diff --git a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Ecore_Config.h b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Ecore_Config.h
index 578bae956a..073c3fc2d1 100644
--- a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Ecore_Config.h
+++ b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Ecore_Config.h
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ extern              "C"
    /* FIXME: this should only be included if evas is present */
    int                 ecore_config_evas_font_path_apply(Evas * evas);
    char               *ecore_config_theme_search_path_get(void);
+   char               *ecore_config_theme_default_path_get(void);
    char               *ecore_config_theme_with_path_from_name_get(char *name);
    char               *ecore_config_theme_with_path_get(const char *key);
    void                ecore_config_args_display(void);
diff --git a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Makefile.am b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Makefile.am
index df81bb7c45..a75595c334 100644
--- a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Makefile.am
+++ b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/Makefile.am
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ if BUILD_ECORE_CONFIG
 DB = system.db
 $(DB): Makefile
 	edb_ed $(top_builddir)/src/lib/ecore_config/$(DB) add /e/theme/name str "winter"
+	edb_ed $(top_builddir)/src/lib/ecore_config/$(DB) add /e/font/path str "$(pkgdatadir)/data/fonts"
 	edb_ed $(top_builddir)/src/lib/ecore_config/$(DB) add /apps/web/browser str `which firefox 2>/dev/null || which phoenix 2>/dev/null || which mozilla 2>/dev/null || which opera 2>/dev/null || which konqueror 2>/dev/null || which epiphany 2>/dev/null`
 	edb_ed $(top_builddir)/src/lib/ecore_config/$(DB) add /apps/web/email str `which thunderbird 2>/dev/null || which mozilla 2>/dev/null || which kmail 2>/dev/null || which sylpheed 2>/dev/null || which evolution 2>/dev/null`
 
diff --git a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/convenience.c b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/convenience.c
index 23d4352959..82f332abd9 100644
--- a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/convenience.c
+++ b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/convenience.c
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ ecore_config_evas_font_path_apply(Evas * evas)
    return ECORE_CONFIG_ERR_SUCC;
 }
 
-static char        *
+char               *
 ecore_config_theme_default_path_get(void)
 {
    char               *path, *home;
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ ecore_config_theme_search_path_get(void)
    char               *search_path;
    search_path = ecore_config_string_get("/e/themes/search_path");
 
+   /* this should no longer be the case, as it is defaulted in init */
    if (!search_path)
      {
         search_path = ecore_config_theme_default_path_get();
diff --git a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/ecore_config.c b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/ecore_config.c
index 5ba4190035..f7c4d8af96 100644
--- a/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/ecore_config.c
+++ b/legacy/ecore/src/lib/ecore_config/ecore_config.c
@@ -1269,6 +1269,9 @@ ecore_config_init(char *name)
    __ecore_config_bundle_local =
       ecore_config_bundle_new(__ecore_config_server_local, "config");
 
+   ecore_config_string_default("/e/themes/search_path", 
+			       ecore_config_theme_default_path_get());
+
    if ((p = getenv("HOME")))
      {				/* debug-only ### FIXME */
 	if ((buf = malloc(PATH_MAX * sizeof(char))))