diff --git a/modules/system/behaviors/SettingsModel.php b/modules/system/behaviors/SettingsModel.php
index 8a15b2d4ec..eed457b928 100644
--- a/modules/system/behaviors/SettingsModel.php
+++ b/modules/system/behaviors/SettingsModel.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 use Exception;
 use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 use System\Classes\ModelBehavior;
+use Winter\Storm\Database\Model;
 
 /**
  * Settings model extension
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ public function __construct($model)
         $this->model->bindEvent('model.afterFetch', [$this, 'afterModelFetch']);
         $this->model->bindEvent('model.beforeSave', [$this, 'beforeModelSave']);
         $this->model->bindEvent('model.afterSave', [$this, 'afterModelSave']);
-        $this->model->bindEvent('model.setAttribute', [$this, 'setSettingsValue']);
+        $this->model->bindEvent('model.setAttribute', [$this, 'syncModelAttribute']);
         $this->model->bindEvent('model.saveInternal', [$this, 'saveModelInternal']);
 
         /*
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ public function __construct($model)
     /**
      * Create an instance of the settings model, intended as a static method
      */
-    public function instance()
+    public function instance(): Model
     {
         if (isset(self::$instances[$this->recordCode])) {
             return self::$instances[$this->recordCode];
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ public function instance()
 
         if (!$item = $this->getSettingsRecord()) {
             $this->model->initSettingsData();
+            $this->afterModelFetch();
             $item = $this->model;
         }
 
@@ -183,6 +185,14 @@ public function setSettingsValue($key, $value)
         $this->fieldValues[$key] = $value;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sync the provided attribute into the settings value
+     */
+    protected function syncModelAttribute($key)
+    {
+        $this->setSettingsValue($key, $this->model->getAttribute($key));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Default values to set for this model, override
      */
@@ -235,6 +245,8 @@ public function afterModelSave()
         } catch (Exception $e) {
             Log::warning($e->getMessage());
         }
+
+        $this->afterModelFetch();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/modules/system/tests/behaviors/SettingsModelTest.php b/modules/system/tests/behaviors/SettingsModelTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c0b361966
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/system/tests/behaviors/SettingsModelTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace System\Tests\Behaviors;
+
+use System\Behaviors\SettingsModel;
+use System\Tests\Bootstrap\PluginTestCase;
+use Winter\Storm\Database\Model;
+
+/**
+ * @testdox Settings model behavior (System\Behaviors\SettingsModel)
+ * @author Ben Thomson <git@alfreido.com>
+ * @copyright Winter CMS Maintainers
+ */
+class SettingsModelTest extends PluginTestCase
+{
+    public function tearDown(): void
+    {
+        MyShopSettings::instance()->resetDefault();
+    }
+
+    public function testCanDetermineIfSettingsModelIsConfigured()
+    {
+        $settings = MyShopSettings::instance();
+
+        $this->assertFalse($settings->isConfigured());
+
+        $settings->name = 'My shop';
+        $settings->description = 'This is my shop';
+        $settings->save();
+
+        $this->assertTrue($settings->isConfigured());
+    }
+
+    public function testCanInitializeSettingsData()
+    {
+        // Configure settings
+        $settings = MyShopSettings::instance();
+        $settings->save();
+
+        MyShopSettings::clearInternalCache();
+
+        // Retrieve settings
+        $settings = MyShopSettings::instance();
+        $this->assertEquals('Shop name', $settings->name);
+        $this->assertEquals('This is a shop', $settings->description);
+        $this->assertFalse($settings->is_open);
+        $this->assertEquals(10000, $settings->base_price);
+        $this->assertEquals(['Food', 'Drinks', 'Clothing', 'Electronics'], $settings->categories);
+    }
+
+    public function testCanGetAndSetSettingsData()
+    {
+        $settings = MyShopSettings::instance();
+
+        // Set settings as model attributes
+        $settings->name = 'My shop';
+        $settings->save();
+
+        // Set settings through the set() method
+        MyShopSettings::set('description', 'This is my shop');
+        MyShopSettings::set([
+            'is_open' => true,
+            'base_price' => 250,
+        ]);
+        MyShopSettings::set('categories', ['Party Food', 'Party Drinks', 'Party Entertainment']);
+
+        // Retrieve settings
+        $settings = MyShopSettings::instance();
+
+        // Retrieve settings through instance
+        $this->assertEquals('My shop', $settings->name);
+        $this->assertEquals('This is my shop', $settings->description);
+
+        // Retrieve settings through get() method
+        $this->assertTrue(MyShopSettings::get('is_open'));
+        $this->assertEquals(25000, MyShopSettings::get('base_price'));
+        $this->assertEquals(['Party Food', 'Party Drinks', 'Party Entertainment'], MyShopSettings::get('categories'));
+
+        // Retrieve default value for a non-existent setting
+        $this->assertEquals('default', MyShopSettings::get('non_existent_setting', 'default'));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * This is similar to the `testCanInitializeSettingsData` test, except that it does not commit the settings to the
+     * database initially. We should still be able to retrieve the settings defined in `initSettingsData`.
+     */
+    public function testCanGetDefaultSettings()
+    {
+        $settings = MyShopSettings::instance();
+
+        // Retrieve settings through instance
+        $this->assertEquals('Shop name', $settings->name);
+        $this->assertEquals('This is a shop', $settings->description);
+
+        // Retrieve settings through get() method
+        $this->assertFalse(MyShopSettings::get('is_open'));
+        $this->assertEquals(10000, MyShopSettings::get('base_price'));
+        $this->assertEquals(['Food', 'Drinks', 'Clothing', 'Electronics'], MyShopSettings::get('categories'));
+
+        // Retrieve default value for a non-existent setting
+        $this->assertEquals('default', MyShopSettings::get('non_existent_setting', 'default'));
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @mixin \System\Behaviors\SettingsModel
+ */
+class MyShopSettings extends Model
+{
+    public $implement = [
+        SettingsModel::class,
+    ];
+
+    public $settingsCode = 'my_shop';
+
+    public $settingsFields = 'fields.yaml';
+
+    public $settingsCacheTtl = 1440;
+
+    public function initSettingsData()
+    {
+        $this->name = 'Shop name';
+        $this->description = 'This is a shop';
+        $this->is_open = false;
+        $this->base_price = 100;
+        $this->categories = ['Food', 'Drinks', 'Clothing', 'Electronics'];
+    }
+
+    public function setBasePriceAttribute($value)
+    {
+        $this->attributes['base_price'] = $value * 100;
+    }
+}