diff --git a/rtgui/filebrowserentry.cc b/rtgui/filebrowserentry.cc
index 0585a9311..457ff923c 100644
--- a/rtgui/filebrowserentry.cc
+++ b/rtgui/filebrowserentry.cc
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 #define CROPRESIZEBORDER 4
 
-extern Glib::Threads::Thread* mainThread;
+//extern Glib::Threads::Thread* mainThread;
 
 bool FileBrowserEntry::iconsLoaded(false);
 Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::Pixbuf> FileBrowserEntry::editedIcon;
diff --git a/rtgui/main.cc b/rtgui/main.cc
index 998391b68..3a7174d6a 100644
--- a/rtgui/main.cc
+++ b/rtgui/main.cc
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ static void myGdkLockLeave()
 {
     // Automatic gdk_flush for non main tread
 #if AUTO_GDK_FLUSH
-    if (Glib::Thread::self() != mainThread) {
-        gdk_flush();
-    }
+    //if (Glib::Thread::self() != mainThread) {
+    //    gdk_flush();
+    //}
 
 #endif
     myGdkRecMutex.unlock();
diff --git a/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc b/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc
index 398682dbb..3f3d5f7fd 100644
--- a/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc
+++ b/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.cc
@@ -626,6 +626,15 @@ void ThumbBrowserBase::enableInspector()
     }
 }
 
+void ThumbBrowserBase::Internal::on_style_updated()
+{
+    style = get_style_context ();
+    textn = style->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
+    texts = style->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
+    bgn = style->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
+    bgs = style->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
+}
+
 void ThumbBrowserBase::Internal::on_realize()
 {
     // Gtk signals automatically acquire the GUI (i.e. this method is enclosed by gdk_thread_enter and gdk_thread_leave)
@@ -634,6 +643,13 @@ void ThumbBrowserBase::Internal::on_realize()
     get_pango_context()->set_cairo_font_options (cfo);
 
     Gtk::DrawingArea::on_realize();
+
+    style = get_style_context ();
+    textn = style->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
+    texts = style->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
+    bgn = style->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
+    bgs = style->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
+
     Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::Window> window = get_window();
     set_can_focus(true);
     add_events(Gdk::EXPOSURE_MASK | Gdk::BUTTON_PRESS_MASK | Gdk::BUTTON_RELEASE_MASK | Gdk::POINTER_MOTION_MASK | Gdk::SCROLL_MASK | Gdk::KEY_PRESS_MASK);
@@ -884,7 +900,7 @@ bool ThumbBrowserBase::Internal::on_draw(const ::Cairo::RefPtr< Cairo::Context>
     int h = get_height();
 
     // draw thumbnails
-    Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> style = get_style_context ();
+
     cr->set_antialias(Cairo::ANTIALIAS_NONE);
     cr->set_line_join(Cairo::LINE_JOIN_MITER);
     style->render_background(cr, 0., 0., w, h);
diff --git a/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.h b/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.h
index 86e438275..631d35e46 100644
--- a/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.h
+++ b/rtgui/thumbbrowserbase.h
@@ -38,10 +38,19 @@ class ThumbBrowserBase  :  public Gtk::VBox
         int ofsX, ofsY;
         ThumbBrowserBase* parent;
         bool dirty;
+
+        // caching some very often used values
+        Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> style;
+        Gdk::RGBA textn;
+        Gdk::RGBA texts;
+        Gdk::RGBA bgn;
+        Gdk::RGBA bgs;
+
     public:
         Internal ();
         void setParent (ThumbBrowserBase* p);
         void on_realize();
+        void on_style_updated();
         bool on_draw(const ::Cairo::RefPtr< Cairo::Context> &cr);
         bool on_button_press_event (GdkEventButton* event);
         bool on_button_release_event (GdkEventButton* event);
@@ -51,6 +60,22 @@ class ThumbBrowserBase  :  public Gtk::VBox
         bool on_query_tooltip (int x, int y, bool keyboard_tooltip, const Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::Tooltip>& tooltip);
         void setPosition (int x, int y);
 
+        Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> getStyle() {
+            return style;
+        }
+        Gdk::RGBA getNormalTextColor() {
+            return textn;
+        }
+        Gdk::RGBA getSelectedTextColor() {
+            return texts;
+        }
+        Gdk::RGBA getNormalBgColor() {
+            return bgn;
+        }
+        Gdk::RGBA getSelectedBgColor() {
+            return bgs;
+        }
+
         void setDirty ()
         {
             dirty = true;
@@ -194,6 +219,23 @@ public:
     {
         return &internal;
     }
+
+    Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> getStyle() {
+        return internal.getStyle();
+    }
+    Gdk::RGBA getNormalTextColor() {
+        return internal.getNormalTextColor();
+    }
+    Gdk::RGBA getSelectedTextColor() {
+        return internal.getSelectedTextColor();
+    }
+    Gdk::RGBA getNormalBgColor() {
+        return internal.getNormalBgColor();
+    }
+    Gdk::RGBA getSelectedBgColor() {
+        return internal.getSelectedBgColor();
+    }
+
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc b/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc
index 1d1a673dd..e6988cd62 100644
--- a/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc
+++ b/rtgui/thumbbrowserentrybase.cc
@@ -86,15 +86,11 @@ void ThumbBrowserEntryBase::updateBackBuffer ()
 
     Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cc = Cairo::Context::create(surface);
 
-    Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> style = w->get_style_context();
-    Gdk::RGBA txtn;
-    style->lookup_color("text", txtn);
-    Gdk::RGBA textn = style->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
-    Gdk::RGBA texts = style->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
-    Gdk::RGBA bgn = style->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
-    //Gdk::RGBA bgs = style->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
-    Gdk::RGBA bgs;
-    bgs.set_rgba(0.3372549, 0.3372549, 0.3372549);
+    Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> style = parent->getStyle();
+    Gdk::RGBA textn = parent->getNormalTextColor();
+    Gdk::RGBA texts = parent->getSelectedTextColor();
+    Gdk::RGBA bgn = parent->getNormalBgColor();
+    Gdk::RGBA bgs = parent->getSelectedBgColor();
 
     // clear area, draw frames and background
     style->render_background(cc, 0., 0., exp_width, exp_height);
@@ -498,12 +494,7 @@ void ThumbBrowserEntryBase::draw ()
 
     Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::Window> win = w->get_window();
     Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cc = win->create_cairo_context();
-    Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> sc = w->get_style_context();
 
-//  Gdk::RGBA textn = sc->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
-//  Gdk::RGBA texts = sc->get_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
-    Gdk::RGBA bgn = sc->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_NORMAL);
-    Gdk::RGBA bgs = sc->get_background_color(Gtk::STATE_FLAG_SELECTED);
     int w_ = startx + ofsX;
     int h_ = starty + ofsY;
     cc->set_source(backBuffer->getSurface(), w_, h_);
@@ -516,7 +507,7 @@ void ThumbBrowserEntryBase::draw ()
 
     // redraw button set above the thumbnail
     if (buttonSet) {
-        buttonSet->setColors (selected ? bgs : bgn, selected ? bgn : bgs);
+        buttonSet->setColors (selected ? parent->getSelectedBgColor() : parent->getNormalBgColor(), selected ? parent->getNormalBgColor() : parent->getSelectedBgColor());
         buttonSet->redraw (cc);
     }
 }