diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/color_theme_manager.cc b/gtk2_ardour/color_theme_manager.cc
index e038493c96..be0278ef9b 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/color_theme_manager.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/color_theme_manager.cc
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ ColorThemeManager::ColorThemeManager ()
 		theme_list = TreeStore::create (color_theme_columns);
 
 		TreeModel::iterator selected_iter = theme_list->children().end();
-		const bool running_from_source = running_from_source_tree();
 
 		for (std::map<string,string>::iterator c = color_themes.begin(); c != color_themes.end(); ++c) {
 			TreeModel::Row row;
@@ -81,13 +80,6 @@ ColorThemeManager::ColorThemeManager ()
 
 			string color_file_name = c->second;
 
-			if (running_from_source) {
-				/* color themes from within the source tree are
-				   suffixed by "-PROGRAM-NAME" (lowercased)
-				*/
-				replace_all (color_file_name, string_compose ("-%1", downcase (PROGRAM_NAME)), "");
-			}
-
 			row[color_theme_columns.path] = color_file_name;
 
 			/* match second (path; really basename) since that is
@@ -233,7 +225,7 @@ ColorThemeManager::reset_canvas_colors()
 
 	/* look for a versioned user-owned color file, and try to rename it */
 
-	basename = UIConfiguration::instance().color_file_name (true, false, true);
+	basename = UIConfiguration::instance().color_file_name (true, true);
 
 	if (find_file (ardour_config_search_path(), basename, cfile)) {
 		string backup = cfile + string (X_(".old"));
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/default_ui_config.in b/gtk2_ardour/default_ui_config.in
index 9c815d6331..f4c0c37074 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/default_ui_config.in
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/default_ui_config.in
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <UI>
     <Option name="icon-set" value="default"/>
     <Option name="ui-rc-file" value="clearlooks.rc"/>
-    <Option name="color-file" value="dark"/>
+    <Option name="color-file" value="dark-ardour"/>
     <Option name="flat-buttons" value="0"/>
     <Option name="blink-rec-arm" value="0"/>
     <Option name="waveform-gradient-depth" value="0"/>
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
index 301ed5740d..c6e538bb1b 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.cc
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ UIConfiguration::parameter_changed (string param)
 	if (param == "ui-rc-file") {
 		load_rc_file (true);
 	} else if (param == "color-file") {
-		load_color_theme ();
+		load_color_theme (true);
 	}
 
 	save_state ();
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ UIConfiguration::pre_gui_init ()
 UIConfiguration*
 UIConfiguration::post_gui_init ()
 {
-	load_color_theme ();
+	load_color_theme (true);
 	return this;
 }
 
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ UIConfiguration::load_defaults ()
 }
 
 std::string
-UIConfiguration::color_file_name (bool use_my, bool with_program_name, bool with_version) const
+UIConfiguration::color_file_name (bool use_my, bool with_version) const
 {
 	string basename;
 
@@ -266,12 +266,8 @@ UIConfiguration::color_file_name (bool use_my, bool with_program_name, bool with
 		basename += "my-";
 	}
 
-	basename += color_file.get();  //this is the overall theme file, e.g. "dark"
-
-	if (with_program_name) {
-		basename += '-';
-		basename += downcase (PROGRAM_NAME);
-	}
+	//this is the overall theme file, e.g. "dark" plus "-downcase(PROGRAM_NAME)"
+	basename += color_file.get();  
 
 	std::string rev (revision);
 	std::size_t pos = rev.find_first_of("-");
@@ -282,10 +278,29 @@ UIConfiguration::color_file_name (bool use_my, bool with_program_name, bool with
 	}
 
 	basename += color_file_suffix;
-
 	return basename;
 }
 
+int
+UIConfiguration::load_color_file (string const & path)
+{
+	XMLTree tree;
+
+	info << string_compose (_("Loading color file %1"), path) << endmsg;
+
+	if (!tree.read (path.c_str())) {
+		error << string_compose(_("cannot read color file \"%1\""), path) << endmsg;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	if (set_state (*tree.root(), Stateful::loading_state_version)) {
+		error << string_compose(_("color file \"%1\" not loaded successfully."), path) << endmsg;
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int
 UIConfiguration::load_color_theme (bool allow_own)
 {
@@ -295,36 +310,15 @@ UIConfiguration::load_color_theme (bool allow_own)
 	 * in turn calls save_state()
 	 */
 	PBD::Unwinder<uint32_t> uw (block_save, block_save + 1);
-	const bool running_from_source = ARDOUR_UI_UTILS::running_from_source_tree ();
-
-	if (allow_own) {
-
-		PBD::Searchpath sp (user_config_directory());
-
-		/* user's own color files never have the program name in them */
-
-		if (find_file (sp, color_file_name (true, false, true), cfile)) {
-			found = true;
-		}
-
-		if (!found) {
-			if (find_file (sp, color_file_name (true, false, false), cfile)) {
-				found = true;
-			}
-		}
 
+	if (find_file (theme_search_path(), color_file_name (false, true), cfile)) {
+		found = true;
 	}
 
 	if (!found) {
-		if (find_file (theme_search_path(), color_file_name (false, running_from_source, true), cfile)) {
+		if (find_file (theme_search_path(), color_file_name (false, false), cfile)) {
 			found = true;
 		}
-
-		if (!found) {
-			if (find_file (theme_search_path(), color_file_name (false, running_from_source, false), cfile)) {
-				found = true;
-			}
-		}
 	}
 
 	if (!found) {
@@ -332,21 +326,32 @@ UIConfiguration::load_color_theme (bool allow_own)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	(void) load_color_file (cfile);
 
-	XMLTree tree;
+	if (allow_own) {
 
-	info << string_compose (_("Loading color file %1"), cfile) << endmsg;
+		found = false;
 
-	if (!tree.read (cfile.c_str())) {
-		error << string_compose(_("cannot read color file \"%1\""), cfile) << endmsg;
-		return -1;
-	}
+		PBD::Searchpath sp (user_config_directory());
 
-	if (set_state (*tree.root(), Stateful::loading_state_version)) {
-		error << string_compose(_("color file \"%1\" not loaded successfully."), cfile) << endmsg;
-		return -1;
+		/* user's own color files never have the program name in them */
+
+		if (find_file (sp, color_file_name (true, true), cfile)) {
+			found = true;
 		}
 
+		if (!found) {
+			if (find_file (sp, color_file_name (true, false), cfile)) {
+				found = true;
+			}
+		}
+
+		if (found) {
+			(void) load_color_file (cfile);
+		}
+
+	}
+
 	ColorsChanged ();
 
 	return 0;
@@ -390,7 +395,7 @@ UIConfiguration::store_color_theme ()
 	root->add_child_nocopy (*parent);
 
 	XMLTree tree;
-	std::string colorfile = Glib::build_filename (user_config_directory(), color_file_name (true, false, true));;
+	std::string colorfile = Glib::build_filename (user_config_directory(), color_file_name (true, true));;
 
 	tree.set_root (root);
 
@@ -584,8 +589,6 @@ UIConfiguration::load_color_aliases (XMLNode const & node)
 	XMLProperty const *name;
 	XMLProperty const *alias;
 
-	color_aliases.clear ();
-
 	for (niter = nlist.begin(); niter != nlist.end(); ++niter) {
 		XMLNode const * child = *niter;
 		if (child->name() != X_("ColorAlias")) {
@@ -595,7 +598,7 @@ UIConfiguration::load_color_aliases (XMLNode const & node)
 		alias = child->property (X_("alias"));
 
 		if (name && alias) {
-			color_aliases.insert (make_pair (name->value(), alias->value()));
+			color_aliases[name->value()] = alias->value();
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -608,7 +611,9 @@ UIConfiguration::load_colors (XMLNode const & node)
 	XMLProperty const *name;
 	XMLProperty const *color;
 
-	colors.clear ();
+	/* don't clear colors, so that we can load > 1 color file and have
+	   the subsequent ones overwrite the later ones.
+	*/
 
 	for (niter = nlist.begin(); niter != nlist.end(); ++niter) {
 		XMLNode const * child = *niter;
@@ -621,7 +626,8 @@ UIConfiguration::load_colors (XMLNode const & node)
 		if (name && color) {
 			ArdourCanvas::Color c;
 			c = strtoul (color->value().c_str(), 0, 16);
-			colors.insert (make_pair (name->value(), c));
+			/* insert or replace color name definition */
+			colors[name->value()] =  c;
 		}
 	}
 }
@@ -635,8 +641,6 @@ UIConfiguration::load_modifiers (XMLNode const & node)
 	XMLProperty const *name;
 	XMLProperty const *mod;
 
-	modifiers.clear ();
-
 	for (niter = nlist.begin(); niter != nlist.end(); ++niter) {
 		XMLNode const * child = *niter;
 		if (child->name() != X_("Modifier")) {
@@ -648,7 +652,7 @@ UIConfiguration::load_modifiers (XMLNode const & node)
 
 		if (name && mod) {
 			SVAModifier svam (mod->value());
-			modifiers.insert (make_pair (name->value(), svam));
+			modifiers[name->value()] = svam;
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
index ddfd2f9ecd..559c86a148 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ui_config.h
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@ private:
 	int load_state ();
 	int save_state ();
 	int load_defaults ();
-	int load_color_theme (bool allow_own=true);
+	int load_color_theme (bool allow_own);
 
 	int set_state (const XMLNode&, int version);
 	XMLNode& get_state (void);
 	XMLNode& get_variables (std::string);
 	void set_variables (const XMLNode&);
 
-	std::string  color_file_name (bool use_my, bool with_program_name, bool with_version) const;
+	std::string  color_file_name (bool use_my, bool with_version) const;
 
 	typedef std::map<std::string,ArdourCanvas::Color> Colors;
 	typedef std::map<std::string,std::string> ColorAliases;
@@ -137,11 +137,12 @@ private:
 	bool colors_modified;
 	bool modifiers_modified;
 
-	int store_color_theme ();
+	int  store_color_theme ();
 	void load_color_aliases (XMLNode const &);
 	void load_colors (XMLNode const &);
 	void load_modifiers (XMLNode const &);
 	void reset_gtk_theme ();
+	int  load_color_file (std::string const &);
 	void colors_changed ();
 
 	uint32_t block_save;
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/wscript b/gtk2_ardour/wscript
index 4597ecefb2..398bd57248 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/wscript
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/wscript
@@ -817,11 +817,9 @@ def build(bld):
 
     # Default UI configuration
     bld.install_files(bld.env['CONFDIR'], 'default_ui_config')
-    # Color Themes. Find each color file for this program, strip the program name
-    # and install.
-    for color_file in bld.path.ant_glob ('themes/*-' + Options.options.program_name.lower() + '.colors'):
-            shortname = os.path.basename (color_file.srcpath().replace ("-" + Options.options.program_name.lower(), ""))
-            bld.install_as (os.path.join(bld.env['DATADIR'], 'themes', shortname), color_file)
+    # Color Themes. Find each color file for this program only
+    # and install
+    bld.install_files (os.path.join(bld.env['DATADIR'], 'themes'), bld.path.ant_glob ('themes/*-' + Options.options.program_name.lower() + '.colors'));
 
     # Default export stuff
     bld.install_files(os.path.join(bld.env['CONFDIR'], 'export'), bld.path.ant_glob('export/*.format'))