diff --git a/e107_handlers/e107_class.php b/e107_handlers/e107_class.php
index 50b4c85b2..36fe063ac 100644
--- a/e107_handlers/e107_class.php
+++ b/e107_handlers/e107_class.php
@@ -1985,21 +1985,18 @@ class e107
 		$id = str_replace('/', '_', $id);
 		$ret = self::_getTemplate($id, $key, $reg_path, $path, $info);
 		
+		### Attempt to fix merge issues; in case we override - template array not found in theme, 
+		### so we need to continue and merge with core templates
+		if($merge && $override && empty($ret))
+		{
+			$ret = array();
+		}
 		
-	//	if(!$merge || !$override || !is_array($ret)) // problems merging when template doesn't exist in core. 
-		
-		if((!$merge && !$override) || is_string($ret)) //XXX This appears to have less problems, but requires more testing. 
+		if((!$merge && !$override) || is_string($ret)) 
 		{
 			 return $ret;
 		}
 		
-		if(!is_array($ret)) // for the merge below. 
-		{
-			$ret = array();	
-		}
-		
-		// print_a($id ." ". $key ." ". $reg_path." ". $path." ".$info);
-		
 		// merge
 		$reg_path = 'core/e107/templates/'.$id;
 		$path = self::coreTemplatePath($id, false);
diff --git a/page.php b/page.php
index 543cb0385..0f173c0b2 100644
--- a/page.php
+++ b/page.php
@@ -395,9 +395,14 @@ class pageClass
 
 		$this->page = $sql->fetch();
 
-		$this->template = e107::getCoreTemplate('page', vartrue($this->page['page_template'], 'default'), false, true); // setting override to true breaks default. 
-	//	$this->template = e107::getCoreTemplate('page', 'default',true,true);
-	//	print_a($this->template);
+		// setting override to true breaks default. 
+		$this->template = e107::getCoreTemplate('page', vartrue($this->page['page_template'], 'default'), true, true); 
+		if(!$this->template)
+		{
+			// switch to default
+			$this->template = e107::getCoreTemplate('page', 'default', false, false);
+		}
+
 		if(empty($this->template))
 		{
 			 $this->template = e107::getCoreTemplate('page', 'default');