diff --git a/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.c b/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.c
index 899abda17..2b776a0ed 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.c
@@ -107,6 +107,16 @@ gtk_cell_renderer_torrent_new(void) {
   return g_object_new (GTK_TYPE_CELL_RENDERER_TORRENT, NULL);
 }
 
+/* XXX need to do this better somehow */
+void
+gtk_cell_renderer_torrent_reset_style(GtkCellRendererTorrent *tor) {
+  if(NULL != tor->priv->style) {
+    gtk_style_detach(tor->priv->style);
+    gtk_style_unref(tor->priv->style);
+    tor->priv->style = NULL;
+  }
+}
+
 static void
 finalize(GObject *object) {
   GtkCellRendererTorrent *tcell = GTK_CELL_RENDERER_TORRENT(object);
diff --git a/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.h b/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.h
index 6da79a855..d905a38d6 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.h
+++ b/gtk/gtkcellrenderertorrent.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ struct _GtkCellRendererTorrentClass
 
 GType		 gtk_cell_renderer_torrent_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 GtkCellRenderer* gtk_cell_renderer_torrent_new      (void);
+void gtk_cell_renderer_torrent_reset_style(GtkCellRendererTorrent *);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/gtk/main.c b/gtk/main.c
index dbded9553..db47f6de7 100644
--- a/gtk/main.c
+++ b/gtk/main.c
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ GtkWidget *
 makewind_toolbar(struct cbdata *data);
 GtkWidget *
 makewind_list(struct cbdata *data);
+static void
+stylekludge(GObject *obj, GParamSpec *spec, gpointer gdata);
 void
 fixbuttons(GtkTreeSelection *sel, gpointer gdata);
 void
@@ -438,6 +440,9 @@ makewind_list(struct cbdata *data) {
   gtk_tree_view_column_set_cell_data_func(col, progrend, dfprog, NULL, NULL);
   gtk_tree_view_append_column(GTK_TREE_VIEW(view), col);
 
+  /* XXX this shouldn't be necessary */
+  g_signal_connect(view, "notify", G_CALLBACK(stylekludge), progrend);
+
   gtk_tree_view_set_rules_hint(GTK_TREE_VIEW(view), TRUE);
   sel = gtk_tree_view_get_selection(GTK_TREE_VIEW(view));
   gtk_tree_selection_set_mode(GTK_TREE_SELECTION(sel), GTK_SELECTION_SINGLE);
@@ -450,6 +455,15 @@ makewind_list(struct cbdata *data) {
   return view;
 }
 
+/* kludge to have the progress bars notice theme changes */
+static void
+stylekludge(GObject *obj, GParamSpec *spec, gpointer gdata) {
+  if(0 == strcmp("style", spec->name)) {
+    gtk_cell_renderer_torrent_reset_style(GTK_CELL_RENDERER_TORRENT(gdata));
+    gtk_widget_queue_draw(GTK_WIDGET(obj));
+  }
+}
+
 /* disable buttons the user shouldn't be able to click on */
 void
 fixbuttons(GtkTreeSelection *sel, gpointer gdata) {
diff --git a/gtk/prefs.c b/gtk/prefs.c
index cb4aa2e64..8cd37e534 100644
--- a/gtk/prefs.c
+++ b/gtk/prefs.c
@@ -140,18 +140,21 @@ clickdialog(GtkWidget *widget, int resp, gpointer gdata) {
   struct prefdata *data = gdata;
   int intval;
   const char *strval;
-  char *strnum;
+  char *strnum, *errstr;
   gboolean boolval;
 
   if(GTK_RESPONSE_OK == resp) {
     /* check directory */
     strval = gtk_entry_get_text(data->dir);
-    if(!mkdir_p(strval, 0777)) {
+    if('\0' != strval[0] &&!mkdir_p(strval, 0777)) {
       errmsg(data->parent, "Failed to create directory %s:\n%s",
              strval, strerror(errno));
       return;
     }
 
+    /* save dir pref */
+    cf_setpref(PREF_DIR, gtk_entry_get_text(data->dir), NULL);
+
     /* save port pref */
     strnum = g_strdup_printf("%i",
       gtk_spin_button_get_value_as_int(data->port));
@@ -166,21 +169,17 @@ clickdialog(GtkWidget *widget, int resp, gpointer gdata) {
     /* save limit pref */
     intval = gtk_spin_button_get_value_as_int(data->limit);
     strnum = g_strdup_printf("%i", intval);
-    cf_setpref(PREF_LIMIT, strnum, NULL);
-    g_free(strnum);
-
-    setlimit(data->tr);
-
     /*
       note that prefs aren't written to disk unless we pass a pointer
       to an error string, so do this for the last call to cf_setpref()
     */
-    /* save dir pref */
-    if(!cf_setpref(PREF_DIR, gtk_entry_get_text(data->dir), &strnum)) {
-      errmsg(data->parent, "%s", strnum);
+    if(!cf_setpref(PREF_LIMIT, strnum, &errstr)) {
+      errmsg(data->parent, "%s", errstr);
       g_free(strnum);
-      return;
+      g_free(errstr);
     }
+
+    setlimit(data->tr);
   }
 
   gtk_widget_destroy(widget);