diff --git a/src/boot/after_store.js b/src/boot/after_store.js
index b93e28a36d..a486bd4c79 100644
--- a/src/boot/after_store.js
+++ b/src/boot/after_store.js
@@ -13,8 +13,7 @@ import VBodyScrollLock from 'src/directives/body_scroll_lock'
 import { windowWidth, windowHeight } 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, applyConfig, tryLoadCache } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
+import { applyConfig } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
 import FaviconService from '../services/favicon_service/favicon_service.js'
 import { initServiceWorker, updateFocus } from '../services/sw/sw.js'
 
@@ -160,8 +159,6 @@ const setSettings = async ({ apiConfig, staticConfig, store }) => {
   copyInstanceOption('showFeaturesPanel')
   copyInstanceOption('hideSitename')
   copyInstanceOption('sidebarRight')
-
-  return store.dispatch('setTheme', config.theme)
 }
 
 const getTOS = async ({ store }) => {
@@ -352,29 +349,7 @@ const afterStoreSetup = async ({ store, i18n }) => {
   store.dispatch('setInstanceOption', { name: 'server', value: server })
 
   await setConfig({ store })
-
-  const { customTheme, customThemeSource, forceThemeRecompilation, themeDebug } = store.state.config
-  const { theme } = store.state.instance
-  const customThemePresent = customThemeSource || customTheme
-
-  console.log('DEBUG INITIAL', themeDebug, forceThemeRecompilation)
-
-  if (!forceThemeRecompilation && !themeDebug && tryLoadCache()) {
-    store.commit('setThemeApplied')
-  } else {
-    if (customThemePresent) {
-      if (customThemeSource && customThemeSource.themeEngineVersion === CURRENT_VERSION) {
-        applyTheme(customThemeSource, () => {}, themeDebug)
-      } else {
-        applyTheme(customTheme, () => {}, themeDebug)
-      }
-      store.commit('setThemeApplied')
-    } else if (theme) {
-      // do nothing, it will load asynchronously
-    } else {
-      console.error('Failed to load any theme!')
-    }
-  }
+  await store.dispatch('setTheme')
 
   applyConfig(store.state.config)
 
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.js b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.js
index 3776464aa0..d340fd00e7 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.js
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.js
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ const AppearanceTab = {
         key: mode,
         value: i - 1,
         label: this.$t(`settings.forced_roundness_mode_${mode}`)
+      })),
+      underlayOverrideModes: ['none', 'opaque', 'transparent'].map((mode, i) => ({
+        key: mode,
+        value: mode,
+        label: this.$t(`settings.underlay_override_mode_${mode}`)
       }))
     }
   },
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.vue b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.vue
index fb24cc6b33..d3df76a113 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.vue
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/appearance_tab.vue
@@ -182,6 +182,15 @@
             {{ $t('settings.force_interface_roundness') }}
           </ChoiceSetting>
         </li>
+        <li>
+          <ChoiceSetting
+            id="underlayOverride"
+            path="theme3hacks.underlay"
+            :options="underlayOverrideModes"
+          >
+            {{ $t('settings.underlay_overrides') }}
+          </ChoiceSetting>
+        </li>
         <li v-if="instanceWallpaperUsed">
           <BooleanSetting path="hideInstanceWallpaper">
             {{ $t('settings.hide_wallpaper') }}
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/theme_tab/theme_tab.js b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/theme_tab/theme_tab.js
index 72e2b625ca..7ca3b066e8 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/theme_tab/theme_tab.js
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/theme_tab/theme_tab.js
@@ -502,6 +502,7 @@ export default {
       this.$store.dispatch('setOption', {
         name: 'customTheme',
         value: {
+          ignore: true,
           themeFileVersion: this.selectedVersion,
           themeEngineVersion: CURRENT_VERSION,
           ...this.previewTheme
@@ -699,13 +700,13 @@ export default {
       }
     },
     updateTheme3Preview () {
-      console.log(this.previewTheme)
       const theme2 = convertTheme2To3(this.previewTheme)
       const theme3 = init({
-        extraRuleset: theme2,
+        inputRuleset: theme2,
         ultimateBackgroundColor: '#000000',
         liteMode: true
       })
+
       this.themeV3Preview = getCssRules(theme3.eager)
         .map(x => {
           if (x.startsWith('html')) {
@@ -722,7 +723,7 @@ export default {
   watch: {
     currentRadii () {
       try {
-        this.previewTheme.radii = generateRadii({ radii: this.currentRadii }).theme
+        this.previewTheme.radii = generateRadii({ radii: this.currentRadii }).theme.radii
         this.radiiInvalid = false
       } catch (e) {
         this.radiiInvalid = true
@@ -744,7 +745,7 @@ export default {
     fontsLocal: {
       handler () {
         try {
-          this.previewTheme.fonts = generateFonts({ fonts: this.fontsLocal }).theme
+          this.previewTheme.fonts = generateFonts({ fonts: this.fontsLocal }).theme.fonts
           this.fontsInvalid = false
         } catch (e) {
           this.fontsInvalid = true
diff --git a/src/modules/config.js b/src/modules/config.js
index 59d056d9e6..56151d2a0d 100644
--- a/src/modules/config.js
+++ b/src/modules/config.js
@@ -1,10 +1,21 @@
 import Cookies from 'js-cookie'
-import { setPreset, applyTheme, applyConfig } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
+import { applyConfig } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
 import messages from '../i18n/messages'
 import { set } from 'lodash'
 import localeService from '../services/locale/locale.service.js'
 
 const BACKEND_LANGUAGE_COOKIE_NAME = 'userLanguage'
+const APPEARANCE_SETTINGS_KEYS = new Set([
+  'sidebarColumnWidth',
+  'contentColumnWidth',
+  'notifsColumnWidth',
+  'textSize',
+  'navbarSize',
+  'panelHeaderSize',
+  'forcedRoundness',
+  'emojiSize',
+  'emojiReactionsScale'
+])
 
 const browserLocale = (window.navigator.language || 'en').split('-')[0]
 
@@ -81,6 +92,11 @@ export const defaultState = {
     chatMention: true,
     polls: true
   },
+  palette: null,
+  theme3hacks: {
+    underlay: 'none',
+    badgeColor: null
+  },
   webPushNotifications: false,
   webPushAlwaysShowNotifications: false,
   muteWords: [],
@@ -185,7 +201,6 @@ const config = {
       applyConfig(state)
     },
     setOption (state, { name, value }) {
-      console.log('SET OPTION', state, name, value)
       set(state, name, value)
     },
     setHighlight (state, { user, color, type }) {
@@ -261,30 +276,23 @@ const config = {
         }
       } else {
         commit('setOption', { name, value })
+        if (
+          name.startsWith('theme3hacks') ||
+            APPEARANCE_SETTINGS_KEYS.has(name)
+        ) {
+          applyConfig(state)
+        }
         switch (name) {
           case 'theme':
-            setPreset(value)
-            break
-          case 'sidebarColumnWidth':
-          case 'contentColumnWidth':
-          case 'notifsColumnWidth':
-          case 'textSize':
-          case 'navbarSize':
-          case 'panelHeaderSize':
-          case 'forcedRoundness':
-          case 'emojiSize':
-          case 'emojiReactionsScale':
-            applyConfig(state)
+            dispatch('setTheme', { themeName: value, recompile: true })
             break
           case 'customTheme':
           case 'customThemeSource': {
-            const { themeDebug } = state
-            applyTheme(value, () => {}, themeDebug)
+            if (!value.ignore) dispatch('setTheme', { themeData: value })
             break
           }
           case 'themeDebug': {
-            const { customTheme, customThemeSource } = state
-            applyTheme(customTheme || customThemeSource, () => {}, value)
+            dispatch('setTheme', { recompile: true })
             break
           }
           case 'interfaceLanguage':
diff --git a/src/modules/instance.js b/src/modules/instance.js
index 602503ed24..85a966b89a 100644
--- a/src/modules/instance.js
+++ b/src/modules/instance.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-import { getPreset, applyTheme } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
-import { CURRENT_VERSION } from '../services/theme_data/theme_data.service.js'
+import { getPreset, applyTheme, tryLoadCache } from '../services/style_setter/style_setter.js'
+import { CURRENT_VERSION, generatePreset } from 'src/services/theme_data/theme_data.service.js'
+import { convertTheme2To3 } from 'src/services/theme_data/theme2_to_theme3.js'
 import apiService from '../services/api/api.service.js'
 import { instanceDefaultProperties } from './config.js'
 import { langCodeToCldrName, ensureFinalFallback } from '../i18n/languages.js'
@@ -286,9 +287,6 @@ const instance = {
             dispatch('initializeSocket')
           }
           break
-        case 'theme':
-          dispatch('setTheme', value)
-          break
       }
     },
     async getStaticEmoji ({ commit }) {
@@ -378,25 +376,86 @@ const instance = {
       }
     },
 
-    setTheme ({ commit, rootState }, themeName) {
-      commit('setInstanceOption', { name: 'theme', value: themeName })
-      getPreset(themeName)
-        .then(themeData => {
-          commit('setInstanceOption', { name: 'themeData', value: themeData })
-          // No need to apply theme if there's user theme already
-          const { customTheme, themeDebug } = rootState.config
-          const { themeApplied } = rootState.interface
-          if (customTheme || themeApplied) return
+    setTheme ({ commit, state, rootState }, { themeName, themeData, recompile } = {}) {
+      // const {
+      //   themeApplied
+      // } = rootState.interface
+      const {
+        theme: instanceThemeName
+      } = state
 
-          // New theme presets don't have 'theme' property, they use 'source'
-          const themeSource = themeData.source
-          if (!themeData.theme || (themeSource && themeSource.themeEngineVersion === CURRENT_VERSION)) {
-            applyTheme(themeSource, null, themeDebug)
+      const {
+        customTheme: userThemeSnapshot,
+        customThemeSource: userThemeSource,
+        forceThemeRecompilation,
+        themeDebug
+      } = rootState.config
+
+      const forceRecompile = forceThemeRecompilation || recompile
+
+      // If we're not not forced to recompile try using
+      // cache (tryLoadCache return true if load successful)
+      if (!forceRecompile && !themeDebug && tryLoadCache()) {
+        commit('setThemeApplied')
+      }
+
+      const normalizeThemeData = (themeData) => {
+        console.log('NORMAL', themeData)
+        if (themeData.themeFileVerison === 1) {
+          return generatePreset(themeData).theme
+        }
+        // New theme presets don't have 'theme' property, they use 'source'
+        const themeSource = themeData.source
+
+        let out // shout, shout let it all out
+        if (!themeData.theme || (themeSource && themeSource.themeEngineVersion === CURRENT_VERSION)) {
+          out = themeSource || themeData
+        } else {
+          out = themeData.theme
+        }
+
+        // generatePreset here basically creates/updates "snapshot",
+        // while also fixing the 2.2 -> 2.3 colors/shadows/etc
+        return generatePreset(out).theme
+      }
+
+      let promise = null
+
+      if (themeName) {
+        // commit('setInstanceOption', { name: 'theme', value: themeName })
+        promise = getPreset(themeName)
+          .then(themeData => {
+            // commit('setInstanceOption', { name: 'themeData', value: themeData })
+            return normalizeThemeData(themeData)
+          })
+      } else if (themeData) {
+        promise = Promise.resolve(normalizeThemeData(themeData))
+      } else {
+        if (userThemeSource || userThemeSnapshot) {
+          if (userThemeSource && userThemeSource.themeEngineVersion === CURRENT_VERSION) {
+            promise = Promise.resolve(normalizeThemeData(userThemeSource))
           } else {
-            applyTheme(themeData.theme, null, themeDebug)
+            promise = Promise.resolve(normalizeThemeData(userThemeSnapshot))
           }
-          commit('setThemeApplied')
+        } else if (instanceThemeName) {
+          promise = getPreset(themeName).then(themeData => normalizeThemeData(themeData))
+        }
+      }
+
+      promise
+        .then(realThemeData => {
+          console.log('FR FR 1', realThemeData)
+          const ruleset = convertTheme2To3(realThemeData)
+          console.log('FR FR 2', ruleset)
+
+          applyTheme(
+            ruleset,
+            () => commit('setThemeApplied'),
+            themeDebug
+          )
         })
+
+      return promise
     },
     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 78e7428db3..e54a95bfc6 100644
--- a/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
+++ b/src/services/style_setter/style_setter.js
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 import { hex2rgb } from '../color_convert/color_convert.js'
-import { generatePreset } from '../theme_data/theme_data.service.js'
 import { init, getEngineChecksum } from '../theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js'
-import { convertTheme2To3 } from '../theme_data/theme2_to_theme3.js'
 import { getCssRules } from '../theme_data/css_utils.js'
 import { defaultState } from '../../modules/config.js'
 import { chunk } from 'lodash'
@@ -45,30 +43,20 @@ const adoptStyleSheets = (styles) => {
   // is nothing to do here.
 }
 
-export const generateTheme = async (input, callbacks, debug) => {
+export const generateTheme = async (inputRuleset, callbacks, debug) => {
   const {
     onNewRule = (rule, isLazy) => {},
     onLazyFinished = () => {},
     onEagerFinished = () => {}
   } = callbacks
 
-  let extraRules
-  if (input.themeFileVersion === 1) {
-    extraRules = convertTheme2To3(input)
-  } else {
-    const { theme } = generatePreset(input)
-    extraRules = convertTheme2To3(theme)
-  }
-
   // Assuming that "worst case scenario background" is panel background since it's the most likely one
   const themes3 = init({
-    extraRules,
-    ultimateBackgroundColor: extraRules[0].directives['--bg'].split('|')[1].trim(),
+    inputRuleset,
+    ultimateBackgroundColor: inputRuleset[0].directives['--bg'].split('|')[1].trim(),
     debug
   })
 
-  console.log('DEBUG 2 IS', debug)
-
   getCssRules(themes3.eager, debug).forEach(rule => {
     // Hacks to support multiple selectors on same component
     if (rule.match(/::-webkit-scrollbar-button/)) {
@@ -162,8 +150,6 @@ export const applyTheme = async (input, onFinish = (data) => {}, debug) => {
   const eagerStyles = createStyleSheet(EAGER_STYLE_ID)
   const lazyStyles = createStyleSheet(LAZY_STYLE_ID)
 
-  console.log('DEBUG IS', debug)
-
   const { lazyProcessFunc } = await generateTheme(
     input,
     {
@@ -216,7 +202,6 @@ const extractStyleConfig = ({
     textSize
   }
 
-  console.log(forcedRoundness)
   switch (forcedRoundness) {
     case 'disable':
       break
@@ -325,5 +310,3 @@ export const getPreset = (val) => {
       return { theme: data, source: theme.source }
     })
 }
-
-export const setPreset = (val) => getPreset(val).then(data => applyTheme(data))
diff --git a/src/services/theme_data/theme2_to_theme3.js b/src/services/theme_data/theme2_to_theme3.js
index 2c97d18b18..b54366bd82 100644
--- a/src/services/theme_data/theme2_to_theme3.js
+++ b/src/services/theme_data/theme2_to_theme3.js
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ export const convertTheme2To3 = (data) => {
     const newRules = []
     Object.keys(data.fonts || {}).forEach(key => {
       if (!fontsKeys.has(key)) return
+      if (!data.fonts[key]) return
       const originalFont = data.fonts[key].family
       const rule = { source: '2to3' }
 
diff --git a/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js b/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
index e98b19a784..e802a893de 100644
--- a/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
+++ b/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
@@ -150,12 +150,13 @@ const ruleToSelector = genericRuleToSelector(components)
 export const getEngineChecksum = () => engineChecksum
 
 export const init = ({
-  extraRuleset,
+  inputRuleset,
   ultimateBackgroundColor,
   debug = false,
   liteMode = false,
   rootComponentName = 'Root'
 }) => {
+  if (!inputRuleset) throw new Error('Ruleset is null or undefined!')
   const staticVars = {}
   const stacked = {}
   const computed = {}
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ export const init = ({
     ...Object.values(components)
       .map(c => (c.defaultRules || []).map(r => ({ component: c.name, ...r, source: 'Built-in' })))
       .reduce((acc, arr) => [...acc, ...arr], []),
-    ...extraRuleset
+    ...inputRuleset
   ].map(rule => {
     normalizeCombination(rule)
     let currentParent = rule.parent
diff --git a/test/unit/specs/services/theme_data/theme_data3.spec.js b/test/unit/specs/services/theme_data/theme_data3.spec.js
index bb8d785cf9..92a87de9ff 100644
--- a/test/unit/specs/services/theme_data/theme_data3.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/specs/services/theme_data/theme_data3.spec.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ describe('Theme Data 3', () => {
     this.timeout(5000)
 
     it('Test initialization without anything', () => {
-      const out = init([], '#DEADAF')
+      const out = init({ ruleset: [], ultimateBackgroundColor: '#DEADAF' })
 
       expect(out).to.have.property('eager')
       expect(out).to.have.property('lazy')
@@ -85,13 +85,16 @@ describe('Theme Data 3', () => {
     })
 
     it('Test initialization with a basic palette', () => {
-      const out = init([{
-        component: 'Root',
-        directives: {
-          '--bg': 'color | #008080',
-          '--fg': 'color | #00C0A0'
-        }
-      }], '#DEADAF')
+      const out = init({
+        ruleset: [{
+          component: 'Root',
+          directives: {
+            '--bg': 'color | #008080',
+            '--fg': 'color | #00C0A0'
+          }
+        }],
+        ultimateBackgroundColor: '#DEADAF'
+      })
 
       expect(out.staticVars).to.have.property('bg').equal('#008080')
       expect(out.staticVars).to.have.property('fg').equal('#00C0A0')
@@ -105,17 +108,20 @@ describe('Theme Data 3', () => {
     })
 
     it('Test initialization with opacity', () => {
-      const out = init([{
-        component: 'Root',
-        directives: {
-          '--bg': 'color | #008080'
-        }
-      }, {
-        component: 'Panel',
-        directives: {
-          opacity: 0.5
-        }
-      }], '#DEADAF')
+      const out = init({
+        ruleset: [{
+          component: 'Root',
+          directives: {
+            '--bg': 'color | #008080'
+          }
+        }, {
+          component: 'Panel',
+          directives: {
+            opacity: 0.5
+          }
+        }],
+        ultimateBackgroundColor: '#DEADAF'
+      })
 
       expect(out.staticVars).to.have.property('bg').equal('#008080')