diff --git a/example/themes/tokyo-night.yaml b/example/themes/tokyo-night.yaml
index 18cfeb9ae..3c54e36c0 100644
--- a/example/themes/tokyo-night.yaml
+++ b/example/themes/tokyo-night.yaml
@@ -3,41 +3,44 @@
 
 themes:
   tokyo-night:
-    fg: [169,177,214] #A9B1D6
-    bg: [26,27,38] #1A1B26
-    gray: [86,95,137] #565F89
-    black: [65,72,104] #414868
-    red: [247,118,142] #F7768E
-    green: [158,206,106]  #9ECE6A
-    yellow: [224,175,104] #E0AF68
-    blue: [122,162,247]  #7AA2F7
-    magenta: [187,154,247] #BB9AF7
-    cyan: [42,195,222] #2AC3DE
-    white: [192,202,245] #C0CAF5
-    orange: [255,158,100] #FF9E64
+    palette:
+      fg: [169,177,214] #A9B1D6
+      bg: [26,27,38] #1A1B26
+      gray: [86,95,137] #565F89
+      black: [65,72,104] #414868
+      red: [247,118,142] #F7768E
+      green: [158,206,106]  #9ECE6A
+      yellow: [224,175,104] #E0AF68
+      blue: [122,162,247]  #7AA2F7
+      magenta: [187,154,247] #BB9AF7
+      cyan: [42,195,222] #2AC3DE
+      white: [192,202,245] #C0CAF5
+      orange: [255,158,100] #FF9E64
   tokyo-night-storm:
-    fg: [169,177,214] #A9B1D6
-    bg: [36,40,59] #24283B
-    gray: [86,95,137] #565F89
-    black: [65,72,104] #414868
-    red: [247,118,142] #F7768E
-    green: [158,206,106]  #9ECE6A
-    yellow: [224,175,104] #E0AF68
-    blue: [122,162,247]  #7AA2F7
-    magenta: [187,154,247] #BB9AF7
-    cyan: [42,195,222] #2AC3DE
-    white: [192,202,245] #C0CAF5
-    orange: [255,158,100] #FF9E64
+    palette:
+      fg: [169,177,214] #A9B1D6
+      bg: [36,40,59] #24283B
+      gray: [86,95,137] #565F89
+      black: [65,72,104] #414868
+      red: [247,118,142] #F7768E
+      green: [158,206,106]  #9ECE6A
+      yellow: [224,175,104] #E0AF68
+      blue: [122,162,247]  #7AA2F7
+      magenta: [187,154,247] #BB9AF7
+      cyan: [42,195,222] #2AC3DE
+      white: [192,202,245] #C0CAF5
+      orange: [255,158,100] #FF9E64
   tokyo-night-light:
-    fg: [52,59,88] #343B58
-    bg: [213,214,219] #D5D6DB
-    gray: [150,153,163] #9699A3
-    black: [15,15,20] #0F0F14
-    red: [140,67,81] #8C4351
-    green: [72,94,48]  #485E30
-    yellow: [143,94,21] #8F5E15
-    blue: [52,84,138]  #34548A
-    magenta: [90,74,120] #5A4A78
-    cyan: [15,75,110] #0F4B6E
-    white: [52,59,88] #343B58
-    orange: [150,80,39] #965027
+    palette:
+      fg: [52,59,88] #343B58
+      bg: [213,214,219] #D5D6DB
+      gray: [150,153,163] #9699A3
+      black: [15,15,20] #0F0F14
+      red: [140,67,81] #8C4351
+      green: [72,94,48]  #485E30
+      yellow: [143,94,21] #8F5E15
+      blue: [52,84,138]  #34548A
+      magenta: [90,74,120] #5A4A78
+      cyan: [15,75,110] #0F4B6E
+      white: [52,59,88] #343B58
+      orange: [150,80,39] #965027
diff --git a/zellij-utils/src/input/theme.rs b/zellij-utils/src/input/theme.rs
index 2916052f5..06bb9d79c 100644
--- a/zellij-utils/src/input/theme.rs
+++ b/zellij-utils/src/input/theme.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
+use crate::shared::default_palette;
+
 use super::options::Options;
 use zellij_tile::{
     data::{Palette, PaletteColor},
@@ -15,8 +17,7 @@ pub struct ThemesFromYaml(HashMap<String, Theme>);
 struct Theme {
     #[serde(default)]
     rounded_corners: bool,
-    #[serde(flatten)]
-    palette: PaletteFromYaml,
+    palette: Option<PaletteFromYaml>,
 }
 
 /// Intermediate deserialization struct
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ impl ThemesFromYaml {
     fn from_default_theme(&mut self, theme: String) -> Option<Style> {
         self.clone().get_theme(theme).map(|t| Style {
             rounded_corners: t.rounded_corners,
-            colors: Palette::from(t.palette),
+            colors: t.palette.map_or_else(default_palette, Palette::from),
         })
     }