diff --git a/fix-theme-override.patch b/fix-theme-override.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e23348a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fix-theme-override.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+From 1a7dc602762b314e661ef5b7cb858ae6c3a1f9f5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Will Woods <wwoods@redhat.com>
+Date: Wed, 20 May 2015 12:03:58 -0400
+Subject: [PATCH] plymouth-populate-initrd: fix THEME_OVERRIDE with empty conf
+
+If you set PLYMOUTH_THEME_NAME to override the theme in an initrd
+(as e.g. lorax does when building upgrade.img), plymouth-populate-initrd
+tries to edit plymouthd.conf to enable that theme.
+
+Unfortunately, the existing `sed` line doesn't work if your
+plymouthd.conf is empty or all commented out - which is how we currently
+ship it.
+
+So before modifying the config, make sure it has a [Daemon] section
+header, and a Theme=[placeholder] line for us to modify.
+
+Resolves: RHBZ#1223344
+---
+ scripts/plymouth-populate-initrd.in | 3 +++
+ 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)
+
+diff --git a/scripts/plymouth-populate-initrd.in b/scripts/plymouth-populate-initrd.in
+index 43c7f22..e3326e9 100755
+--- a/scripts/plymouth-populate-initrd.in
++++ b/scripts/plymouth-populate-initrd.in
+@@ -392,6 +392,9 @@ fi
+ if [ $THEME_OVERRIDE ]; then
+     conf=$INITRDDIR/${PLYMOUTH_CONFDIR}/plymouthd.conf
+     echo "modifying plymouthd.conf: Theme=$PLYMOUTH_THEME_NAME" > /dev/stderr
++    # make sure the section and key exist so we can modify them
++    grep -q "^ *\[Daemon\]" $conf || echo "[Daemon]" >> $conf
++    grep -q "^ *Theme *=" $conf || echo "Theme=fade-in" >> $conf
+     sed -i "s/^ *Theme *=.*/# theme modified by plymouth-populate-initrd\nTheme=$PLYMOUTH_THEME_NAME/" $conf
+ fi
+
+--
+2.1.0
diff --git a/plymouth.spec b/plymouth.spec
index 2848451..55e367c 100644
--- a/plymouth.spec
+++ b/plymouth.spec
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 Summary: Graphical Boot Animation and Logger
 Name: plymouth
 Version: 0.8.9
-Release: 8%{?snapshot_date}%{?dist}
+Release: 9%{?snapshot_date}%{?dist}
 License: GPLv2+
 Group: System Environment/Base
 Source0: http://freedesktop.org/software/plymouth/releases/%{name}-%{version}.tar.bz2
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Obsoletes: plymouth-utils < 0.8.4-0.20101119.4
 
 Patch0: dont-timeout-waiting.patch
 Patch1: sysfs-tty-fix.patch
+Patch2: fix-theme-override.patch
 
 %description
 Plymouth provides an attractive graphical boot animation in
@@ -245,6 +246,7 @@ Plymouth. It features a small spinner on a dark background.
 %setup -q
 %patch0 -p1 -b .dont-timeout-waiting
 %patch1 -p1 -b .sysfs-tty-fix
+%patch2 -p1 -b .fix-theme-override
 
 # Change the default theme
 sed -i -e 's/fade-in/charge/g' src/plymouthd.defaults
@@ -497,6 +499,9 @@ fi
 %defattr(-, root, root)
 
 %changelog
+* Wed May 20 2015 Will Woods <wwoods@redhat.com> 0.8.9-9.2013.08.14
+- Fix theme override using PLYMOUTH_THEME_NAME (#1223344)
+
 * Sat Feb 21 2015 Till Maas <opensource@till.name> - 0.8.9-8.2013.08.14
 - Rebuilt for Fedora 23 Change
   https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/Harden_all_packages_with_position-independent_code