diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 8359cad2..01cc86c4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
         "c9.ide.language.html.diff": "#a7311cfc9f",
         "c9.ide.language.javascript": "#8479d0a9c1",
         "c9.ide.language.javascript.immediate": "#9a2cce9121",
-        "c9.ide.language.javascript.eslint": "#129a16dafb",
+        "c9.ide.language.javascript.eslint": "#2db744b1a3",
         "c9.ide.language.javascript.tern": "#7aab8b0b6a",
         "c9.ide.language.javascript.infer": "#cfec494a3c",
         "c9.ide.language.jsonalyzer": "#dab3edfca5",
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
         "c9.ide.ace.keymaps": "#43445d6306",
         "c9.ide.ace.repl": "#ada99852fa",
         "c9.ide.ace.split": "#0ae0151c78",
-        "c9.ide.ace.statusbar": "#d7b45bb7c3",
+        "c9.ide.ace.statusbar": "#d95be89d53",
         "c9.ide.ace.stripws": "#cf0f42ac59",
         "c9.ide.behaviors": "#6aad7006a0",
         "c9.ide.closeconfirmation": "#a28bfd8272",
diff --git a/plugins/c9.core/settings.js b/plugins/c9.core/settings.js
index 64f7991b..117d170a 100644
--- a/plugins/c9.core/settings.js
+++ b/plugins/c9.core/settings.js
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ define(function(require, exports, module) {
                 return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(json));
                 
             try {
-                var obj = JSON.parse(json);
+                var obj = json && JSON.parse(json);
                 return obj;
             }
             catch (e) {
diff --git a/plugins/c9.ide.ace/ace.js b/plugins/c9.ide.ace/ace.js
index d8f6d7a0..1a8f4f7b 100644
--- a/plugins/c9.ide.ace/ace.js
+++ b/plugins/c9.ide.ace/ace.js
@@ -142,22 +142,11 @@ define(function(require, exports, module) {
         
         function setTheme(path, isPreview, fromServer, $err) {
             // Get Theme or wait for theme to load
-            try {
-                theme = typeof path == "object"
-                    ? path
-                    : fromServer || require(path);
-                
-                // fixes a problem with Ace architect loading /lib/ace
-                // creating a conflict with themes
-                if (!theme || theme.isDark === undefined)
-                    throw new Error();
-            }
-            catch (e) {
-                // not checking this can create infinite loop in build
-                $err || require([path], function(){
-                    setTheme(path, isPreview, fromServer, true);
+            theme = fromServer;
+            if (!theme) {
+                return $err || config.loadModule(path, function(m) {
+                    setTheme(path, isPreview, m, true);
                 });
-                return;
             }
             
             if (!isPreview) {