diff --git a/program/include/rcube_template.php b/program/include/rcube_template.php
index 6cf9a9ad4..5bae3f790 100755
--- a/program/include/rcube_template.php
+++ b/program/include/rcube_template.php
@@ -58,10 +58,7 @@ class rcube_template extends rcube_html_page
         $this->set_env('task', $task);
 
 	// load the correct skin (in case user-defined)
-	if (empty($this->config['skin']) || !is_readable('skins/'.$this->config['skin']))
-	    $this->config['skin'] = 'default';
-
-	$this->config['skin_path'] = 'skins/'.$this->config['skin'];
+	$this->set_skin($this->config['skin']);
 
         // add common javascripts
         $javascript = 'var '.JS_OBJECT_NAME.' = new rcube_webmail();';
@@ -114,7 +111,12 @@ class rcube_template extends rcube_html_page
     public function set_skin($skin)
     {
 	if (!empty($skin) && is_dir('skins/'.$skin) && is_readable('skins/'.$skin))
-	    $this->config['skin_path'] = 'skins/'.$skin;
+	    $skin_path = 'skins/'.$skin;
+	else
+	    $skin_path = $this->config['skin_path'] ? $this->config['skin_path'] : 'skins/default';
+	
+	$this->app->config->set('skin_path', $skin_path);
+	$this->config['skin_path'] = $skin_path;
     }
 
     /**