diff --git a/lib/Cake/Network/Email/CakeEmail.php b/lib/Cake/Network/Email/CakeEmail.php
index 42bffc9cb6d..11728ffd52e 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Network/Email/CakeEmail.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Network/Email/CakeEmail.php
@@ -183,6 +183,13 @@ class CakeEmail {
  */
 	protected $_viewVars = array();
 
+/**
+ * Theme for the View
+ *
+ * @var array
+ */
+	protected $_theme = null;
+
 /**
  * Helpers to be used in the render
  *
@@ -776,6 +783,20 @@ public function viewVars($viewVars = null) {
 		return $this;
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Theme to use when rendering
+ *
+ * @param string $theme
+ * @return mixed
+ */
+	public function theme($theme = null) {
+		if ($theme === null) {
+			return $this->_theme;
+		}
+		$this->_theme = $theme;
+		return $this;
+	}
+
 /**
  * Helpers to be used in render
  *
@@ -1078,7 +1099,7 @@ protected function _applyConfig($config) {
 		$simpleMethods = array(
 			'from', 'sender', 'to', 'replyTo', 'readReceipt', 'returnPath', 'cc', 'bcc',
 			'messageId', 'subject', 'viewRender', 'viewVars', 'attachments',
-			'transport', 'emailFormat'
+			'transport', 'emailFormat', 'theme',
 		);
 		foreach ($simpleMethods as $method) {
 			if (isset($config[$method])) {
@@ -1123,6 +1144,7 @@ public function reset() {
 		$this->_template = '';
 		$this->_viewRender = 'View';
 		$this->_viewVars = array();
+		$this->_theme = null;
 		$this->_helpers = array('Html');
 		$this->_textMessage = '';
 		$this->_htmlMessage = '';
@@ -1483,6 +1505,9 @@ protected function _renderTemplates($content) {
 		} elseif ($layoutPlugin) {
 			$View->plugin = $layoutPlugin;
 		}
+		if ($this->_theme) {
+			$View->theme = $this->_theme;
+		}
 
 		foreach ($types as $type) {
 			$View->set('content', $content);
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Email/CakeEmailTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Email/CakeEmailTest.php
index 1dec09404ab..8c73411dc3b 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Email/CakeEmailTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/Case/Network/Email/CakeEmailTest.php
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ class EmailConfig {
 		'to' => array('test@example.com' => 'Testname'),
 		'subject' => 'Test mail subject',
 		'transport' => 'Debug',
+		'theme' => 'TestTheme',
 	);
 
 }
@@ -568,6 +569,19 @@ public function testTemplate() {
 		$this->assertSame($this->CakeEmail->template(), $expected);
 	}
 
+/**
+ * testTheme method
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testTheme() {
+		$this->assertSame(null, $this->CakeEmail->theme());
+
+		$this->CakeEmail->theme('default');
+		$expected = 'default';
+		$this->assertSame($expected, $this->CakeEmail->theme());
+	}
+
 /**
  * testViewVars method
  *
@@ -679,6 +693,9 @@ public function testConfigString() {
 		$result = $this->CakeEmail->subject();
 		$this->assertEquals($configs->test['subject'], $result);
 
+		$result = $this->CakeEmail->theme();
+		$this->assertEquals($configs->test['theme'], $result);
+
 		$result = $this->CakeEmail->transport();
 		$this->assertEquals($configs->test['transport'], $result);
 
@@ -958,6 +975,28 @@ public function testSendRenderJapanese() {
 		$this->assertContains('To: ', $result['headers']);
 	}
 
+/**
+ * testSendRenderThemed method
+ *
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function testSendRenderThemed() {
+		$this->CakeEmail->reset();
+		$this->CakeEmail->transport('debug');
+
+		$this->CakeEmail->from('cake@cakephp.org');
+		$this->CakeEmail->to(array('you@cakephp.org' => 'You'));
+		$this->CakeEmail->subject('My title');
+		$this->CakeEmail->config(array('empty'));
+		$this->CakeEmail->theme('TestTheme');
+		$this->CakeEmail->template('themed', 'default');
+		$result = $this->CakeEmail->send();
+
+		$this->assertContains('In TestTheme', $result['message']);
+		$this->assertContains('Message-ID: ', $result['headers']);
+		$this->assertContains('To: ', $result['headers']);
+	}
+
 /**
  * testSendRenderWithVars method
  *
@@ -1058,6 +1097,12 @@ public function testSendRenderPlugin() {
 		$this->assertContains('Into TestPlugin.', $result['message']);
 		$this->assertContains('This email was sent using the TestPlugin.', $result['message']);
 
+		// test plugin template overridden by theme
+		$this->CakeEmail->theme('TestTheme');
+		$result = $this->CakeEmail->send();
+
+		$this->assertContains('Into TestPlugin. (themed)', $result['message']);
+
 		$this->CakeEmail->viewVars(array('value' => 12345));
 		$result = $this->CakeEmail->template('custom', 'TestPlugin.plug_default')->send();
 		$this->assertContains('Here is your value: 12345', $result['message']);
@@ -1215,10 +1260,12 @@ public function testMessage() {
  */
 	public function testReset() {
 		$this->CakeEmail->to('cake@cakephp.org');
+		$this->CakeEmail->theme('TestTheme');
 		$this->assertSame($this->CakeEmail->to(), array('cake@cakephp.org' => 'cake@cakephp.org'));
 
 		$this->CakeEmail->reset();
 		$this->assertSame($this->CakeEmail->to(), array());
+		$this->assertSame(null, $this->CakeEmail->theme());
 	}
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/View/Themed/TestTheme/Emails/text/themed.ctp b/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/View/Themed/TestTheme/Emails/text/themed.ctp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5ea24fbc73e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/View/Themed/TestTheme/Emails/text/themed.ctp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+In TestTheme
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/View/Themed/TestTheme/Plugin/TestPlugin/Emails/text/test_plugin_tpl.ctp b/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/View/Themed/TestTheme/Plugin/TestPlugin/Emails/text/test_plugin_tpl.ctp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..74a205d59b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/test_app/View/Themed/TestTheme/Plugin/TestPlugin/Emails/text/test_plugin_tpl.ctp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Into TestPlugin. (themed)