diff --git a/tildes/alembic/versions/347859b0355e_added_account_default_theme_setting.py b/tildes/alembic/versions/347859b0355e_added_account_default_theme_setting.py
index b188a0c..abe68c4 100644
--- a/tildes/alembic/versions/347859b0355e_added_account_default_theme_setting.py
+++ b/tildes/alembic/versions/347859b0355e_added_account_default_theme_setting.py
@@ -11,19 +11,14 @@ import sqlalchemy as sa
 
 # revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
 revision = "347859b0355e"
-down_revision = "fab922a8bb04"
+down_revision = "50c251c4a19c"
 branch_labels = None
 depends_on = None
 
 
 def upgrade():
-    op.add_column(
-        "users",
-        sa.Column(
-            "theme_account_default", sa.Text(), server_default="", nullable=False
-        ),
-    )
+    op.add_column("users", sa.Column("theme_default", sa.Text()))
 
 
 def downgrade():
-    op.drop_column("users", "theme_account_default")
+    op.drop_column("users", "theme_default")
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss
index 72b86bf..1c473b3 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss
@@ -38,10 +38,6 @@ select.form-select:not([multiple]) {
   }
 }
 
-.form-buttons.no-flex-reverse {
-  flex-direction: row;
-}
-
 textarea.form-input {
   height: 8rem;
   line-height: 1.5;
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_tab.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_tab.scss
index 91e0286..9bd7a19 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_tab.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_tab.scss
@@ -28,7 +28,3 @@
     }
   }
 }
-
-.tab-listing-order.tab-flex-2 {
-  flex: 2;
-}
diff --git a/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js b/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js
index 8704863..2050585 100644
--- a/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js
+++ b/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ $.onmount('[data-js-theme-selector]', function() {
         event.preventDefault();
 
         var new_theme = $(this).val();
-        var selected_text = $(this).find('option:selected').text()
-        var $setDefaultLink = $('#button-set-default-theme')
-        var $formDefaultValue = $('#input-set-default-theme')
+        var selected_text = $(this).find('option:selected').text();
+        var $setDefaultLink = $('#button-set-default-theme');
+        var $formDefaultValue = $('#input-set-default-theme');
 
         // persist the new theme for the user in their cookie
         document.cookie = 'theme=' + new_theme + ';' +
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ $.onmount('[data-js-theme-selector]', function() {
         }
 
         // set the IC hidden input with the new value
-        $formDefaultValue.val(new_theme)
+        $formDefaultValue.val(new_theme);
 
         // set visibility of 'Set as account default' link
         if (selected_text.indexOf('(account default)') !== -1) {
-            $setDefaultLink.css('visibility', 'hidden')
+            $setDefaultLink.css('visibility', 'hidden');
         } else {
-            $setDefaultLink.css('visibility', 'visible')
+            $setDefaultLink.css('visibility', 'visible');
         }
     });
 });
diff --git a/tildes/tests/conftest.py b/tildes/tests/conftest.py
index 36617fb..e27c2c6 100644
--- a/tildes/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tildes/tests/conftest.py
@@ -202,7 +202,11 @@ def webtest(base_app):
         base_app,
         # This "tm.active" is a temporary fix around this fixture failing to rollback
         # data after the tests are complete.
-        extra_environ={"wsgi.url_scheme": "https", "tm.active": True},
+        extra_environ={
+            "wsgi.url_scheme": "https",
+            "tm.active": True,
+            "REMOTE_ADDR": "0.0.0.0",
+        },
         cookiejar=CookieJar(),
     )
 
@@ -212,7 +216,7 @@ def webtest(base_app):
     login_page.form["password"] = "session user password"
     # The login process requires a non-None IP address; this
     # populates `request.client_addr`.
-    login_page.form.submit(extra_environ={"HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR": "0.0.0.0"})
+    login_page.form.submit()
 
     yield app
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
index 68dd620..7763123 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ class User(DatabaseModel):
         Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="false"
     )
     open_new_tab_text: bool = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="false")
-    theme_account_default: str = Column(Text, nullable=False, server_default="")
+    theme_default: str = Column(Text)
     is_banned: bool = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="false")
     permissions: Any = Column(JSONB)
     home_default_order: Optional[TopicSortOption] = Column(ENUM(TopicSortOption))
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/base.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/base.jinja2
index a33cdcb..274fd56 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/base.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/base.jinja2
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
 {% block body_tag %}
   {% if request.cookies.get('theme', '') %}
   <body class="theme-{{ request.cookies.get('theme', '') }}">
-  {% elif request.user and request.user.theme_account_default %}
-  <body class="theme-{{ request.user.theme_account_default }}">
+  {% elif request.user and request.user.theme_default %}
+  <body class="theme-{{ request.user.theme_default }}">
   {% else %}
   <body>
   {% endif %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/base_no_sidebar.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/base_no_sidebar.jinja2
index 85e5ae3..8d98d78 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/base_no_sidebar.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/base_no_sidebar.jinja2
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 {% block body_tag %}
   {% if request.cookies.get('theme', '') %}
   <body class="l-no-sidebar theme-{{ request.cookies.get('theme', '') }}">
-  {% elif request.user and request.user.theme_account_default %}
-  <body class="l-no-sidebar theme-{{ request.user.theme_account_default }}">
+  {% elif request.user and request.user.theme_default %}
+  <body class="l-no-sidebar theme-{{ request.user.theme_default }}">
   {% else %}
   <body class="l-no-sidebar">
   {% endif %}
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2 b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
index 431e6d0..22d8c82 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
@@ -8,8 +8,13 @@
   <ul class="settings-list">
     <li>
       <label for="theme">Choose a display theme:</label>
-      <div class="listing-options">
-        <menu class="tab-listing-order tab-flex-2">
+      {#
+        2 styling changes needed:
+          - the select should be wider, as wide as it is now (roughly) on live
+          - the success message should be to the rigt of the label button
+      #}
+      <div class="">
+        <menu class="">
           <select class="form-select" name="theme" id="theme" data-js-theme-selector>
             {% for theme, description in theme_options.items() %}
               <option
@@ -31,7 +36,7 @@
           <div class="form-buttons no-flex-reverse">
             <button id="button-set-default-theme"
               class="btn btn-link
-              {% if current_theme == request.user.theme_account_default %}d-invisible{% endif %}"
+              {% if current_theme == request.user.theme_default %}d-invisible{% endif %}"
             >
               Set as account default
             </button>
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
index 68b9f2a..67bcca3 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
@@ -202,12 +202,12 @@ def patch_change_track_comment_visits(request: Request) -> Response:
     request_param="ic-trigger-name=account-default-theme",
     permission="change_account_default_theme_setting",
 )
-def change_account_default_theme(request: Request) -> Response:
+def patch_change_account_default_theme(request: Request) -> Response:
     """Change the user's "theme account default" setting."""
     user = request.context
 
     new_theme = request.params.get("theme")
-    user.theme_account_default = new_theme
+    user.theme_default = new_theme
 
     return IC_NOOP
 
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py b/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
index 4018076..eb0d188 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
@@ -20,10 +20,8 @@ DEFAULT_THEME_NAME = "white"
 @view_config(route_name="settings", renderer="settings.jinja2")
 def get_settings(request: Request) -> dict:
     """Generate the user settings page."""
-    current_theme = (
-        request.cookies.get("theme", "") or request.user.theme_account_default
-    )
-    user_default = request.user.theme_account_default or "white"
+    current_theme = request.cookies.get("theme", "") or request.user.theme_default
+    user_default = request.user.theme_default or DEFAULT_THEME_NAME
     theme_options = {
         "white": "White",
         "light": "Solarized Light",