diff --git a/deployments/examples/ocis_hello/config/ocis/web-config.dist.json b/deployments/examples/ocis_hello/config/ocis/web-config.dist.json
index f8dc0ab6f9..1a8b7f8b85 100644
--- a/deployments/examples/ocis_hello/config/ocis/web-config.dist.json
+++ b/deployments/examples/ocis_hello/config/ocis/web-config.dist.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "server": "https://ocis.owncloud.test",
-  "theme": "owncloud",
+  "theme": "https://ocis.owncloud.test/themes/owncloud/theme.json",
   "version": "0.1.0",
   "openIdConnect": {
     "metadata_url": "https://ocis.owncloud.test/.well-known/openid-configuration",
diff --git a/tests/config/drone/ocis-config.json b/tests/config/drone/ocis-config.json
index a11c3b72fd..86a064b5c4 100644
--- a/tests/config/drone/ocis-config.json
+++ b/tests/config/drone/ocis-config.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "server": "https://ocis-server:9200",
-    "theme": "owncloud",
+    "theme": "https://ocis-server:9200/themes/owncloud/theme.json",
     "version": "0.1.0",
     "openIdConnect": {
         "metadata_url": "https://ocis-server:9200/.well-known/openid-configuration",
diff --git a/web/pkg/config/config.go b/web/pkg/config/config.go
index 4ea408ec2f..76a1c085a5 100644
--- a/web/pkg/config/config.go
+++ b/web/pkg/config/config.go
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ type Asset struct {
 // WebConfig defines the available web configuration for a dynamically rendered config.json.
 type WebConfig struct {
 	Server        string                 `json:"server,omitempty"`
+	ThemeServer   string                 `json:"omit"` // only used to build Theme
+	ThemePath     string                 `json:"omit"` // only used to build Theme
 	Theme         string                 `json:"theme,omitempty"`
 	Version       string                 `json:"version,omitempty"` // TODO what is version used for?
 	OpenIDConnect OIDC                   `json:"openIdConnect,omitempty"`
diff --git a/web/pkg/flagset/flagset.go b/web/pkg/flagset/flagset.go
index 678e8dad84..b72ccd9546 100644
--- a/web/pkg/flagset/flagset.go
+++ b/web/pkg/flagset/flagset.go
@@ -164,16 +164,23 @@ func ServerWithConfig(cfg *config.Config) []cli.Flag {
 		&cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:        "web-config-server",
 			Value:       flags.OverrideDefaultString(cfg.Web.Config.Server, "https://localhost:9200"),
-			Usage:       "Server URL",
+			Usage:       "Configuration server URL",
 			EnvVars:     []string{"WEB_UI_CONFIG_SERVER", "OCIS_URL"}, // WEB_UI_CONFIG_SERVER takes precedence over OCIS_URL
 			Destination: &cfg.Web.Config.Server,
 		},
+		&cli.StringFlag{
+			Name:        "web-theme-server",
+			Value:       flags.OverrideDefaultString(cfg.Web.Config.ThemeServer, "https://localhost:9200"),
+			Usage:       "Theme server URL",
+			EnvVars:     []string{"WEB_UI_THEME_SERVER", "OCIS_URL"}, // WEB_UI_THEME_SERVER takes precedence over OCIS_URL
+			Destination: &cfg.Web.Config.ThemeServer,
+		},
 		&cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:        "web-config-theme",
-			Value:       flags.OverrideDefaultString(cfg.Web.Config.Theme, "owncloud"),
-			Usage:       "Theme",
-			EnvVars:     []string{"WEB_UI_CONFIG_THEME"},
-			Destination: &cfg.Web.Config.Theme,
+			Value:       flags.OverrideDefaultString(cfg.Web.Config.ThemePath, "/themes/owncloud/theme.json"),
+			Usage:       "Theme path on the theme server",
+			EnvVars:     []string{"WEB_UI_THEME_PATH"},
+			Destination: &cfg.Web.Config.ThemePath,
 		},
 		&cli.StringFlag{
 			Name:        "web-config-version",
diff --git a/web/pkg/service/v0/service.go b/web/pkg/service/v0/service.go
index 413e2ffcb2..7a8a32e530 100644
--- a/web/pkg/service/v0/service.go
+++ b/web/pkg/service/v0/service.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -69,6 +70,13 @@ func (p Web) getPayload() (payload []byte, err error) {
 			p.config.Web.Config.Options["hideSearchBar"] = true
 		}
 
+		// build theme url
+		if themeServer, err := url.Parse(p.config.Web.Config.ThemeServer); err == nil {
+			p.config.Web.Config.Theme = themeServer.String() + p.config.Web.Config.ThemePath
+		} else {
+			p.config.Web.Config.Theme = p.config.Web.Config.ThemePath
+		}
+
 		if p.config.Web.Config.ExternalApps == nil {
 			p.config.Web.Config.ExternalApps = []config.ExternalApp{
 				{