diff --git a/webapp/graphite/dashboard/views.py b/webapp/graphite/dashboard/views.py
index 80750c7d5..d7a12e9d3 100644
--- a/webapp/graphite/dashboard/views.py
+++ b/webapp/graphite/dashboard/views.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import re
+import os
 import errno
 
 from os.path import getmtime
@@ -126,6 +127,10 @@ def dashboard(request, name=None):
   debug = request.GET.get('debug', False)
   theme = request.GET.get('theme', config.ui_config['theme'])
   css_file = finders.find('css/dashboard-%s.css' % theme)
+  if css_file is None:
+    # Also search in STATIC_ROOT for dist packages
+    css_file = os.path.isfile(os.path.join(settings.STATIC_ROOT,
+                                           'css/dashboard-%s.css' % theme))
   if css_file is None:
     initialError = "Invalid theme '%s'" % theme
     theme = config.ui_config['theme']
diff --git a/webapp/graphite/settings.py b/webapp/graphite/settings.py
index f5ca1846d..2cfd9447d 100644
--- a/webapp/graphite/settings.py
+++ b/webapp/graphite/settings.py
@@ -244,6 +244,10 @@
     from graphite.app_settings import *  # noqa
 
 
+STATICFILES_DIRS = (
+    join(WEBAPP_DIR, 'content'),
+)
+
 # Handle renamed timeout settings
 FIND_TIMEOUT = FIND_TIMEOUT or REMOTE_FIND_TIMEOUT or 3.0
 FETCH_TIMEOUT = FETCH_TIMEOUT or REMOTE_FETCH_TIMEOUT or 6.0
@@ -294,10 +298,6 @@
     except ImportError:
         pass
 
-STATICFILES_DIRS = (
-    STATIC_ROOT,
-)
-
 if DATABASES is None:
     DATABASES = {
       'default': {