diff --git a/kittens/themes/collection.py b/kittens/themes/collection.py
index a3a35a336..bf9befc20 100644
--- a/kittens/themes/collection.py
+++ b/kittens/themes/collection.py
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@ import datetime
 import http
 import json
 import os
+import re
 import shutil
 import zipfile
 from contextlib import suppress
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Match
 from urllib.error import HTTPError
 from urllib.request import Request, urlopen
 
+from kitty.config import parse_config
 from kitty.constants import cache_dir
+from kitty.rgb import Color
 
 
 def fetch_themes(
@@ -49,3 +53,130 @@ def fetch_themes(
     with zipfile.ZipFile(dest_path, 'a') as zf:
         zf.comment = json.dumps({'etag': m.etag, 'timestamp': m.timestamp.isoformat()}).encode('utf-8')
     return dest_path
+
+
+def zip_file_loader(path_to_zip: str, theme_file_name: str, file_name: str) -> Callable[[], str]:
+
+    name = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(theme_file_name), file_name)
+
+    def zip_loader() -> str:
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(path_to_zip, 'r') as zf, zf.open(name, 'rb') as f:
+            return f.read().decode('utf-8')
+
+    return zip_loader
+
+
+def theme_name_from_file_name(fname: str) -> str:
+    ans = fname.rsplit('.', 1)[0]
+    ans = ans.replace('_', ' ')
+
+    def camel_case(m: Match) -> str:
+        return str(m.group(1) + ' ' + m.group(2))
+
+    ans = re.sub(r'([a-z])([A-Z])', camel_case, ans)
+    return ' '.join(x.capitalize() for x in filter(None, ans.split()))
+
+
+class LineParser:
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.in_metadata = False
+        self.in_blurb = False
+        self.keep_going = True
+
+    def __call__(self, line: str, ans: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        is_block = line.startswith('## ')
+        if self.in_metadata and not is_block:
+            self.keep_going = False
+            return
+        if not self.in_metadata and is_block:
+            self.in_metadata = True
+        if not self.in_metadata:
+            return
+        line = line[3:]
+        if self.in_blurb:
+            ans['blurb'] += ' ' + line
+            return
+        try:
+            key, val = line.split(':', 1)
+        except Exception:
+            self.keep_going = False
+            return
+        key = key.strip().lower()
+        val = val.strip()
+        if val:
+            ans[key] = val
+        if key == 'blurb':
+            self.in_blurb = True
+
+
+def parse_theme(fname: str, raw: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    lines = raw.splitlines()
+    conf = parse_config(lines)
+    bg = conf.get('background', Color())
+    is_dark = max(bg) < 115
+    ans: Dict[str, Any] = {'name': theme_name_from_file_name(fname)}
+    parser = LineParser()
+    for i, line in enumerate(raw.splitlines()):
+        line = line.strip()
+        if not line:
+            continue
+        try:
+            parser(line, ans)
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise SystemExit(
+                f'Failed to parse {fname} line {i+1} with error: {e}')
+        if not parser.keep_going:
+            break
+    if is_dark:
+        ans['is_dark'] = True
+    ans['num_settings'] = len(conf) - len(parse_config(()))
+    if ans['num_settings'] < 1:
+        raise SystemExit(f'The theme {fname} has no settings')
+    return ans
+
+
+class Theme:
+    name: str = ''
+    author: str = ''
+    license: str = ''
+    is_dark: bool = False
+    blurb: str = ''
+    num_settings: int = 0
+
+    def apply_dict(self, d: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        self.name = str(d['name'])
+        for x in ('author', 'license', 'blurb'):
+            a = d.get(x)
+            if isinstance(a, str):
+                setattr(self, x, a)
+        for x in ('is_dark', 'num_settings'):
+            a = d.get(x)
+            if isinstance(a, int):
+                setattr(self, x, a)
+
+    def __init__(self, loader: Callable[[], str]):
+        self.loader = loader
+
+
+class Themes:
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.themes: Dict[str, Theme] = {}
+
+    def load_from_zip(self, path_to_zip: str) -> None:
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(path_to_zip, 'r') as zf:
+            for name in zf.namelist():
+                if os.path.basename(name) == 'themes.json':
+                    theme_file_name = name
+                    with zf.open(theme_file_name, 'rb') as f:
+                        items = json.loads(f.read())
+                    break
+            else:
+                raise ValueError(f'No themes.json found in {path_to_zip}')
+
+            for item in items:
+                t = Theme(zip_file_loader(path_to_zip, theme_file_name, item['file']))
+                t.apply_dict(item)
+                if t.name:
+                    self.themes[t.name] = t