diff --git a/master/internal/config/config_test.go b/master/internal/config/config_test.go
index edb54e7caac..9b50dd3235d 100644
--- a/master/internal/config/config_test.go
+++ b/master/internal/config/config_test.go
@@ -891,6 +891,12 @@ resource_manager:
 }
 
 func TestPickVariation(t *testing.T) {
+	userConfig := MediaAssetVariations{
+		LightHorizontal: "light-horizontal",
+		LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
+		DarkHorizontal:  "dark-horizontal",
+		DarkVeritical:   "dark-vertical",
+	}
 	tests := []struct {
 		name        string
 		variations  MediaAssetVariations
@@ -899,136 +905,46 @@ func TestPickVariation(t *testing.T) {
 		expected    string
 	}{
 		{
-			name: "Light Horizontal prioritized",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "light-horizontal",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "dark-horizontal",
-				DarkVeritical:   "dark-vertical",
-			},
+			name:        "Light Horizontal prioritized",
+			variations:  userConfig,
 			mode:        "",
 			orientation: "",
 			expected:    "light-horizontal",
 		},
 		{
-			name: "Light Vertical when Light Horizontal is empty",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "dark-horizontal",
-				DarkVeritical:   "dark-vertical",
-			},
+			name:        "Light Horizontal prioritized",
+			variations:  userConfig,
 			mode:        "",
-			orientation: "vertical",
-			expected:    "light-vertical",
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Dark Horizontal when mode is dark",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "light-horizontal",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "dark-horizontal",
-				DarkVeritical:   "dark-vertical",
-			},
-			mode:        "dark",
-			orientation: "",
-			expected:    "dark-horizontal",
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Dark Vertical when mode is dark and orientation is vertical",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "light-horizontal",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "dark-horizontal",
-				DarkVeritical:   "dark-vertical",
-			},
-			mode:        "dark",
-			orientation: "vertical",
-			expected:    "dark-vertical",
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Fallback to Light Horizontal if no matches",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "light-horizontal",
-				LightVeritical:  "",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "",
-				DarkVeritical:   "",
-			},
-			mode:        "dark",
-			orientation: "vertical",
+			orientation: "horizontal",
 			expected:    "light-horizontal",
 		},
 		{
-			name: "Fallback to Light Horizontal if no matches",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "",
-				DarkVeritical:   "",
-			},
+			name:        "Light Horizontal prioritized",
+			variations:  userConfig,
 			mode:        "",
-			orientation: "",
+			orientation: "vertical",
 			expected:    "light-vertical",
 		},
 		{
-			name: "Fallback to Light Horizontal if no matches",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "",
-				DarkVeritical:   "",
-			},
+			name:        "Light Horizontal prioritized",
+			variations:  userConfig,
 			mode:        "light",
 			orientation: "",
-			expected:    "light-vertical",
+			expected:    "light-horizontal",
 		},
 		{
-			name: "Fallback to Light Horizontal if no matches",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "",
-				DarkVeritical:   "",
-			},
+			name:        "Light Horizontal prioritized",
+			variations:  userConfig,
 			mode:        "dark",
 			orientation: "",
-			expected:    "light-vertical",
+			expected:    "dark-horizontal",
 		},
 		{
-			name: "Fallback to Light Horizontal if no matches",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "",
-				DarkVeritical:   "",
-			},
-			mode:        "light",
+			name:        "Light Horizontal prioritized",
+			variations:  userConfig,
+			mode:        "dark",
 			orientation: "vertical",
-			expected:    "light-vertical",
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Fallback to Light Horizontal if no matches",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "",
-				LightVeritical:  "light-vertical",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "",
-				DarkVeritical:   "",
-			},
-			mode:        "light",
-			orientation: "",
-			expected:    "light-vertical",
-		},
-		{
-			name: "Empty variations fallback to empty string",
-			variations: MediaAssetVariations{
-				LightHorizontal: "",
-				LightVeritical:  "",
-				DarkHorizontal:  "",
-				DarkVeritical:   "",
-			},
-			mode:        "",
-			orientation: "",
-			expected:    "",
+			expected:    "dark-vertical",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/master/internal/config/ui_config.go b/master/internal/config/ui_config.go
index dbec3d8f4d9..b297bb63e19 100644
--- a/master/internal/config/ui_config.go
+++ b/master/internal/config/ui_config.go
@@ -22,50 +22,36 @@ func (m MediaAssetVariations) PickVariation(mode, orientation string) string {
 		orientationHorizontal = "horizontal"
 		orientationVertical   = "vertical"
 	)
-	if mode == "" || mode == "light" {
-		if orientation == "" || orientation == orientationHorizontal {
-			if m.LightHorizontal != "" {
-				return m.LightHorizontal
-			}
+	switch mode {
+	case "dark":
+		switch orientation {
+		case orientationVertical:
+			return m.DarkVeritical
+		default:
+			return m.DarkHorizontal
 		}
-		if orientation == "" || orientation == orientationVertical {
-			if m.LightVeritical != "" {
-				return m.LightVeritical
-			}
-			if m.LightHorizontal != "" {
-				return m.LightHorizontal
-			}
+	default:
+		switch orientation {
+		case orientationVertical:
+			return m.LightVeritical
+		default:
+			return m.LightHorizontal
 		}
 	}
-
-	if mode == "dark" {
-		if orientation == "" || orientation == orientationHorizontal {
-			if m.DarkHorizontal != "" {
-				return m.DarkHorizontal
-			}
-		}
-		if orientation == "" || orientation == orientationVertical {
-			if m.DarkVeritical != "" {
-				return m.DarkVeritical
-			}
-			if m.DarkHorizontal != "" {
-				return m.DarkHorizontal
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return m.LightHorizontal
 }
 
 // UICustomizationConfig holds the configuration for customizing the UI.
 type UICustomizationConfig struct {
 	// LogoPath is the path to variation of custom logo to use in the web UI.
-	LogoPath MediaAssetVariations `json:"logo_path"`
+	LogoPath *MediaAssetVariations `json:"logo_path"`
 }
 
 // Validate checks if the paths in UICustomizationConfig are valid filesystem paths and reachable.
 func (u UICustomizationConfig) Validate() []error {
 	var errs []error
+	if u.LogoPath == nil {
+		return errs
+	}
 
 	paths := map[string]string{
 		"LightHorizontal": u.LogoPath.LightHorizontal,
@@ -76,6 +62,7 @@ func (u UICustomizationConfig) Validate() []error {
 
 	for name, path := range paths {
 		if path == "" {
+			errs = append(errs, errors.New(name+" path is not set"))
 			continue
 		}
 		license.RequireLicense("UI Customization")
@@ -95,7 +82,5 @@ func (u UICustomizationConfig) Validate() []error {
 
 // HasCustomLogo returns whether the UI customization has a custom logo.
 func (u UICustomizationConfig) HasCustomLogo() bool {
-	// If one exists, we're good
-	return u.LogoPath.LightHorizontal != "" || u.LogoPath.LightVeritical != "" ||
-		u.LogoPath.DarkHorizontal != "" || u.LogoPath.DarkVeritical != ""
+	return u.LogoPath != nil
 }