diff --git a/lisp/org-faces.el b/lisp/org-faces.el
index d78b606ec..fc834f37d 100644
--- a/lisp/org-faces.el
+++ b/lisp/org-faces.el
@@ -291,7 +291,15 @@ determines if it is a foreground or a background color."
 	   (string :tag "Keyword")
 	   (choice :tag "Face   "
 		   (string :tag "Color")
-		   (sexp :tag "Face")))))
+		   (sexp :tag "Face"))))
+  :safe (lambda (x)
+          (cl-every
+           (lambda (pair)
+	     (let ((keyword (car pair))
+		   (face (cdr pair)))
+	       (and (stringp keyword)
+		    (or (facep face) (listp face)))))
+           x)))
 
 (defface org-priority '((t :inherit font-lock-keyword-face))
   "Face used for priority cookies."
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index e577dc661..da38beb45 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -1945,7 +1945,13 @@ taken from the (otherwise obsolete) variable `org-todo-interpretation'."
 					 org-todo-interpretation-widgets))
 		      widget))
 		   (repeat
-		    (string :tag "Keyword"))))))
+		    (string :tag "Keyword")))))
+  :safe (lambda (x)
+          (cl-every
+           (lambda (seq)
+             (and (memq (car seq) '(sequence type))
+                  (cl-every (lambda (i) (stringp i)) (cdr seq))))
+           x)))
 
 (defvar-local org-todo-keywords-1 nil
   "All TODO and DONE keywords active in a buffer.")
@@ -4358,10 +4364,9 @@ related expressions."
 				     (cons 'sequence (split-string value)))
 				   (append (cdr (assoc "TODO" alist))
 					   (cdr (assoc "SEQ_TODO" alist)))))
-		   (let ((d (default-value 'org-todo-keywords)))
-		     (if (not (stringp (car d))) d
-		       ;; XXX: Backward compatibility code.
-		       (list (cons org-todo-interpretation d)))))))
+		   (if (not (stringp (car org-todo-keywords))) org-todo-keywords
+		     ;; XXX: Backward compatibility code.
+		     (list (cons org-todo-interpretation org-todo-keywords))))))
 	  (dolist (sequence todo-sequences)
 	    (let* ((sequence (or (run-hook-with-args-until-success
 				  'org-todo-setup-filter-hook sequence)
@@ -4909,7 +4914,18 @@ The following commands are available:
   ;; Try to set `org-hide' face correctly.
   (let ((foreground (org-find-invisible-foreground)))
     (when foreground
-      (set-face-foreground 'org-hide foreground))))
+      (set-face-foreground 'org-hide foreground)))
+
+  (add-hook 'hack-local-variables-hook #'org--process-local-variables nil t))
+
+(defun org--process-local-variables ()
+  "Refresh settings affected by file-local or directory-local variables."
+  (when
+      (let ((local-vars (mapcar #'car file-local-variables-alist)))
+	(or (memq 'org-todo-keywords local-vars)
+	    (memq 'org-todo-keyword-faces local-vars)))
+    (org-set-regexps-and-options)
+    (org-set-font-lock-defaults)))
 
 ;; Update `customize-package-emacs-version-alist'
 (add-to-list 'customize-package-emacs-version-alist