diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py
index 0dfa9398e1..06a7011132 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/__init__.py
@@ -8,14 +8,18 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 import sys
 
 from calibre import prints as prints_
-from calibre.utils.config import Config, StringConfig
+from calibre.utils.config import Config, ConfigProxy
 
 
-def console_config(defaults=None):
-    desc=_('Settings to control the calibre content server')
-    c = Config('console', desc) if defaults is None else StringConfig(defaults, desc)
+def console_config():
+    desc='Settings to control the calibre console'
+    c = Config('console', desc)
 
-    c.add_opt('--theme', default='default', help='The color theme')
+    c.add_opt('theme', default='default', help='The color theme')
+
+    return c
+
+prefs = ConfigProxy(console_config())
 
 
 def prints(*args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py
index f741562f03..b0ecce0cb3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/console.py
@@ -6,16 +6,18 @@ __copyright__ = '2010, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 import sys, textwrap, traceback, StringIO
+from functools import partial
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import QTextEdit, Qt, QTextFrameFormat, pyqtSignal, \
-    QCoreApplication
+    QCoreApplication, QColor, QPalette, QMenu, QActionGroup
 
 from pygments.lexers import PythonLexer, PythonTracebackLexer
+from pygments.styles import get_all_styles
 
 from calibre.constants import __appname__, __version__
 from calibre.utils.pyconsole.formatter import Formatter
 from calibre.utils.pyconsole.repl import Interpreter, DummyFile
-from calibre.utils.pyconsole import prints
+from calibre.utils.pyconsole import prints, prefs
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
 
 class EditBlock(object): # {{{
@@ -47,6 +49,28 @@ class Prepender(object): # {{{
         self.console.cursor_pos = self.opos
 # }}}
 
+class ThemeMenu(QMenu):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent):
+        QMenu.__init__(self, _('Choose theme (needs restart)'))
+        parent.addMenu(self)
+        self.group = QActionGroup(self)
+        current = prefs['theme']
+        alls = list(sorted(get_all_styles()))
+        if current not in alls:
+            current = prefs['theme'] = 'default'
+        self.actions = []
+        for style in alls:
+            ac = self.group.addAction(style)
+            if current == style:
+                ac.setChecked(True)
+            self.actions.append(ac)
+            ac.triggered.connect(partial(self.set_theme, style))
+            self.addAction(ac)
+
+    def set_theme(self, style, *args):
+        prefs['theme'] = style
+
 
 class Console(QTextEdit):
 
@@ -99,8 +123,16 @@ class Console(QTextEdit):
         self.doc.setMaximumBlockCount(10000)
         self.lexer = PythonLexer(ensurenl=False)
         self.tb_lexer = PythonTracebackLexer()
-        self.formatter = Formatter(prompt, continuation, style='default')
-        self.setStyleSheet(self.formatter.stylesheet)
+
+        self.context_menu = cm = QMenu(self) # {{{
+        cm.theme = ThemeMenu(cm)
+        # }}}
+
+        self.formatter = Formatter(prompt, continuation, style=prefs['theme'])
+        p = QPalette()
+        p.setColor(p.Base, QColor(self.formatter.background_color))
+        p.setColor(p.Text, QColor(self.formatter.color))
+        self.setPalette(p)
 
         self.key_dispatcher = { # {{{
                 Qt.Key_Enter : self.enter_pressed,
@@ -127,6 +159,10 @@ class Console(QTextEdit):
 
         sys.excepthook = self.unhandled_exception
 
+    def contextMenuEvent(self, event):
+        self.context_menu.popup(event.globalPos())
+        event.accept()
+
 
     # Prompt management {{{
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py
index 6e7d982a82..17360fecb3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/pyconsole/formatter.py
@@ -48,10 +48,6 @@ class Formatter(object):
 
             self.styles[ttype] = fmt
 
-        self.stylesheet = '''
-        QTextEdit { color: %s; background-color: %s }
-        '''%(self.color, self.background_color)
-
     def get_fmt(self, token):
         if type(token) != type(Token.Generic):
             token = string_to_tokentype(token)