diff --git a/src/themes.jl b/src/themes.jl
index 840078dd..0f09246f 100644
--- a/src/themes.jl
+++ b/src/themes.jl
@@ -4,43 +4,53 @@
 Specify the colour theme for plots.
 """
 function theme(s::Symbol; kw...)
-    # reset?
-    if s == :none || s == :default
-        PlotUtils.clibrary(:Plots)
-        PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = :inferno)
-        default(;
-            bg        = :white,
-            bglegend  = :match,
-            bginside  = :match,
-            bgoutside = :match,
-            fg        = :auto,
-            fglegend  = :match,
-            fggrid    = :match,
-            fgaxis    = :match,
-            fgtext    = :match,
-            fgborder  = :match,
-            fgguide   = :match,
-            palette   = :auto
-        )
-        return
-    end
-
-    # update the default gradient and other defaults
-    thm = PlotThemes._themes[s]
-    if thm.gradient != nothing
+    defaults = merge(_initial_defaults..., s.defaults, kw)
+    if haskey(s.defaults, :gradient)
         PlotUtils.clibrary(:misc)
         PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = PlotThemes.gradient_name(s))
     end
-    default(;
-        bg       = thm.bg_secondary,
-        bginside = thm.bg_primary,
-        fg       = thm.lines,
-        fgtext   = thm.text,
-        fgguide  = thm.text,
-        fglegend = thm.text,
-        palette  = thm.palette,
-        kw...
-    )
+    default(; defaults...)
+    return
 end
 
+# function theme(s::Symbol; kw...)
+#     # reset?
+#     if s == :none || s == :default
+#         PlotUtils.clibrary(:Plots)
+#         PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = :inferno)
+#         default(;
+#             bg        = :white,
+#             bglegend  = :match,
+#             bginside  = :match,
+#             bgoutside = :match,
+#             fg        = :auto,
+#             fglegend  = :match,
+#             fggrid    = :match,
+#             fgaxis    = :match,
+#             fgtext    = :match,
+#             fgborder  = :match,
+#             fgguide   = :match,
+#             palette   = :auto
+#         )
+#         return
+#     end
+#
+#     # update the default gradient and other defaults
+#     thm = PlotThemes._themes[s]
+#     if thm.gradient != nothing
+#         PlotUtils.clibrary(:misc)
+#         PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = PlotThemes.gradient_name(s))
+#     end
+#     default(;
+#         bg       = thm.bg_secondary,
+#         bginside = thm.bg_primary,
+#         fg       = thm.lines,
+#         fgtext   = thm.text,
+#         fgguide  = thm.text,
+#         fglegend = thm.text,
+#         palette  = thm.palette,
+#         kw...
+#     )
+# end
+
 @deprecate set_theme(s) theme(s)