diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
index 26dfe845d5..18e980ded7 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
@@ -355,13 +355,12 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
 
     /**
      * APIProperty: theme
-     * {String} *Deprecated* Relative path to a CSS file from which to load
-     *          theme styles. Add a CSS resource in the HTML of your map page
-     *          instead, e.g.:
-     * (code)
-     * <link rel="stylesheet" href="../theme/default/style.css" type="text/css" />
-     * (end)
+     * {String} Relative path to a CSS file from which to load theme styles.
+     *          Specify null in the map options (e.g. {theme: null}) if you 
+     *          want to get cascading style declarations - by putting links to 
+     *          stylesheets or style declarations directly in your page.
      */
+    theme: null,
     
     /** 
      * APIProperty: displayProjection
@@ -481,6 +480,9 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
         
         this.paddingForPopups = new OpenLayers.Bounds(15, 15, 15, 15);
 
+        this.theme = OpenLayers._getScriptLocation() + 
+                             'theme/default/style.css'; 
+
         // now override default options 
         OpenLayers.Util.extend(this, options);
 
@@ -543,6 +545,29 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
                             this.updateSizeDestroy);
         }
         
+        // only append link stylesheet if the theme property is set
+        if(this.theme) {
+            // check existing links for equivalent url
+            var addNode = true;
+            var nodes = document.getElementsByTagName('link');
+            for(var i=0, len=nodes.length; i<len; ++i) {
+                if(OpenLayers.Util.isEquivalentUrl(nodes.item(i).href,
+                                                   this.theme)) {
+                    addNode = false;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            // only add a new node if one with an equivalent url hasn't already
+            // been added
+            if(addNode) {
+                var cssNode = document.createElement('link');
+                cssNode.setAttribute('rel', 'stylesheet');
+                cssNode.setAttribute('type', 'text/css');
+                cssNode.setAttribute('href', this.theme);
+                document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(cssNode);
+            }
+        }
+        
         if (this.controls == null) {
             if (OpenLayers.Control != null) { // running full or lite?
                 this.controls = [ new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation(),
diff --git a/tests/Map.html b/tests/Map.html
index f8ddcc9bde..e2a2dddc8a 100644
--- a/tests/Map.html
+++ b/tests/Map.html
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@
     function test_Map_setOptions(t) {
         t.plan(2);
         map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', {maxExtent: new OpenLayers.Bounds(100, 200, 300, 400)});
-        map.setOptions({projection: 'EPSG:900913'});
+        map.setOptions({theme: 'foo'});
         
-        t.eq(map.projection, 'EPSG:900913', "projection is correctly set by setOptions");
+        t.eq(map.theme, 'foo', "theme is correctly set by setOptions");
         t.ok(map.maxExtent.equals(new OpenLayers.Bounds(100, 200, 300, 400)), 
              "maxExtent is correct after calling setOptions");
         
@@ -128,10 +128,10 @@
 
     function test_Map_options(t) {
         t.plan(3);
-        map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', {numZoomLevels: 6, maxResolution: 3.14159, projection: 'EPSG:900913'});
+        map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', {numZoomLevels: 6, maxResolution: 3.14159, theme: 'foo'});
         t.eq( map.numZoomLevels, 6, "map.numZoomLevels set correctly via options hashtable" );
         t.eq( map.maxResolution, 3.14159, "map.maxResolution set correctly via options hashtable" );
-        t.eq( map.projection, 'EPSG:900913', "map projection set correctly." );
+        t.eq( map.theme, 'foo', "map theme set correctly." );
 
         map.destroy();
     }
@@ -855,6 +855,72 @@
         map.destroy();
     }
 
+    function test_Map_defaultTheme(t) {
+        t.plan(5);
+        
+        var links = document.getElementsByTagName('link');
+        map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
+        var gotNodes = 0;
+        var themeNode = null;
+        for(var i=0; i<links.length; ++i) {
+            if(OpenLayers.Util.isEquivalentUrl(map.theme, links.item(i).href)) {
+                gotNodes += 1;
+                themeNode = links.item(i);
+            }
+        }
+        t.eq(gotNodes, 1, "by default, a single link node is added to document");
+        t.ok(themeNode != null, "a link node with the theme href was added");
+        t.eq(themeNode.rel, "stylesheet", "node added has rel set to stylesheet");
+        t.eq(themeNode.type, "text/css", "node added has type set to text/css");
+        
+        // reconstruct the map to prove that another link is not added
+        map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
+        t.eq(links.length, document.getElementsByTagName('link').length,
+             "calling the map constructor twice with the same theme doesn't add duplicate link nodes");
+
+        map.destroy();
+    }
+
+    function test_Map_customTheme(t) {
+        t.plan(5);
+        
+        var customTheme = 'foo';
+        var options = {theme: customTheme};
+        map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', options);
+
+        var links = document.getElementsByTagName('link');
+        var gotNodes = 0;
+        var themeNode = null;
+        for(var i=0; i<links.length; ++i) {
+            if(OpenLayers.Util.isEquivalentUrl(map.theme, links.item(i).href)) {
+                gotNodes += 1;
+                themeNode = links.item(i);
+            }
+        }
+        
+        t.eq(map.theme, customTheme, "map theme is properly set");
+        t.eq(gotNodes, 1, "with custom theme, a single link node is added to document");
+        t.ok(themeNode != null, "a link node with the theme href was added");
+        t.eq(themeNode.rel, "stylesheet", "node added has rel set to stylesheet");
+        t.eq(themeNode.type, "text/css", "node added has type set to text/css");
+        
+        map.destroy();
+    }
+
+    function test_Map_noTheme(t) {
+        t.plan(1);
+        
+        var head = document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0];
+        var nodeCount = head.childNodes.length;
+        
+        var options = {theme: null};
+        map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', options);
+
+        t.eq(nodeCount, head.childNodes.length, "with no theme, a node is not added to document head" );
+
+        map.destroy();
+    }
+
     function test_Map_addControls(t) {
         t.plan(5);
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', {