diff --git a/spec/theme-manager-spec.coffee b/spec/theme-manager-spec.coffee
index 318aca32b..b8050a1d5 100644
--- a/spec/theme-manager-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/theme-manager-spec.coffee
@@ -310,3 +310,17 @@ describe "ThemeManager", ->
       runs ->
         expect(console.warn.callCount).toBe 1
         expect(console.warn.argsForCall[0][0].length).toBeGreaterThan 0
+
+  describe "when in safemode", ->
+    beforeEach ->
+      themeManager = new ThemeManager({packageManager: atom.packages, resourcePath, configDirPath, safeMode: true})
+
+    it "loads the defaults themes", ->
+      waitsForPromise ->
+        themeManager.activateThemes()
+
+      runs ->
+        activeThemeNames = themeManager.getActiveNames()
+        expect(activeThemeNames.length).toBe(2)
+        expect(activeThemeNames).toContain('atom-dark-ui')
+        expect(activeThemeNames).toContain('atom-dark-syntax')
diff --git a/src/atom.coffee b/src/atom.coffee
index 63d4ee7e8..00c9e92a1 100644
--- a/src/atom.coffee
+++ b/src/atom.coffee
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ class Atom extends Model
     @keymaps = new KeymapManager({configDirPath, resourcePath})
     @keymap = @keymaps # Deprecated
     @packages = new PackageManager({devMode, configDirPath, resourcePath, safeMode})
-    @themes = new ThemeManager({packageManager: @packages, configDirPath, resourcePath})
+    @themes = new ThemeManager({packageManager: @packages, configDirPath, resourcePath, safeMode})
     @contextMenu = new ContextMenuManager(devMode)
     @menu = new MenuManager({resourcePath})
     @clipboard = new Clipboard()
diff --git a/src/theme-manager.coffee b/src/theme-manager.coffee
index a2ae01763..fdf7b006f 100644
--- a/src/theme-manager.coffee
+++ b/src/theme-manager.coffee
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ module.exports =
 class ThemeManager
   Emitter.includeInto(this)
 
-  constructor: ({@packageManager, @resourcePath, @configDirPath}) ->
+  constructor: ({@packageManager, @resourcePath, @configDirPath, @safeMode}) ->
     @lessCache = null
     @packageManager.registerPackageActivator(this, ['theme'])
 
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class ThemeManager
   #
   # Returns an array of theme names in the order that they should be activated.
   getEnabledThemeNames: ->
+    return ['atom-dark-ui', 'atom-dark-syntax'] if @safeMode
     themeNames = atom.config.get('core.themes') ? []
     themeNames = [themeNames] unless _.isArray(themeNames)
     themeNames = themeNames.filter (themeName) ->