diff --git a/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.cpp b/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.cpp
index 95b03c9c86f..ccfba5f6fcc 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.cpp
@@ -324,14 +324,20 @@ void Theme::readSettings(QSettings &settings)
     }
 }
 
-QPalette Theme::palette(const QPalette &base) const
+QPalette Theme::initialPalette()
 {
+    static QPalette palette = QApplication::palette();
+    return palette;
+}
+
+QPalette Theme::palette() const
+{
+    QPalette pal = initialPalette();
     if (!flag(DerivePaletteFromTheme))
-        return base;
+        return pal;
 
     // FIXME: introduce some more color roles for this
 
-    QPalette pal = base;
     pal.setColor(QPalette::All, QPalette::Window,        color(Theme::BackgroundColorNormal));
     pal.setBrush(QPalette::All, QPalette::WindowText,    color(Theme::TextColorNormal));
     pal.setColor(QPalette::All, QPalette::Base,          color(Theme::BackgroundColorNormal));
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.h b/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.h
index 64411b2dd13..8c6aa9bf630 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/theme/theme.h
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@
 
 #include "../utils_global.h"
 
-#include <QStyle>
 #include <QFlags>
+#include <QPalette>
+#include <QStyle>
 
 QT_FORWARD_DECLARE_CLASS(QSettings)
 
@@ -199,7 +200,7 @@ public:
     QColor color(Color role) const;
     QString imageFile(ImageFile imageFile, const QString &fallBack) const;
     QGradientStops gradient(Gradient role) const;
-    QPalette palette(const QPalette &base) const;
+    QPalette palette() const;
     QStringList preferredStyles() const;
 
     QString fileName() const;
@@ -209,6 +210,9 @@ public:
 
     void writeSettings(const QString &filename) const;
     void readSettings(QSettings &settings);
+
+    static QPalette initialPalette();
+
     ThemePrivate *d;
 
 signals:
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.cpp
index cd50daf04bb..e84be25ac64 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.cpp
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ void CorePlugin::parseArguments(const QStringList &arguments)
     theme->readSettings(themeSettings);
     setCreatorTheme(theme);
     if (theme->flag(Theme::ApplyThemePaletteGlobally))
-        QApplication::setPalette(creatorTheme()->palette(QApplication::palette()));
+        QApplication::setPalette(creatorTheme()->palette());
 
     // defer creation of these widgets until here,
     // because they need a valid theme set
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ void CorePlugin::parseArguments(const QStringList &arguments)
 
 bool CorePlugin::initialize(const QStringList &arguments, QString *errorMessage)
 {
+    Theme::initialPalette(); // Initialize palette before setting it
     qsrand(QDateTime::currentDateTime().toTime_t());
     parseArguments(arguments);
     const bool success = m_mainWindow->init(errorMessage);
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/themesettingswidget.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/themesettingswidget.cpp
index ab753319600..fd29e643639 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/themesettingswidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/themesettingswidget.cpp
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ void ThemeSettingsWidget::apply()
     {
         d->m_ui->editor->model()->toTheme(creatorTheme());
         if (creatorTheme()->flag(Theme::ApplyThemePaletteGlobally))
-            QApplication::setPalette(creatorTheme()->palette(QApplication::palette()));
+            QApplication::setPalette(creatorTheme()->palette());
         foreach (QWidget *w, QApplication::topLevelWidgets())
             w->update();
     }