diff --git a/tools/cmd/ssh/main.go b/tools/cmd/ssh/main.go
index 6fdf98968..da4ffc3d4 100644
--- a/tools/cmd/ssh/main.go
+++ b/tools/cmd/ssh/main.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"kitty/tools/cli"
+	"kitty/tools/themes"
 	"kitty/tools/tty"
 	"kitty/tools/tui"
 	"kitty/tools/tui/loop"
@@ -549,6 +550,38 @@ func drain_potential_tty_garbage(term *tty.Term) {
 	}
 }
 
+func change_colors(color_scheme string) (ans string, err error) {
+	if color_scheme == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	var theme *themes.Theme
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(color_scheme, ".conf") {
+		cs := os.ExpandEnv(color_scheme)
+		tc, closer, err := themes.LoadThemes(-1)
+		if err != nil && errors.Is(err, themes.ErrNoCacheFound) {
+			tc, closer, err = themes.LoadThemes(time.Hour * 24)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		defer closer.Close()
+		theme = tc.ThemeByName(cs)
+		if theme == nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("No theme named %#v found", cs)
+		}
+	} else {
+		theme, err = themes.ThemeFromFile(utils.ResolveConfPath(color_scheme))
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+	}
+	ans, err = theme.AsEscapeCodes()
+	if err == nil {
+		ans = "\033[#P" + ans
+	}
+	return
+}
+
 func run_ssh(ssh_args, server_args, found_extra_args []string) (rc int, err error) {
 	go Data()
 	go RelevantKittyOpts()
@@ -611,12 +644,21 @@ func run_ssh(ssh_args, server_args, found_extra_args []string) (rc int, err erro
 	cd.host_opts, cd.literal_env = host_opts, literal_env
 	cd.request_data = need_to_request_data
 	cd.hostname_for_match, cd.username = hostname_for_match, uname
-	err = term.WriteAllString(loop.SAVE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES + loop.HANDLE_TERMIOS_SIGNALS.EscapeCodeToSet())
+	escape_codes_to_set_colors, err := change_colors(cd.host_opts.Color_scheme)
+	if err == nil {
+		err = term.WriteAllString(escape_codes_to_set_colors + loop.SAVE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES + loop.HANDLE_TERMIOS_SIGNALS.EscapeCodeToSet())
+	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return 1, err
 	}
-	defer term.WriteAllString(loop.RESTORE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES)
-	defer term.RestoreAndClose()
+	restore_escape_codes := loop.RESTORE_PRIVATE_MODE_VALUES
+	if escape_codes_to_set_colors != "" {
+		restore_escape_codes += "\x1b[#Q"
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		term.WriteAllString(restore_escape_codes)
+		term.RestoreAndClose()
+	}()
 	err = get_remote_command(&cd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 1, err
diff --git a/tools/themes/collection.go b/tools/themes/collection.go
index 2d8945a2a..dd1f45d7e 100644
--- a/tools/themes/collection.go
+++ b/tools/themes/collection.go
@@ -263,7 +263,6 @@ func (self *Theme) AsEscapeCodes() (string, error) {
 	w := strings.Builder{}
 	w.Grow(4096)
 
-	w.WriteString("\033]4")
 	set_color := func(i int, sharp string) {
 		w.WriteByte(';')
 		w.WriteString(strconv.Itoa(i))
@@ -296,6 +295,7 @@ func (self *Theme) AsEscapeCodes() (string, error) {
 	set_default_color("selection_background", style.DefaultColors.SelectionBg, 17)
 	set_default_color("selection_foreground", style.DefaultColors.SelectionFg, 19)
 
+	w.WriteString("\033]4")
 	for i := 0; i < 256; i++ {
 		key := "color" + strconv.Itoa(i)
 		val := settings[key]
@@ -330,6 +330,20 @@ func theme_name_from_file_name(fname string) string {
 	return strings.Join(utils.Map(strings.Split(fname, " "), strings.Title), " ")
 }
 
+func (self *Themes) AddFromFile(path string) (*Theme, error) {
+	m, conf, err := parse_theme_metadata(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if m.Name == "" {
+		m.Name = theme_name_from_file_name(filepath.Base(path))
+	}
+	t := Theme{metadata: m, is_user_defined: true, settings: conf}
+	self.name_map[m.Name] = &t
+	return &t, nil
+
+}
+
 func (self *Themes) add_from_dir(dirpath string) error {
 	entries, err := os.ReadDir(dirpath)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -340,15 +354,9 @@ func (self *Themes) add_from_dir(dirpath string) error {
 	}
 	for _, e := range entries {
 		if !e.IsDir() && strings.HasSuffix(e.Name(), ".conf") {
-			m, conf, err := parse_theme_metadata(filepath.Join(dirpath, e.Name()))
-			if err != nil {
+			if _, err = self.AddFromFile(filepath.Join(dirpath, e.Name())); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			if m.Name == "" {
-				m.Name = theme_name_from_file_name(e.Name())
-			}
-			t := Theme{metadata: m, is_user_defined: true, settings: conf}
-			self.name_map[m.Name] = &t
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -399,17 +407,14 @@ func (self *Themes) ThemeByName(name string) *Theme {
 	return self.name_map[name]
 }
 
-func LoadThemes(cache_age time.Duration, ignore_no_cache bool) (ans *Themes, closer io.Closer, err error) {
+func LoadThemes(cache_age time.Duration) (ans *Themes, closer io.Closer, err error) {
 	zip_path, err := FetchCached(cache_age)
 	ans = &Themes{name_map: make(map[string]*Theme)}
 	if err != nil {
-		if !errors.Is(err, ErrNoCacheFound) || ignore_no_cache {
-			return nil, nil, err
-		}
-	} else {
-		if closer, err = ans.add_from_zip_file(zip_path); err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, err
-		}
+		return nil, nil, err
+	}
+	if closer, err = ans.add_from_zip_file(zip_path); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	if err = ans.add_from_dir(filepath.Join(utils.ConfigDir(), "themes")); err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
@@ -418,3 +423,8 @@ func LoadThemes(cache_age time.Duration, ignore_no_cache bool) (ans *Themes, clo
 	ans.index_map = utils.StableSortWithKey(ans.index_map, strings.ToLower)
 	return ans, closer, nil
 }
+
+func ThemeFromFile(path string) (*Theme, error) {
+	ans := &Themes{name_map: make(map[string]*Theme)}
+	return ans.AddFromFile(path)
+}
diff --git a/tools/utils/paths.go b/tools/utils/paths.go
index bb12d3dda..a41d3e78a 100644
--- a/tools/utils/paths.go
+++ b/tools/utils/paths.go
@@ -274,3 +274,11 @@ func RandomFilename() string {
 	return base32.StdEncoding.WithPadding(base32.NoPadding).EncodeToString(b)
 
 }
+
+func ResolveConfPath(path string) string {
+	cs := os.ExpandEnv(Expanduser(path))
+	if !filepath.IsAbs(cs) {
+		cs = filepath.Join(ConfigDir(), cs)
+	}
+	return cs
+}