diff --git a/Headers/Additions/GNUstepGUI/GSTheme.h b/Headers/Additions/GNUstepGUI/GSTheme.h
index a2ae844ec..d6ce4776e 100644
--- a/Headers/Additions/GNUstepGUI/GSTheme.h
+++ b/Headers/Additions/GNUstepGUI/GSTheme.h
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ extern NSString *
 GSThemeStringFromFillStyle(GSThemeFillStyle s);
 
 /** Function to convert a string to a fill style enumeration value.<br />
- * Returns -1 on failure.
+ * Returns GSThemeFillStyleNone if the string is not a valid name.
  */
 extern GSThemeFillStyle
 GSThemeFillStyleFromString(NSString *s);
diff --git a/Source/GSTheme.m b/Source/GSTheme.m
index f516c9f82..b6daf26bd 100644
--- a/Source/GSTheme.m
+++ b/Source/GSTheme.m
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ GSThemeStringFromFillStyle(GSThemeFillStyle s)
 GSThemeFillStyle
 GSThemeFillStyleFromString(NSString *s)
 {
-  if ([s isEqualToString: @"None"])
+  if (s == nil || [s isEqualToString: @"None"])
     {
       return GSThemeFillStyleNone;
     }
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ GSThemeFillStyleFromString(NSString *s)
     {
       return GSThemeFillStyleScaleAll;
     }
-  return -1;
+  return GSThemeFillStyleNone;
 }