diff --git a/default/elephant/omarchy_themes.lua b/default/elephant/omarchy_themes.lua
index 1f21d847..02baa0a9 100644
--- a/default/elephant/omarchy_themes.lua
+++ b/default/elephant/omarchy_themes.lua
@@ -4,67 +4,93 @@
 Name = "omarchythemes"
 NamePretty = "Omarchy Themes"
 
+-- Check if file exists using Lua (no subprocess)
+local function file_exists(path)
+  local f = io.open(path, "r")
+  if f then
+    f:close()
+    return true
+  end
+  return false
+end
+
+-- Get first matching file from directory using ls (single call for fallback)
+local function first_image_in_dir(dir)
+  local handle = io.popen("ls -1 '" .. dir .. "' 2>/dev/null | head -n 1")
+  if handle then
+    local file = handle:read("*l")
+    handle:close()
+    if file and file ~= "" then
+      return dir .. "/" .. file
+    end
+  end
+  return nil
+end
+
 -- The main function elephant will call
 function GetEntries()
   local entries = {}
-  local theme_dir = os.getenv("HOME") .. "/.config/omarchy/themes"
+  local user_theme_dir = os.getenv("HOME") .. "/.config/omarchy/themes"
+  local omarchy_path = os.getenv("OMARCHY_PATH") or ""
+  local default_theme_dir = omarchy_path .. "/themes"
 
-  -- First, get all theme directories
-  local find_dirs_cmd = "find -L '" .. theme_dir .. "' -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d 2>/dev/null"
+  local seen_themes = {}
 
-  local handle = io.popen(find_dirs_cmd)
-  if not handle then
-    return entries
-  end
+  -- Helper function to process themes from a directory
+  local function process_themes_from_dir(theme_dir)
+    -- Single find call to get all theme directories
+    local handle = io.popen("find -L '" .. theme_dir .. "' -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d 2>/dev/null")
+    if not handle then
+      return
+    end
 
-  for theme_path in handle:lines() do
-    local theme_name = theme_path:match(".*/(.+)$")
+    for theme_path in handle:lines() do
+      local theme_name = theme_path:match(".*/(.+)$")
 
-    if theme_name then
-      -- find preview image
-      local find_preview_cmd = "find -L '"
-        .. theme_path
-        .. "' -maxdepth 1 -type f \\( -name 'preview.png' -o -name 'preview.jpg' \\) 2>/dev/null | head -n 1"
-      local preview_handle = io.popen(find_preview_cmd)
-      local preview_path = nil
+      if theme_name and not seen_themes[theme_name] then
+        seen_themes[theme_name] = true
 
-      if preview_handle then
-        preview_path = preview_handle:read("*l")
-        preview_handle:close()
-      end
+        -- Check for preview images directly (no subprocess)
+        local preview_path = nil
+        local preview_png = theme_path .. "/preview.png"
+        local preview_jpg = theme_path .. "/preview.jpg"
 
-      -- If no preview found, use first image from backgrounds folder
-      if not preview_path or preview_path == "" then
-        local bg_cmd = "find -L '"
-          .. theme_path
-          .. "/backgrounds' -maxdepth 1 -type f \\( -iname '*.png' -o -iname '*.jpg' -o -iname '*.jpeg' \\) 2>/dev/null | head -n 1"
-        local bg_handle = io.popen(bg_cmd)
-        if bg_handle then
-          preview_path = bg_handle:read("*l")
-          bg_handle:close()
+        if file_exists(preview_png) then
+          preview_path = preview_png
+        elseif file_exists(preview_jpg) then
+          preview_path = preview_jpg
+        else
+          -- Fallback: get first image from backgrounds (one ls call)
+          preview_path = first_image_in_dir(theme_path .. "/backgrounds")
+        end
+
+        if preview_path and preview_path ~= "" then
+          local display_name = theme_name:gsub("_", " "):gsub("%-", " ")
+          display_name = display_name:gsub("(%a)([%w_']*)", function(first, rest)
+            return first:upper() .. rest:lower()
+          end)
+          display_name = display_name .. "  "
+
+          table.insert(entries, {
+            Text = display_name,
+            Preview = preview_path,
+            PreviewType = "file",
+            Actions = {
+              activate = "omarchy-theme-set " .. theme_name,
+            },
+          })
         end
       end
-
-      if preview_path and preview_path ~= "" then
-        local display_name = theme_name:gsub("_", " "):gsub("%-", " ")
-        display_name = display_name:gsub("(%a)([%w_']*)", function(first, rest)
-          return first:upper() .. rest:lower()
-        end)
-        display_name = display_name .. "  "
-
-        table.insert(entries, {
-          Text = display_name,
-          Preview = preview_path,
-          PreviewType = "file",
-          Actions = {
-            activate = "omarchy-theme-set " .. theme_name,
-          },
-        })
-      end
     end
+
+    handle:close()
   end
 
-  handle:close()
+  -- Process user themes first (they take precedence)
+  process_themes_from_dir(user_theme_dir)
+  -- Then process default themes (only if not already seen)
+  process_themes_from_dir(default_theme_dir)
+
   return entries
 end