diff --git a/src/base_media_base.h b/src/base_media_base.h
--- a/src/base_media_base.h
+++ b/src/base_media_base.h
@@ -188,7 +188,9 @@ public:
 
 	static Tbase_set *GetAvailableSets();
 
-	static bool SetSet(const std::string &name);
+	static bool SetSet(const Tbase_set *set);
+	static bool SetSetByName(const std::string &name);
+	static bool SetSetByShortname(uint32_t shortname);
 	static void GetSetsList(std::back_insert_iterator<std::string> &output_iterator);
 	static int GetNumSets();
 	static int GetIndexOfUsedSet();
@@ -251,6 +253,7 @@ public:
 	/** Values loaded from config file. */
 	struct Ini {
 		std::string name;
+		uint32_t shortname;                 ///< unique key for base set
 	};
 	static inline Ini ini_data;
 
diff --git a/src/base_media_func.h b/src/base_media_func.h
--- a/src/base_media_func.h
+++ b/src/base_media_func.h
@@ -228,23 +228,56 @@ bool BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::AddFile(const
 
 /**
  * Set the set to be used.
+ * @param set the set to use
+ * @return true if it could be loaded
+ */
+template <class Tbase_set>
+/* static */ bool BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::SetSet(const Tbase_set *set)
+{
+	if (set == nullptr) {
+		if (!BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::DetermineBestSet()) return false;
+	} else {
+		BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::used_set = set;
+	}
+	CheckExternalFiles();
+	return true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Set the set to be used.
  * @param name of the set to use
  * @return true if it could be loaded
  */
 template <class Tbase_set>
-/* static */ bool BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::SetSet(const std::string &name)
+/* static */ bool BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::SetSetByName(const std::string &name)
 {
 	if (name.empty()) {
-		if (!BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::DetermineBestSet()) return false;
-		CheckExternalFiles();
-		return true;
+		return SetSet(nullptr);
 	}
 
 	for (const Tbase_set *s = BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::available_sets; s != nullptr; s = s->next) {
 		if (name == s->name) {
-			BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::used_set = s;
-			CheckExternalFiles();
-			return true;
+			return SetSet(s);
+		}
+	}
+	return false;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Set the set to be used.
+ * @param shortname of the set to use
+ * @return true if it could be loaded
+ */
+template <class Tbase_set>
+/* static */ bool BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::SetSetByShortname(uint32_t shortname)
+{
+	if (shortname == 0) {
+		return SetSet(nullptr);
+	}
+
+	for (const Tbase_set *s = BaseMedia<Tbase_set>::available_sets; s != nullptr; s = s->next) {
+		if (shortname == s->shortname) {
+			return SetSet(s);
 		}
 	}
 	return false;
@@ -376,7 +409,9 @@ template <class Tbase_set>
 	template const char *repl_type::GetExtension(); \
 	template bool repl_type::AddFile(const std::string &filename, size_t pathlength, const std::string &tar_filename); \
 	template bool repl_type::HasSet(const struct ContentInfo *ci, bool md5sum); \
-	template bool repl_type::SetSet(const std::string &name); \
+	template bool repl_type::SetSet(const set_type *set); \
+	template bool repl_type::SetSetByName(const std::string &name); \
+	template bool repl_type::SetSetByShortname(uint32_t shortname); \
 	template void repl_type::GetSetsList(std::back_insert_iterator<std::string> &output_iterator); \
 	template int repl_type::GetNumSets(); \
 	template int repl_type::GetIndexOfUsedSet(); \
diff --git a/src/music_gui.cpp b/src/music_gui.cpp
--- a/src/music_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/music_gui.cpp
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ void MusicSystem::ChangePlaylist(Playlis
  */
 void MusicSystem::ChangeMusicSet(const std::string &set_name)
 {
-	BaseMusic::SetSet(set_name);
+	BaseMusic::SetSetByName(set_name);
 	BaseMusic::ini_set = set_name;
 
 	this->BuildPlaylists();
diff --git a/src/openttd.cpp b/src/openttd.cpp
--- a/src/openttd.cpp
+++ b/src/openttd.cpp
@@ -702,10 +702,13 @@ int openttd_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	BaseGraphics::FindSets();
 	bool valid_graphics_set;
 	if (!graphics_set.empty()) {
-		valid_graphics_set = BaseGraphics::SetSet(graphics_set);
+		valid_graphics_set = BaseGraphics::SetSetByName(graphics_set);
+	} else if (BaseGraphics::ini_data.shortname != 0) {
+		graphics_set = BaseGraphics::ini_data.name;
+		valid_graphics_set = BaseGraphics::SetSetByShortname(BaseGraphics::ini_data.shortname);
 	} else if (!BaseGraphics::ini_data.name.empty()) {
 		graphics_set = BaseGraphics::ini_data.name;
-		valid_graphics_set = BaseGraphics::SetSet(BaseGraphics::ini_data.name);
+		valid_graphics_set = BaseGraphics::SetSetByName(BaseGraphics::ini_data.name);
 	} else {
 		valid_graphics_set = true;
 		BaseGraphics::SetSet(nullptr); // ignore error, continue to bootstrap GUI
@@ -769,7 +772,7 @@ int openttd_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	BaseSounds::FindSets();
 	if (sounds_set.empty() && !BaseSounds::ini_set.empty()) sounds_set = BaseSounds::ini_set;
-	if (!BaseSounds::SetSet(sounds_set)) {
+	if (!BaseSounds::SetSetByName(sounds_set)) {
 		if (sounds_set.empty() || !BaseSounds::SetSet({})) {
 			UserError("Failed to find a sounds set. Please acquire a sounds set for OpenTTD. See section 1.4 of README.md.");
 		} else {
@@ -781,7 +784,7 @@ int openttd_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	BaseMusic::FindSets();
 	if (music_set.empty() && !BaseMusic::ini_set.empty()) music_set = BaseMusic::ini_set;
-	if (!BaseMusic::SetSet(music_set)) {
+	if (!BaseMusic::SetSetByName(music_set)) {
 		if (music_set.empty() || !BaseMusic::SetSet({})) {
 			UserError("Failed to find a music set. Please acquire a music set for OpenTTD. See section 1.4 of README.md.");
 		} else {
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -995,6 +995,10 @@ static void GraphicsSetLoadConfig(IniFil
 	if (const IniGroup *group = ini.GetGroup("graphicsset"); group != nullptr) {
 		/* Load new settings. */
 		if (const IniItem *item = group->GetItem("name"); item != nullptr && item->value) BaseGraphics::ini_data.name = *item->value;
+
+		if (const IniItem *item = group->GetItem("shortname"); item != nullptr && item->value && item->value->size() == 8) {
+			BaseGraphics::ini_data.shortname = BSWAP32(std::strtoul(item->value->c_str(), nullptr, 16));
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1182,6 +1186,7 @@ static void GraphicsSetSaveConfig(IniFil
 	group.Clear();
 
 	group.GetOrCreateItem("name").SetValue(used_set->name);
+	group.GetOrCreateItem("shortname").SetValue(fmt::format("{:08X}", BSWAP32(used_set->shortname)));
 }
 
 /* Save a GRF configuration to the given group name */
diff --git a/src/settings_gui.cpp b/src/settings_gui.cpp
--- a/src/settings_gui.cpp
+++ b/src/settings_gui.cpp
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ struct GameOptionsWindow : Window {
 			case WID_GO_BASE_GRF_DROPDOWN:
 				if (_game_mode == GM_MENU) {
 					auto* set = BaseGraphics::GetSet(index);
-					BaseGraphics::SetSet(set->name);
+					BaseGraphics::SetSet(set);
 					this->reload = true;
 					this->InvalidateData();
 				}
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ struct GameOptionsWindow : Window {
 				if (_game_mode == GM_MENU) {
 					auto* set = BaseSounds::GetSet(index);
 					BaseSounds::ini_set = set->name;
-					BaseSounds::SetSet(set->name);
+					BaseSounds::SetSet(set);
 					this->reload = true;
 					this->InvalidateData();
 				}