diff --git a/src/xdgmenumaker b/src/xdgmenumaker
index 869915e..8060a21 100755
--- a/src/xdgmenumaker
+++ b/src/xdgmenumaker
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ submenu = True
 pekwmdynamic = False
 twmtitles = False
 max_icon_size = False
+icontheme = 'hicolor'
 
 # the following line gets changed by the Makefile. If it is set to
 # 'not_set' it looks in the currect directory tree for the .directory
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ def main(argv):
     global pekwmdynamic
     global twmtitles
     global max_icon_size
+    global icontheme
     try:
         opts, args = getopt.getopt(argv, "hins:f:", ["help", "icons",
                                                      "no-submenu",
@@ -171,7 +173,8 @@ def main(argv):
                                                      "max-icon-size",
                                                      "no-svg",
                                                      "size=",
-                                                     "format="])
+                                                     "format=",
+                                                     "icon-theme="])
     except getopt.GetoptError:
         usage()
         sys.exit(2)
@@ -211,6 +214,8 @@ def main(argv):
             nosvg = True
         elif opt in ("-f", "--format"):
             desktop = arg
+        elif opt == "--icon-theme":
+            icontheme = arg
     if not desktop:
         usage()
         sys.exit('ERROR: You must specify the output format with -f')
@@ -257,6 +262,7 @@ def usage():
     print('        --max-icon-size  restrict the icon sizes to the specified size')
     print('        --pekwm-dynamic  generate dynamic menus for pekwm')
     print('        --twm-titles     show menu titles in twm menus')
+    print('        --icon-theme     XDG icon theme to lookup icons in (default: hicolor)')
     print('    -h, --help           show this help message')
     print('  You have to specify the output format using the -f switch.')
     print()
@@ -292,7 +298,7 @@ def icon_max_size(icon):
 def icon_full_path(icon):
     args = {
         'size': iconsize,
-        'theme': 'hicolor'
+        'theme': icontheme
     }
     lookup_svg = True
     if not desktop == "jwm" or nosvg: