diff --git a/data/default-apps/app-grid.txt b/data/default-apps/app-grid.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d78ed165e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/default-apps/app-grid.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+org.gnome.Geary.desktop
+org.gnome.Contacts.desktop
+org.gnome.Weather.desktop
+org.gnome.clocks.desktop
+org.gnome.Maps.desktop
+org.gnome.Books.desktop
+org.gnome.Photos.desktop
+org.gnome.Totem.desktop
+org.gnome.Calculator.desktop
+org.gnome.gedit.desktop
+simple-scan.desktop
+org.gnome.Settings.desktop
+org.gnome.SystemMonitor.desktop
+org.gnome.Boxes.desktop
+org.gnome.Terminal.desktop
+Utilities # folder
+org.gnome.Characters.desktop
+yelp.desktop
+org.gnome.Screenshot.desktop
+org.gnome.Cheese.desktop
+org.gnome.font-viewer.desktop
diff --git a/data/default-apps/dash.txt b/data/default-apps/dash.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a8e8bcd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/default-apps/dash.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+org.gnome.Epiphany.desktop
+org.gnome.Calendar.desktop
+org.gnome.Music.desktop
+gnome.Nautilus.desktop
+org.gnome.Software.desktop
+org.gnome.TextEditor.desktop
diff --git a/data/default-apps/utilities-folder.txt b/data/default-apps/utilities-folder.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..616997775
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/default-apps/utilities-folder.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Sorted by name as shown in menus, not filename
+nm-connection-editor.desktop              # Advanced Network Configuration
+org.gnome.DejaDup.desktop                 # Backups
+org.gnome.Characters.desktop              # Characters
+org.gnome.Connections.desktop             # Connections
+org.gnome.DiskUtility.desktop             # Disks
+org.gnome.baobab.desktop                  # Disk Usage Analyzer
+org.gnome.Evince.desktop                  # Document Viewer
+org.gnome.FileRoller.desktop              # File Roller
+org.gnome.font-viewer.desktop             # Fonts
+org.gnome.Loupe.desktop                   # Image Viewer
+org.gnome.Logs.desktop                    # Logs
+org.freedesktop.MalcontentControl.desktop # Parental Controls
+org.gnome.seahorse.Application.desktop    # Passwords and Keys
+org.freedesktop.GnomeAbrt.desktop         # Problem Reporting
+org.gnome.tweaks.desktop                  # Tweaks
+org.gnome.Usage.desktop                   # Usage
diff --git a/data/meson.build b/data/meson.build
index c8f82bd75..338ea7053 100644
--- a/data/meson.build
+++ b/data/meson.build
@@ -100,6 +100,14 @@ install_data(keybinding_files, install_dir: keysdir)
 
 schemaconf = configuration_data()
 schemaconf.set('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
+schemaconf.set('DASH_APPS', run_command(
+  generate_app_list, 'default-apps/dash.txt',
+  check: true,
+).stdout())
+schemaconf.set('APP_GRID_APPS', run_command(
+  generate_app_list, '--pages', 'default-apps/app-grid.txt',
+  check: true,
+).stdout())
 schema = configure_file(
   input: 'org.gnome.shell.gschema.xml.in',
   output: 'org.gnome.shell.gschema.xml',
diff --git a/data/org.gnome.shell.gschema.xml.in b/data/org.gnome.shell.gschema.xml.in
index 3cd37692a..b1c2534f9 100644
--- a/data/org.gnome.shell.gschema.xml.in
+++ b/data/org.gnome.shell.gschema.xml.in
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@
       </description>
     </key>
     <key name="favorite-apps" type="as">
-      <default>[ 'org.gnome.Epiphany.desktop', 'org.gnome.Calendar.desktop', 'org.gnome.Music.desktop', 'org.gnome.Nautilus.desktop', 'org.gnome.Software.desktop', 'org.gnome.TextEditor.desktop']</default>
+      <default>
+        @DASH_APPS@
+      </default>
       <summary>List of desktop file IDs for favorite applications</summary>
       <description>
         The applications corresponding to these identifiers
@@ -118,29 +120,7 @@
     </key>
     <key name="app-picker-layout" type="aa{sv}">
       <default><![CDATA[
-        [{
-          'org.gnome.Geary.desktop': <{'position': <0>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Contacts.desktop': <{'position': <1>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Weather.desktop': <{'position': <2>}>,
-          'org.gnome.clocks.desktop': <{'position': <3>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Maps.desktop': <{'position': <4>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Books.desktop': <{'position': <5>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Photos.desktop': <{'position': <6>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Totem.desktop': <{'position': <7>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Calculator.desktop': <{'position': <8>}>,
-          'org.gnome.gedit.desktop': <{'position': <9>}>,
-          'simple-scan.desktop': <{'position': <10>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Settings.desktop': <{'position': <11>}>,
-          'org.gnome.SystemMonitor.desktop': <{'position': <12>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Boxes.desktop': <{'position': <13>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Terminal.desktop': <{'position': <14>}>,
-          'Utilities': <{'position': <15>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Characters.desktop': <{'position': <16>}>,
-          'yelp.desktop': <{'position': <17>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Screenshot.desktop': <{'position': <18>}>,
-          'org.gnome.Cheese.desktop': <{'position': <19>}>,
-          'org.gnome.font-viewer.desktop': <{'position': <20>}>
-        }]
+        @APP_GRID_APPS@
       ]]></default>
       <summary>Layout of the app picker</summary>
       <description>
diff --git a/js/misc/config.js.in b/js/misc/config.js.in
index a5069e438..6485d614f 100644
--- a/js/misc/config.js.in
+++ b/js/misc/config.js.in
@@ -20,3 +20,5 @@ export const LIBMUTTER_API_VERSION = '@LIBMUTTER_API_VERSION@';
 
 export const HAVE_BLUETOOTH = pkg.checkSymbol('GnomeBluetooth', '3.0',
     'Client.default_adapter_state');
+
+export const UTILITIES_FOLDER_APPS = @UTILS_FOLDER_APPS@;
diff --git a/js/misc/meson.build b/js/misc/meson.build
index 5fc8ca433..4b137ef3e 100644
--- a/js/misc/meson.build
+++ b/js/misc/meson.build
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ jsconf.set('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
 jsconf.set('LIBMUTTER_API_VERSION', mutter_api_version)
 jsconf.set10('HAVE_NETWORKMANAGER', have_networkmanager)
 jsconf.set10('HAVE_PORTAL_HELPER', have_portal_helper)
+jsconf.set('UTILS_FOLDER_APPS', run_command(
+  generate_app_list, '../../data/default-apps/utilities-folder.txt',
+  check: true,
+).stdout())
 jsconf.set('datadir', datadir)
 jsconf.set('libexecdir', libexecdir)
 
diff --git a/js/ui/appDisplay.js b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
index 6f07b94cd..9801b7134 100644
--- a/js/ui/appDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import * as SystemActions from '../misc/systemActions.js';
 
 import * as Main from './main.js';
 
+import {UTILITIES_FOLDER_APPS} from '../misc/config.js';
+
 const MENU_POPUP_TIMEOUT = 600;
 const POPDOWN_DIALOG_TIMEOUT = 500;
 
@@ -59,25 +61,7 @@ const DIALOG_SHADE_HIGHLIGHT = new Cogl.Color({red: 0, green: 0, blue: 0, alpha:
 const DEFAULT_FOLDERS = {
     'Utilities': {
         name: 'X-GNOME-Shell-Utilities.directory',
-        apps: [
-            // Sorted by name as shown in menus, not filename
-            'nm-connection-editor.desktop', // Advanced Network Configuration
-            'org.gnome.DejaDup.desktop', // Backups
-            'org.gnome.Characters.desktop', // Characters
-            'org.gnome.Connections.desktop', // Connections
-            'org.gnome.DiskUtility.desktop', // Disks
-            'org.gnome.baobab.desktop', // Disk Usage Analyzer
-            'org.gnome.Evince.desktop', // Document Viewer
-            'org.gnome.FileRoller.desktop', // File Roller
-            'org.gnome.font-viewer.desktop', // Fonts
-            'org.gnome.Loupe.desktop', // Image Viewer
-            'org.gnome.Logs.desktop', // Logs
-            'org.freedesktop.MalcontentControl.desktop', // Parental Controls
-            'org.gnome.seahorse.Application.desktop', // Passwords and Keys
-            'org.freedesktop.GnomeAbrt.desktop', // Problem Reporting
-            'org.gnome.tweaks.desktop', // Tweaks
-            'org.gnome.Usage.desktop', // Usage
-        ],
+        apps: UTILITIES_FOLDER_APPS,
     },
     'YaST': {
         name: 'suse-yast.directory',
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index ff3197410..4d7bc4c9c 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ endif
 mutter_typelibdir = mutter_dep.get_variable('typelibdir')
 python = find_program('python3')
 gjs = find_program('gjs')
+generate_app_list = find_program('meson/generate-app-list.py')
 
 cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
 
diff --git a/meson/generate-app-list.py b/meson/generate-app-list.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..067c36967
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson/generate-app-list.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+
+def read_app_ids(path) -> str:
+    ids = []
+    with open(path, "r") as file:
+        for line in file:
+            # strip comments
+            line, _, _ = line.partition('#');
+            line = line.strip()
+            if len(line) > 0:
+                ids.append(line)
+    return ids
+
+def print_as_array(ids):
+    mapped_ids = list(map(lambda i: f"  '{i}'", ids))
+    print('[')
+    print(',\n'.join(mapped_ids))
+    print(']')
+
+def print_as_pages(ids):
+    mapped_ids = []
+    for i, id in enumerate(ids):
+        mapped_ids.append(f"  '{id}': <{{'position': <{i}>}}>")
+
+    print('[{')
+    print(',\n'.join(mapped_ids))
+    print('}]')
+
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+parser.add_argument('--pages', action='store_true')
+parser.add_argument('file')
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
+ids = read_app_ids(args.file)
+if args.pages:
+    print_as_pages(ids)
+else:
+    print_as_array(ids)