diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index 70fa458c..b9c8f2a0 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -417,6 +417,7 @@ const _all_defaults = KW[
 ]
 
 const _initial_defaults = deepcopy(_all_defaults)
+const _initial_axis_defaults = deepcopy(_axis_defaults)
 
 # to be able to reset font sizes to initial values
 const _initial_fontsizes = Dict(:titlefont  => _subplot_defaults[:titlefontsize],
@@ -614,7 +615,10 @@ function default(d::KW, k::Symbol)
     get(d, k, default(k))
 end
 
-reset_defaults() = foreach(merge!, _all_defaults, _initial_defaults)
+function reset_defaults()
+    foreach(merge!, _all_defaults, _initial_defaults)
+    merge!(_axis_defaults, _initial_axis_defaults)
+end
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/themes.jl b/src/themes.jl
index 0f09246f..b570836f 100644
--- a/src/themes.jl
+++ b/src/themes.jl
@@ -4,53 +4,35 @@
 Specify the colour theme for plots.
 """
 function theme(s::Symbol; kw...)
-    defaults = merge(_initial_defaults..., s.defaults, kw)
-    if haskey(s.defaults, :gradient)
+    # Reset to defaults to overwrite active team
+    reset_defaults()
+    thm = PlotThemes._themes[s]
+
+    # Set the theme's gradient as default
+    if haskey(thm.defaults, :gradient)
         PlotUtils.clibrary(:misc)
         PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = PlotThemes.gradient_name(s))
+    else
+        PlotUtils.clibrary(:Plots)
+        PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = :inferno)
     end
-    default(; defaults...)
+
+    # maybe overwrite the theme's gradient
+    kw = KW(kw)
+    if haskey(kw, :gradient)
+        kwgrad = pop!(kw, :gradient)
+        for clib in clibraries()
+            if kwgrad in cgradients(clib)
+                PlotUtils.clibrary(clib)
+                PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = kwgrad)
+                break
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    # Set the theme's defaults
+    default(; thm.defaults..., kw...)
     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)