diff --git a/src/settings/Settings.js b/src/settings/Settings.js
index d015dd0640..49a7140acf 100644
--- a/src/settings/Settings.js
+++ b/src/settings/Settings.js
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ export const SETTINGS = {
     },
     "theme": {
         supportedLevels: LEVELS_ACCOUNT_SETTINGS,
-        default: "element",
+        default: "light",
         controller: new ThemeController(),
     },
     "custom_themes": {
diff --git a/src/settings/controllers/ThemeController.js b/src/settings/controllers/ThemeController.js
index f2f3e95a97..4098a5ca3e 100644
--- a/src/settings/controllers/ThemeController.js
+++ b/src/settings/controllers/ThemeController.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export default class ThemeController extends SettingController {
     getValueOverride(level, roomId, calculatedValue, calculatedAtLevel) {
         if (!calculatedValue) return null; // Don't override null themes
 
-        if (ThemeController.isLogin) return 'element';
+        if (ThemeController.isLogin) return 'light';
 
         const themes = enumerateThemes();
         // Override in case some no longer supported theme is stored here
diff --git a/src/settings/watchers/ThemeWatcher.ts b/src/settings/watchers/ThemeWatcher.ts
index 26b96be83d..ce0db881c0 100644
--- a/src/settings/watchers/ThemeWatcher.ts
+++ b/src/settings/watchers/ThemeWatcher.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export default class ThemeWatcher {
         // controller that honours the same flag, although probablt better would be to
         // have the theme logic in one place rather than split between however many
         // different places.
-        if (ThemeController.isLogin) return 'element';
+        if (ThemeController.isLogin) return 'light';
 
         // If the user has specifically enabled the system matching option (excluding default),
         // then use that over anything else. We pick the lowest possible level for the setting
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ export default class ThemeWatcher {
             SettingLevel.DEVICE, "use_system_theme", null, false, true);
         if (systemThemeExplicit) {
             console.log("returning explicit system theme");
-            if (this.preferDark.matches) return 'element-dark';
-            if (this.preferLight.matches) return 'element';
+            if (this.preferDark.matches) return 'dark';
+            if (this.preferLight.matches) return 'light';
         }
 
         // If the user has specifically enabled the theme (without the system matching option being
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ export default class ThemeWatcher {
         // If the user hasn't really made a preference in either direction, assume the defaults of the
         // settings and use those.
         if (SettingsStore.getValue('use_system_theme')) {
-            if (this.preferDark.matches) return 'element-dark';
-            if (this.preferLight.matches) return 'element';
+            if (this.preferDark.matches) return 'dark';
+            if (this.preferLight.matches) return 'light';
         }
         console.log("returning theme value");
         return SettingsStore.getValue('theme');
diff --git a/src/theme.js b/src/theme.js
index 2797e7d556..7babf31cc0 100644
--- a/src/theme.js
+++ b/src/theme.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import {_t} from "./languageHandler";
 
-export const DEFAULT_THEME = "element";
+export const DEFAULT_THEME = "light";
 import Tinter from "./Tinter";
 import SettingsStore from "./settings/SettingsStore";
 import ThemeWatcher from "./settings/watchers/ThemeWatcher";