diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/core/preferences/tests/TestScopeOfBuildConfigResourceChangesPreference.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/core/preferences/tests/TestScopeOfBuildConfigResourceChangesPreference.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0527eeb0c32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/core/preferences/tests/TestScopeOfBuildConfigResourceChangesPreference.java
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+/*******************************************************************************
+ *  Copyright (c) 2017 Simeon Andreev and others.
+ *  All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
+ *  are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
+ *  which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
+ *  http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+ *
+ *  Contributors:
+ *     Simeon Andreev - initial API and implementation
+ *******************************************************************************/
+package org.eclipse.cdt.core.preferences.tests;
+
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.CCorePlugin;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.CCorePreferenceConstants;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.resources.ACBuilder;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.DefaultScope;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.IEclipsePreferences;
+
+import junit.framework.Test;
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+import junit.framework.TestSuite;
+
+/**
+ * Test case for Bug 529023: Cannot set build.proj.ref.configs.enabled via
+ * plugin_customization.ini.
+ *
+ * @author Simeon Andreev
+ */
+public class TestScopeOfBuildConfigResourceChangesPreference extends TestCase {
+
+	private static final String PREFERENCE_NAME = CCorePreferenceConstants.PREF_BUILD_CONFIGS_RESOURCE_CHANGES;
+
+	private boolean oldInstanceScopeValue;
+	private boolean oldDefaultScopeValue;
+
+    public static Test suite() {
+        return new TestSuite(TestScopeOfBuildConfigResourceChangesPreference.class);
+    }
+
+	@Override
+	protected void setUp() throws Exception {
+		super.setUp();
+
+		oldInstanceScopeValue = ACBuilder.buildConfigResourceChanges();
+		IEclipsePreferences defaultScopePreferences = defaultScopePreferences();
+		oldDefaultScopeValue = defaultScopePreferences.getBoolean(PREFERENCE_NAME, oldInstanceScopeValue);
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	protected void tearDown() throws Exception {
+		ACBuilder.setBuildConfigResourceChanges(oldInstanceScopeValue);
+		IEclipsePreferences defaultScopePreferences = defaultScopePreferences();
+		defaultScopePreferences.putBoolean(PREFERENCE_NAME, oldDefaultScopeValue);
+
+		super.tearDown();
+	}
+
+	private static IEclipsePreferences defaultScopePreferences() {
+		return DefaultScope.INSTANCE.getNode(CCorePlugin.PLUGIN_ID);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Validates that {@link ACBuilder#buildConfigResourceChanges()} also takes
+	 * {@link DefaultScope} into account.
+	 */
+	public void testSettingPreferenceViaDefaultScope() throws Exception {
+		IEclipsePreferences defaultScopePreferences = defaultScopePreferences();
+		defaultScopePreferences.putBoolean(PREFERENCE_NAME, true);
+
+		boolean buildConfigResourceChanges = ACBuilder.buildConfigResourceChanges();
+		assertTrue("unable to set preference \"" + PREFERENCE_NAME + "\" via default scope",
+				buildConfigResourceChanges);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/suite/AutomatedIntegrationSuite.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/suite/AutomatedIntegrationSuite.java
index d0697ef1898..74dd12243a2 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/suite/AutomatedIntegrationSuite.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/suite/org/eclipse/cdt/core/suite/AutomatedIntegrationSuite.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.tests.WorkingCopyTests;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.tests.ParserTestSuite;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.tests.ast2.cxx14.constexpr.AllConstexprEvalTests;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.tests.rewrite.RewriteTests;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.preferences.tests.TestScopeOfBuildConfigResourceChangesPreference;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.resources.tests.RefreshScopeTests;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.index.tests.IndexTests;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.pdom.tests.PDOMTests;
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ public class AutomatedIntegrationSuite extends TestSuite {
 		suite.addTest(EFSExtensionTests.suite());
 		suite.addTest(ByteUtilsTest.suite());
 		suite.addTest(UNCPathConverterTest.suite());
+		suite.addTest(TestScopeOfBuildConfigResourceChangesPreference.suite());
 
 		// Add in PDOM tests
 		suite.addTest(PDOMTests.suite());
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/resources/ACBuilder.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/resources/ACBuilder.java
index 92eb57e4522..968100e592e 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/resources/ACBuilder.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/resources/ACBuilder.java
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ import org.eclipse.core.resources.IResource;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IncrementalProjectBuilder;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.jobs.ISchedulingRule;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.DefaultScope;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.IEclipsePreferences;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.IScopeContext;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.InstanceScope;
 import org.eclipse.osgi.util.NLS;
 
@@ -258,7 +261,7 @@ public abstract class ACBuilder extends IncrementalProjectBuilder implements IMa
 	}
 
 	public static boolean needAllConfigBuild() {
-		return prefs.getBoolean(CCorePreferenceConstants.PREF_BUILD_ALL_CONFIGS, false);
+		return getPreference(CCorePreferenceConstants.PREF_BUILD_ALL_CONFIGS, false);
 	}
 
 	public static void setAllConfigBuild(boolean enable) {
@@ -274,7 +277,7 @@ public abstract class ACBuilder extends IncrementalProjectBuilder implements IMa
 	 */
 	public static boolean buildConfigResourceChanges() {
 		//bug 219337
-		return prefs.getBoolean(CCorePreferenceConstants.PREF_BUILD_CONFIGS_RESOURCE_CHANGES, false);
+		return getPreference(CCorePreferenceConstants.PREF_BUILD_CONFIGS_RESOURCE_CHANGES, false);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -287,6 +290,14 @@ public abstract class ACBuilder extends IncrementalProjectBuilder implements IMa
 		prefs.putBoolean(CCorePreferenceConstants.PREF_BUILD_CONFIGS_RESOURCE_CHANGES, enable);
 	}
 
+	private static boolean getPreference(String preferenceName, boolean defaultValue) {
+		IScopeContext[] contexts = {
+				InstanceScope.INSTANCE, // for preference page
+				DefaultScope.INSTANCE   // for product customization
+		};
+		return Platform.getPreferencesService().getBoolean(CCorePlugin.PLUGIN_ID, preferenceName, defaultValue, contexts);
+	}
+
 	@SuppressWarnings("nls")
 	private static String kindToString(int kind) {
 		return (kind==IncrementalProjectBuilder.AUTO_BUILD ? "AUTO_BUILD"