diff -up gnome-control-center-2.24.0.1/capplets/common/gnome-theme-apply.c.notification-theme gnome-control-center-2.24.0.1/capplets/common/gnome-theme-apply.c
--- gnome-control-center-2.24.0.1/capplets/common/gnome-theme-apply.c.notification-theme	2008-09-24 12:36:22.000000000 -0400
+++ gnome-control-center-2.24.0.1/capplets/common/gnome-theme-apply.c	2009-01-17 00:57:26.000000000 -0500
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ gnome_meta_theme_set (GnomeThemeMetaInfo
 {
   GConfClient *client;
   gchar *old_key;
+  gchar *new_key;
   gint old_key_int;
   GnomeWindowManager *window_manager;
   GnomeWMSettings wm_settings;
@@ -100,15 +101,15 @@ gnome_meta_theme_set (GnomeThemeMetaInfo
   g_free (old_key);
 
   /* set the notification theme */
-  if (meta_theme_info->notification_theme_name != NULL)
+  new_key = meta_theme_info->notification_theme_name;
+  if (new_key == NULL)
+    new_key = "standard";
+  old_key = gconf_client_get_string (client, NOTIFICATION_THEME_KEY, NULL);
+  if (compare (old_key, new_key))
     {
-      old_key = gconf_client_get_string (client, NOTIFICATION_THEME_KEY, NULL);
-      if (compare (old_key, meta_theme_info->notification_theme_name))
-        {
-          gconf_client_set_string (client, NOTIFICATION_THEME_KEY, meta_theme_info->notification_theme_name, NULL);
-        }
-      g_free (old_key);
+       gconf_client_set_string (client, NOTIFICATION_THEME_KEY, new_key, NULL);
     }
+  g_free (old_key);
 
   /* Set the cursor theme key */
 #ifdef HAVE_XCURSOR