diff --git a/Keybinding.Test/DefaultProfileReactivationTests.cs b/Keybinding.Test/DefaultProfileReactivationTests.cs
index e56adc2..f2b573d 100644
--- a/Keybinding.Test/DefaultProfileReactivationTests.cs
+++ b/Keybinding.Test/DefaultProfileReactivationTests.cs
@@ -51,6 +51,57 @@ public async Task CreateDefaultProfile_AfterActiveProfileWasDeleted_ActivatesExi
 		}
 	}
 
+	[TestMethod]
+	public async Task CreateDefaultProfile_DefaultAndActiveProfileDeleted_ActivatesRemainingProfileOnNextLaunch()
+	{
+		{
+			using KeybindingManager manager = new(_testDataDirectory);
+			await manager.InitializeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+			manager.CreateDefaultProfile();
+			manager.Profiles.CreateProfile("vim", "Vim");
+			manager.Profiles.CreateProfile("emacs", "Emacs");
+			Assert.IsTrue(manager.Profiles.SetActiveProfile("vim"));
+			Assert.IsTrue(manager.Profiles.DeleteProfile("default"));
+			Assert.IsTrue(manager.Profiles.DeleteProfile("vim"));
+			await manager.SaveAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+		}
+
+		{
+			using KeybindingManager manager = new(_testDataDirectory);
+			await manager.InitializeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+			Assert.IsNull(manager.CreateDefaultProfile());
+			manager.RegisterCommands([new Command("file.save", "Save")]);
+
+			Assert.AreEqual("emacs", manager.Profiles.GetActiveProfile()?.Id);
+			Assert.IsFalse(manager.Profiles.ProfileExists("default"));
+			Assert.IsTrue(manager.Keybindings.BindChord("file.save", Chord.Parse("Ctrl+S")));
+			Assert.AreEqual("file.save", manager.Keybindings.ExecuteChord(Chord.Parse("Ctrl+S")));
+		}
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void CreateDefaultProfile_NoDefaultAndNoneActive_ActivatesFirstProfileByOrdinalId()
+	{
+		using KeybindingManager manager = new(_testDataDirectory);
+		manager.Profiles.CreateProfile("vim", "Vim");
+		manager.Profiles.CreateProfile("Emacs", "Emacs");
+		manager.Profiles.CreateProfile("helix", "Helix");
+
+		Assert.IsNull(manager.CreateDefaultProfile());
+		Assert.AreEqual("Emacs", manager.Profiles.GetActiveProfile()?.Id);
+		Assert.IsFalse(manager.Profiles.ProfileExists("default"));
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void CreateDefaultProfile_NoDefaultAndNoneActiveWithDoNotActivate_LeavesNoActiveProfile()
+	{
+		using KeybindingManager manager = new(_testDataDirectory);
+		manager.Profiles.CreateProfile("vim", "Vim");
+
+		Assert.IsNull(manager.CreateDefaultProfile(activation: ProfileActivation.DoNotActivate));
+		Assert.IsNull(manager.Profiles.GetActiveProfile());
+	}
+
 	[TestMethod]
 	public void CreateDefaultProfile_ExistingDefaultWhileAnotherIsActive_LeavesActiveProfileAlone()
 	{
diff --git a/Keybinding/KeybindingManager.cs b/Keybinding/KeybindingManager.cs
index 1b93caf..268a3bf 100644
--- a/Keybinding/KeybindingManager.cs
+++ b/Keybinding/KeybindingManager.cs
@@ -202,9 +202,10 @@ .. storedCommands.Where(c => !commandIds.Contains(c.Id.ToString()) && !_persiste
 	/// <param name="profileId">The ID for the default profile</param>
 	/// <param name="profileName">The name for the default profile</param>
 	/// <param name="activation">
-	/// Whether to set as the active profile. The profile is activated only if no profile is active, whether it
-	/// was just created or already existed, so a startup call recovers from a deleted or unset active profile
-	/// without overriding the one the user chose.
+	/// Whether to set as the active profile. A profile is activated only if no profile is active, so a startup
+	/// call recovers from a deleted or unset active profile without overriding the one the user chose. The
+	/// profile with the given ID is activated if it exists or was just created; otherwise, when other profiles
+	/// exist, the first of them by ordinal ID is activated.
 	/// </param>
 	/// <returns>
 	/// The created profile, or null if it was not created: because a profile with the given ID already exists,
@@ -225,8 +226,15 @@ .. storedCommands.Where(c => !commandIds.Contains(c.Id.ToString()) && !_persiste
 			return null;
 		}
 
-		if (Profiles.GetAllProfiles().Count > 0)
+		IReadOnlyCollection<Profile> existingProfiles = Profiles.GetAllProfiles();
+		if (existingProfiles.Count > 0)
 		{
+			if (activation == ProfileActivation.Activate && Profiles.GetActiveProfile() is null)
+			{
+				string firstProfileId = existingProfiles.Select(p => p.Id).OrderBy(id => id, StringComparer.Ordinal).First();
+				Profiles.SetActiveProfile(firstProfileId);
+			}
+
 			return null;
 		}