diff --git a/imagefield_crop.module b/imagefield_crop.module
index c40dba3..2002222 100644
--- a/imagefield_crop.module
+++ b/imagefield_crop.module
@@ -31,6 +31,45 @@ function imagefield_crop_field_widget_info() {
   );
 }
 
+ /**
+ * Get imagefield_crop settings for a file.
+ */
+function imagefield_crop_file_settings($fid) {
+  $settings = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__, array());
+  if (isset($settings[$fid])) {
+    return $settings[$fid];
+  }
+  $settings[$fid] = db_query('SELECT * FROM {imagefield_crop} WHERE fid = :fid', array(':fid' => $fid))->fetchAssoc();
+
+  // We should always return an array, even if there are no settings found.
+  if (!is_array($settings[$fid])) {
+    $settings[$fid] = array(
+      'x' => 0,
+      'y' => 0,
+      'width' => 50,
+      'height' => 50,
+      'changed' => 0,
+    );
+  }
+  return $settings[$fid];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Save imagefield_crop settings for a file.
+ */
+function imagefield_crop_file_settings_save($crop_settings) {
+  $fid = $crop_settings['fid'];
+  $settings = &drupal_static('imagefield_crop_file_settings', array());
+  $settings[$fid] = $crop_settings;
+
+  unset($crop_settings['fid']);
+
+  return db_merge('imagefield_crop')
+    ->key(array('fid' => $fid))
+    ->fields($crop_settings)
+    ->execute();
+}
+
 /**
  * Implements hook_field_widget_settings_form().
  */
@@ -277,13 +316,8 @@ function imagefield_crop_widget_process($element, &$form_state, $form) {
 }
 
 function _imagefield_add_cropinfo_fields($fid = NULL) {
-  $defaults = array(
-    'x'       => 0,
-    'y'       => 0,
-    'width'   => 50,
-    'height'  => 50,
-    'changed' => 0,
-  );
+  $defaults = imagefield_crop_file_settings($fid);
+  $defaults['changed'] = 0;
   if ($fid) {
     $crop_info = variable_get('imagefield_crop_info', array());
     if (isset($crop_info[$fid]) && !empty($crop_info[$fid])) {
@@ -380,10 +414,9 @@ function imagefield_crop_widget_value(&$element, &$input, $form_state) {
 
     if (_imagefield_crop_resize(drupal_realpath($file_to_crop->uri), $crop, $scale, drupal_realpath($src->uri))) {
       // insert crop info for this image in imagefield_crop_info variable
-      $crop_info = variable_get('imagefield_crop_info', array());
+      $crop['fid'] = $src->fid;
       unset($crop['changed']);
-      $crop_info[$src->fid] = $crop;
-      variable_set('imagefield_crop_info', $crop_info);
+      imagefield_crop_file_settings_save($crop);
       // Remove cached versions of the cropped image.
       image_path_flush($src->uri);
     }
@@ -398,9 +431,7 @@ function imagefield_crop_widget_delete($form, &$form_state) {
   if ($orig->fid != $element['fid']) {
     file_usage_delete($orig, 'imagefield_crop');
     file_delete($orig);
-    $crop_info = variable_get('imagefield_crop_info', array());
-    unset($crop_info[$element['fid']]);
-    variable_set('imagefield_crop_info', $crop_info);
+    db_delete('imagefield_crop')->condition('fid', $element['fid'])->execute();
   }
 }