Index: src/core/qgsmaplayer.h
===================================================================
--- src/core/qgsmaplayer.h	(revision 8652)
+++ src/core/qgsmaplayer.h	(working copy)
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@
      * @see also loadNamedStyle ();
      */
     virtual QString loadDefaultStyle ( bool & theResultFlag );
-  
+
     /** Retrieve a named style for this layer if one 
      * exists (either as a .qml file on disk or as a 
      * record in the users style table in their personal qgis.db)
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@
      */
     virtual QString loadNamedStyle ( const QString theURI , bool & theResultFlag );
 
+    virtual bool loadNamedStyleFromDb ( const QString db, const QString theURI , QString &qml );
+
     /** Save the properties of this layer as the default style 
      * (either as a .qml file on disk or as a 
      * record in the users style table in their personal qgis.db)
Index: src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp
===================================================================
--- src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp	(revision 8652)
+++ src/core/qgsmaplayer.cpp	(working copy)
@@ -420,37 +420,20 @@
   return loadNamedStyle ( key, theResultFlag );
 }
 
-QString QgsMapLayer::loadNamedStyle ( const QString theURI , bool & theResultFlag )
+bool QgsMapLayer::loadNamedStyleFromDb(const QString db, const QString theURI, QString &qml)
 {
-  theResultFlag = false;
+    bool theResultFlag = false;
 
-  QDomDocument myDocument ( "qgis" );
-
-  // location of problem associated with errorMsg
-  int line, column;
-  QString myErrorMessage;
-
-  QFile myFile ( theURI );
-  if ( myFile.open(QFile::ReadOnly ) )
-  { 
-    // read file
-    theResultFlag = myDocument.setContent ( &myFile, &myErrorMessage, &line, &column );
-    if(!theResultFlag)
-      myErrorMessage = tr("%1 at line %2 column %3").arg( myErrorMessage ).arg( line ).arg(column);
-    myFile.close();
-  }
-  else
-  {
     // read from database
     sqlite3 *myDatabase; 
     sqlite3_stmt *myPreparedStatement;
     const char *myTail;
     int myResult;
     
-    myResult = sqlite3_open(QgsApplication::qgisUserDbFilePath().toUtf8().data(), &myDatabase);
-    if (myResult)
+    myResult = sqlite3_open(db.toUtf8().data(), &myDatabase);
+    if (!myResult)
     {
-      return tr("could not open user database");
+      return false;
     }
 
     QString mySql = "select qml from tbl_styles where style=?";
@@ -462,21 +445,51 @@
       if( sqlite3_bind_text(myPreparedStatement, 1, param.data(), param.length(), SQLITE_STATIC)==SQLITE_OK &&
           sqlite3_step(myPreparedStatement)==SQLITE_ROW ) 
       {
-        QString qml = QString::fromUtf8( (char *)sqlite3_column_text(myPreparedStatement, 0) );
-        theResultFlag = myDocument.setContent ( qml, &myErrorMessage, &line, &column );
-	if(!theResultFlag)
-	  myErrorMessage = tr("%1 at line %2 column %3").arg( myErrorMessage ).arg( line ).arg(column);
+        qml = QString::fromUtf8( (char *)sqlite3_column_text(myPreparedStatement, 0) );
+	theResultFlag = true;
       }
     }
-    else
-    {
-      theResultFlag = false;
-      myErrorMessage = tr("style %1 not found in database").arg(theURI);
-    }
 
     sqlite3_finalize(myPreparedStatement);
     sqlite3_close(myDatabase);
+
+    return theResultFlag;
+}
+
+QString QgsMapLayer::loadNamedStyle ( const QString theURI , bool & theResultFlag )
+{
+  theResultFlag = false;
+
+  QDomDocument myDocument ( "qgis" );
+
+  // location of problem associated with errorMsg
+  int line, column;
+  QString myErrorMessage;
+
+  QFile myFile ( theURI );
+  if ( myFile.open(QFile::ReadOnly ) )
+  { 
+    // read file
+    theResultFlag = myDocument.setContent ( &myFile, &myErrorMessage, &line, &column );
+    if(!theResultFlag)
+      myErrorMessage = tr("%1 at line %2 column %3").arg( myErrorMessage ).arg( line ).arg(column);
+    myFile.close();
   }
+  else
+  {
+    QString qml;
+    if( loadNamedStyleFromDb( theURI, QgsApplication::qgisUserDbFilePath(), qml ) ||
+        loadNamedStyleFromDb( theURI, QgsApplication::qgisMasterDbFilePath(), qml ) )
+    {
+      theResultFlag = myDocument.setContent ( qml, &myErrorMessage, &line, &column );
+      if(!theResultFlag)
+        myErrorMessage = tr("%1 at line %2 column %3").arg( myErrorMessage ).arg( line ).arg(column);
+    } 
+    else
+    {
+      myErrorMessage = tr("style not found in databases");
+    }
+  }
 
   if(!theResultFlag)
     return myErrorMessage;