diff --git a/i18n/en.pot b/i18n/en.pot
index 4731601..082359c 100644
--- a/i18n/en.pot
+++ b/i18n/en.pot
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ msgstr ""
 "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8\n"
 "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
 "Plural-Forms: nplurals=2; plural=(n != 1)\n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2022-07-20T16:52:08.431Z\n"
-"PO-Revision-Date: 2022-07-20T16:52:08.431Z\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2022-07-29T14:31:45.194Z\n"
+"PO-Revision-Date: 2022-07-29T14:31:45.194Z\n"
 
 msgid "Search within results"
 msgstr "Search within results"
@@ -77,6 +77,25 @@ msgstr "SQL Views"
 msgid "Search for a SQL view"
 msgstr "Search for a SQL view"
 
+msgid "Attribute has been created. App will reload shortly."
+msgstr "Attribute has been created. App will reload shortly."
+
+msgid "Attribute could not be created."
+msgstr "Attribute could not be created."
+
+msgid ""
+"Do you want to create an attribute that allows saving default variable "
+"values?"
+msgstr ""
+"Do you want to create an attribute that allows saving default variable "
+"values?"
+
+msgid "Cancel"
+msgstr "Cancel"
+
+msgid "Create"
+msgstr "Create"
+
 msgid "Download CSV"
 msgstr "Download CSV"
 
diff --git a/src/components/Data/ViewData.js b/src/components/Data/ViewData.js
index 67b3cb1..80ec210 100644
--- a/src/components/Data/ViewData.js
+++ b/src/components/Data/ViewData.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import {
 } from '../../services/extractVariables'
 import { useQuery } from '../../services/useQuery'
 import { useDataStoreConfig } from '../ConfigProvider'
-import { useUserInfo } from '../UserInfoProvider'
 import Layout from '../Layout'
+import { useUserInfo } from '../UserInfoProvider'
 import DataWrapper from './DataWrapper'
 import ErrorMessage from './ErrorMessage'
 import LinksMenu from './LinksMenu'
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ const BackButton = () => (
 const ViewData = ({ match }) => {
     const { baseUrl } = useConfig()
     const { config, configWaiting } = useDataStoreConfig()
-    const { userInfo, userWaiting } = useUserInfo()
+    const { userInfo } = useUserInfo()
     const query = useQuery()
     const engine = useDataEngine()
     const id = match.params.id
@@ -212,17 +212,17 @@ const ViewData = ({ match }) => {
             const filteredAttributeValues = data.sqlView.attributeValues.filter(
                 av => av.attribute.id !== config?.defaultsAttributeId
             )
-            let newVariables = {
+            const newVariables = {
                 attribute: { id: config?.defaultsAttributeId },
                 value: JSON.stringify(variables),
             }
-            let newSQLView = { ...data.sqlView }
+            const newSQLView = { ...data.sqlView }
             newSQLView.attributeValues = [
                 ...filteredAttributeValues,
                 newVariables,
             ]
 
-            let response = await engine.mutate(sqlUpdate, {
+            const response = await engine.mutate(sqlUpdate, {
                 variables: { id: data.sqlView.id, data: newSQLView },
             })
             if (
diff --git a/src/components/Main.js b/src/components/Main.js
index 158bc85..9af5e41 100644
--- a/src/components/Main.js
+++ b/src/components/Main.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { HashRouter as Router, Switch, Route } from 'react-router-dom'
 import ConfigProvider from './ConfigProvider'
-import UserInfoProvider from './UserInfoProvider'
 import ViewData from './Data/ViewData'
 import Layout from './Layout'
 import SelectQuery from './Selection/SelectQuery'
+import UserInfoProvider from './UserInfoProvider'
 import '../locales'
 
 const Main = () => {
diff --git a/src/components/Selection/SelectQuery.js b/src/components/Selection/SelectQuery.js
index 62b8d30..a36e408 100644
--- a/src/components/Selection/SelectQuery.js
+++ b/src/components/Selection/SelectQuery.js
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 import { DataQuery } from '@dhis2/app-runtime'
 import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n'
-import { Button, CircularLoader, IconMore24 } from '@dhis2/ui'
+import { Button, CircularLoader, IconMore24, IconSettings24 } from '@dhis2/ui'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
 import React, { createRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { Link } from 'react-router-dom'
+import { useDataStoreConfig } from '../ConfigProvider'
 import LinksMenu from '../Data/LinksMenu'
 import CustomTable from '../Table/CustomTable'
+import { useUserInfo } from '../UserInfoProvider'
+import SettingsModal from './SettingsModal'
 
 const sqlViewsQuery = {
     sql: {
@@ -61,12 +64,37 @@ const SelectQuery = () => {
         { name: 'uid', hidden: true },
     ]
 
+    const { userInfo } = useUserInfo()
+    const { config } = useDataStoreConfig()
+    const [settingsModalOpen, setSettingsModalOpen] = useState(false)
+
     return (
         <DataQuery query={sqlViewsQuery}>
             {({ loading, error, data }) => (
                 <>
                     <div className="innerContainer">
-                        <h1 className="titleText">{i18n.t('SQL Views')}</h1>
+                        {settingsModalOpen && (
+                            <SettingsModal
+                                setSettingsModalOpen={setSettingsModalOpen}
+                            />
+                        )}
+
+                        <div className="headerContainer">
+                            <h1 className="titleText">{i18n.t('SQL Views')}</h1>
+                            {userInfo?.superuser &&
+                                !config?.defaultsAttributeId && (
+                                    <div className="rightButton">
+                                        <Button
+                                            dataTest="settings-button"
+                                            icon={<IconSettings24 />}
+                                            small
+                                            onClick={() => {
+                                                setSettingsModalOpen(true)
+                                            }}
+                                        />
+                                    </div>
+                                )}
+                        </div>
                         {loading && <CircularLoader />}
                         {error && <span>{`Error: ${error.message}`}</span>}
                         {data && (
@@ -119,6 +147,13 @@ const SelectQuery = () => {
                             margin: var(--spacers-dp24) 0 var(--spacers-dp12);
                             line-height: 20px;
                         }
+                        .headerContainer {
+                            display: flex;
+                            align-items: center;
+                        }
+                        .rightButton {
+                            margin-left: auto;
+                        }
                     `}</style>
                 </>
             )}
diff --git a/src/components/Selection/SettingsModal.js b/src/components/Selection/SettingsModal.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0eb9b39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/Selection/SettingsModal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import { useAlert, useDataEngine } from '@dhis2/app-runtime'
+import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n'
+import {
+    Button,
+    ButtonStrip,
+    Modal,
+    ModalActions,
+    ModalContent,
+} from '@dhis2/ui'
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
+import React from 'react'
+
+const DEFAULT_ATTIBUTE_NAME = 'default-sql-values'
+
+const attributeCreate = {
+    resource: 'attributes',
+    type: 'create',
+    data: ({ data }) => data,
+}
+
+const dataStoreCreate = {
+    resource: 'dataStore/sqlViewer/config',
+    type: 'create',
+    data: ({ data }) => data,
+}
+
+const SettingsModal = ({ setSettingsModalOpen }) => {
+    const engine = useDataEngine()
+    const { show: showAlert } = useAlert(
+        ({ msg }) => msg,
+        ({ options }) => ({ ...options, duration: 3000 })
+    )
+
+    const createAttribute = async () => {
+        try {
+            // post to create attribute
+            const defaultsAttribute = {
+                name: DEFAULT_ATTIBUTE_NAME,
+                valueType: 'LONG_TEXT',
+                sqlViewAttribute: true,
+            }
+            const attributeResponse = await engine.mutate(attributeCreate, {
+                variables: { data: defaultsAttribute },
+            })
+
+            // if successful, post to create datastore (note: assumes datastore does not exist)
+            const datastoreContent = {
+                defaultsAttributeId: attributeResponse?.response?.uid,
+            }
+            await engine.mutate(dataStoreCreate, {
+                variables: { data: datastoreContent },
+            })
+
+            showAlert({
+                msg: i18n.t('Attribute has been created. App will reload shortly.'),
+                options: { success: true },
+            })
+
+            // here the context should be created, but reloading page is a simpler approach
+            setTimeout(() => {
+                location.reload()
+            }, 3000)
+        } catch (e) {
+            showAlert({
+                msg: i18n.t('Attribute could not be created.'),
+                options: { warning: true },
+            })
+        }
+        setSettingsModalOpen(false)
+    }
+
+    return (
+        <Modal
+            onClose={() => {
+                setSettingsModalOpen(false)
+            }}
+            position="middle"
+        >
+            <ModalContent>
+                {i18n.t(
+                    'Do you want to create an attribute that allows saving default variable values?'
+                )}
+            </ModalContent>
+            <ModalActions>
+                <ButtonStrip>
+                    <Button
+                        onClick={() => {
+                            setSettingsModalOpen(false)
+                        }}
+                    >
+                        {i18n.t('Cancel')}
+                    </Button>
+                    <Button primary onClick={createAttribute}>
+                        {i18n.t('Create')}
+                    </Button>
+                </ButtonStrip>
+            </ModalActions>
+        </Modal>
+    )
+}
+
+SettingsModal.propTypes = {
+    setSettingsModalOpen: PropTypes.func,
+}
+
+export default SettingsModal