diff --git a/bumblebee/theme.py b/bumblebee/theme.py
index 779155b..08584c7 100644
--- a/bumblebee/theme.py
+++ b/bumblebee/theme.py
@@ -90,11 +90,6 @@ class Theme(object):
         """Return the SBW"""
         return self._get(widget, "separator-block-width", None)
 
-    def loads(self, data):
-        """Initialize the theme from a JSON string"""
-        theme = json.loads(data)
-        self._init(theme)
-
     def _load_icons(self, name):
         """Load icons for a theme"""
         path = "{}/icons/".format(theme_path())
diff --git a/tests/test_theme.py b/tests/test_theme.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..708fa08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_theme.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+# pylint: disable=C0103,C0111,W0703
+
+import unittest
+from bumblebee.theme import Theme
+from bumblebee.error import ThemeLoadError
+from mocks import MockWidget
+
+class TestTheme(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.nonexistentThemeName = "no-such-theme"
+        self.invalidThemeName = "test_invalid"
+        self.validThemeName = "test"
+        self.validThemeSeparator = " * "
+        self.themedWidget = MockWidget("bla")
+        self.theme = Theme(self.validThemeName)
+        self.cycleTheme = Theme("test_cycle")
+        self.anyWidget = MockWidget("bla")
+        self.anotherWidget = MockWidget("blub")
+
+        data = self.theme.data()
+        self.widgetTheme = "test-widget"
+        self.themedWidget.module = self.widgetTheme
+        self.defaultColor = data["defaults"]["fg"]
+        self.defaultBgColor = data["defaults"]["bg"]
+        self.widgetColor = data[self.widgetTheme]["fg"]
+        self.widgetBgColor = data[self.widgetTheme]["bg"]
+        self.defaultPrefix = data["defaults"]["prefix"]
+        self.defaultSuffix = data["defaults"]["suffix"]
+        self.widgetPrefix = data[self.widgetTheme]["prefix"]
+        self.widgetSuffix = data[self.widgetTheme]["suffix"]
+
+    def test_load_valid_theme(self):
+        try:
+            Theme(self.validThemeName)
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.fail(e)
+
+    def test_load_nonexistent_theme(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ThemeLoadError):
+            Theme(self.nonexistentThemeName)
+
+    def test_load_invalid_theme(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ThemeLoadError):
+            Theme(self.invalidThemeName)
+
+    def test_default_prefix(self):
+        self.assertEquals(self.theme.prefix(self.anyWidget), self.defaultPrefix)
+
+    def test_default_suffix(self):
+        self.assertEquals(self.theme.suffix(self.anyWidget), self.defaultSuffix)
+
+    def test_widget_prefix(self):
+        self.assertEquals(self.theme.prefix(self.themedWidget), self.widgetPrefix)
+
+    def test_widget_fg(self):
+        self.assertEquals(self.theme.fg(self.anyWidget), self.defaultColor)
+        self.anyWidget.module = self.widgetTheme
+        self.assertEquals(self.theme.fg(self.anyWidget), self.widgetColor)
+
+    def test_widget_bg(self):
+        self.assertEquals(self.theme.bg(self.anyWidget), self.defaultBgColor)
+        self.anyWidget.module = self.widgetTheme
+        self.assertEquals(self.theme.bg(self.anyWidget), self.widgetBgColor)
+
+    def test_absent_cycle(self):
+        theme = self.theme
+        try:
+            theme.fg(self.anyWidget)
+            theme.fg(self.anotherWidget)
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.fail(e)
+
+    def test_reset(self):
+        theme = self.cycleTheme
+        data = theme.data()
+        theme.reset()
+        self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.anyWidget), data["cycle"][0]["fg"])
+        self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.anotherWidget), data["cycle"][1]["fg"])
+        theme.reset()
+        self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.anyWidget), data["cycle"][0]["fg"])
+
+    def test_separator_block_width(self):
+        theme = self.theme
+        data = theme.data()
+
+        self.assertEquals(theme.separator_block_width(self.anyWidget),
+            data["defaults"]["separator-block-width"]
+        )
+
+    def test_separator(self):
+        for theme in [self.theme, self.cycleTheme]:
+            theme.reset()
+            prev_bg = theme.bg(self.anyWidget)
+            theme.bg(self.anotherWidget)
+
+            self.assertEquals(theme.separator_fg(self.anotherWidget), theme.bg(self.anotherWidget))
+            self.assertEquals(theme.separator_bg(self.anotherWidget), prev_bg)
+
+    def test_state(self):
+        theme = self.theme
+        data = theme.data()
+
+        self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.anyWidget), data["defaults"]["fg"])
+        self.assertEquals(theme.bg(self.anyWidget), data["defaults"]["bg"])
+
+        self.anyWidget.attr_state = ["critical"]
+        self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.anyWidget), data["defaults"]["critical"]["fg"])
+        self.assertEquals(theme.bg(self.anyWidget), data["defaults"]["critical"]["bg"])
+
+        self.themedWidget.attr_state = ["critical"]
+        self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.themedWidget), data[self.widgetTheme]["critical"]["fg"])
+        # if elements are missing in the state theme, they are taken from the
+        # widget theme instead (i.e. no fallback to a more general state theme)
+        self.assertEquals(theme.bg(self.themedWidget), data[self.widgetTheme]["bg"])
+
+    def test_separator(self):
+        self.assertEquals(self.validThemeSeparator, self.theme.separator(self.anyWidget))
+
+    def test_list(self):
+        theme = self.theme
+        data = theme.data()[self.widgetTheme]["cycle-test"]["fg"]
+        self.themedWidget.attr_state = ["cycle-test"]
+        self.assertTrue(len(data) > 1)
+
+        for idx in range(0, len(data)):
+            self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.themedWidget), data[idx])
+        self.assertEquals(theme.fg(self.themedWidget), data[0])
+
+# vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/themes/test.json b/themes/test.json
index 401a234..1d457a7 100644
--- a/themes/test.json
+++ b/themes/test.json
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 		"bg": "#222222",
 		"critical": {
 			"fg": "#bababa"
+		},
+		"cycle-test": {
+			"fg": [ "#000000", "#111111" ]
 		}
 	}
 }