diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 0f5de4bfe9..210927491b 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ function loadConfig() {
 	// Ensure themes_path is a full filepath
 	nconf.set('themes_path', path.resolve(__dirname, nconf.get('themes_path')));
 	nconf.set('core_templates_path', path.join(__dirname, 'src/views'));
-	nconf.set('base_templates_path', path.join(nconf.get('themes_path'), 'nodebb-theme-vanilla/templates'));
+	nconf.set('base_templates_path', path.join(nconf.get('themes_path'), 'nodebb-theme-persona/templates'));
 
 	if (!process.send) {
 		// If run using `node app`, log GNU copyright info along with server info
diff --git a/src/meta/css.js b/src/meta/css.js
index 50369f89fb..982388dafb 100644
--- a/src/meta/css.js
+++ b/src/meta/css.js
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ module.exports = function(Meta) {
 				return callback(err);
 			}
 
-			var themeId = (themeData['theme:id'] || 'nodebb-theme-vanilla'),
+			var themeId = (themeData['theme:id'] || 'nodebb-theme-persona'),
 				baseThemePath = path.join(nconf.get('themes_path'), (themeData['theme:type'] && themeData['theme:type'] === 'local' ? themeId : 'nodebb-theme-vanilla')),
 				paths = [
 					baseThemePath,
diff --git a/src/meta/themes.js b/src/meta/themes.js
index 77f1e41523..e10194c9af 100644
--- a/src/meta/themes.js
+++ b/src/meta/themes.js
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ module.exports = function(Meta) {
 				return callback(err);
 			}
 
-			var themeId = data.currentThemeId || 'nodebb-theme-vanilla';
+			var themeId = data.currentThemeId || 'nodebb-theme-persona';
 
 			var	themeObj = data.themesData.filter(function(themeObj) {
 					return themeObj.id === themeId;
diff --git a/src/webserver.js b/src/webserver.js
index abeb367a90..bef33d2dae 100644
--- a/src/webserver.js
+++ b/src/webserver.js
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ function initializeNodeBB(callback) {
 		function(next) {
 			plugins.init(app, middleware, next);
 		},
+		function(next) {
+			plugins.fireHook('static:app.preload', {
+				app: app,
+				middleware: middleware
+			}, next);
+		},
 		function(next) {
 			async.parallel([
 				async.apply(meta.templates.compile),
@@ -98,12 +104,6 @@ function initializeNodeBB(callback) {
 			], next);
 		},
 		function(results, next) {
-			plugins.fireHook('static:app.preload', {
-				app: app,
-				middleware: middleware
-			}, next);
-		},
-		function(next) {
 			routes(app, middleware);
 			next();
 		}