diff -u /sys/src/cmd/acme/acme.c acme/acme.c
--- /sys/src/cmd/acme/acme.c	Sun Oct 21 04:51:43 2018
+++ acme/acme.c	Sun Oct 28 22:47:07 2018
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include <frame.h>
 #include <fcall.h>
 #include <plumb.h>
+#include <theme.h>
 #include "dat.h"
 #include "fns.h"
 	/* for generating syms in mkfile only: */
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@
 			}
 	}
 	flushimage(display, 1);
+	themeend();
 
 	acmeerrorinit();
 	threadcreate(keyboardthread, nil, STACK);
@@ -865,19 +867,21 @@
 	Rectangle r;
 	Image *tmp;
 
+	themeinit("acme");
+
 	/* Blue */
-	tagcols[BACK] = allocimagemix(display, DPalebluegreen, DWhite);
-	tagcols[HIGH] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, DPalegreygreen);
-	tagcols[BORD] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, DPurpleblue);
-	tagcols[TEXT] = display->black;
-	tagcols[HTEXT] = display->black;
+	tagcols[BACK] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("cmdback", 0xFFFFD4FF));
+	tagcols[HIGH] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("cmdhigh", DPalegreygreen));
+	tagcols[BORD] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("cmdbord", DPurpleblue));
+	tagcols[TEXT] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("cmdtext", DBlack));
+	tagcols[HTEXT] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("cmdhtext", DBlack));
 
 	/* Yellow */
-	textcols[BACK] = allocimagemix(display, DPaleyellow, DWhite);
-	textcols[HIGH] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, DDarkyellow);
-	textcols[BORD] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, DYellowgreen);
-	textcols[TEXT] = display->black;
-	textcols[HTEXT] = display->black;
+	textcols[BACK] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("mainback", 0xFFFFD4FF));
+	textcols[HIGH] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("mainhigh", DDarkyellow));
+	textcols[BORD] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("mainbord", DYellowgreen));
+	textcols[TEXT] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("maintext", DBlack));
+	textcols[HTEXT] = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("mainhtext", DBlack));
 
 	if(button){
 		freeimage(button);
diff -u /sys/src/cmd/acme/cols.c acme/cols.c
--- /sys/src/cmd/acme/cols.c	Sun Oct 21 04:51:43 2018
+++ acme/cols.c	Sun Oct 28 22:57:43 2018
@@ -8,16 +8,23 @@
 #include <frame.h>
 #include <fcall.h>
 #include <plumb.h>
+#include <theme.h>
 #include "dat.h"
 #include "fns.h"
 
+Image *background;
+
 void
 colinit(Column *c, Rectangle r)
 {
 	Rectangle r1;
 	Text *t;
 
-	draw(screen, r, display->white, nil, ZP);
+	if(background == nil){
+		background = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("background", DBlack));
+	}
+
+	draw(screen, r, background, nil, ZP);
 	c->r = r;
 	c->w = nil;
 	c->nw = 0;
@@ -134,7 +141,7 @@
 	c->nw--;
 	c->w = realloc(c->w, c->nw*sizeof(Window*));
 	if(c->nw == 0){
-		draw(screen, r, display->white, nil, ZP);
+		draw(screen, r, background, nil, ZP);
 		return;
 	}
 	if(i == c->nw){		/* extend last window down */
@@ -183,6 +190,7 @@
 	Window *w;
 
 	clearmouse();
+	draw(screen, r, background, nil, ZP);
 	r1 = r;
 	r1.max.y = r1.min.y + c->tag.font->height;
 	textresize(&c->tag, r1);
diff -u /sys/src/cmd/acme/mkfile acme/mkfile
--- /sys/src/cmd/acme/mkfile	Sun Oct 21 04:51:43 2018
+++ acme/mkfile	Sun Oct 28 22:47:07 2018
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 </sys/src/cmd/mkone
 
-$O.out:	/$objtype/lib/libframe.a /$objtype/lib/libdraw.a /$objtype/lib/libthread.a
+$O.out:	/$objtype/lib/libframe.a /$objtype/lib/libdraw.a /$objtype/lib/libthread.a /$objtype/lib/libtheme.a
 
 edit.$O ecmd.$O elog.$O:	edit.h
 
diff -u /sys/src/cmd/acme/rows.c acme/rows.c
--- /sys/src/cmd/acme/rows.c	Sun Oct 21 04:51:43 2018
+++ acme/rows.c	Sun Oct 28 22:47:07 2018
@@ -9,16 +9,23 @@
 #include <fcall.h>
 #include <bio.h>
 #include <plumb.h>
+#include <theme.h>
 #include "dat.h"
 #include "fns.h"
 
+Image *background;
+
 void
 rowinit(Row *row, Rectangle r)
 {
 	Rectangle r1;
 	Text *t;
 
-	draw(screen, r, display->white, nil, ZP);
+	if(background == nil){
+		background = allocimage(display, Rect(0,0,1,1), screen->chan, 1, themeget("background", DBlack));
+	}
+
+	draw(screen, r, background, nil, ZP);
 	row->r = r;
 	row->col = nil;
 	row->ncol = 0;
@@ -63,7 +70,7 @@
 		r = d->r;
 		if(Dx(r) < 100)
 			return nil;
-		draw(screen, r, display->white, nil, ZP);
+		draw(screen, r, background, nil, ZP);
 		r1 = r;
 		r1.max.x = min(x, r.max.x-50);
 		if(Dx(r1) < 50)
@@ -178,7 +185,7 @@
 		p.x = c->r.max.x-80-Scrollwid;
 	r = d->r;
 	r.max.x = c->r.max.x;
-	draw(screen, r, display->white, nil, ZP);
+	draw(screen, r, background, nil, ZP);
 	r.max.x = p.x;
 	colresize(d, r);
 	r = c->r;
@@ -210,7 +217,7 @@
 	row->ncol--;
 	row->col = realloc(row->col, row->ncol*sizeof(Column*));
 	if(row->ncol == 0){
-		draw(screen, r, display->white, nil, ZP);
+		draw(screen, r, background, nil, ZP);
 		return;
 	}
 	if(i == row->ncol){		/* extend last column right */