diff --git a/lib/helper.php b/lib/helper.php
index 73484ad913..2ba70294f4 100644
--- a/lib/helper.php
+++ b/lib/helper.php
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class OC_Helper {
 	 */
 	public static function imagePath( $app, $image ) {
 		// Read the selected theme from the config file
-		$theme=OC_Config::getValue( "theme" );
+		$theme = OC_Util::getTheme();
 
 		// Check if the app is in the app folder
 		if( file_exists( OC::$SERVERROOT."/themes/$theme/apps/$app/img/$image" )) {
diff --git a/lib/template.php b/lib/template.php
index 434c1e9e99..f007618ff1 100644
--- a/lib/template.php
+++ b/lib/template.php
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ class OC_Template{
 	protected function findTemplate($name)
 	{
 		// Read the selected theme from the config file
-		$theme=OC_Config::getValue( "theme" );
+		$theme = OC_Util::getTheme();
 
 		// Read the detected formfactor and use the right file name.
 		$fext = self::getFormFactorExtension();
diff --git a/lib/templatelayout.php b/lib/templatelayout.php
index 69bebac050..3c496f56e4 100644
--- a/lib/templatelayout.php
+++ b/lib/templatelayout.php
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ class OC_TemplateLayout extends OC_Template {
 
 	static public function findStylesheetFiles($styles) {
 		// Read the selected theme from the config file
-		$theme=OC_Config::getValue( 'theme' );
+		$theme = OC_Util::getTheme();
 
 		// Read the detected formfactor and use the right file name.
 		$fext = self::getFormFactorExtension();
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ class OC_TemplateLayout extends OC_Template {
 
 	static public function findJavascriptFiles($scripts) {
 		// Read the selected theme from the config file
-		$theme=OC_Config::getValue( 'theme' );
+		$theme = OC_Util::getTheme();
 
 		// Read the detected formfactor and use the right file name.
 		$fext = self::getFormFactorExtension();
diff --git a/lib/util.php b/lib/util.php
index 38453c1ce9..987a578277 100755
--- a/lib/util.php
+++ b/lib/util.php
@@ -795,4 +795,25 @@ class OC_Util {
 		return (substr(PHP_OS, 0, 3) === "WIN");
 	}
 
+
+	/**
+	 * Handles the case that there may not be a theme, then check if a "default"
+	 * theme exists and take that one
+	 * @return string the theme
+	 */
+	public static function getTheme() {
+		$theme = OC_Config::getValue("theme");
+
+		if(is_null($theme)) {
+			
+			if(is_dir(__DIR__ . '/../themes/default')) {
+				$theme = 'default';
+			}
+
+		}
+
+		return $theme;
+	}
+
+
 }