diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 950ae811cd6..4dee34717fb 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [submodule "site/themes/hugo-solstice-theme"]
 	path = site/themes/hugo-solstice-theme
-	url = https://github.com/EclipseFdn/hugo-solstice-theme.git
+	url = https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipsefdn/it/webdev/hugo-solstice-theme.git
diff --git a/site/layouts/partials/head_variables.html b/site/layouts/partials/head_variables.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b1a4fc3d0c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site/layouts/partials/head_variables.html
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<!-- avoiding usage of inline javascript; we currently use the third option so only making that one external for now -->
+{{ if isset .Params "table_classes" }}
+<script>var tableClasses = {{ .Params.table_classes }};</script>
+{{ else if isset .Site.Params "table_classes" }}
+<script>var tableClasses = {{ .Site.Params.table_classes }};</script>
+{{ else }}
+<script src="js/hugo-solstice-headvars.js"></script>
+{{ end }}
diff --git a/site/static/js/hugo-solstice-headvars.js b/site/static/js/hugo-solstice-headvars.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a6e45066b74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site/static/js/hugo-solstice-headvars.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+var tableClasses = "table";
diff --git a/site/themes/hugo-solstice-theme b/site/themes/hugo-solstice-theme
index 2b762a0ed31..4685672c230 160000
--- a/site/themes/hugo-solstice-theme
+++ b/site/themes/hugo-solstice-theme
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 2b762a0ed3195eb59cf56dd8160a8d8b00e24f36
+Subproject commit 4685672c23094cdaffcbf05ca7b0b1d00c6028c8