diff --git a/docs/settings.rst b/docs/settings.rst
index e8743238..7d20a962 100644
--- a/docs/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/settings.rst
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ Setting name (followed by default value, if any)    What does it do?
                                                     the paths defined in this settings, they will be
                                                     progressively overwritten.
 ``CSS_FILE = 'main.css'``                           Specify the CSS file you want to load.
-``THEMES = ('simple', ('!simple', 'simple'))``      Extra themes that can be inherited from, either
+``THEMES = ['simple', ('!simple', 'simple')]``      Extra themes that can be inherited from, either
                                                     implicitly (just a path to the theme) or explicitly
                                                     using a prefix marker (tuple of prefix and path to
                                                     theme). They can also inherit from each other,
diff --git a/docs/themes.rst b/docs/themes.rst
index 81854382..72923ff4 100644
--- a/docs/themes.rst
+++ b/docs/themes.rst
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ extra explicitly inherited theme
 
 .. code-block:: python
 
-    THEMES = ('simple', ('!simple', 'simple'), ('!foo', 'foo'))
+    THEMES = ['simple', ('!simple', 'simple'), ('!foo', 'foo')]
 
 You can extend parent (inherited) or sibling (your own theme) templates
 
diff --git a/pelican/__init__.py b/pelican/__init__.py
index 4570dc08..db92acca 100644
--- a/pelican/__init__.py
+++ b/pelican/__init__.py
@@ -367,7 +367,8 @@ def main():
         watchers[static_path] = folder_watcher(static_path, [''], pelican.ignore_files)
 
     for theme in pelican.themes:
-        watchers[theme] = folder_watcher(pelican.themes[theme], [''], pelican.ignore_files)
+        theme = theme[1] if isinstance(theme, tuple) else theme
+        watchers[theme] = folder_watcher(theme, [''], pelican.ignore_files)
 
     try:
         if args.autoreload:
diff --git a/pelican/generators.py b/pelican/generators.py
index d9d463ad..a523663b 100644
--- a/pelican/generators.py
+++ b/pelican/generators.py
@@ -71,8 +71,11 @@ class Generator(object):
                 explicit_themes[prefix] = FileSystemLoader(templates_path)
             else:               # implicit inheritance
                 if theme == 'simple':
-                    theme = simple_theme_path
-                themes.append(FileSystemLoader(theme))
+                    templates_path = simple_theme_path
+                else:
+                    templates_path = os.path.join(theme, "templates")
+                    logger.debug('Implicit template path: %s', templates_path)
+                themes.append(FileSystemLoader(templates_path))
 
         themes.append(PrefixLoader(explicit_themes))
         loader=ChoiceLoader(themes)
diff --git a/pelican/settings.py b/pelican/settings.py
index 70ad3f82..464883dd 100644
--- a/pelican/settings.py
+++ b/pelican/settings.py
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
     'PAGE_PATHS': ['pages'],
     'PAGE_EXCLUDES': [],
     'THEME': DEFAULT_THEME,
-    'THEMES': ('simple', ('!simple', 'simple')),
+    'THEMES': ['simple', ('!simple', 'simple')],
     'OUTPUT_PATH': 'output',
     'READERS': {},
     'STATIC_PATHS': ['images'],
@@ -167,11 +167,16 @@ def read_settings(path=None, override=None):
                                     if not isabs(pluginpath) else pluginpath for pluginpath in local_settings['PLUGIN_PATHS']]
 
         if 'THEMES' in local_settings and local_settings['THEMES']:
-            for p in local_settings['THEMES']:
-                if not isabs(local_settings['THEMES'][p]):
-                     absp = os.path.abspath(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(path), local_settings['THEMES'][p])))
+            for i, p in enumerate(local_settings['THEMES']):
+                explicit = isinstance(p, tuple)
+                p = p[1] if explicit else p
+                if not isabs(p):
+                     absp = os.path.abspath(os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(path), p)))
                      if os.path.exists(absp):
-                         local_settings['THEMES'][p] = absp
+                         if explicit:
+                             local_settings['THEMES'][i][1] = absp
+                         else:
+                             local_settings['THEMES'][i] = absp
     else:
         local_settings = copy.deepcopy(DEFAULT_CONFIG)
 
@@ -231,14 +236,14 @@ def configure_settings(settings):
             raise Exception("Could not find the theme %s"
                             % settings['THEME'])
 
-    for theme in settings['THEMES']:
-        if not os.path.isdir(settings['THEMES'][theme]):
+    for i, theme in enumerate(settings['THEMES']):
+        theme = theme[1] if isinstance(theme, tuple) else theme
+        if not os.path.isdir(theme):
             theme_path = os.path.join(
                 os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)),
-                'themes',
-                settings['THEMES'][theme])
+                'themes', theme)
             if os.path.exists(theme_path):
-                settings['THEMES'][theme] = theme_path
+                settings['THEMES'][i] = theme_path
             else:
                 raise Exception("Could not find the theme %s"
                                 % theme)