diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp
index 678e7dc10..f83379427 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/Notepad_plus_Window.cpp
@@ -228,11 +228,7 @@ void Notepad_plus_Window::init(HINSTANCE hInst, HWND parent, const TCHAR *cmdLin
 
 	fileNames.clear();
 
-	generic_string nppThemeDir;
-	if (!nppParams.isLocal())
-	{
-		nppThemeDir = nppDir.c_str(); // <- should use the pointer to avoid the constructor of copy
-	}
+	generic_string nppThemeDir = nppDir.c_str(); // <- should use the pointer to avoid the constructor of copy
 	pathAppend(nppThemeDir, TEXT("themes\\"));
 
 	// Set theme directory to their installation directory
diff --git a/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp b/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
index 17a48c375..a7672feee 100644
--- a/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
+++ b/PowerEditor/src/Parameters.cpp
@@ -5607,7 +5607,22 @@ void NppParameters::feedGUIParameters(TiXmlNode *node)
 		{
 			const TCHAR *themePath = element->Attribute(TEXT("path"));
 			if (themePath != NULL && themePath[0])
-				_nppGUI._themeName.assign(themePath);
+			{
+				// for local/portable setup, only themefilename.xml is needed
+				// ignore if cloud setting is used
+				if (_isLocal && !_isCloud)
+				{
+					auto themeFileName = ::PathFindFileName(themePath);
+					generic_string nppThemePath = _nppPath;
+					pathAppend(nppThemePath, TEXT("themes\\"));
+					pathAppend(nppThemePath, themeFileName);
+					_nppGUI._themeName = nppThemePath;
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					_nppGUI._themeName.assign(themePath);
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		else if (!lstrcmp(nm, TEXT("insertDateTime")))