diff --git a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts
index f3a21ca099347..6f3d70cf1eb4f 100644
--- a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts
+++ b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 import { injectable, inject } from '@theia/core/shared/inversify';
 import { CommandRegistry, MenuModelRegistry } from '@theia/core/lib/common';
-import { CommonMenus, AbstractViewContribution, FrontendApplicationContribution, FrontendApplication } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
+import { CommonMenus, AbstractViewContribution, FrontendApplicationContribution, FrontendApplication, NavigatableWidget, PreferenceService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
 import { GettingStartedWidget } from './getting-started-widget';
 import { FrontendApplicationStateService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/frontend-application-state';
 import { WorkspaceService } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser';
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ export class GettingStartedContribution extends AbstractViewContribution<Getting
     @inject(WorkspaceService)
     protected readonly workspaceService: WorkspaceService;
 
+    @inject(PreferenceService)
+    protected readonly preferenceService: PreferenceService;
+
     constructor() {
         super({
             widgetId: GettingStartedWidget.ID,
@@ -49,11 +52,17 @@ export class GettingStartedContribution extends AbstractViewContribution<Getting
     }
 
     async onStart(app: FrontendApplication): Promise<void> {
-        if (!this.workspaceService.opened) {
-            this.stateService.reachedState('ready').then(
-                () => this.openView({ reveal: true, activate: true })
-            );
-        }
+        this.stateService.reachedState('ready').then(() => {
+            const editors = this.shell.widgets.filter((widget): widget is NavigatableWidget => NavigatableWidget.is(widget));
+            if (editors.length === 0) {
+                this.preferenceService.ready.then(() => {
+                    const showWelcomePage: boolean = this.preferenceService.get('welcome.alwaysShowWelcomePage', true);
+                    if (showWelcomePage) {
+                        this.openView({ reveal: true, activate: true });
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+        });
     }
 
     override registerCommands(registry: CommandRegistry): void {
diff --git a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-frontend-module.ts b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-frontend-module.ts
index a51e8b627f19c..fbcc828646f02 100644
--- a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-frontend-module.ts
+++ b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-frontend-module.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { GettingStartedContribution } from './getting-started-contribution';
 import { ContainerModule, interfaces } from '@theia/core/shared/inversify';
 import { GettingStartedWidget } from './getting-started-widget';
 import { WidgetFactory, FrontendApplicationContribution, bindViewContribution } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
-
+import { bindGettingStartedPreferences } from './getting-started-preferences';
 import '../../src/browser/style/index.css';
 
 export default new ContainerModule((bind: interfaces.Bind) => {
@@ -29,4 +29,5 @@ export default new ContainerModule((bind: interfaces.Bind) => {
         id: GettingStartedWidget.ID,
         createWidget: () => context.container.get<GettingStartedWidget>(GettingStartedWidget),
     })).inSingletonScope();
+    bindGettingStartedPreferences(bind);
 });
diff --git a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-preferences.ts b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-preferences.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..18d1cc64e2cc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-preferences.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// *****************************************************************************
+// Copyright (C) 2023 Ericsson and others.
+//
+// This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+// terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0 which is available at
+// http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-2.0.
+//
+// This Source Code may also be made available under the following Secondary
+// Licenses when the conditions for such availability set forth in the Eclipse
+// Public License v. 2.0 are satisfied: GNU General Public License, version 2
+// with the GNU Classpath Exception which is available at
+// https://www.gnu.org/software/classpath/license.html.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: EPL-2.0 OR GPL-2.0-only WITH Classpath-exception-2.0
+// *****************************************************************************
+
+import { interfaces } from '@theia/core/shared/inversify';
+import {
+    createPreferenceProxy,
+    PreferenceProxy,
+    PreferenceService,
+    PreferenceSchema,
+    PreferenceContribution
+} from '@theia/core/lib/browser/preferences';
+import { nls } from '@theia/core/lib/common/nls';
+
+export const GettingStartedPreferenceSchema: PreferenceSchema = {
+    'type': 'object',
+    properties: {
+        'welcome.alwaysShowWelcomePage': {
+            type: 'boolean',
+            description: nls.localizeByDefault('Show welcome page on startup'),
+            default: true
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+export interface GettingStartedConfiguration {
+    'welcome.alwaysShowWelcomePage': boolean;
+}
+
+export const GettingStartedPreferenceContribution = Symbol('GettingStartedPreferenceContribution');
+export const GettingStartedPreferences = Symbol('GettingStartedPreferences');
+export type GettingStartedPreferences = PreferenceProxy<GettingStartedConfiguration>;
+
+export function createGettingStartedPreferences(preferences: PreferenceService, schema: PreferenceSchema = GettingStartedPreferenceSchema): GettingStartedPreferences {
+    return createPreferenceProxy(preferences, schema);
+}
+
+export function bindGettingStartedPreferences(bind: interfaces.Bind): void {
+    bind(GettingStartedPreferences).toDynamicValue(ctx => {
+        const preferences = ctx.container.get<PreferenceService>(PreferenceService);
+        const contribution = ctx.container.get<PreferenceContribution>(GettingStartedPreferenceContribution);
+        return createGettingStartedPreferences(preferences, contribution.schema);
+    }).inSingletonScope();
+    bind(GettingStartedPreferenceContribution).toConstantValue({ schema: GettingStartedPreferenceSchema });
+    bind(PreferenceContribution).toService(GettingStartedPreferenceContribution);
+}
diff --git a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx
index d468240e7db2e..c833471122e8e 100644
--- a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx
+++ b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { injectable, inject, postConstruct } from '@theia/core/shared/inversify'
 import { CommandRegistry, isOSX, environment, Path } from '@theia/core/lib/common';
 import { WorkspaceCommands, WorkspaceService } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser';
 import { KeymapsCommands } from '@theia/keymaps/lib/browser';
-import { Message, ReactWidget, CommonCommands, LabelProvider, Key, KeyCode, codicon } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
+import { Message, ReactWidget, CommonCommands, LabelProvider, Key, KeyCode, codicon, PreferenceService } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
 import { ApplicationInfo, ApplicationServer } from '@theia/core/lib/common/application-protocol';
 import { FrontendApplicationConfigProvider } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/frontend-application-config-provider';
 import { EnvVariablesServer } from '@theia/core/lib/common/env-variables';
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export class GettingStartedWidget extends ReactWidget {
     /**
      * The widget `label` which is used for display purposes.
      */
-    static readonly LABEL = nls.localizeByDefault('Get Started');
+    static readonly LABEL = nls.localizeByDefault('Welcome');
 
     /**
      * The `ApplicationInfo` for the application if available.
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ export class GettingStartedWidget extends ReactWidget {
     @inject(WorkspaceService)
     protected readonly workspaceService: WorkspaceService;
 
+    @inject(PreferenceService)
+    protected readonly preferenceService: PreferenceService;
+
     @postConstruct()
     protected init(): void {
         this.doInit();
@@ -126,34 +129,39 @@ export class GettingStartedWidget extends ReactWidget {
      * Render the content of the widget.
      */
     protected render(): React.ReactNode {
-        return <div className='gs-container'>
-            {this.renderHeader()}
-            <hr className='gs-hr' />
-            <div className='flex-grid'>
-                <div className='col'>
-                    {this.renderOpen()}
+        return <div>
+            <div className='gs-container'>
+                {this.renderHeader()}
+                <hr className='gs-hr' />
+                <div className='flex-grid'>
+                    <div className='col'>
+                        {this.renderOpen()}
+                    </div>
                 </div>
-            </div>
-            <div className='flex-grid'>
-                <div className='col'>
-                    {this.renderRecentWorkspaces()}
+                <div className='flex-grid'>
+                    <div className='col'>
+                        {this.renderRecentWorkspaces()}
+                    </div>
                 </div>
-            </div>
-            <div className='flex-grid'>
-                <div className='col'>
-                    {this.renderSettings()}
+                <div className='flex-grid'>
+                    <div className='col'>
+                        {this.renderSettings()}
+                    </div>
                 </div>
-            </div>
-            <div className='flex-grid'>
-                <div className='col'>
-                    {this.renderHelp()}
+                <div className='flex-grid'>
+                    <div className='col'>
+                        {this.renderHelp()}
+                    </div>
                 </div>
-            </div>
-            <div className='flex-grid'>
-                <div className='col'>
-                    {this.renderVersion()}
+                <div className='flex-grid'>
+                    <div className='col'>
+                        {this.renderVersion()}
+                    </div>
                 </div>
             </div>
+            <div className='gs-preference-container'>
+                {this.renderPreferences()}
+            </div>
         </div>;
     }
 
@@ -364,6 +372,10 @@ export class GettingStartedWidget extends ReactWidget {
         </div>;
     }
 
+    protected renderPreferences(): React.ReactNode {
+        return <WelcomePreferences preferenceService={this.preferenceService}></WelcomePreferences>;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Build the list of workspace paths.
      * @param workspaces {string[]} the list of workspaces.
@@ -478,3 +490,40 @@ export class GettingStartedWidget extends ReactWidget {
         return Key.ENTER.keyCode === KeyCode.createKeyCode(e.nativeEvent).key?.keyCode;
     }
 }
+
+export interface PreferencesProps {
+    preferenceService: PreferenceService;
+}
+
+function WelcomePreferences(props: PreferencesProps): JSX.Element {
+    const [alwaysShowWelcomePage, setAlwaysShowWelcomePage] = React.useState<boolean>(
+        props.preferenceService.get('welcome.alwaysShowWelcomePage', true)
+    );
+    React.useEffect(() => {
+        const prefListener = props.preferenceService.onPreferenceChanged(change => {
+            if (change.preferenceName === 'welcome.alwaysShowWelcomePage') {
+                const prefValue = change.newValue;
+                setAlwaysShowWelcomePage(prefValue);
+            }
+        });
+        return () => prefListener.dispose();
+    }, [props.preferenceService]);
+    const handleChange = (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+        const newChecked = e.target.checked;
+        props.preferenceService.updateValue('welcome.alwaysShowWelcomePage', newChecked);
+    };
+    return (
+        <div className='gs-preference'>
+            <input
+                type="checkbox"
+                className="theia-input"
+                id="alwaysShowWelcomePage"
+                onChange={handleChange}
+                checked={alwaysShowWelcomePage}
+            />
+            <label htmlFor="alwaysShowWelcomePage">
+                {nls.localizeByDefault('Show welcome page on startup')}
+            </label>
+        </div>
+    );
+}
diff --git a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/style/index.css b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/style/index.css
index 2a23b097fdd32..ba828730c4c0a 100644
--- a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/style/index.css
+++ b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/style/index.css
@@ -89,3 +89,18 @@ body {
   text-transform: capitalize;
   font-weight: 400;
 }
+
+.gs-preference-container {
+  display: flex;
+  position: absolute;
+  bottom: 0;
+  width: 100%;
+  justify-content: center;
+}
+
+.gs-preference {
+  margin-top: 20px;
+  margin-bottom: 20px;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+}