diff --git a/contrib/package/luci/Makefile b/contrib/package/luci/Makefile
index 262a7438b0..b3a9df9aba 100644
--- a/contrib/package/luci/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/package/luci/Makefile
@@ -743,7 +743,8 @@ endef
 define Package/luci-theme-openwrt
   $(call Package/luci/thtemplate)
   TITLE:=OpenWrt.org (default)
-  DEPENDS:=+luci-theme-base
+  DEPENDS:=+luci-theme-base luci-core
+  DEFAULT:=y if PACKAGE_luci-core
 endef
 
 define Package/luci-theme-openwrt/install