diff --git a/app/client/widgets/FieldBuilder.ts b/app/client/widgets/FieldBuilder.ts
index ab396c22..00dff0f3 100644
--- a/app/client/widgets/FieldBuilder.ts
+++ b/app/client/widgets/FieldBuilder.ts
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ export class FieldBuilder extends Disposable {
     return this.gristDoc.docData.bundleActions(
       t("Use separate field settings for {{colId}}", { colId: this.origColumn.colId() }), () => {
         return Promise.all([
-          setSaveValue(this.field.widgetOptions, this.field.column().widgetOptions()),
+          setSaveValue(this.field.widgetOptions, this.field.column().widgetOptions() || "{}"),
           setSaveValue(this.field.visibleCol, this.field.column().visibleCol()),
           this.field.saveDisplayFormula(this.field.column()._displayColModel().formula() || '')
         ]);
diff --git a/test/nbrowser/FieldSettings2.ts b/test/nbrowser/FieldSettings2.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c20a2dec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/nbrowser/FieldSettings2.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import {assert, driver} from 'mocha-webdriver';
+import * as gu from 'test/nbrowser/gristUtils';
+import {setupTestSuite} from 'test/nbrowser/testUtils';
+
+describe('FieldSettings2', function() {
+  this.timeout(20000);
+  const cleanup = setupTestSuite();
+
+  afterEach(() => gu.checkForErrors());
+
+  it('should allow separate field settings for a new field', async function() {
+    const session = await gu.session().teamSite.user('user1').login();
+    const docId = (await session.tempNewDoc(cleanup, 'FieldSettings2A', {load: false}));
+    const api = session.createHomeApi();
+    await api.applyUserActions(docId, [
+      ['AddTable', 'TestTable', [{id: 'Num', type: 'Numeric'}]],
+      ['BulkAddRecord', 'TestTable', [null, null, null], {Num: ['5', '10', '15']}],
+    ]);
+
+    await session.loadDoc(`/doc/${docId}/p/2`);
+
+    // Add a second widget of the same table to the page.
+    await gu.openAddWidgetToPage();
+    await gu.selectWidget(/Table/, /TestTable/);
+    await gu.renameSection('TESTTABLE', 'T1');
+    await gu.renameSection('TESTTABLE', 'T2');
+
+    // Change Num field to "Separate"
+    await gu.getCell({section: 'T1', rowNum: 1, col: 'Num'}).click();
+    await gu.toggleSidePanel('right', 'open');
+    await driver.find('.test-right-tab-field').click();
+    await fieldSettingsUseSeparate();
+
+    // Now change background color of this column.
+    await gu.openCellColorPicker();
+    await gu.setFillColor('blue');
+    await driver.find('.test-colors-save').click();
+    await gu.waitForServer();
+
+    // Check that only one of the two views changed.
+    const cell1 = await gu.getCell({section: 'T1', rowNum: 1, col: 'Num'});
+    const cell2 = await gu.getCell({section: 'T2', rowNum: 1, col: 'Num'});
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell1, 'blue');
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell2, 'transparent');
+
+    // Saving as common updates the other view.
+    await fieldSettingsSaveAsCommon();
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell1, 'blue');
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell2, 'blue');
+
+    // Undo; then reverting reverts the saved change.
+    await gu.undo();
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell1, 'blue');
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell2, 'transparent');
+    await fieldSettingsRevertToCommon();
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell1, 'transparent');
+    await gu.assertFillColor(cell2, 'transparent');
+  });
+});
+
+const getFieldSettingsButton = () => driver.find('.fieldbuilder_settings_button');
+const switchFieldSettings = async (fromLabel: string, option: string, toLabel: string) => {
+  assert.include(await getFieldSettingsButton().getText(), fromLabel);
+  await getFieldSettingsButton().click();
+  await driver.findContent('.grist-floating-menu li', option).click();
+  await gu.waitForServer();
+  assert.include(await getFieldSettingsButton().getText(), toLabel);
+};
+const fieldSettingsUseSeparate = () => switchFieldSettings('Common', 'Use separate', 'Separate');
+const fieldSettingsSaveAsCommon = () => switchFieldSettings('Separate', 'Save as common', 'Common');
+const fieldSettingsRevertToCommon = () => switchFieldSettings('Separate', 'Revert to common', 'Common');