		GSettings *settings;
+
+		settings = e_util_ref_settings ("org.gnome.evolution.calendar");
+
+		if (g_settings_get_boolean (settings, "classify-private")) {
+			action = e_comp_editor_get_action (comp_editor, "classify-private");
+		} else {
+			action = e_comp_editor_get_action (comp_editor, "classify-public");
+		}
+
+		g_object_unref (settings);
+	}
 
 	gtk_toggle_action_set_active (GTK_TOGGLE_ACTION (action), TRUE);
 }
diff --git a/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-property-parts.c b/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-property-parts.c
index 6dcf24a..53ebeb6 100644
--- a/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-property-parts.c
+++ b/calendar/gui/e-comp-editor-property-parts.c
@@ -1134,18 +1134,31 @@ e_comp_editor_property_part_classification_new (void)
 		{ ICAL_CLASS_PRIVATE,      NC_("ECompEditor", "Private"),      FALSE, NULL },
 		{ ICAL_CLASS_CONFIDENTIAL, NC_("ECompEditor", "Confidential"), FALSE, NULL }
 	};
+	GSettings *settings;
+	ECompEditorPropertyPart *part;
+	gboolean classify_private;
 	gint ii, n_elems = G_N_ELEMENTS (map);
 
 	for (ii = 0; ii < n_elems; ii++) {
 		map[ii].description = g_dpgettext2 (GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "ECompEditor", map[ii].description);
 	}
 
-	return e_comp_editor_property_part_picker_with_map_new (map, n_elems,
+	settings = e_util_ref_settings ("org.gnome.evolution.calendar");
+	classify_private = g_settings_get_boolean (settings, "classify-private");
+	g_object_unref (settings);
+
+	part = e_comp_editor_property_part_picker_with_map_new (map, n_elems,
 		C_("ECompEditor", "C_lassification:"),
 		ICAL_CLASS_PROPERTY,
 		(ECompEditorPropertyPartPickerMapICalNewFunc) icalproperty_new_class,
 		(ECompEditorPropertyPartPickerMapICalSetFunc) icalproperty_set_class,
 		(ECompEditorPropertyPartPickerMapICalGetFunc) icalproperty_get_class);
+
+	e_comp_editor_property_part_picker_with_map_set_selected (
+		E_COMP_EDITOR_PROPERTY_PART_PICKER_WITH_MAP (part),
+		classify_private ? ICAL_CLASS_PRIVATE : ICAL_CLASS_PUBLIC);
+
+	return part;
 }
 
 /* ************************************************************************* */
diff --git a/data/org.gnome.evolution.calendar.gschema.xml.in b/data/org.gnome.evolution.calendar.gschema.xml.in
index 95f6304..8663b91 100644
--- a/data/org.gnome.evolution.calendar.gschema.xml.in
+++ b/data/org.gnome.evolution.calendar.gschema.xml.in
@@ -451,6 +451,10 @@
       <default>false</default>
       <_summary>Sunday is a work day</_summary>
     </key>
+    <key name="classify-private" type="b">
+      <default>false</default>
+      <_summary>Create events, memos and tasks as Private by default</_summary>
+    </key>
 
     <!-- The following keys are deprecated. -->
 
diff --git a/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.c b/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.c
index 9e1645d..63bc7c9 100644
--- a/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.c
+++ b/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.c
@@ -874,6 +874,12 @@ calendar_preferences_construct (ECalendarPreferences *prefs,
 		widget, "sensitive",
 		G_SETTINGS_BIND_GET);
 
+	widget = e_builder_get_widget (prefs->builder, "classify-private");
+	g_settings_bind (
+		settings, "classify-private",
+		widget, "active",
+		G_SETTINGS_BIND_DEFAULT);
+
 	/* These settings control the "Birthdays & Anniversaries" backend. */
 
 	eds_settings =
diff --git a/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.ui b/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.ui
index 2b17953..a2fe263 100644
--- a/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.ui
+++ b/modules/calendar/e-calendar-preferences.ui
@@ -705,13 +705,44 @@
           </packing>
         </child>
         <child>
+          <object class="GtkLabel" id="misc-label1">
+            <property name="visible">True</property>
+            <property name="xalign">0</property>
+            <property name="label" translatable="yes">Miscellaneous</property>
+            <attributes>
+              <attribute name="weight" value="bold"/>
+            </attributes>
+          </object>
+          <packing>
+            <property name="expand">False</property>
+            <property name="fill">False</property>
+            <property name="position">6</property>
+          </packing>
+        </child>
+        <child>
+          <object class="GtkCheckButton" id="classify-private">
+            <property name="label" translatable="yes">Create events, memos and tasks as _Private by default</property>
+            <property name="visible">True</property>
+            <property name="can_focus">True</property>
+            <property name="receives_default">False</property>
+            <property name="use_underline">True</property>
+            <property name="draw_indicator">True</property>
+            <property name="margin-left">12</property>
+          </object>
+          <packing>
+            <property name="expand">False</property>
+            <property name="fill">False</property>
+            <property name="position">7</property>
+          </packing>
+        </child>
+        <child>
           <object class="GtkLabel" id="general-space-label">
             <property name="visible">True</property>
           </object>
           <packing>
             <property name="expand">True</property>
             <property name="fill">True</property>
-            <property name="position">6</property>
+            <property name="position">8</property>
           </packing>
         </child>
       </object>
