diff --git a/bumblebee/output.py b/bumblebee/output.py
index f614447..4b9603b 100644
--- a/bumblebee/output.py
+++ b/bumblebee/output.py
@@ -33,10 +33,12 @@ class I3BarOutput(object):
     def draw_widget(self, result, widget):
         """Draw a single widget"""
         full_text = widget.full_text()
-        if self._theme.prefix():
-            full_text = "{}{}".format(self._theme.prefix(), full_text)
-        if self._theme.suffix():
-            full_text = "{}{}".format(full_text, self._theme.suffix())
+        prefix = self._theme.prefix(widget)
+        suffix = self._theme.suffix(widget)
+        if prefix:
+            full_text = "{}{}".format(prefix, full_text)
+        if suffix:
+            full_text = "{}{}".format(full_text, suffix)
         result.append({
             u"full_text": "{}".format(full_text)
         })
diff --git a/bumblebee/theme.py b/bumblebee/theme.py
index f056c85..b9462f2 100644
--- a/bumblebee/theme.py
+++ b/bumblebee/theme.py
@@ -12,15 +12,24 @@ def theme_path():
 class Theme(object):
     """Represents a collection of icons and colors"""
     def __init__(self, name):
-        self._theme = self.load(name)
+        theme = self.load(name)
+        self._init(self.load(name))
 
-    def prefix(self):
+    def _init(self, data):
+        """Initialize theme from data structure"""
+        self._defaults = data.get("defaults", {})
+
+    def prefix(self, widget):
         """Return the theme prefix for a widget's full text"""
-        return None
+        return self._get(widget, "prefix", None)
 
-    def suffix(self):
+    def suffix(self, widget):
         """Return the theme suffix for a widget's full text"""
-        return None
+        return self._get(widget, "suffix", None)
+
+    def loads(self, data):
+        theme = json.loads(data)
+        self._init(theme)
 
     def load(self, name):
         """Load and parse a theme file"""
@@ -35,4 +44,10 @@ class Theme(object):
         else:
             raise bumblebee.error.ThemeLoadError("no such theme: {}".format(name))
 
+    def _get(self, widget, name,default=None):
+        value = default
+        value = self._defaults.get(name, value)
+
+        return value
+
 # vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/tests/test_i3baroutput.py b/tests/test_i3baroutput.py
index 067cf42..e621611 100644
--- a/tests/test_i3baroutput.py
+++ b/tests/test_i3baroutput.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class TestI3BarOutput(unittest.TestCase):
         self.output.draw(self.someWidget)
         result = json.loads(stdout.getvalue())[0]
         self.assertEquals(result["full_text"], "{}{}".format(
-            self.theme.prefix(), self.someWidget.full_text())
+            self.theme.prefix(self.someWidget), self.someWidget.full_text())
         )
 
     @mock.patch("sys.stdout", new_callable=StringIO)
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class TestI3BarOutput(unittest.TestCase):
         self.output.draw(self.someWidget)
         result = json.loads(stdout.getvalue())[0]
         self.assertEquals(result["full_text"], "{}{}".format(
-            self.someWidget.full_text(), self.theme.suffix())
+            self.someWidget.full_text(), self.theme.suffix(self.someWidget))
         )
 
     @mock.patch("sys.stdout", new_callable=StringIO)
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ class TestI3BarOutput(unittest.TestCase):
         self.output.draw(self.someWidget)
         result = json.loads(stdout.getvalue())[0]
         self.assertEquals(result["full_text"], "{}{}{}".format(
-            self.theme.prefix(), self.someWidget.full_text(), self.theme.suffix())
+            self.theme.prefix(self.someWidget), self.someWidget.full_text(), self.theme.suffix(self.someWidget))
         )
 
 # vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/tests/test_theme.py b/tests/test_theme.py
index 23ad13c..6d57a71 100644
--- a/tests/test_theme.py
+++ b/tests/test_theme.py
@@ -3,15 +3,18 @@
 import unittest
 from bumblebee.theme import Theme
 from bumblebee.error import ThemeLoadError
+from tests.util import MockWidget
 
 class TestTheme(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.nonexistentThemeName = "no-such-theme"
         self.invalidThemeName = "invalid"
+        self.validThemeName = "solarized-powerline"
+        self.someWidget = MockWidget("foo")
 
     def test_load_valid_theme(self):
         try:
-            Theme("solarized-powerline")
+            Theme(self.validThemeName)
         except Exception as e:
             self.fail(e)
 
@@ -23,4 +26,14 @@ class TestTheme(unittest.TestCase):
         with self.assertRaises(ThemeLoadError):
             Theme(self.invalidThemeName)
 
+    def test_prefix(self):
+        theme = Theme(self.validThemeName)
+        theme.loads('{"defaults": { "prefix": "test" }}')
+        self.assertEquals(theme.prefix(self.someWidget), "test")
+
+    def test_suffix(self):
+        theme = Theme(self.validThemeName)
+        theme.loads('{"defaults": { "suffix": "test" }}')
+        self.assertEquals(theme.suffix(self.someWidget), "test")
+
 # vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/tests/util.py b/tests/util.py
index aa67cdc..462c6c8 100644
--- a/tests/util.py
+++ b/tests/util.py
@@ -40,10 +40,10 @@ class MockTheme(object):
     def set_suffix(self, value):
         self._suffix = value
 
-    def prefix(self):
+    def prefix(self, widget):
         return self._prefix
 
-    def suffix(self):
+    def suffix(self, widget):
         return self._suffix
 
 # vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4