diff --git a/openlp/core/lib/theme.py b/openlp/core/lib/theme.py
index 808086fd8..541cd8fab 100644
--- a/openlp/core/lib/theme.py
+++ b/openlp/core/lib/theme.py
@@ -209,13 +209,23 @@ class Theme(object):
 
     def load_theme(self, theme):
         """
-        Pull out the XML string formatted for human consumption
+        Convert the JSON file and expand it.
         
         :param theme: the theme string
         """
         jsn = json.loads(theme)
         self.expand_json(jsn)
 
+    def export_theme(self):
+        """
+        Loop through the fields and build a dictionary of them
+
+        """
+        theme_data = {}
+        for attr, value in self.__dict__.items():
+            theme_data["{attr}".format(attr=attr)] = value
+        return json.dumps(theme_data)
+
     def parse(self, xml):
         """
         Read in an XML string and parse it.
diff --git a/openlp/core/ui/thememanager.py b/openlp/core/ui/thememanager.py
index 3b2c19222..3fb2da1c9 100644
--- a/openlp/core/ui/thememanager.py
+++ b/openlp/core/ui/thememanager.py
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ class ThemeManager(OpenLPMixin, RegistryMixin, QtWidgets.QWidget, Ui_ThemeManage
         :param image_to: Where the Theme Image is to be saved to
         """
         name = theme.theme_name
-        theme_pretty = json.dumps(theme, default=json_default)
+        theme_pretty = theme.export_theme()
         theme_dir = os.path.join(self.path, name)
         check_directory_exists(theme_dir)
         theme_file = os.path.join(theme_dir, name + '.json')
diff --git a/tests/functional/openlp_core_lib/test_theme.py b/tests/functional/openlp_core_lib/test_theme.py
index 85692f0a2..db5291d23 100644
--- a/tests/functional/openlp_core_lib/test_theme.py
+++ b/tests/functional/openlp_core_lib/test_theme.py
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ class TestTheme(TestCase):
         # WHEN: A theme object is created
         default_theme = Theme()
         # THEN: The default values should be correct
-        save_theme_json = json.dumps(default_theme, default=json_default)
+        save_theme_json = default_theme.export_theme()
         lt = Theme()
         lt.load_theme(save_theme_json)
         self.check_theme(lt)
diff --git a/tests/functional/openlp_core_ui/test_thememanager.py b/tests/functional/openlp_core_ui/test_thememanager.py
index 393d60ecd..a30eda7fa 100644
--- a/tests/functional/openlp_core_ui/test_thememanager.py
+++ b/tests/functional/openlp_core_ui/test_thememanager.py
@@ -149,14 +149,13 @@ class TestThemeManager(TestCase):
         theme_manager.path = self.temp_folder
         mocked_theme = MagicMock()
         mocked_theme.theme_name = 'theme 愛 name'
-        mocked_theme.extract_formatted_xml = MagicMock()
-        mocked_theme.extract_formatted_xml.return_value = 'fake theme 愛 XML'.encode()
+        mocked_theme.export_theme.return_value = "{}"
 
         # WHEN: Calling _write_theme with a theme with a name with special characters in it
         theme_manager._write_theme(mocked_theme, None, None)
 
         # THEN: It should have been created
-        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(self.temp_folder, 'theme 愛 name', 'theme 愛 name.xml')),
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(os.path.join(self.temp_folder, 'theme 愛 name', 'theme 愛 name.json')),
                         'Theme with special characters should have been created!')
 
     def test_over_write_message_box_yes(self):