diff --git a/src/color.rs b/src/color.rs
index d8a0e05..76ec34a 100644
--- a/src/color.rs
+++ b/src/color.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 use std;
+
 use gdk;
+
 use ui_model::Cell;
 use theme::Theme;
 
@@ -10,12 +12,12 @@ pub const COLOR_BLACK: Color = Color(0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
 pub const COLOR_WHITE: Color = Color(1.0, 1.0, 1.0);
 pub const COLOR_RED: Color = Color(1.0, 0.0, 0.0);
 
-impl<'a> Into<gdk::RGBA> for &'a Color {
-    fn into(self) -> gdk::RGBA {
+impl From<Color> for gdk::RGBA {
+    fn from(color: Color) -> Self {
         gdk::RGBA {
-            red: self.0,
-            green: self.1,
-            blue: self.2,
+            red: color.0,
+            green: color.1,
+            blue: color.2,
             alpha: 1.0,
         }
     }
@@ -101,39 +103,36 @@ impl ColorModel {
         cell.attrs.special.as_ref().unwrap_or(&self.sp_color)
     }
 
-    pub fn pmenu_bg(&self) -> &Color {
-        if let Some(ref pmenu) = self.theme.pmenu {
-            pmenu.bg.as_ref().unwrap_or(&self.bg_color)
-        } else {
-            &self.bg_color
-        }
+    pub fn pmenu_bg<'a>(&'a self) -> Color {
+        self.theme
+            .pmenu()
+            .bg
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| self.bg_color.clone())
     }
 
-
-    pub fn pmenu_fg(&self) -> &Color {
-        if let Some(ref pmenu) = self.theme.pmenu {
-            pmenu.fg.as_ref().unwrap_or(&self.fg_color)
-        } else {
-            &self.fg_color
-        }
+    pub fn pmenu_fg(&self) -> Color {
+        self.theme
+            .pmenu()
+            .fg
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| self.fg_color.clone())
     }
 
-
-    pub fn pmenu_bg_sel(&self) -> &Color {
-        if let Some(ref pmenu) = self.theme.pmenu {
-            pmenu.bg_sel.as_ref().unwrap_or(&self.bg_color)
-        } else {
-            &self.bg_color
-        }
+    pub fn pmenu_bg_sel(&self) -> Color {
+        self.theme
+            .pmenu()
+            .bg_sel
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| self.bg_color.clone())
     }
 
-
-    pub fn pmenu_fg_sel(&self) -> &Color {
-        if let Some(ref pmenu) = self.theme.pmenu {
-            pmenu.fg_sel.as_ref().unwrap_or(&self.fg_color)
-        } else {
-            &self.fg_color
-        }
+    pub fn pmenu_fg_sel(&self) -> Color {
+        self.theme
+            .pmenu()
+            .fg_sel
+            .clone()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| self.fg_color.clone())
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/shell.rs b/src/shell.rs
index c66c6f0..858b101 100644
--- a/src/shell.rs
+++ b/src/shell.rs
@@ -1181,7 +1181,7 @@ impl State {
 
         if let Some(mut nvim) = self.nvim.nvim() {
             let mut render_state = self.render_state.borrow_mut();
-            render_state.color_model.theme.update(&mut *nvim);
+            render_state.color_model.theme.queue_update(&mut *nvim);
         }
         RepaintMode::Nothing
     }
diff --git a/src/theme.rs b/src/theme.rs
index 6a74fe7..4a08f2b 100644
--- a/src/theme.rs
+++ b/src/theme.rs
@@ -1,22 +1,72 @@
 use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::cell::Ref;
 
-use neovim_lib::{Value, Neovim, NeovimApi};
+use glib;
 
+use neovim_lib::{CallError, Neovim, NeovimApiAsync, Value};
+
+use ui::UiMutex;
 use nvim::ErrorReport;
 use color::Color;
 use value::ValueMapExt;
 
+struct State {
+    pmenu: Pmenu,
+}
+
+impl State {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        State {
+            pmenu: Pmenu::new(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub struct Theme {
-    pub pmenu: Option<Pmenu>,
+    state: Arc<UiMutex<State>>,
 }
 
 impl Theme {
     pub fn new() -> Self {
-        Theme { pmenu: None }
+        Theme {
+            state: Arc::new(UiMutex::new(State::new())),
+        }
     }
 
-    pub fn update(&mut self, nvim: &mut Neovim) {
-        self.pmenu = Some(Pmenu::new(nvim));
+    pub fn pmenu(&self) -> Ref<Pmenu> {
+        Ref::map(self.state.borrow(), |s| &s.pmenu)
+    }
+
+    pub fn queue_update(&self, nvim: &mut Neovim) {
+        self.get_hl(nvim, "Pmenu", |state, bg, fg| {
+            state.pmenu.bg = bg;
+            state.pmenu.fg = fg;
+        });
+
+        self.get_hl(nvim, "PmenuSel", |state, bg_sel, fg_sel| {
+            state.pmenu.bg_sel = bg_sel;
+            state.pmenu.fg_sel = fg_sel;
+        });
+    }
+
+    fn get_hl<CB>(&self, nvim: &mut Neovim, hl_name: &str, mut cb: CB)
+    where
+        CB: FnMut(&mut State, Option<Color>, Option<Color>) + Send + 'static,
+    {
+        let state = self.state.clone();
+
+        nvim.get_hl_by_name_async(hl_name, true)
+            .cb(move |v| {
+                let mut hl = Some(hl_colors(v));
+                glib::idle_add(move || {
+                    let (bg, fg) = hl.take().unwrap();
+                    let mut state = state.borrow_mut();
+                    cb(&mut *state, bg, fg);
+                    glib::Continue(false)
+                });
+            })
+            .call();
     }
 }
 
@@ -28,45 +78,38 @@ pub struct Pmenu {
 }
 
 impl Pmenu {
-    pub fn new(nvim: &mut Neovim) -> Self {
-        let (bg, fg) = get_hl_colors(nvim, "Pmenu");
-        let (bg_sel, fg_sel) = get_hl_colors(nvim, "PmenuSel");
-
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
         Pmenu {
-            bg,
-            fg,
-            bg_sel,
-            fg_sel,
+            bg: None,
+            fg: None,
+            bg_sel: None,
+            fg_sel: None,
         }
     }
 }
 
 fn get_hl_color(map: &HashMap<&str, &Value>, color_name: &str) -> Option<Color> {
-    if let Some(col) = map.get(color_name) {
-        if let Some(col) = col.as_u64() {
-            Some(Color::from_indexed_color(col))
-        } else {
-            None
-        }
-    } else {
-        None
-    }
+    map.get(color_name)
+        .and_then(|col| col.as_u64())
+        .map(Color::from_indexed_color)
 }
 
-fn get_hl_colors(nvim: &mut Neovim, hl: &str) -> (Option<Color>, Option<Color>) {
-    nvim.get_hl_by_name(hl, true)
-        .ok_and_report()
-        .and_then(|m| if let Some(m) = m.to_attrs_map_report() {
-            let reverse = m.get("reverse").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false);
-            let bg = get_hl_color(&m, "background");
-            let fg = get_hl_color(&m, "foreground");
-            if reverse {
-                Some((fg, bg))
+fn hl_colors(hl: Result<Vec<(Value, Value)>, CallError>) -> (Option<Color>, Option<Color>) {
+    hl.ok_and_report()
+        .and_then(|m| {
+            if let Some(m) = m.to_attrs_map_report() {
+                let reverse = m.get("reverse").and_then(|v| v.as_bool()).unwrap_or(false);
+                let bg = get_hl_color(&m, "background");
+                let fg = get_hl_color(&m, "foreground");
+                if reverse {
+                    Some((fg, bg))
+                } else {
+                    Some((bg, fg))
+                }
             } else {
-                Some((bg, fg))
+                None
             }
-        } else {
-            None
         })
         .unwrap_or((None, None))
 }
+