diff --git a/core/ManifestBuilder.php b/core/ManifestBuilder.php
index 5f19c2732..edf5c26c0 100644
--- a/core/ManifestBuilder.php
+++ b/core/ManifestBuilder.php
@@ -148,6 +148,34 @@ class ManifestBuilder {
  		}
  	}
 	
+	/**
+	 * Get themes from a particular directory.
+	 * 
+	 * @param string $baseDir Optional: Absolute path to theme directory for testing e.g. "/Users/sharvey/Sites/test24/themes"
+	 * @param boolean $includeSubThemes If set to TRUE, sub-themes such as "blackcandy_blog" are included too
+	 * @return array indexed array of theme directories
+	 */
+	public static function get_themes($baseDir = null, $includeSubThemes = false) {
+		// If no base directory specified, the default is the project root
+		if(!$baseDir) $baseDir = BASE_PATH . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . THEMES_DIR;
+		$themes = array();
+		$handle = opendir($baseDir);
+		if($handle) {
+			while(false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) {
+				$fullPath = $baseDir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $file;
+				if(strpos($file, '.') === false && is_dir($fullPath)) {
+					$include = $includeSubThemes ? true : false;
+					if(strpos($file, '_') === false) {
+						$include = true;
+					}
+					if($include) $themes[] = $file;
+				}
+			}
+			closedir($handle);
+		}
+		return $themes;
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Return an array containing information for the manifest
 	 * @param $baseDir The root directory to analyse
@@ -206,17 +234,14 @@ class ManifestBuilder {
 					if(preg_match("/\\\$project\s*=\s*[^\n\r]+[\n\r]/", file_get_contents("$baseDir/$filename/_config.php"), $parts)) {
 						eval($parts[0]);
 					}
-
 				}
 			}
 		}
 
 		// Get themes
 		if(file_exists("$baseDir/themes")) {
-			$themeDirs = scandir("$baseDir/themes");
+			$themeDirs = self::get_themes("$baseDir/themes", true);
 			foreach($themeDirs as $themeDir) {
-				if(substr($themeDir,0,1) == '.') continue;
-				// The theme something_forum is understood as being a part of the theme something
 				$themeName = strtok($themeDir, '_');
 				ManifestBuilder::getTemplateManifest($baseDir, "themes/$themeDir", $excludedFolders, $templateManifest, $cssManifest, $themeName);
 			}
diff --git a/tests/ManifestBuilderTest.php b/tests/ManifestBuilderTest.php
index 3b9dc16b5..3edf5059b 100644
--- a/tests/ManifestBuilderTest.php
+++ b/tests/ManifestBuilderTest.php
@@ -127,6 +127,55 @@ class ManifestBuilderTest extends SapphireTest {
 		global $project;
 	}
 
+	function testThemeRetrieval() {
+		$ds = DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR;
+		$testThemeBaseDir = TEMP_FOLDER . $ds . 'test-themes';
+
+		// If the test directory somehow exists after a failed test, remove all the files and directories inside
+		if(file_exists($testThemeBaseDir)) {
+			$handle = opendir($testThemeBaseDir);
+			while(false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) {
+				$fullPath = $testThemeBaseDir . $ds . $file;
+				if(strpos($file, '.') === false) {
+					if(is_dir($fullPath)) rmdir($fullPath);
+					else unlink($fullPath);
+				}
+			}
+			closedir($handle);
+			rmdir($testThemeBaseDir);
+		}
+		
+		mkdir($testThemeBaseDir);
+		mkdir($testThemeBaseDir . $ds . 'blackcandy');
+		mkdir($testThemeBaseDir . $ds . 'blackcandy_blog');
+		mkdir($testThemeBaseDir . $ds . 'darkshades');
+		mkdir($testThemeBaseDir . $ds . 'darkshades_blog');
+		
+		$this->assertEquals(array(
+			'blackcandy',
+			'darkshades'
+		), ManifestBuilder::get_themes($testThemeBaseDir), 'Our test theme directory contains 2 themes');
+		
+		$this->assertEquals(array(
+			'blackcandy',
+			'blackcandy_blog',
+			'darkshades',
+			'darkshades_blog'
+		), ManifestBuilder::get_themes($testThemeBaseDir, true), 'Our test theme directory contains 2 themes and 2 sub-themes');
+
+		// Remove all the test themes we created
+		$handle = opendir($testThemeBaseDir);
+		while(false !== ($file = readdir($handle))) {
+			$fullPath = $testThemeBaseDir . $ds . $file;
+			if(strpos($file, '.') === false) {
+				if(is_dir($fullPath)) rmdir($fullPath);
+				else unlink($fullPath);
+			}
+		}
+		closedir($handle);
+		rmdir($testThemeBaseDir);
+	}
+
 	function tearDown() { 
 		global $_CLASS_MANIFEST, $_ALL_CLASSES, $project;