diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/map/Map.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/map/Map.java
index 4d0da802..37bb4e9f 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/map/Map.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/map/Map.java
@@ -151,15 +151,22 @@ public abstract class Map {
 			log.error("No base layer set");
 			throw new IllegalStateException();
 		}
+		setTheme(ThemeLoader.load(theme));
+	}
 
-		IRenderTheme t = ThemeLoader.load(theme);
-		if (t == null) {
+	public void setTheme(IRenderTheme theme) {
+		if (mBaseLayer == null) {
+			log.error("No base layer set");
+			throw new IllegalStateException();
+		}
+
+		if (theme == null) {
 			log.error("Invalid theme");
 			return;
 		}
 
-		mBaseLayer.setRenderTheme(t);
-		MapRenderer.setBackgroundColor(t.getMapBackground());
+		mBaseLayer.setRenderTheme(theme);
+		MapRenderer.setBackgroundColor(theme.getMapBackground());
 
 		clearMap();
 	}
diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ExternalRenderTheme.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ExternalRenderTheme.java
index 043295a6..6a7a08a0 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ExternalRenderTheme.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ExternalRenderTheme.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class ExternalRenderTheme implements ThemeFile {
 
 		File themeFile = new File(fileName);
 		if (!themeFile.exists()) {
-			throw new ThemeException("file does not exist: " + fileName);
+			throw new ThemeException("file does not exist: " + themeFile.getAbsolutePath());
 		} else if (!themeFile.isFile()) {
 			throw new ThemeException("not a file: " + fileName);
 		} else if (!themeFile.canRead()) {
diff --git a/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ThemeLoader.java b/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ThemeLoader.java
index 93445dca..c5eb03a4 100644
--- a/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ThemeLoader.java
+++ b/vtm/src/org/oscim/theme/ThemeLoader.java
@@ -42,22 +42,25 @@ public class ThemeLoader {
 
 	public static IRenderTheme load(ThemeFile theme) throws ThemeException {
 
-		InputStream inputStream = null;
 		try {
-			inputStream = theme.getRenderThemeAsStream();
-			IRenderTheme t = XmlThemeBuilder.read(inputStream);
-
-			if (t != null)
-				t.scaleTextSize(CanvasAdapter.textScale + (CanvasAdapter.dpi / 240 - 1) * 0.5f);
-
-			return t;
+			InputStream is = theme.getRenderThemeAsStream();
+			return load(is);
 		} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
 			log.error(e.getMessage());
-		} finally {
-			IOUtils.closeQuietly(inputStream);
 		}
 
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	public static IRenderTheme load(InputStream inputStream) throws ThemeException {
+
+		try {
+			IRenderTheme t = XmlThemeBuilder.read(inputStream);
+			if (t != null)
+				t.scaleTextSize(CanvasAdapter.textScale + (CanvasAdapter.dpi / 240 - 1) * 0.5f);
+			return t;
+		} finally {
+			IOUtils.closeQuietly(inputStream);
+		}
+	}
 }