diff --git a/wp-admin/widgets.php b/wp-admin/widgets.php
index a0fe1fee4b..952c4388f7 100644
--- a/wp-admin/widgets.php
+++ b/wp-admin/widgets.php
@@ -68,23 +68,8 @@ get_current_screen()->set_help_sidebar(
 	'<p>' . __('<a href="http://wordpress.org/support/" target="_blank">Support Forums</a>') . '</p>'
 );
 
-if ( empty($wp_registered_sidebars) ) {
-	// the theme has no sidebars, die.
-	require_once( './admin-header.php' );
-?>
-
-	<div class="wrap">
-	<?php screen_icon(); ?>
-	<h2><?php echo esc_html( $title ); ?></h2>
-		<div class="error">
-			<p><?php _e( 'No Sidebars Defined' ); ?></p>
-		</div>
-		<p><?php _e( 'The theme you are currently using isn&#8217;t widget-aware, meaning that it has no sidebars that you are able to change. For information on making your theme widget-aware, please <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes">follow these instructions</a>.' ); ?></p>
-	</div>
-
-<?php
-	require_once( './admin-footer.php' );
-	exit;
+if ( ! current_theme_supports( 'widgets' ) ) {
+	wp_die( __( 'The theme you are currently using isn&#8217;t widget-aware, meaning that it has no sidebars that you are able to change. For information on making your theme widget-aware, please <a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgetizing_Themes">follow these instructions</a>.' ) );
 }
 
 // These are the widgets grouped by sidebar
diff --git a/wp-includes/functions.php b/wp-includes/functions.php
index a39c4dbb71..58a7742228 100644
--- a/wp-includes/functions.php
+++ b/wp-includes/functions.php
@@ -2549,6 +2549,10 @@ function wp_maybe_load_widgets() {
  */
 function wp_widgets_add_menu() {
 	global $submenu;
+
+	if ( ! current_theme_supports( 'widgets' ) )
+		return;
+
 	$submenu['themes.php'][7] = array( __( 'Widgets' ), 'edit_theme_options', 'widgets.php' );
 	ksort( $submenu['themes.php'], SORT_NUMERIC );
 }