diff --git a/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/WebGoat.java b/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/WebGoat.java
index 7c5ef1213..ac607b7d6 100644
--- a/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/WebGoat.java
+++ b/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/WebGoat.java
@@ -103,9 +103,8 @@ public class WebGoat extends SpringBootServletInitializer {
     @Bean
     @Scope(value = "session", proxyMode = ScopedProxyMode.TARGET_CLASS)
     @SneakyThrows
-    public UserTracker userTracker(@Value("${webgoat.user.directory}") final String webgoatHome,
-                                   @Value("${webgoat.tracker.overwrite:false}") final boolean overwrite, WebSession webSession) {
-        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(webgoatHome, webSession.getUserName(), overwrite);
+    public UserTracker userTracker(@Value("${webgoat.user.directory}") final String webgoatHome, WebSession webSession) {
+        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(webgoatHome, webSession.getUserName());
         userTracker.load();
         return userTracker;
     }
diff --git a/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTracker.java b/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTracker.java
index 26dde2ca9..246923e39 100644
--- a/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTracker.java
+++ b/webgoat-container/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTracker.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package org.owasp.webgoat.session;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 import lombok.SneakyThrows;
+import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
 import org.owasp.webgoat.lessons.AbstractLesson;
 import org.owasp.webgoat.lessons.Assignment;
 import org.springframework.util.FileCopyUtils;
@@ -44,17 +45,16 @@ import java.util.stream.Collectors;
  * @version $Id: $Id
  * @since October 29, 2003
  */
+@Slf4j
 public class UserTracker {
 
     private final String webgoatHome;
     private final String user;
-    private final boolean overwrite;
     private Map<String, LessonTracker> storage = new HashMap<>();
 
-    public UserTracker(final String webgoatHome, final String user, final boolean overwrite) {
+    public UserTracker(final String webgoatHome, final String user) {
         this.webgoatHome = webgoatHome;
         this.user = user;
-        this.overwrite = overwrite;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -85,13 +85,15 @@ public class UserTracker {
         save();
     }
 
-    @SneakyThrows
     public void load() {
         File file = new File(webgoatHome, user + ".progress");
-        if (overwrite) {
-            this.storage = Maps.newHashMap();
-        } else if (file.exists() && file.isFile()) {
-            this.storage = (Map<String, LessonTracker>) SerializationUtils.deserialize(FileCopyUtils.copyToByteArray(file));
+        if (file.exists() && file.isFile()) {
+            try {
+                this.storage = (Map<String, LessonTracker>) SerializationUtils.deserialize(FileCopyUtils.copyToByteArray(file));
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.error("Unable to read the progress file, creating a new one...");
+                this.storage = Maps.newHashMap();
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ public class UserTracker {
 
     public int numberOfLessonsSolved() {
         int numberOfLessonsSolved = 0;
-        for(LessonTracker lessonTracker : storage.values()) {
+        for (LessonTracker lessonTracker : storage.values()) {
             if (lessonTracker.isLessonSolved()) {
                 numberOfLessonsSolved = numberOfLessonsSolved + 1;
             }
diff --git a/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties b/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties
index 553aef6bf..1814e2788 100644
--- a/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties
+++ b/webgoat-container/src/main/resources/application.properties
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ security.enable-csrf=false
 spring.devtools.restart.enabled=false
 spring.resources.cache-period=0
 
-
-webgoat.tracker.overwrite=false
 webgoat.user.directory=${user.home}/.webgoat/
 webgoat.build.version=@project.version@
 webgoat.build.number=@build.number@
diff --git a/webgoat-container/src/test/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTrackerTest.java b/webgoat-container/src/test/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTrackerTest.java
index b2643274a..06fae61c5 100644
--- a/webgoat-container/src/test/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTrackerTest.java
+++ b/webgoat-container/src/test/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/UserTrackerTest.java
@@ -55,20 +55,20 @@ public class UserTrackerTest {
 
     @Test
     public void writeAndRead() {
-        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test", false);
+        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test");
         AbstractLesson lesson = mock(AbstractLesson.class);
         when(lesson.getAssignments()).thenReturn(Lists.newArrayList(new Assignment("assignment", "assignment")));
         userTracker.getLessonTracker(lesson);
         userTracker.assignmentSolved(lesson, lesson.getAssignments().get(0).getName());
 
-        userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test", false);
+        userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test");
         userTracker.load();
         assertThat(userTracker.getLessonTracker(lesson).isLessonSolved()).isTrue();
     }
 
     @Test
     public void assignmentFailedShouldIncrementAttempts() {
-        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test", false);
+        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test");
         AbstractLesson lesson = mock(AbstractLesson.class);
         when(lesson.getAssignments()).thenReturn(Lists.newArrayList(new Assignment("assignment", "assignment")));
         userTracker.getLessonTracker(lesson);
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public class UserTrackerTest {
 
     @Test
     public void resetShouldClearSolvedAssignment() {
-        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test", false);
+        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test");
         AbstractLesson lesson = mock(AbstractLesson.class);
         when(lesson.getAssignments()).thenReturn(Lists.newArrayList(new Assignment("assignment", "assignment")));
         userTracker.assignmentSolved(lesson, "assignment");
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ public class UserTrackerTest {
 
     @Test
     public void totalAssignmentsSolved() {
-        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test", false);
+        UserTracker userTracker = new UserTracker(home.getParent(), "test");
         AbstractLesson lesson = mock(AbstractLesson.class);
         when(lesson.getAssignments()).thenReturn(Lists.newArrayList(new Assignment("assignment", "assignment")));
         userTracker.assignmentSolved(lesson, "assignment");