diff --git a/client/epics/index.js b/client/epics/index.js
index d17b5a70e5..c21ccd687b 100644
--- a/client/epics/index.js
+++ b/client/epics/index.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import analyticsEpic from './analytics-epic.js';
 import errEpic from './err-epic.js';
 import hardGoToEpic from './hard-go-to-epic.js';
 import mouseTrapEpic from './mouse-trap-epic.js';
-import nightModeEpic from './night-mode-epic.js';
 import titleEpic from './title-epic.js';
 
 export default [
@@ -10,6 +9,5 @@ export default [
   errEpic,
   hardGoToEpic,
   mouseTrapEpic,
-  nightModeEpic,
   titleEpic
 ];
diff --git a/common/app/redux/index.js b/common/app/redux/index.js
index b74c6abd85..6b53c6b413 100644
--- a/common/app/redux/index.js
+++ b/common/app/redux/index.js
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ import { createSelector } from 'reselect';
 import fetchUserEpic from './fetch-user-epic.js';
 import updateMyCurrentChallengeEpic from './update-my-challenge-epic.js';
 import fetchChallengesEpic from './fetch-challenges-epic.js';
+import nightModeEpic from './night-mode-epic.js';
 
 import { createFilesMetaCreator } from '../files';
 import { updateThemeMetacreator, entitiesSelector } from '../entities';
+import { utils } from '../Flash/redux';
 import { types as challenges } from '../routes/Challenges/redux';
 import { challengeToFiles } from '../routes/Challenges/utils';
 
@@ -23,8 +25,9 @@ import ns from '../ns.json';
 import { themes, invertTheme } from '../../utils/themes.js';
 
 export const epics = [
-  fetchUserEpic,
   fetchChallengesEpic,
+  fetchUserEpic,
+  nightModeEpic,
   updateMyCurrentChallengeEpic
 ];
 
@@ -48,7 +51,7 @@ export const types = createTypes([
 
   // night mode
   'toggleNightMode',
-  'postThemeComplete'
+  createAsyncTypes('postTheme')
 ], ns);
 
 const throwIfUndefined = () => {
@@ -130,6 +133,7 @@ export const createErrorObservable = error => Observable.just({
   type: types.handleError,
   error
 });
+// use sparingly
 // doActionOnError(
 //   actionCreator: (() => Action|Null)
 // ) => (error: Error) => Observable[Action]
@@ -147,9 +151,18 @@ export const toggleNightMode = createAction(
   (username, theme) => updateThemeMetacreator(username, invertTheme(theme))
 );
 export const postThemeComplete = createAction(
-  types.postThemeComplete,
+  types.postTheme.complete,
   null,
-  updateThemeMetacreator
+  utils.createFlashMetaAction
+);
+
+export const postThemeError = createAction(
+  types.postTheme.error,
+  null,
+  (username, theme, err) => ({
+    ...updateThemeMetacreator(username, invertTheme(theme)),
+    ...utils.createFlashMetaAction(err)
+  })
 );
 
 const defaultState = {
diff --git a/common/app/redux/night-mode-epic.js b/common/app/redux/night-mode-epic.js
index b077bfaf5e..2449d1735a 100644
--- a/common/app/redux/night-mode-epic.js
+++ b/common/app/redux/night-mode-epic.js
@@ -6,14 +6,12 @@ import store from 'store';
 import { themes } from '../../utils/themes.js';
 import { postJSON$ } from '../../utils/ajax-stream.js';
 import {
-  types,
-
+  csrfSelector,
   postThemeComplete,
-  createErrorObservable,
-
+  postThemeError,
   themeSelector,
-  usernameSelector,
-  csrfSelector
+  types,
+  usernameSelector
 } from './index.js';
 
 function persistTheme(theme) {
@@ -33,7 +31,8 @@ export default function nightModeEpic(
         ::ofType(
           types.fetchUser.complete,
           types.toggleNightMode,
-          types.postThemeComplete
+          types.postTheme.complete,
+          types.postTheme.error
         )
         .map(_.flow(getState, themeSelector))
         // catch existing night mode users
@@ -54,9 +53,10 @@ export default function nightModeEpic(
           const theme = themeSelector(getState());
           const username = usernameSelector(getState());
           return postJSON$('/update-my-theme', { _csrf, theme })
-            .pluck('updatedTo')
-            .map(theme => postThemeComplete(username, theme))
-            .catch(createErrorObservable);
+            .map(postThemeComplete)
+            .catch(err => {
+              return Observable.of(postThemeError(username, theme, err));
+            });
         });
 
       return Observable.merge(toggleBodyClass, postThemeEpic);
diff --git a/common/models/user.js b/common/models/user.js
index 2dc6408f20..12b057eb72 100644
--- a/common/models/user.js
+++ b/common/models/user.js
@@ -703,9 +703,7 @@ module.exports = function(User) {
       );
       return Promise.reject(err);
     }
-    return this.update$({ theme })
-      .map({ updatedTo: theme })
-      .toPromise();
+    return this.update$({ theme }).toPromise();
   };
 
   // deprecated. remove once live
diff --git a/server/boot/settings.js b/server/boot/settings.js
index 1df8d1b2e8..78c8520176 100644
--- a/server/boot/settings.js
+++ b/server/boot/settings.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   createValidatorErrorHandler
 } from '../utils/middleware';
 import supportedLanguages from '../../common/utils/supported-languages.js';
+import { themes } from '../../common/utils/themes.js';
 
 export default function settingsController(app) {
   const api = app.loopback.Router();
@@ -79,22 +80,29 @@ export default function settingsController(app) {
     updateMyCurrentChallenge
   );
 
+  const updateMyThemeValidators = [
+    check('theme')
+      .isIn(Object.keys(themes))
+      .withMessage('Theme is invalid.')
+  ];
   function updateMyTheme(req, res, next) {
-    req.checkBody('theme', 'Theme is invalid.').isLength({ min: 4 });
     const { body: { theme } } = req;
-    const errors = req.validationErrors(true);
-    if (errors) {
-      return res.status(403).json({ errors });
-    }
     if (req.user.theme === theme) {
-      return res.json({ msg: 'Theme already set' });
+      return res.sendFlash('info', 'Theme already set');
     }
-    return req.user.updateTheme('' + theme)
+    return req.user.updateTheme(theme)
       .then(
-        data => res.json(data),
+        () => res.sendFlash('info', 'Your theme has been updated'),
         next
       );
   }
+  api.post(
+    '/update-my-theme',
+    ifNoUser401,
+    updateMyThemeValidators,
+    createValidatorErrorHandler('errors'),
+    updateMyTheme
+  );
 
   api.post(
     '/toggle-available-for-hire',
@@ -131,11 +139,6 @@ export default function settingsController(app) {
     ifNoUser401,
     updateMyLang
   );
-  api.post(
-    '/update-my-theme',
-    ifNoUser401,
-    updateMyTheme
-  );
 
   app.use(api);
 }
diff --git a/server/utils/create-handled-error.js b/server/utils/create-handled-error.js
index 30eacd11ea..1d282319d1 100644
--- a/server/utils/create-handled-error.js
+++ b/server/utils/create-handled-error.js
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ export function wrapHandledError(err, {
 }
 
 // for use with express-validator error formatter
-export const createValidatorErrorFormatter = (type, redirectTo, status) =>
+export const createValidatorErrorFormatter = (type, redirectTo) =>
   ({ msg }) => wrapHandledError(
     new Error(msg),
     {
       type,
       message: msg,
       redirectTo,
-      status
+      // we default to 400 as these are malformed requests
+      status: 400
     }
   );