diff --git a/pelican/settings.py b/pelican/settings.py
index 464883dd..f6385589 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': [DEFAULT_THEME, ('!simple', DEFAULT_THEME)],
     'OUTPUT_PATH': 'output',
     'READERS': {},
     'STATIC_PATHS': ['images'],
diff --git a/pelican/tests/test_settings.py b/pelican/tests/test_settings.py
index c7802844..11387418 100644
--- a/pelican/tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/pelican/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class TestSettingsConfiguration(unittest.TestCase):
                 # These 4 settings are required to run configure_settings
                 'PATH': '.',
                 'THEME': DEFAULT_THEME,
-                'THEMES': {'!simple': 'simple'},
+                'THEMES': ['simple', ('!simple', 'simple')],
                 'SITEURL': 'http://blog.notmyidea.org/',
                 'LOCALE': '',
                 }
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class TestSettingsConfiguration(unittest.TestCase):
                 'LOCALE': '',
                 'PATH': os.curdir,
                 'THEME': DEFAULT_THEME,
-                'THEMES': {'!simple': 'simple'},
+                'THEMES': ['simple', ('!simple', 'simple')],
                 }
         configure_settings(settings)
         # SITEURL should not have a trailing slash