diff --git a/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.cpp b/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.cpp
index e3c59bb87..ca6082728 100644
--- a/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.cpp
+++ b/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "guis/GuiThemeDownloader.h"
 
 #include "EmulationStation.h"
+#include "ThemeData.h"
 #include "components/MenuComponent.h"
 #include "resources/ResourceManager.h"
 
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ GuiThemeDownloader::GuiThemeDownloader()
     , mFetching {false}
     , mLatestThemesList {false}
     , mAttemptedFetch {false}
+    , mHasThemeUpdates {false}
     , mFullscreenViewing {false}
     , mFullscreenViewerIndex {0}
 {
@@ -173,6 +175,11 @@ GuiThemeDownloader::~GuiThemeDownloader()
         mFetchThread.join();
 
     git_libgit2_shutdown();
+
+    if (mHasThemeUpdates) {
+        LOG(LogInfo) << "GuiThemeDownloader: There are updates, repopulating theme sets";
+        ThemeData::populateThemeSets();
+    }
 }
 
 bool GuiThemeDownloader::fetchRepository(const std::string& repositoryName,
@@ -240,6 +247,8 @@ bool GuiThemeDownloader::fetchRepository(const std::string& repositoryName,
                 git_reference_free(oldTargetRef);
             }
             git_buf_dispose(&buffer);
+            if (repositoryName != "themes-list")
+                mHasThemeUpdates = true;
         }
 
         errorCode = git_revparse_single(&object, repository, "FETCH_HEAD");
@@ -266,6 +275,8 @@ bool GuiThemeDownloader::fetchRepository(const std::string& repositoryName,
                 errorCode = git_revparse_single(&objectHead, repository, "HEAD");
                 errorCode = git_reset(repository, objectHead, GIT_RESET_HARD, nullptr);
                 git_object_free(objectHead);
+                if (repositoryName != "themes-list")
+                    mHasThemeUpdates = true;
             }
             else {
                 LOG(LogWarning) << "Repository \"" << repositoryName
@@ -282,6 +293,8 @@ bool GuiThemeDownloader::fetchRepository(const std::string& repositoryName,
             LOG(LogInfo) << "Repository \"" << repositoryName
                          << "\" contains local changes, performing hard reset";
             resetRepository(repository);
+            if (repositoryName != "themes-list")
+                mHasThemeUpdates = true;
         }
 
         if (mergeAnalysis & GIT_MERGE_ANALYSIS_UP_TO_DATE) {
@@ -344,8 +357,10 @@ bool GuiThemeDownloader::fetchRepository(const std::string& repositoryName,
         return true;
     }
 
-    if (repositoryName != "themes-list")
+    if (repositoryName != "themes-list") {
         mMessage = "THEME HAS BEEN UPDATED";
+        mHasThemeUpdates = true;
+    }
 
     mPromise.set_value(true);
     return false;
@@ -1087,6 +1102,9 @@ bool GuiThemeDownloader::cloneRepository(const std::string& repositoryName, cons
         return true;
     }
 
+    if (repositoryName != "themes-list")
+        mHasThemeUpdates = true;
+
     mLatestThemesList = true;
     mPromise.set_value(true);
     return false;
diff --git a/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.h b/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.h
index dd8ab59c1..7301a5aa8 100644
--- a/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.h
+++ b/es-app/src/guis/GuiThemeDownloader.h
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ private:
     std::atomic<bool> mFetching;
     std::atomic<bool> mLatestThemesList;
     bool mAttemptedFetch;
+    bool mHasThemeUpdates;
     static inline std::atomic<float> mReceivedObjectsProgress {0.0f};
     static inline std::atomic<float> mResolveDeltaProgress {0.0f};
     std::vector<ThemeEntry> mThemeSets;
diff --git a/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp b/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
index 361311761..d67350c97 100644
--- a/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
+++ b/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
@@ -768,8 +768,7 @@ const ThemeData::ThemeElement* ThemeData::getElement(const std::string& view,
 
 void ThemeData::populateThemeSets()
 {
-    assert(sThemeSets.empty());
-
+    sThemeSets.clear();
     LOG(LogInfo) << "Checking for available theme sets...";
 
     // Check for themes first under the home directory, then under the data installation