diff --git a/themes/default/theme.lua b/themes/default/theme.lua
index e39923e1..fe3b716f 100644
--- a/themes/default/theme.lua
+++ b/themes/default/theme.lua
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 
 local theme = {}
 
+local util = require('awful.util')
+local themes_path = util.get_themes_dir()
+local icon_path = util.get_awesome_icon_dir()
+
 theme.font          = "sans 8"
 
 theme.bg_normal     = "#222222"
@@ -35,13 +39,13 @@ theme.border_marked = "#91231c"
 --theme.taglist_bg_focus = "#ff0000"
 
 -- Display the taglist squares
-theme.taglist_squares_sel   = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/taglist/squarefw.png"
-theme.taglist_squares_unsel = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/taglist/squarew.png"
+theme.taglist_squares_sel   = themes_path.."default/taglist/squarefw.png"
+theme.taglist_squares_unsel = themes_path.."default/taglist/squarew.png"
 
 -- Variables set for theming the menu:
 -- menu_[bg|fg]_[normal|focus]
 -- menu_[border_color|border_width]
-theme.menu_submenu_icon = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/submenu.png"
+theme.menu_submenu_icon = themes_path.."default/submenu.png"
 theme.menu_height = 15
 theme.menu_width  = 100
 
@@ -51,53 +55,53 @@ theme.menu_width  = 100
 --theme.bg_widget = "#cc0000"
 
 -- Define the image to load
-theme.titlebar_close_button_normal = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/close_normal.png"
-theme.titlebar_close_button_focus  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/close_focus.png"
+theme.titlebar_close_button_normal = themes_path.."default/titlebar/close_normal.png"
+theme.titlebar_close_button_focus  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/close_focus.png"
 
-theme.titlebar_minimize_button_normal = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/minimize_normal.png"
-theme.titlebar_minimize_button_focus  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/minimize_focus.png"
+theme.titlebar_minimize_button_normal = themes_path.."default/titlebar/minimize_normal.png"
+theme.titlebar_minimize_button_focus  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/minimize_focus.png"
 
-theme.titlebar_ontop_button_normal_inactive = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/ontop_normal_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_ontop_button_focus_inactive  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/ontop_focus_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_ontop_button_normal_active = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/ontop_normal_active.png"
-theme.titlebar_ontop_button_focus_active  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/ontop_focus_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_ontop_button_normal_inactive = themes_path.."default/titlebar/ontop_normal_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_ontop_button_focus_inactive  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/ontop_focus_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_ontop_button_normal_active = themes_path.."default/titlebar/ontop_normal_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_ontop_button_focus_active  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/ontop_focus_active.png"
 
-theme.titlebar_sticky_button_normal_inactive = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/sticky_normal_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_sticky_button_focus_inactive  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/sticky_focus_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_sticky_button_normal_active = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/sticky_normal_active.png"
-theme.titlebar_sticky_button_focus_active  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/sticky_focus_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_sticky_button_normal_inactive = themes_path.."default/titlebar/sticky_normal_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_sticky_button_focus_inactive  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/sticky_focus_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_sticky_button_normal_active = themes_path.."default/titlebar/sticky_normal_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_sticky_button_focus_active  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/sticky_focus_active.png"
 
-theme.titlebar_floating_button_normal_inactive = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/floating_normal_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_floating_button_focus_inactive  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/floating_focus_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_floating_button_normal_active = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/floating_normal_active.png"
-theme.titlebar_floating_button_focus_active  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/floating_focus_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_floating_button_normal_inactive = themes_path.."default/titlebar/floating_normal_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_floating_button_focus_inactive  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/floating_focus_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_floating_button_normal_active = themes_path.."default/titlebar/floating_normal_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_floating_button_focus_active  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/floating_focus_active.png"
 
-theme.titlebar_maximized_button_normal_inactive = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/maximized_normal_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_maximized_button_focus_inactive  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/maximized_focus_inactive.png"
-theme.titlebar_maximized_button_normal_active = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/maximized_normal_active.png"
-theme.titlebar_maximized_button_focus_active  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/titlebar/maximized_focus_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_maximized_button_normal_inactive = themes_path.."default/titlebar/maximized_normal_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_maximized_button_focus_inactive  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/maximized_focus_inactive.png"
+theme.titlebar_maximized_button_normal_active = themes_path.."default/titlebar/maximized_normal_active.png"
+theme.titlebar_maximized_button_focus_active  = themes_path.."default/titlebar/maximized_focus_active.png"
 
-theme.wallpaper = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/background.png"
+theme.wallpaper = themes_path.."default/background.png"
 
 -- You can use your own layout icons like this:
-theme.layout_fairh = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/fairhw.png"
-theme.layout_fairv = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/fairvw.png"
-theme.layout_floating  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/floatingw.png"
-theme.layout_magnifier = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/magnifierw.png"
-theme.layout_max = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/maxw.png"
-theme.layout_fullscreen = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/fullscreenw.png"
-theme.layout_tilebottom = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/tilebottomw.png"
-theme.layout_tileleft   = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/tileleftw.png"
-theme.layout_tile = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/tilew.png"
-theme.layout_tiletop = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/tiletopw.png"
-theme.layout_spiral  = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/spiralw.png"
-theme.layout_dwindle = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/dwindlew.png"
-theme.layout_cornernw = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/cornernww.png"
-theme.layout_cornerne = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/cornernew.png"
-theme.layout_cornersw = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/cornersww.png"
-theme.layout_cornerse = "@AWESOME_THEMES_PATH@/default/layouts/cornersew.png"
+theme.layout_fairh = themes_path.."default/layouts/fairhw.png"
+theme.layout_fairv = themes_path.."default/layouts/fairvw.png"
+theme.layout_floating  = themes_path.."default/layouts/floatingw.png"
+theme.layout_magnifier = themes_path.."default/layouts/magnifierw.png"
+theme.layout_max = themes_path.."default/layouts/maxw.png"
+theme.layout_fullscreen = themes_path.."default/layouts/fullscreenw.png"
+theme.layout_tilebottom = themes_path.."default/layouts/tilebottomw.png"
+theme.layout_tileleft   = themes_path.."default/layouts/tileleftw.png"
+theme.layout_tile = themes_path.."default/layouts/tilew.png"
+theme.layout_tiletop = themes_path.."default/layouts/tiletopw.png"
+theme.layout_spiral  = themes_path.."default/layouts/spiralw.png"
+theme.layout_dwindle = themes_path.."default/layouts/dwindlew.png"
+theme.layout_cornernw = themes_path.."default/layouts/cornernww.png"
+theme.layout_cornerne = themes_path.."default/layouts/cornernew.png"
+theme.layout_cornersw = themes_path.."default/layouts/cornersww.png"
+theme.layout_cornerse = themes_path.."default/layouts/cornersew.png"
 
-theme.awesome_icon = "@AWESOME_ICON_PATH@/awesome16.png"
+theme.awesome_icon = icon_path.."awesome16.png"
 
 -- Define the icon theme for application icons. If not set then the icons
 -- from /usr/share/icons and /usr/share/icons/hicolor will be used.