diff --git a/assets/scripts/features/darkmode/index.js b/assets/scripts/features/darkmode/index.js
index 9ecaf2e..74ac8e0 100644
--- a/assets/scripts/features/darkmode/index.js
+++ b/assets/scripts/features/darkmode/index.js
@@ -14,11 +14,7 @@ window.addEventListener('load', async () => {
 
 
   function loadScheme() {
-    return localStorage.getItem(PERSISTENCE_KEY) || loadDefaultScheme()
-  }
-
-  function loadDefaultScheme() {
-    return document.getElementById('defaultTheme').innerText || "system"
+    return localStorage.getItem(PERSISTENCE_KEY) || "system"
   }
 
   function saveScheme(scheme) {
diff --git a/layouts/_default/baseof.html b/layouts/_default/baseof.html
index aeb03bc..65f6364 100644
--- a/layouts/_default/baseof.html
+++ b/layouts/_default/baseof.html
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     <!--================= add analytics if enabled =========================-->
     {{- partial "analytics.html" . -}}
     <script>
-      theme = localStorage.getItem('darkmode:color-scheme') || document.getElementById('defaultTheme').innerText || "system"
+      theme = localStorage.getItem('darkmode:color-scheme') || 'system';
       if (theme == 'system') {
         if (window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches) {
           theme = 'dark';
diff --git a/layouts/index.html b/layouts/index.html
index ad21a6d..5a1faf2 100644
--- a/layouts/index.html
+++ b/layouts/index.html
@@ -3,18 +3,13 @@
   <head>
     <title>{{- .Site.Title -}}</title>
     {{ $siteDescription := .Site.Params.description }}
-    {{ $siteDefaultTheme := .Site.Params.defaultTheme }}
     {{ if (index .Site.Data .Site.Language.Lang).site }}
       {{ $siteConfig := (index .Site.Data .Site.Language.Lang).site }}
       {{ if $siteConfig.description }}
         {{ $siteDescription = $siteConfig.description }}
       {{ end }}
-      {{ if $siteConfig.defaultTheme }}
-        {{ $siteDefaultTheme = $siteConfig.defaultTheme }}
-      {{ end }}
     {{ end }}
     <meta name="description" content="{{ $siteDescription }}" />
-    <p id="defaultTheme" hidden>{{ $siteDefaultTheme }}</p>
     
     <!-- import common headers -->
     {{- partial "header.html" . -}}
@@ -23,7 +18,7 @@
     <!--================= add analytics if enabled =========================-->
     {{- partial "analytics.html" . -}}
     <script>
-      theme = localStorage.getItem('darkmode:color-scheme') || document.getElementById('defaultTheme').innerText || "system"
+      theme = localStorage.getItem('darkmode:color-scheme') || 'system';
       if (theme == 'system') {
         if (window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches) {
           theme = 'dark';
