diff --git a/core/core-ui.el b/core/core-ui.el
index d6b354d66..212f95bc5 100644
--- a/core/core-ui.el
+++ b/core/core-ui.el
@@ -547,6 +547,9 @@ windows, switch to `doom-fallback-buffer'. Otherwise, delegate to original
 ;;
 ;;; Theme & font
 
+;; User themes should live in ~/.doom.d/themes, not ~/.emacs.d
+(setq custom-theme-directory (concat doom-private-dir "themes/"))
+
 ;; Always prioritize the user's themes above the built-in/packaged ones.
 (setq custom-theme-load-path
       (cons 'custom-theme-directory
diff --git a/core/core.el b/core/core.el
index 85b0f9d9f..f5d641003 100644
--- a/core/core.el
+++ b/core/core.el
@@ -217,7 +217,6 @@ users).")
 ;; We avoid `no-littering' because it's a mote too opinionated for our needs.
 (setq async-byte-compile-log-file  (concat doom-etc-dir "async-bytecomp.log")
       custom-file                  (concat doom-private-dir "custom.el")
-      custom-theme-directory       (concat doom-private-dir "themes/")
       desktop-dirname              (concat doom-etc-dir "desktop")
       desktop-base-file-name       "autosave"
       desktop-base-lock-name       "autosave-lock"