diff --git a/streams/output/html.js b/streams/output/html.js
index ef2860a..d6ab54d 100644
--- a/streams/output/html.js
+++ b/streams/output/html.js
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var fs = require('fs');
 var through2 = require('through2'),
   File = require('vinyl'),
   vfs = require('vinyl-fs'),
-  path = require('path'),
   Handlebars = require('handlebars'),
   extend = require('extend'),
   slugg = require('slugg'),
   splicer = require('stream-splicer'),
   hierarchy = require('../hierarchy'),
+  getTemplate = require('./lib/get_template'),
+  resolveTheme = require('./lib/resolve_theme'),
   helpers = require('./lib/html_helpers'),
   highlight = require('../highlight');
 
@@ -24,19 +24,6 @@ function slug(p) {
   return p ? slugg(p) : '';
 }
 
-/**
- * Get a Handlebars template file out of a theme and compile it into
- * a template function
- *
- * @param {string} themeModule base directory of themey
- * @param {string} name template name
- * @returns {Function} template function
- */
-function getTemplate(themeModule, name) {
-  return Handlebars
-    .compile(fs.readFileSync(path.join(themeModule, name), 'utf8'));
-}
-
 /**
  * Create a transform stream that formats documentation as HTML.
  * Receives parsed & pivoted stream of documentation data, and emits
@@ -53,18 +40,11 @@ module.exports = function (opts) {
     theme: 'documentation-theme-default'
   }, opts);
 
-  try {
-    var themeModule = path.dirname(require.resolve(options.theme));
-  } catch(e) {
-    throw new Error('Theme ' + options.theme + ' not found');
-  }
+  var themeModule = resolveTheme(options.theme);
 
-  try {
-    var pageTemplate = getTemplate(themeModule, 'index.hbs');
-    Handlebars.registerPartial('section', getTemplate(themeModule, 'section.hbs'));
-  } catch(e) {
-    throw new Error('Template file (index.hbs, section.hbs) missing');
-  }
+  var pageTemplate = getTemplate(Handlebars, themeModule, 'index.hbs');
+  Handlebars.registerPartial('section',
+    getTemplate(Handlebars, themeModule, 'section.hbs'));
 
   var htmlStream = through2.obj(function (comments, enc, callback) {
 
diff --git a/streams/output/lib/get_template.js b/streams/output/lib/get_template.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f3b1f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/streams/output/lib/get_template.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var fs = require('fs'),
+  path = require('path');
+
+/**
+ * Get a Handlebars template file out of a theme and compile it into
+ * a template function
+ *
+ * @param {Object} Handlebars handlebars instance
+ * @param {string} themeModule base directory of themey
+ * @param {string} name template name
+ * @returns {Function} template function
+ */
+module.exports = function getTemplate(Handlebars, themeModule, name) {
+  try {
+    return Handlebars
+      .compile(fs.readFileSync(path.join(themeModule, name), 'utf8'));
+  } catch(e) {
+    throw new Error('Template file ' + name + ' missing');
+  }
+};
diff --git a/streams/output/lib/resolve_theme.js b/streams/output/lib/resolve_theme.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35652d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/streams/output/lib/resolve_theme.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var path = require('path');
+
+/**
+ * Given the name of a theme as a module, return the directory it
+ * resides in, or throw an error if it is not found
+ * @param {string} theme the module name
+ * @throws {Error} if theme is not found
+ * @returns {string} directory
+ */
+function resolveTheme(theme) {
+  try {
+    return path.dirname(require.resolve(theme));
+  } catch(e) {
+    throw new Error('Theme ' + theme + ' not found');
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = resolveTheme;
diff --git a/streams/output/markdown.js b/streams/output/markdown.js
index dbd87ab..6b8658f 100644
--- a/streams/output/markdown.js
+++ b/streams/output/markdown.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var fs = require('fs');
 var through2 = require('through2'),
-  path = require('path'),
+  extend = require('extend'),
+  getTemplate = require('./lib/get_template'),
   helpers = require('./lib/markdown_helpers'),
+  resolveTheme = require('./lib/resolve_theme'),
   Handlebars = require('handlebars');
 
 /**
@@ -20,11 +21,11 @@ var through2 = require('through2'),
  */
 module.exports = function (opts) {
 
-  var templateStr = (opts && opts.template) ?
-    fs.readFileSync(opts.template, 'utf8') :
-    fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '/share/markdown.hbs'), 'utf8');
-
-  var template = Handlebars.compile(templateStr);
+  var options = extend({}, {
+    theme: 'documentation-theme-default'
+  }, opts);
+  var themeModule = resolveTheme(options.theme);
+  var template = getTemplate(Handlebars, themeModule, 'markdown.hbs');
 
   helpers(Handlebars);
 
diff --git a/streams/output/share/markdown.hbs b/streams/output/share/markdown.hbs
deleted file mode 100644
index c090a99..0000000
--- a/streams/output/share/markdown.hbs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,44 +0,0 @@
-## `{{name}}`
-
-{{#description}}
-{{inlines .}}
-{{/description}}
-
-{{#if params}}
-### Parameters
-
-{{#params}}
-* `{{name}}` **{{format_type type}}** {{format_description description}}{{#default}} (optional, default `{{.}}`){{/default}}
-{{/params}}
-{{/if}}
-
-{{#if properties}}
-| name | type | description |
-| ---- | ---- | ----------- |
-{{#properties}}
-| `{{name}}` | {{format_type type}} | {{format_description description}} |
-{{/properties}}
-{{/if}}
-
-{{#if examples}}
-### Examples
-
-{{#each examples ~}}
-```js
-{{{.}}}
-```
-{{/each}}
-{{/if}}
-
-{{#returns}}
-Returns {{#type.name}}`{{.}}`{{/type.name}} {{inlines description}}
-{{/returns}}
-
-
-{{#if throws}}
-| type | description |
-| ---- | ----------- |
-{{#throws}}
-| {{format_type type}} | {{format_description description}} |
-{{/throws}}
-{{/if}}