diff --git a/Sources/phbar/Commands/PHBar+Start.swift b/Sources/phbar/Commands/PHBar+Start.swift
index 13208ad..1115eb9 100644
--- a/Sources/phbar/Commands/PHBar+Start.swift
+++ b/Sources/phbar/Commands/PHBar+Start.swift
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ extension PHBar {
 
 		mutating func run() throws {
 			let config = try PHConfig.load()
+			let environment = PHEnvironment.process.merging(config.env)
+			let theme = try PHTheme.load(config.theme, environment: environment)
 
 			// NOTE: Make sure NSApp.run() runs in the main thread
 			dispatchPrecondition(condition: .onQueue(.main))
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ extension PHBar {
 			try MainActor.assumeIsolated {
 				guard !NSScreen.screens.isEmpty else { throw CleanExit.message("No monitor found") }
 
-				let delegate = PHBarDelegate(config: config, debug: debug)
+				let delegate = PHBarDelegate(config: config, theme: theme, debug: debug)
 				let app = NSApplication.shared
 				app.setActivationPolicy(.accessory)
 				app.delegate = delegate
diff --git a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate.swift b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate.swift
index d127801..6307afc 100644
--- a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate.swift
+++ b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate.swift
@@ -19,9 +19,14 @@ final class PHBarDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
 	/// `config` is captured here (not re-read per screen) so all bars share one
 	/// resolved config + environment for their lifetime. Live reload swaps the
 	/// whole factory via `reloadAll()`.
-	init(config: PHConfig, debug: Bool) {
+	init(config: PHConfig, theme: PHTheme, debug: Bool) {
 		let environment = PHEnvironment.process.merging(config.env)
-		self.factory = PHBarFactory(config: config, environment: environment, debug: debug)
+		self.factory = PHBarFactory(
+			config: config,
+			theme: theme,
+			environment: environment,
+			debug: debug
+		)
 		super.init()
 	}
 
diff --git a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate/PHBarDelegate+Reload.swift b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate/PHBarDelegate+Reload.swift
index 51934d1..5260857 100644
--- a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate/PHBarDelegate+Reload.swift
+++ b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarDelegate/PHBarDelegate+Reload.swift
@@ -1,19 +1,23 @@
 extension PHBarDelegate {
 	// MARK: - Reload (entry points for a future `phbar reload`)
 
-	/// Re-read config from disk and rebuild every bar against it. Screens are
-	/// kept; only theme/blocks/window are re-resolved. This is the global path
-	/// for picking up config edits at runtime.
+	/// Re-read config and theme from disk and rebuild every bar against them.
+	/// Screens are kept; only theme/blocks/window are re-resolved.
+	/// This is the global path for picking up config edits at runtime.
 	func reloadAll() {
 		let config: PHConfig
+		let theme: PHTheme
 		do {
 			config = try PHConfig.load()
+			let environment = PHEnvironment.process.merging(config.env)
+			theme = try PHTheme.load(config.theme, environment: environment)
 		} catch {
 			stderr("reload failed, could not read config: \(error)")
 			return
 		}
 		factory = PHBarFactory(
 			config: config,
+			theme: theme,
 			environment: PHEnvironment.process.merging(config.env),
 			debug: factory.debug
 		)
diff --git a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarFactory.swift b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarFactory.swift
index f2dffa5..b43bdda 100644
--- a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarFactory.swift
+++ b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHBarFactory.swift
@@ -1,31 +1,22 @@
 import AppKit
 
-/// Builds a `BarController` for a screen by resolving its theme, blocks, and
+/// Builds a `BarController` for a screen by resolving its blocks and
 /// window from the config.
-///
-/// Extracted from `AppDelegate` so the exact same resolution drives initial
-/// launch, hot-plugged monitors (`syncScreens`), and live reload
-/// (`reloadAll` / `reload(screenNamed:)`). Each screen's theme/blocks are
-/// resolved independently, so a failure on one screen can be skipped without
-/// taking down the others.
 @MainActor
 struct PHBarFactory {
 	let config: PHConfig
+	let theme: PHTheme
 	let environment: PHEnvironment
 	let debug: Bool
 
-	/// Resolve theme + blocks for `screen` and build its controller.
+	/// Resolve blocks for `screen` and build its controller.
 	///
 	/// - Parameter screen: The screen to build a bar for. Its localized name
 	///   and index in `NSScreen.screens` select any per-monitor config override.
-	/// - Throws: `PHTheme.load` / `PHBlock.load` errors for the resolved names.
+	/// - Throws: `PHBlock.load` error for the resolved names.
 	func make(for screen: NSScreen) throws -> BarController {
 		let name = screen.localizedName
 		let index = NSScreen.screens.firstIndex(of: screen)
-		let theme = try PHTheme.load(
-			config.theme(screenName: name, screenIndex: index),
-			environment: environment
-		)
 		let blocks = try PHBlock.load(config.blocks(screenName: name, screenIndex: index))
 		return BarController(
 			config: config,
diff --git a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHConfig/PHConfigMonitorOverride.swift b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHConfig/PHConfigMonitorOverride.swift
index dc24db8..e01bedb 100644
--- a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHConfig/PHConfigMonitorOverride.swift
+++ b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHConfig/PHConfigMonitorOverride.swift
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@ import Foundation
 /// Either field is optional; an unset field inherits the matching global
 /// (`theme`, `window`, or `blocks`) so a monitor can override just one of them.
 struct PHConfigMonitorOverride: Decodable {
-	let theme: String?
 	let window: String?
 	let blocks: String?
 
-	init(theme: String? = nil, window: String? = nil, blocks: String? = nil) {
-		self.theme = theme
+	init(window: String? = nil, blocks: String? = nil) {
 		self.window = window
 		self.blocks = blocks
 	}
@@ -30,12 +28,6 @@ extension PHConfig {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	/// Theme name for a screen: the override's `theme` if set, otherwise the
-	/// global `theme`.
-	func theme(screenName: String, screenIndex: Int?) -> String {
-		monitorOverride(screenName: screenName, screenIndex: screenIndex)?.theme ?? theme
-	}
-
 	/// Window definition name for a screen: the override's `window` if set,
 	/// otherwise the global `window`.
 	func window(screenName: String, screenIndex: Int?) -> String {
diff --git a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHTheme/PHTheme+Loading.swift b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHTheme/PHTheme+Loading.swift
index 19184ef..80586bd 100644
--- a/Sources/phbar/Models/PHTheme/PHTheme+Loading.swift
+++ b/Sources/phbar/Models/PHTheme/PHTheme+Loading.swift
@@ -3,48 +3,39 @@ import TOML
 
 extension PHTheme {
 	/// Load theme from the resolved config directory (`PHPaths`/themes).
-	/// Falls back to the bundled theme when the file is absent or parsing fails.
+	/// If the file doesn't exist or fails to parse, the execution is interrupted.
 	///
 	/// - Parameter environment: Used to expand `$VAR` references in `@EnvExpanded`
 	///   fields (colors, fonts); defaults to the process environment.
-	static func load(_ theme: String?, environment: PHEnvironment = .process) throws -> PHTheme {
-		guard let theme else { return try loadFromBundle() }
-
+	static func load(_ theme: String, environment: PHEnvironment = .process) throws -> PHTheme {
 		let url = PHPaths.configDirectory.appending(path: "themes").appending(path: "\(theme).toml")
 
 		if FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: url.relativePath) {
 			return try load(from: url, environment: environment)
 		} else {
-			return try loadFromBundle()
-		}
-	}
+			throw PHBar.Error(
+				"""
+				Theme file not found.
+				       Make sure to have a file named `\(theme).toml` inside the
+				       directory: `\(url.deletingLastPathComponent().relativePath)`
 
-	/// Load the bundled theme.
-	/// If the file doesn't exist or fails to parse, the execution is interrupted.
-	static private func loadFromBundle() throws -> PHTheme {
-		guard
-			let defaultConfig = Bundle.module.url(
-				forResource: "theme",
-				withExtension: "toml"
-			)?.resolvingSymlinksInPath()
-		else {
-			throw PHBar.Error("Failed to load theme file")
+				Tip: If you've never used phbar before, run the `phbar install` command
+				     to automatically generate the required configuration files.
+				"""
+			)
 		}
-		return try load(from: defaultConfig, environment: .process)
 	}
 
 	/// Load theme from a file at URL.
 	/// If the file doesn't exist or fails to parse, the execution is interrupted.
 	static private func load(from url: URL, environment: PHEnvironment) throws -> PHTheme {
-		do {
-			let data = try Data(contentsOf: url)
-			guard let contents = String(data: data, encoding: .utf8), !contents.isEmpty else {
-				throw PHBar.Error("the file is empty")
-			}
-			return try load(from: contents, environment: environment)
-		} catch {
-			throw PHBar.Error("Failed to load theme file", underlyingError: error)
+		guard let data = try? Data(contentsOf: url),
+			let contents = String(data: data, encoding: .utf8), !contents.isEmpty
+		else {
+			throw PHBar.Error("Theme file not readable or empty.")
 		}
+
+		return try load(from: contents, environment: environment)
 	}
 
 	/// Load theme from a TOML string.
@@ -55,7 +46,7 @@ extension PHTheme {
 			decoder.userInfo[PHEnvironment.userInfoKey] = environment
 			return try decoder.decode(PHTheme.self, from: contents)
 		} catch {
-			throw PHBar.Error("Failed to parse theme file", underlyingError: error)
+			throw PHBar.Error("Theme file not valid", underlyingError: error)
 		}
 	}
 }