diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Editor.java b/app/src/processing/app/Editor.java
index 69abf31cf..bcfcdcf3f 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Editor.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Editor.java
@@ -451,9 +451,7 @@ public class Editor extends JFrame implements RunnerListener {
     saveAsMenuItem.setEnabled(!external);
 
     scrollPane.setLineNumbersEnabled(PreferencesData.getBoolean("editor.linenumbers"));
-        
-    textarea.setTheme(PreferencesData.get("editor.syntax_theme"));
-    
+
     textarea.setCodeFoldingEnabled(PreferencesData.getBoolean("editor.code_folding"));
 
     if (external) {
@@ -957,7 +955,7 @@ public class Editor extends JFrame implements RunnerListener {
   }
 
   
-  protected SketchTextArea createTextArea(){
+  protected SketchTextArea createTextArea() throws IOException {
       SketchTextArea textArea = new SketchTextArea();
       textArea.requestFocusInWindow();
       textArea.setMarkOccurrences(true);
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java b/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
index 28d61ac2b..7d361c41d 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/Preferences.java
@@ -231,7 +231,6 @@ public class Preferences {
   JCheckBox autoAssociateBox;
   JComboBox comboLanguage;
   JComboBox comboWarnings;
-  JComboBox comboSyntaxThemes;
   JCheckBox saveVerifyUploadBox;
   JTextField proxyHTTPServer;
   JTextField proxyHTTPPort;
@@ -359,27 +358,6 @@ public class Preferences {
     fontSizeField.setText(String.valueOf(editorFont.getSize()));
     top += d.height + GUI_BETWEEN;
 
-    // Syntax Coloring [    ]
-
-    box = Box.createHorizontalBox();
-    label = new JLabel(_("Syntax Coloring: "));
-    box.add(label);
-    String[] syntaxThemes = new String[]{"default","dark"};
-    comboSyntaxThemes = new JComboBox(syntaxThemes);
-    String currentTheme = PreferencesData.get("editor.syntax_theme", "default");
-    for (String item : syntaxThemes) {
-      if (currentTheme.equals(item)) {
-        comboSyntaxThemes.setSelectedItem(item);
-      }
-    }
-    box.add(comboSyntaxThemes);
-    pane.add(box);
-    d = box.getPreferredSize();
-    box.setForeground(Color.gray);
-    box.setBounds(left, top, d.width, d.height);
-    right = Math.max(right, left + d.width);
-    top += d.height + GUI_BETWEEN;
-    
     // Show verbose output during: [ ] compilation [ ] upload
 
     box = Box.createHorizontalBox();
@@ -778,7 +756,6 @@ public class Preferences {
       PreferencesData.set("sketchbook.path", newPath);
     }
 
-    PreferencesData.set("editor.syntax_theme", comboSyntaxThemes.getSelectedItem().toString());
     PreferencesData.setBoolean("editor.external", externalEditorBox.isSelected());
     PreferencesData.setBoolean("update.check", checkUpdatesBox.isSelected());
     PreferencesData.setBoolean("editor.save_on_verify", saveVerifyUploadBox.isSelected());
diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/syntax/SketchTextArea.java b/app/src/processing/app/syntax/SketchTextArea.java
index 4012ebd83..c2243c25c 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/syntax/SketchTextArea.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/syntax/SketchTextArea.java
@@ -75,13 +75,14 @@ public class SketchTextArea extends RSyntaxTextArea {
 
   private EditorListener editorListener;
   
-  public SketchTextArea() {
+  public SketchTextArea() throws IOException {
     super();
     installFeatures();
   }
   
   
-  protected void installFeatures(){
+  protected void installFeatures() throws IOException {
+
     setTheme(PreferencesData.get("editor.syntax_theme", "default"));
 
     setLinkGenerator(new DocLinkGenerator());
@@ -89,26 +90,20 @@ public class SketchTextArea extends RSyntaxTextArea {
     fixControlTab();
     installTokenMaker();  
   }
-  
-  public void setTheme(String name){
+
+  public void setTheme(String name) throws IOException {
     FileInputStream defaultXmlInputStream = null;
     try {
-      defaultXmlInputStream = new FileInputStream(new File(BaseNoGui.getContentFile("lib"), "theme/syntax/"+name+".xml"));
+      defaultXmlInputStream = new FileInputStream(new File(BaseNoGui.getContentFile("lib"), "theme/syntax/" + name + ".xml"));
       Theme theme = Theme.load(defaultXmlInputStream);
       theme.apply(this);
-    } catch (IOException e) {
-      e.printStackTrace();
     } finally {
       if (defaultXmlInputStream != null) {
-        try {
-          defaultXmlInputStream.close();
-        } catch (IOException e) {
-          e.printStackTrace();
-        }
+        defaultXmlInputStream.close();
       }
     }
   }
-  
+
   // Removing the default focus traversal keys
   // This is because the DefaultKeyboardFocusManager handles the keypress and consumes the event
   protected void fixControlTab(){
diff --git a/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt b/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt
index 7f2e08b8e..5b4bf7888 100644
--- a/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt
+++ b/build/shared/lib/preferences.txt
@@ -86,9 +86,6 @@ editor.window.height.min = 290
 # tested to be 515 on Windows XP, this leaves some room
 #editor.window.height.min.windows = 530
 
-# Syntax coloring  ( on lib/theme/syntax )
-editor.syntax_theme=default
-
 # Enable code folding 
 editor.code_folding=true