diff --git a/app/soapbox/actions/soapbox.js b/app/soapbox/actions/soapbox.js
index f975bf848..e6cced78b 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/actions/soapbox.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/actions/soapbox.js
@@ -48,12 +48,9 @@ export function fetchSoapboxJson() {
   };
 }
 
-export function importSoapboxConfig(soapboxConfig, getIn) {
-  if(soapboxConfig.get('brandColor') === '') {
-    const defaultBrandColor = ImmutableMap({
-      brandColor: '#0482d8', // Azure
-    });
-    defaultBrandColor.mergeDeep(soapboxConfig);
+export function importSoapboxConfig(soapboxConfig) {
+  if (!soapboxConfig.brandColor) {
+    soapboxConfig.brandColor = '#0482d8';
   };
   return {
     type: SOAPBOX_CONFIG_REQUEST_SUCCESS,
diff --git a/app/soapbox/reducers/soapbox.js b/app/soapbox/reducers/soapbox.js
index c58b22ddb..3e448add2 100644
--- a/app/soapbox/reducers/soapbox.js
+++ b/app/soapbox/reducers/soapbox.js
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ import { ConfigDB } from 'soapbox/utils/config_db';
 
 const initialState = ImmutableMap();
 
+const fallbackState = ImmutableMap({
+  brandColor: '#0482d8', // Azure
+});
+
 const updateFromAdmin = (state, config) => {
   const configs = config.get('configs', ImmutableList());
 
@@ -26,10 +30,7 @@ export default function soapbox(state = initialState, action) {
   case SOAPBOX_CONFIG_REQUEST_SUCCESS:
     return fromJS(action.soapboxConfig);
   case SOAPBOX_CONFIG_REQUEST_FAIL:
-    const defaultBrandColor = ImmutableMap({
-      brandColor: '#0482d8', // Azure
-    });
-    return defaultBrandColor.mergeDeep(state.get('soapbox'));
+    return fallbackState.mergeDeep(state.get('soapbox'));
   case ADMIN_CONFIG_UPDATE_SUCCESS:
     return updateFromAdmin(state, fromJS(action.config));
   default: