diff --git a/tailbone/subscribers.py b/tailbone/subscribers.py
index dce8b3ba..33a9d749 100644
--- a/tailbone/subscribers.py
+++ b/tailbone/subscribers.py
@@ -183,9 +183,7 @@ def before_render(event):
         if request.user:
             css = request.rattail_config.get('tailbone.{}'.format(request.user.uuid),
                                              'buefy_css')
-        if not css:
-            css = request.rattail_config.get('tailbone', 'theme.falafel.buefy_css')
-        renderer_globals['buefy_css'] = css
+        renderer_globals['user_css'] = css
 
         # add global search data for quick access
         renderer_globals['global_search_data'] = get_global_search_options(request)
diff --git a/tailbone/templates/base.mako b/tailbone/templates/base.mako
index 2a42af0b..e1020b28 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/base.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/base.mako
@@ -162,9 +162,8 @@
 </%def>
 
 <%def name="buefy_styles()">
-  % if buefy_css:
-      ## custom Buefy CSS
-      ${h.stylesheet_link(buefy_css)}
+  % if user_css:
+      ${h.stylesheet_link(user_css)}
   % else:
       ## upstream Buefy CSS
       ${h.stylesheet_link(h.get_liburl(request, 'buefy.css'))}
diff --git a/tailbone/views/messages.py b/tailbone/views/messages.py
index ae050784..9199c025 100644
--- a/tailbone/views/messages.py
+++ b/tailbone/views/messages.py
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ class MessageView(MasterView):
             f.insert_after('recipients', 'set_recipients')
             f.remove('recipients')
             f.set_node('set_recipients', colander.SchemaNode(colander.Set()))
-            f.set_widget('set_recipients', RecipientsWidgetBuefy())
+            f.set_widget('set_recipients', RecipientsWidget())
             f.set_label('set_recipients', "To")
 
             if self.replying:
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ class SentView(MessageView):
                                                 default_active=True, default_verb='contains')
 
 
-class RecipientsWidgetBuefy(dfwidget.Widget):
+class RecipientsWidget(dfwidget.Widget):
     """
     Custom "message recipients" widget, for use with Vue.js themes.
     """