diff --git a/core/frontend/services/card-assets/service.js b/core/frontend/services/card-assets/service.js
index a7d7338721..285577af13 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/card-assets/service.js
+++ b/core/frontend/services/card-assets/service.js
@@ -3,16 +3,17 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const path = require('path');
 const fs = require('fs').promises;
 
-const defaultConfig = false;
-
 class CardAssetService {
     constructor(options = {}) {
         // @TODO: use our config paths concept
         this.src = options.src || path.join(__dirname, '../../src/cards');
         this.dest = options.dest || path.join(__dirname, '../../public');
-        this.config = 'config' in options ? options.config : defaultConfig;
         this.minifier = new Minifier({src: this.src, dest: this.dest});
 
+        if ('config' in options) {
+            this.config = options.config;
+        }
+
         this.files = [];
     }
 
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/defaults.json b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/defaults.json
index f734ddc5f8..c13332efe4 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/defaults.json
+++ b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/defaults.json
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 {
     "posts_per_page": 5,
-    "card_assets": false
+    "card_assets": {
+        "exclude": ["bookmark", "gallery"]
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/index.js b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/index.js
index ac710dced4..af2ed27428 100644
--- a/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/index.js
+++ b/core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/index.js
@@ -9,9 +9,5 @@ module.exports.create = function configLoader(packageJson) {
         config = _.assign(config, _.pick(packageJson.config, allowedKeys));
     }
 
-    // @TOD0: remove this guard when we're ready
-    // Temporary override to prevent themes from controlling this until we're ready
-    config.card_assets = defaultConfig.card_assets;
-
     return config;
 };
diff --git a/test/unit/frontend/services/card-assets.test.js b/test/unit/frontend/services/card-assets.test.js
index 07cb1747ff..1526a4be7d 100644
--- a/test/unit/frontend/services/card-assets.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/frontend/services/card-assets.test.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const cardAssetService = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/card-assets
 const CardAssetService = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/card-assets/service');
 
 const themeEngine = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/theme-engine');
+const themeDefaults = require('../../../../core/frontend/services/theme-engine/config/defaults.json');
 
 describe('Card Asset Init', function () {
     it('calls loader with config', function () {
@@ -107,13 +108,23 @@ describe('Card Asset Service', function () {
     });
 
     describe('Generate the correct glob strings', function () {
-        // @TODO: change the default
-        it('DEFAULT CASE: do nothing [temp]', function () {
+        it('CARD ASSET SERVICE DEFAULT CASE: do nothing', function () {
             const cardAssets = new CardAssetService();
 
             cardAssets.generateGlobs().should.eql({});
         });
 
+        it('GHOST DEFAULT CASE: exclude bookmark and gallery', function () {
+            const cardAssets = new CardAssetService({
+                config: themeDefaults.card_assets
+            });
+
+            cardAssets.generateGlobs().should.eql({
+                'cards.min.css': 'css/!(bookmark|gallery).css',
+                'cards.min.js': 'js/!(bookmark|gallery).js'
+            });
+        });
+
         it('CASE: card_assets = true, all cards assets should be included', function () {
             const cardAssets = new CardAssetService({
                 config: true
diff --git a/test/unit/frontend/services/theme-engine/config.test.js b/test/unit/frontend/services/theme-engine/config.test.js
index be17f51764..ea4846634d 100644
--- a/test/unit/frontend/services/theme-engine/config.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/frontend/services/theme-engine/config.test.js
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ describe('Themes', function () {
 
             config.should.eql({
                 posts_per_page: 5,
-                card_assets: false
+                card_assets: {
+                    exclude: ['bookmark', 'gallery']
+                }
             });
         });
 
@@ -22,16 +24,18 @@ describe('Themes', function () {
 
             config.should.eql({
                 posts_per_page: 5,
-                card_assets: false
+                card_assets: {
+                    exclude: ['bookmark', 'gallery']
+                }
             });
         });
 
-        it('handles allows package.json to overrideg default', function () {
-            const config = themeConfig.create({name: 'casper', config: {posts_per_page: 3}});
+        it('handles allows package.json to override default', function () {
+            const config = themeConfig.create({name: 'casper', config: {posts_per_page: 3, card_assets: true}});
 
             config.should.eql({
                 posts_per_page: 3,
-                card_assets: false
+                card_assets: true
             });
         });
 
@@ -40,7 +44,9 @@ describe('Themes', function () {
 
             config.should.eql({
                 posts_per_page: 5,
-                card_assets: false
+                card_assets: {
+                    exclude: ['bookmark', 'gallery']
+                }
             });
         });
     });