diff --git a/extensions/theme-defaults/package.json b/extensions/theme-defaults/package.json
index 9d5813d2ad57a..a05e93a6393d6 100644
--- a/extensions/theme-defaults/package.json
+++ b/extensions/theme-defaults/package.json
@@ -13,18 +13,6 @@
   },
   "contributes": {
     "themes": [
-      {
-        "id": "Gitpod Dark",
-        "label": "%gitpodDark%",
-        "uiTheme": "vs-dark",
-        "path": "./themes/gitpod-dark-color-theme.json"
-      },
-      {
-        "id": "Gitpod Light",
-        "label": "%gitpodLight%",
-        "uiTheme": "vs",
-        "path": "./themes/gitpod-light-color-theme.json"
-      },
       {
         "id": "Default Dark+",
         "label": "%darkPlusColorThemeLabel%",
diff --git a/extensions/theme-defaults/package.nls.json b/extensions/theme-defaults/package.nls.json
index 4eee25b288c8f..b98bd7fb5bde4 100644
--- a/extensions/theme-defaults/package.nls.json
+++ b/extensions/theme-defaults/package.nls.json
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"displayName": "Default Themes",
 	"description": "The default Visual Studio light and dark themes",
-	"gitpodDark": "Gitpod Dark",
-	"gitpodLight": "Gitpod Light",
 	"darkPlusColorThemeLabel": "Dark+ (default dark)",
 	"lightPlusColorThemeLabel": "Light+ (default light)",
 	"darkColorThemeLabel": "Dark (Visual Studio)",
diff --git a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/gitpod-dark-color-theme.json b/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/gitpod-dark-color-theme.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 969a68dbdba49..0000000000000
--- a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/gitpod-dark-color-theme.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-{
-	"name": "Gitpod Dark",
-	"include": "./dark_plus.json",
-	"colors": {
-		"statusBarItem.remoteBackground": "#D67400",
-        "statusBarItem.remoteForeground": "#f9f9f9",
-        "statusBar.background": "#252526",
-        "statusBar.foreground": "#F3F3F3",
-        "statusBar.noFolderBackground": "#D67400",
-        "statusBar.debuggingBackground": "#D67400",
-        "sideBar.background": "#1C1917",
-        "sideBarSectionHeader.background": "#252526",
-        "activityBar.background": "#292524",
-        "activityBar.foreground": "#F3F3F3",
-        "editor.background": "#12100C",
-        "button.background": "#D67400",
-        "button.foreground": "#ffffff",
-        "list.activeSelectionBackground": "#57534E",
-        "list.activeSelectionForeground": "#F3F3F3",
-        "list.inactiveSelectionForeground": "#F3F3F3",
-        "list.inactiveSelectionBackground": "#44403C",
-        "minimap.background": "#12100C",
-        "minimapSlider.activeBackground": "#44403C",
-        "tab.inactiveBackground": "#1C1917",
-        "editor.selectionBackground": "#A35800",
-        "editor.inactiveSelectionBackground": "#7A4200",
-        "textLink.foreground": "#ffb45b",
-        "textLink.activeForeground": "#ff8a00"
-	}
-}
diff --git a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/gitpod-light-color-theme.json b/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/gitpod-light-color-theme.json
deleted file mode 100644
index d80d1789661ac..0000000000000
--- a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/gitpod-light-color-theme.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-{
-	"name": "Gitpod Light",
-	"include": "./light_plus.json",
-	"colors": {
-		"statusBarItem.remoteBackground": "#FF8A00",
-        "statusBarItem.remoteForeground": "#f9f9f9",
-        "statusBar.background": "#F3F3F3",
-        "statusBar.foreground": "#292524",
-        "statusBar.noFolderBackground": "#FF8A00",
-        "statusBar.debuggingBackground": "#FF8A00",
-        "sideBar.background": "#fcfcfc",
-        "sideBarSectionHeader.background": "#f9f9f9",
-        "activityBar.background": "#f9f9f9",
-        "activityBar.foreground": "#292524",
-        "editor.background": "#ffffff",
-        "button.background": "#FF8A00",
-        "button.foreground": "#ffffff",
-        "list.activeSelectionBackground": "#e7e5e4",
-        "list.activeSelectionForeground": "#292524",
-        "list.inactiveSelectionForeground": "#292524",
-        "list.inactiveSelectionBackground": "#F9F9F9",
-        "minimap.background": "#FCFCFC",
-        "minimapSlider.activeBackground": "#F9F9F9",
-        "tab.inactiveBackground": "#F9F9F9",
-        "editor.selectionBackground": "#FFE4BC",
-        "editor.inactiveSelectionBackground": "#FFE4BC",
-        "textLink.foreground": "#ffb45b",
-        "textLink.activeForeground": "#ff8a00"
-	}
-}
diff --git a/product.json b/product.json
index f7876af18a7d7..6b26e8032c699 100644
--- a/product.json
+++ b/product.json
@@ -753,6 +753,21 @@
 				},
 				"publisherDisplayName": "Red Hat"
 			}
+		},
+		{
+			"name": "gitpod.gitpod-theme",
+			"version": "0.0.2",
+			"repo": "https://github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod-vscode-theme",
+			"metadata": {
+				"id": "985c019b-4620-45a7-92c5-b721d8c11bc0",
+				"publisherId": {
+					"publisherId": "452246e5-9ce6-485c-b35f-5a50d93f81df",
+					"publisherName": "gitpod",
+					"displayName": "Gitpod",
+					"flags": "verified"
+				},
+				"publisherDisplayName": "Gitpod"
+			}
 		}
 	],
 	"extensionsGallery": {
diff --git a/src/vs/gitpod/browser/workbench/workbench.ts b/src/vs/gitpod/browser/workbench/workbench.ts
index db94e1be13110..a5afaccb55eb9 100644
--- a/src/vs/gitpod/browser/workbench/workbench.ts
+++ b/src/vs/gitpod/browser/workbench/workbench.ts
@@ -929,7 +929,7 @@ async function doStart(): Promise<IDisposable> {
 		},
 		initialColorTheme: {
 			themeType: ColorScheme.LIGHT,
-			// should be aligned with extensions/theme-defaults/themes/gitpod-light-color-theme.json
+			// should be aligned with https://github.com/gitpod-io/gitpod-vscode-theme
 			colors: {
 				'statusBarItem.remoteBackground': '#FF8A00',
 				'statusBarItem.remoteForeground': '#f9f9f9',