diff --git a/dist/core/fresh-theme.js b/dist/core/fresh-theme.js
index ff12b43..7570333 100644
--- a/dist/core/fresh-theme.js
+++ b/dist/core/fresh-theme.js
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ Definition of the FRESHTheme class.
   _loadOne = function(absPath, formatsHash, tplFolder) {
     var absPathSafe, act, defFormats, idx, isPrimary, obj, outFmt, pathInfo, portion, ref, ref1, reg, res;
     pathInfo = parsePath(absPath);
+    if (pathInfo.basename.toLowerCase() === 'theme.json') {
+      return;
+    }
     absPathSafe = absPath.trim().toLowerCase();
     outFmt = '';
     act = 'copy';
diff --git a/src/core/fresh-theme.coffee b/src/core/fresh-theme.coffee
index e0a65fb..48e0b78 100644
--- a/src/core/fresh-theme.coffee
+++ b/src/core/fresh-theme.coffee
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ _load = (formatsHash) ->
 _loadOne = ( absPath, formatsHash, tplFolder ) ->
 
   pathInfo = parsePath absPath
+  return if pathInfo.basename.toLowerCase() == 'theme.json'
+
   absPathSafe = absPath.trim().toLowerCase()
   outFmt = ''
   act = 'copy'