diff --git a/tildes/alembic/versions/347859b0355e_added_account_default_theme_setting.py b/tildes/alembic/versions/347859b0355e_added_account_default_theme_setting.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1495b25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/alembic/versions/347859b0355e_added_account_default_theme_setting.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"""Added account default theme setting
+
+Revision ID: 347859b0355e
+Revises: 3fbddcba0e3b
+Create Date: 2018-08-11 16:23:13.297883
+
+"""
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision = "347859b0355e"
+down_revision = "3fbddcba0e3b"
+branch_labels = None
+depends_on = None
+
+
+def upgrade():
+    op.add_column("users", sa.Column("theme_default", sa.Text()))
+
+
+def downgrade():
+    op.drop_column("users", "theme_default")
diff --git a/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss b/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss
index c179059..876bda3 100644
--- a/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss
+++ b/tildes/scss/modules/_form.scss
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ select.form-select:not([multiple]) {
   }
 }
 
+.form-buttons.no-reverse {
+  flex-direction: row;
+}
+
 textarea.form-input {
   height: 8rem;
   line-height: 1.5;
@@ -74,6 +78,20 @@ textarea.form-input {
   }
 }
 
+.form-oneline {
+  display: flex;
+  font-size: 0.6rem;
+  margin-bottom: 0.4rem;
+
+  .form-oneline-item {
+    flex: 2;
+  }
+
+  .form-oneline-item-double {
+    flex: 4;
+  }
+}
+
 .form-search .form-input {
   margin-right: 0.4rem;
 }
diff --git a/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js b/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js
index 33f1501..d1c8383 100644
--- a/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js
+++ b/tildes/static/js/behaviors/theme-selector.js
@@ -2,7 +2,13 @@ $.onmount('[data-js-theme-selector]', function() {
     $(this).change(function(event) {
         event.preventDefault();
 
+        // hide any IC change message
+        $(this).parent().find('.form-status').hide();
+
         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');
 
         // persist the new theme for the user in their cookie
         document.cookie = 'theme=' + new_theme + ';' +
@@ -22,5 +28,15 @@ $.onmount('[data-js-theme-selector]', function() {
         if (new_theme) {
             $body.addClass('theme-' + new_theme);
         }
+
+        // set the IC hidden input with the new value
+        $formDefaultValue.val(new_theme);
+
+        // set visibility of 'Set as account default' link
+        if (selected_text.indexOf('(account default)') !== -1) {
+            $setDefaultLink.css('visibility', 'hidden');
+        } else {
+            $setDefaultLink.css('visibility', 'visible');
+        }
     });
 });
diff --git a/tildes/tests/conftest.py b/tildes/tests/conftest.py
index ea6da3d..ddc1d9c 100644
--- a/tildes/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tildes/tests/conftest.py
@@ -199,7 +199,15 @@ def webtest(base_app):
     # create the TestApp - note that specifying wsgi.url_scheme is necessary so that the
     # secure cookies from the session library will work
     app = TestApp(
-        base_app, extra_environ={"wsgi.url_scheme": "https"}, cookiejar=CookieJar()
+        base_app,
+        # This "tm.active" is a temporary fix around this fixture failing to rollback
+        # data after the tests are complete (it effectively deactivates pyramid_tm).
+        extra_environ={
+            "wsgi.url_scheme": "https",
+            "tm.active": True,
+            "REMOTE_ADDR": "0.0.0.0",
+        },
+        cookiejar=CookieJar(),
     )
 
     # fetch the login page, fill in the form, and submit it (sets the cookie)
diff --git a/tildes/tests/webtests/test_user_settings.py b/tildes/tests/webtests/test_user_settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e61358
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tildes/tests/webtests/test_user_settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+def test_render_theme_options(webtest):
+    """Test that theme settings are being rendered."""
+    settings = webtest.get("/settings")
+    assert settings.status_int == 200
+    assert settings.text.count("(site and account default)") == 1
+    assert "(site default)" not in settings.text
+    assert "(account default)" not in settings.text
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
index a18b24f..683a245 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/models/user/user.py
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ class User(DatabaseModel):
         Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="false"
     )
     open_new_tab_text: bool = Column(Boolean, nullable=False, server_default="false")
+    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 e299d41..274fd56 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/base.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/base.jinja2
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 {% block body_tag %}
   {% if request.cookies.get('theme', '') %}
   <body class="theme-{{ request.cookies.get('theme', '') }}">
+  {% 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 728a98a..8d98d78 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/base_no_sidebar.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/base_no_sidebar.jinja2
@@ -3,6 +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_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 fbdc4a6..bfe4b5d 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
+++ b/tildes/tildes/templates/settings.jinja2
@@ -8,14 +8,37 @@
   <ul class="settings-list">
     <li>
       <label for="theme">Choose a display theme:</label>
-      <select class="form-select" name="theme" id="theme" data-js-theme-selector>
-        {% for theme, description in theme_options.items() %}
-          <option
-            value="{{ theme }}"
-            {{ 'selected' if theme == current_theme else ''}}
-          >{{ description }}</option>
-        {% endfor %}
-      </select>
+      <div class="form-oneline">
+        <select class="form-select form-oneline-item-double" name="theme" id="theme" data-js-theme-selector>
+          {% for theme, description in theme_options.items() %}
+            <option
+              value="{{ theme }}"
+              {{ 'selected' if theme == current_theme else '' }}
+            >
+              {{ description }}
+            </option>
+          {% endfor %}
+        </select>
+        <div class="form-oneline-item">
+          <form
+            name="account-default-theme"
+            data-ic-patch-to="{{ request.route_url(
+              'ic_user',
+              username=request.user.username
+            ) }}"
+          >
+            <input type="hidden" name="theme" id="input-set-default-theme" value="{{ current_theme }}">
+            <div class="form-buttons no-reverse">
+              <button id="button-set-default-theme"
+                class="btn btn-link
+                {% if current_theme == request.user.theme_default %}d-invisible{% endif %}"
+              >
+                Set as account default
+              </button>
+            </div>
+          </form>
+        </div>
+      </div>
     </li>
     <li>
       <form
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
index 1c3f244..67bcca3 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/api/web/user.py
@@ -196,6 +196,22 @@ def patch_change_track_comment_visits(request: Request) -> Response:
     return Response("Disabled tracking of last comment visit.")
 
 
+@ic_view_config(
+    route_name="user",
+    request_method="PATCH",
+    request_param="ic-trigger-name=account-default-theme",
+    permission="change_account_default_theme_setting",
+)
+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_default = new_theme
+
+    return IC_NOOP
+
+
 @ic_view_config(
     route_name="user_invite_code",
     request_method="GET",
diff --git a/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py b/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
index 49fb264..eb0d188 100644
--- a/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
+++ b/tildes/tildes/views/settings.py
@@ -14,18 +14,25 @@ from tildes.schemas.user import EMAIL_ADDRESS_NOTE_MAX_LENGTH, UserSchema
 
 
 PASSWORD_FIELD = UserSchema(only=("password",)).fields["password"]
+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", "")
+    current_theme = request.cookies.get("theme", "") or request.user.theme_default
+    user_default = request.user.theme_default or DEFAULT_THEME_NAME
     theme_options = {
-        "": "White (default)",
+        "white": "White",
         "light": "Solarized Light",
         "dark": "Solarized Dark",
         "black": "Black",
     }
+    if DEFAULT_THEME_NAME == user_default:
+        theme_options[DEFAULT_THEME_NAME] += " (site and account default)"
+    else:
+        theme_options[user_default] += " (account default)"
+        theme_options[DEFAULT_THEME_NAME] += " (site default)"
 
     return {"current_theme": current_theme, "theme_options": theme_options}