diff --git a/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/active.js b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/active.js
index 83c675823e..e9312aa31c 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/active.js
+++ b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/active.js
@@ -26,16 +26,16 @@ let currentActiveTheme;
 class ActiveTheme {
     /**
      * @TODO this API needs to be simpler, but for now should work!
+     * @param {object} settings
+     * @param {string} settings.locale - the active locale for i18n
      * @param {object} loadedTheme - the loaded theme object from the theme list
      * @param {object} checkedTheme - the result of gscan.format for the theme we're activating
-     * @param {object} error - bootstrap validates the active theme, we would like to remember this error
      */
-    constructor(settings, loadedTheme, checkedTheme, error) {
+    constructor(settings, loadedTheme, checkedTheme) {
         // Assign some data, mark it all as pseudo-private
         this._name = loadedTheme.name;
         this._path = loadedTheme.path;
         this._mounted = false;
-        this._error = error;
 
         // We get passed in a locale
         this._locale = settings.locale || 'en';
@@ -136,13 +136,14 @@ module.exports = {
      * At this point we trust that the theme has been validated.
      * Any handling for invalid themes should happen before we get here
      *
-     * @TODO this API needs to be simpler, but for now should work!
+     * @param {object} settings
+     * @param {string} settings.locale - the active locale for i18n
      * @param {object} loadedTheme - the loaded theme object from the theme list
      * @param {object} checkedTheme - the result of gscan.format for the theme we're activating
      * @return {ActiveTheme}
      */
-    set(settings, loadedTheme, checkedTheme, error) {
-        currentActiveTheme = new ActiveTheme(settings, loadedTheme, checkedTheme, error);
+    set(settings, loadedTheme, checkedTheme) {
+        currentActiveTheme = new ActiveTheme(settings, loadedTheme, checkedTheme);
         return currentActiveTheme;
     }
 };
diff --git a/core/server/services/themes/index.js b/core/server/services/themes/index.js
index d560fcf9fd..6e1c4b176f 100644
--- a/core/server/services/themes/index.js
+++ b/core/server/services/themes/index.js
@@ -32,36 +32,29 @@ module.exports = {
                     .check(theme)
                     .then(function validationSuccess(checkedTheme) {
                         if (!validate.canActivate(checkedTheme)) {
-                            const checkError = new errors.ThemeValidationError({
+                            logging.error(new errors.ThemeValidationError({
                                 message: tpl(messages.invalidTheme, {theme: activeThemeName}),
                                 errorDetails: Object.assign(
                                     _.pick(checkedTheme, ['checkedVersion', 'name', 'path', 'version']), {
                                         errors: checkedTheme.results.error
                                     }
                                 )
-                            });
-
-                            logging.error(checkError);
-
-                            bridge.activateTheme(theme, checkedTheme, checkError);
-                        } else {
+                            }));
                             // CASE: inform that the theme has errors, but not fatal (theme still works)
-                            if (checkedTheme.results.error.length) {
-                                logging.warn(new errors.ThemeValidationError({
-                                    errorType: 'ThemeWorksButHasErrors',
-                                    message: tpl(messages.themeHasErrors, {theme: activeThemeName}),
-                                    errorDetails: Object.assign(
-                                        _.pick(checkedTheme, ['checkedVersion', 'name', 'path', 'version']), {
-                                            errors: checkedTheme.results.error
-                                        }
-                                    )
-                                }));
-                            }
-
-                            debug('Activating theme (method A on boot)', activeThemeName);
-
-                            bridge.activateTheme(theme, checkedTheme);
+                        } else if (checkedTheme.results.error.length) {
+                            logging.warn(new errors.ThemeValidationError({
+                                errorType: 'ThemeWorksButHasErrors',
+                                message: tpl(messages.themeHasErrors, {theme: activeThemeName}),
+                                errorDetails: Object.assign(
+                                    _.pick(checkedTheme, ['checkedVersion', 'name', 'path', 'version']), {
+                                        errors: checkedTheme.results.error
+                                    }
+                                )
+                            }));
                         }
+
+                        debug('Activating theme (method A on boot)', activeThemeName);
+                        bridge.activateTheme(theme, checkedTheme);
                     });
             })
             .catch(function (err) {