diff --git a/es-app/src/SystemData.cpp b/es-app/src/SystemData.cpp
index 1f359a3a5..0bbcac17f 100644
--- a/es-app/src/SystemData.cpp
+++ b/es-app/src/SystemData.cpp
@@ -1079,27 +1079,22 @@ std::string SystemData::getGamelistPath(bool forWrite) const
 
 std::string SystemData::getThemePath() const
 {
-    // Locations where we check for themes, in the following order:
-    // 1. [SYSTEM_PATH]/theme.xml
-    // 2. System theme from currently selected theme set [CURRENT_THEME_PATH]/[SYSTEM]/theme.xml
-    // 3. Default system theme from currently selected theme set [CURRENT_THEME_PATH]/theme.xml
+    // Check for the precence of [CURRENT_THEME_PATH]/[SYSTEM]/theme.xml and if this does not
+    // exist, then try the default for the theme set, i.e. [CURRENT_THEME_PATH]/theme.xml
+    std::string themePath {ThemeData::getThemeFromCurrentSet(mThemeFolder)};
 
-    // First, check game folder.
-    std::string localThemePath = mRootFolder->getPath() + "/theme.xml";
-    if (Utils::FileSystem::exists(localThemePath))
-        return localThemePath;
+    if (Utils::FileSystem::exists(themePath))
+        return themePath;
 
-    // Not in game folder, try system theme in theme sets.
-    localThemePath = ThemeData::getThemeFromCurrentSet(mThemeFolder);
+    themePath = Utils::FileSystem::getParent(Utils::FileSystem::getParent(themePath));
 
-    if (Utils::FileSystem::exists(localThemePath))
-        return localThemePath;
+    if (themePath != "") {
+        themePath.append("/theme.xml");
+        if (Utils::FileSystem::exists(themePath))
+            return themePath;
+    }
 
-    // Not system theme, try default system theme in theme set.
-    localThemePath =
-        Utils::FileSystem::getParent(Utils::FileSystem::getParent(localThemePath)) + "/theme.xml";
-
-    return localThemePath;
+    return "";
 }
 
 SystemData* SystemData::getRandomSystem(const SystemData* currentSystem)
@@ -1260,7 +1255,7 @@ void SystemData::loadTheme()
 {
     mTheme = std::make_shared<ThemeData>();
 
-    std::string path = getThemePath();
+    std::string path {getThemePath()};
 
     if (!Utils::FileSystem::exists(path)) {
         // No theme available for this platform.
diff --git a/es-app/src/main.cpp b/es-app/src/main.cpp
index eff59ad09..f0771aa0d 100644
--- a/es-app/src/main.cpp
+++ b/es-app/src/main.cpp
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
     AudioManager::getInstance();
     MameNames::getInstance();
-    ThemeData::getThemeSets();
+    ThemeData::populateThemeSets();
     loadSystemsReturnCode loadSystemsStatus = loadSystemConfigFile();
 
     if (loadSystemsStatus) {
diff --git a/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp b/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
index aa44003ae..1e99f1e98 100644
--- a/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
+++ b/es-core/src/ThemeData.cpp
@@ -531,11 +531,9 @@ const ThemeData::ThemeElement* ThemeData::getElement(const std::string& view,
     return &elemIt->second;
 }
 
-const std::map<std::string, ThemeData::ThemeSet, ThemeData::StringComparator>&
-ThemeData::getThemeSets()
+void ThemeData::populateThemeSets()
 {
-    if (!mThemeSets.empty())
-        return mThemeSets;
+    assert(mThemeSets.empty());
 
     LOG(LogInfo) << "Checking for available theme sets...";
 
@@ -583,8 +581,6 @@ ThemeData::getThemeSets()
             }
         }
     }
-
-    return mThemeSets;
 }
 
 const std::string ThemeData::getThemeFromCurrentSet(const std::string& system)
diff --git a/es-core/src/ThemeData.h b/es-core/src/ThemeData.h
index af815c8a9..cc264bcd0 100644
--- a/es-core/src/ThemeData.h
+++ b/es-core/src/ThemeData.h
@@ -214,7 +214,11 @@ public:
                                    const std::string& element,
                                    const std::string& expectedType) const;
 
-    const static std::map<std::string, ThemeSet, StringComparator>& getThemeSets();
+    static void populateThemeSets();
+    const static std::map<std::string, ThemeSet, StringComparator>& getThemeSets()
+    {
+        return mThemeSets;
+    }
     const static std::string getThemeFromCurrentSet(const std::string& system);
     const static std::string getAspectRatioLabel(const std::string& aspectRatio);