diff --git a/src/boot/after_store.js b/src/boot/after_store.js
index 228a0497e5..6c4f0e1b9d 100644
--- a/src/boot/after_store.js
+++ b/src/boot/after_store.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import App from '../App.vue'
 import { windowWidth } from '../services/window_utils/window_utils'
 import { getOrCreateApp, getClientToken } from '../services/new_api/oauth.js'
 import backendInteractorService from '../services/backend_interactor_service/backend_interactor_service.js'
+import { CURRENT_VERSION } from '../services/theme_data/theme_data.service.js'
+import { applyTheme } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
 
 const getStatusnetConfig = async ({ store }) => {
   try {
@@ -261,7 +263,7 @@ const checkOAuthToken = async ({ store }) => {
       try {
         await store.dispatch('loginUser', store.getters.getUserToken())
       } catch (e) {
-        console.log(e)
+        console.error(e)
       }
     }
     resolve()
@@ -269,23 +271,29 @@ const checkOAuthToken = async ({ store }) => {
 }
 
 const afterStoreSetup = async ({ store, i18n }) => {
-  if (store.state.config.customTheme) {
-    // This is a hack to deal with async loading of config.json and themes
-    // See: style_setter.js, setPreset()
-    window.themeLoaded = true
-    store.dispatch('setOption', {
-      name: 'customTheme',
-      value: store.state.config.customTheme
-    })
-  }
-
   const width = windowWidth()
   store.dispatch('setMobileLayout', width <= 800)
+  await setConfig({ store })
+
+  const { customTheme, customThemeSource } = store.state.config
+  const { theme } = store.state.instance
+  const customThemePresent = customThemeSource || customTheme
+
+  if (customThemePresent) {
+    if (customThemeSource && customThemeSource.version === CURRENT_VERSION) {
+      applyTheme(customThemeSource)
+    } else {
+      applyTheme(customTheme)
+    }
+  } else if (theme) {
+    // do nothing, it will load asynchronously
+  } else {
+    console.error('Failed to load any theme!')
+  }
 
   // Now we can try getting the server settings and logging in
   await Promise.all([
     checkOAuthToken({ store }),
-    setConfig({ store }),
     getTOS({ store }),
     getInstancePanel({ store }),
     getStickers({ store }),
diff --git a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.js b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.js
index 799646b1ab..0ef02f39e6 100644
--- a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.js
+++ b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.js
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ export default {
     return {
       availableStyles: [],
       selected: this.$store.getters.mergedConfig.theme,
+      themeWarning: undefined,
+      tempImportFile: undefined,
 
       previewShadows: {},
       previewColors: {},
@@ -120,12 +122,62 @@ export default {
       })
   },
   mounted () {
-    this.normalizeLocalState(this.$store.getters.mergedConfig.customTheme)
+    this.loadThemeFromLocalStorage()
     if (typeof this.shadowSelected === 'undefined') {
       this.shadowSelected = this.shadowsAvailable[0]
     }
   },
   computed: {
+    themeWarningHelp () {
+      if (!this.themeWarning) return
+      const t = this.$t
+      const pre = 'settings.style.switcher.help.'
+      const {
+        origin,
+        themeEngineVersion,
+        type,
+        noActionsPossible
+      } = this.themeWarning
+      if (origin === 'file') {
+        // Loaded v2 theme from file
+        if (themeEngineVersion === 2 && type === 'wrong_version') {
+          return t(pre + 'v2_imported')
+        }
+        if (themeEngineVersion > CURRENT_VERSION) {
+          return t(pre + 'future_version_imported') + ' ' +
+            (
+              noActionsPossible
+                ? t(pre + 'snapshot_missing')
+                : t(pre + 'snapshot_present')
+            )
+        }
+        if (themeEngineVersion < CURRENT_VERSION) {
+          return t(pre + 'future_version_imported') + ' ' +
+            (
+              noActionsPossible
+                ? t(pre + 'snapshot_missing')
+                : t(pre + 'snapshot_present')
+            )
+        }
+      } else if (origin === 'localStorage') {
+        // FE upgraded from v2
+        if (themeEngineVersion === 2) {
+          return 'upgraded_from_v2'
+        }
+        // Admin downgraded FE
+        if (themeEngineVersion > CURRENT_VERSION) {
+          return noActionsPossible
+            ? 'downgraded_theme'
+            : 'downgraded_theme_missing_snapshot'
+        }
+        // Admin upgraded FE
+        if (themeEngineVersion < CURRENT_VERSION) {
+          return noActionsPossible
+            ? 'upgraded_theme'
+            : 'upgraded_theme_missing_snapshot'
+        }
+      }
+    },
     selectedVersion () {
       return Array.isArray(this.selected) ? 1 : 2
     },
@@ -308,10 +360,96 @@ export default {
     Checkbox
   },
   methods: {
+    loadTheme (
+      {
+        theme,
+        source,
+        _pleroma_theme_version: fileVersion
+      },
+      origin,
+      forceUseSource = false
+    ) {
+      if (!source && !theme) {
+        throw new Error('Can\'t load theme: empty')
+      }
+      const version = (origin === 'localstorage' && !theme.colors)
+        ? 'l1'
+        : fileVersion
+      const themeEngineVersion = (source || {}).themeEngineVersion || 2
+      const versionsMatch = themeEngineVersion === CURRENT_VERSION
+      // Force loading of source if user requested it or if snapshot
+      // is unavailable
+      const forcedSourceLoad = (source && forceUseSource) || !theme
+      if (!versionsMatch &&
+          !forcedSourceLoad &&
+          version !== 'l1' &&
+          origin !== 'defaults'
+      ) {
+        if (!theme) {
+          this.themeWarning = {
+            origin,
+            noActionsPossible: true,
+            themeEngineVersion,
+            type: 'no_snapshot_old_version'
+          }
+        } else if (!versionsMatch) {
+          this.themeWarning = {
+            origin,
+            noActionsPossible: !source,
+            themeEngineVersion,
+            type: 'wrong_version'
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      this.normalizeLocalState(theme, version, source, forcedSourceLoad)
+    },
+    forceLoadLocalStorage () {
+      this.loadThemeFromLocalStorage(true)
+    },
+    dismissWarning () {
+      this.themeWarning = undefined
+      this.tempImportFile = undefined
+    },
+    forceLoad () {
+      const { origin } = this.themeWarning
+      switch (origin) {
+        case 'localstorage':
+          this.loadThemeFromLocalStorage(true)
+          break
+        case 'file':
+          this.onImport(this.tempImportFile, true)
+          break
+      }
+    },
+    loadThemeFromLocalStorage (confirmLoadSource = false) {
+      const {
+        customTheme: theme,
+        customThemeSource: source
+      } = this.$store.getters.mergedConfig
+      if (!theme && !source) {
+        // Anon user or never touched themes
+        this.loadTheme(
+          this.$store.state.instance.themeData,
+          'defaults',
+          confirmLoadSource
+        )
+      } else {
+        this.loadTheme(
+          { theme, source },
+          'localStorage',
+          confirmLoadSource
+        )
+      }
+    },
     setCustomTheme () {
       this.$store.dispatch('setOption', {
         name: 'customTheme',
+        value: this.previewTheme
+      })
+      this.$store.dispatch('setOption', {
+        name: 'customThemeSource',
         value: {
+          themeEngineVersion: CURRENT_VERSION,
           shadows: this.shadowsLocal,
           fonts: this.fontsLocal,
           opacity: this.currentOpacity,
@@ -331,21 +469,16 @@ export default {
         this.previewColors.mod
       )
     },
-    onImport (parsed) {
-      if (parsed._pleroma_theme_version === 1) {
-        this.normalizeLocalState(parsed, 1)
-      } else if (parsed._pleroma_theme_version >= 2) {
-        this.normalizeLocalState(parsed.theme, 2, parsed.source)
-      }
+    onImport (parsed, forceSource = false) {
+      this.tempImportFile = parsed
+      this.loadTheme(parsed, 'file', forceSource)
     },
     importValidator (parsed) {
       const version = parsed._pleroma_theme_version
       return version >= 1 || version <= 2
     },
     clearAll () {
-      const state = this.$store.getters.mergedConfig.customTheme
-      const version = state.colors ? 2 : 'l1'
-      this.normalizeLocalState(this.$store.getters.mergedConfig.customTheme, version, this.$store.getters.mergedConfig.customThemeSource)
+      this.loadThemeFromLocalStorage()
     },
 
     // Clears all the extra stuff when loading V1 theme
diff --git a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.scss b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.scss
index 987245a2a5..71d0f05e72 100644
--- a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.scss
+++ b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.scss
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 @import '../../_variables.scss';
 .style-switcher {
+  .theme-warning {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: baseline;
+  }
   .preset-switcher {
     margin-right: 1em;
   }
diff --git a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue
index 287d31b7fd..61f8800aa2 100644
--- a/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue
+++ b/src/components/style_switcher/style_switcher.vue
@@ -1,31 +1,60 @@
 <template>
-  <div class="style-switcher">
-    <div class="presets-container">
-      <div class="save-load">
-        <ExportImport
-          :export-object="exportedTheme"
-          :export-label="$t(&quot;settings.export_theme&quot;)"
-          :import-label="$t(&quot;settings.import_theme&quot;)"
-          :import-failed-text="$t(&quot;settings.invalid_theme_imported&quot;)"
-          :on-import="onImport"
-          :validator="importValidator"
-        >
-          <template slot="before">
-            <div class="presets">
-              {{ $t('settings.presets') }}
-              <label
-                for="preset-switcher"
-                class="select"
+<div class="style-switcher">
+  <div class="presets-container">
+    <div class="save-load">
+      <div class="theme-warning" v-if="themeWarning">
+        <div class="alert warning">
+        {{ themeWarningHelp }}
+        </div>
+        <div class="buttons">
+          <template v-if="themeWarning.noActionsPossible">
+            <button
+              class="btn"
+              @click="dismissWarning"
+            >
+              {{ $t('general.dismiss') }}
+            </button>
+          </template>
+          <template v-else>
+            <button
+              class="btn"
+              @click="forceLoad"
+            >
+              {{ $t('settings.style.switcher.load_theme') }}
+            </button>
+            <button
+              class="btn"
+              @click="dismissWarning"
+            >
+              {{ $t('settings.style.switcher.use_snapshot') }}
+            </button>
+          </template>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      <ExportImport
+        :export-object="exportedTheme"
+        :export-label="$t(&quot;settings.export_theme&quot;)"
+        :import-label="$t(&quot;settings.import_theme&quot;)"
+        :import-failed-text="$t(&quot;settings.invalid_theme_imported&quot;)"
+        :on-import="onImport"
+        :validator="importValidator"
+      >
+        <template slot="before">
+          <div class="presets">
+            {{ $t('settings.presets') }}
+            <label
+              for="preset-switcher"
+              class="select"
               >
-                <select
-                  id="preset-switcher"
-                  v-model="selected"
-                  class="preset-switcher"
+              <select
+                id="preset-switcher"
+                v-model="selected"
+                class="preset-switcher"
                 >
-                  <option
-                    v-for="style in availableStyles"
-                    :key="style.name"
-                    :value="style"
+                <option
+                  v-for="style in availableStyles"
+                  :key="style.name"
+                  :value="style"
                     :style="{
                       backgroundColor: style[1] || (style.theme || style.source).colors.bg,
                       color: style[3] || (style.theme || style.source).colors.text
diff --git a/src/i18n/en.json b/src/i18n/en.json
index f624a1c539..6994d62f3f 100644
--- a/src/i18n/en.json
+++ b/src/i18n/en.json
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
     "optional": "optional",
     "show_more": "Show more",
     "show_less": "Show less",
+    "dismiss": "Dismiss",
     "cancel": "Cancel",
     "disable": "Disable",
     "enable": "Enable",
@@ -394,7 +395,16 @@
         "save_load_hint": "\"Keep\" options preserve currently set options when selecting or loading themes, it also stores said options when exporting a theme. When all checkboxes unset, exporting theme will save everything.",
         "reset": "Reset",
         "clear_all": "Clear all",
-        "clear_opacity": "Clear opacity"
+        "clear_opacity": "Clear opacity",
+        "load_theme": "Load theme",
+        "use_snapshot": "Keep as is",
+        "help": {
+          "v2_imported": "File you imported was made for older FE. We try to maximize compatibility but there still could be inconsitencies.",
+          "snapshot_present": "Theme snapshot is loaded, so all values are overriden. You can load theme's actual data instead.",
+          "snapshot_missing": "No theme snapshot was in the file so it could look different than originally envisioned.",
+          "future_version_imported": "File you imported was made in newer version of FE.",
+          "older_version_imported": "File you imported was made in older version of FE."
+        }
       },
       "common": {
         "color": "Color",
diff --git a/src/modules/config.js b/src/modules/config.js
index 74025db1bd..ee474b16c2 100644
--- a/src/modules/config.js
+++ b/src/modules/config.js
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ const browserLocale = (window.navigator.language || 'en').split('-')[0]
 
 export const defaultState = {
   colors: {},
+  theme: undefined,
+  customTheme: undefined,
+  customThemeSource: undefined,
   hideISP: false,
   // bad name: actually hides posts of muted USERS
   hideMutedPosts: undefined, // instance default
@@ -93,10 +96,10 @@ const config = {
       commit('setOption', { name, value })
       switch (name) {
         case 'theme':
-          setPreset(value, commit)
+          setPreset(value)
           break
         case 'customTheme':
-          applyTheme(value, commit)
+          applyTheme(value)
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/modules/instance.js b/src/modules/instance.js
index 625323b973..8781646d1f 100644
--- a/src/modules/instance.js
+++ b/src/modules/instance.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { set } from 'vue'
-import { setPreset } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
+import { getPreset, applyTheme } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
 import { instanceDefaultProperties } from './config.js'
 
 const defaultState = {
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const defaultState = {
   textlimit: 5000,
   server: 'http://localhost:4040/',
   theme: 'pleroma-dark',
+  themeData: undefined,
   background: '/static/aurora_borealis.jpg',
   logo: '/static/logo.png',
   logoMask: true,
@@ -96,6 +97,9 @@ const instance = {
             dispatch('initializeSocket')
           }
           break
+        case 'theme':
+          dispatch('setTheme', value)
+          break
       }
     },
     async getStaticEmoji ({ commit }) {
@@ -147,9 +151,16 @@ const instance = {
       }
     },
 
-    setTheme ({ commit }, themeName) {
+    setTheme ({ commit, rootState }, themeName) {
       commit('setInstanceOption', { name: 'theme', value: themeName })
-      return setPreset(themeName, commit)
+      getPreset(themeName)
+        .then(themeData => {
+          commit('setInstanceOption', { name: 'themeData', value: themeData })
+          // No need to apply theme if there's user theme already
+          const { customTheme } = rootState.config
+          if (customTheme) return
+          applyTheme(themeData.theme)
+        })
     },
     fetchEmoji ({ dispatch, state }) {
       if (!state.customEmojiFetched) {
diff --git a/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js b/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
index ee264c4912..9610d7996d 100644
--- a/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
+++ b/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { getColors, computeDynamicColor } from '../theme_data/theme_data.service
 // styles that aren't just colors, so user can pick from a few different distinct
 // styles as well as set their own colors in the future.
 
-export const setStyle = (href, commit) => {
+export const setStyle = (href) => {
   /***
       What's going on here?
       I want to make it easy for admins to style this application. To have
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ export const setStyle = (href, commit) => {
   cssEl.addEventListener('load', setDynamic)
 }
 
-export const applyTheme = (input, commit) => {
-  const { rules, theme } = generatePreset(input)
+export const applyTheme = (input) => {
+  const { rules } = generatePreset(input)
   const head = document.head
   const body = document.body
   body.classList.add('hidden')
@@ -69,11 +69,6 @@ export const applyTheme = (input, commit) => {
   styleSheet.insertRule(`body { ${rules.shadows} }`, 'index-max')
   styleSheet.insertRule(`body { ${rules.fonts} }`, 'index-max')
   body.classList.remove('hidden')
-
-  // commit('setOption', { name: 'colors', value: htmlColors })
-  // commit('setOption', { name: 'radii', value: radii })
-  commit('setOption', { name: 'customTheme', value: input })
-  commit('setOption', { name: 'colors', value: theme.colors })
 }
 
 export const getCssShadow = (input, usesDropShadow) => {
@@ -387,7 +382,7 @@ export const getThemes = () => {
  */
 export const shadows2to3 = (shadows) => {
   return Object.entries(shadows).reduce((shadowsAcc, [slotName, shadowDefs]) => {
-    const isDynamic = ({ color }) => console.log(color) || color.startsWith('--')
+    const isDynamic = ({ color }) => color.startsWith('--')
     const newShadow = shadowDefs.reduce((shadowAcc, def) => [
       ...shadowAcc,
       {
@@ -399,7 +394,7 @@ export const shadows2to3 = (shadows) => {
   }, {})
 }
 
-export const setPreset = (val, commit) => {
+export const getPreset = (val) => {
   return getThemes()
     .then((themes) => themes[val] ? themes[val] : themes['pleroma-dark'])
     .then((theme) => {
@@ -420,14 +415,8 @@ export const setPreset = (val, commit) => {
         data.colors = { bg, fg, text, link, cRed, cBlue, cGreen, cOrange }
       }
 
-      // This is a hack, this function is only called during initial load.
-      // We want to cancel loading the theme from config.json if we're already
-      // loading a theme from the persisted state.
-      // Needed some way of dealing with the async way of things.
-      // load config -> set preset -> wait for styles.json to load ->
-      // load persisted state -> set colors -> styles.json loaded -> set colors
-      if (!window.themeLoaded) {
-        applyTheme(data, commit)
-      }
+      return { theme: data, source: theme.source }
     })
 }
+
+export const setPreset = (val) => getPreset(val).then(data => applyTheme(data.theme))