@@ -688,6 +688,8 @@ export interface UnconfiguredConfig {
   command: "tui" | "exec";
   /** Exec-only chosen primary. Omitted on the unconfigured path too. */
   director?: DirectorId;
+  /** Validated appearance preference needed before first-run surfaces mount. */
+  theme?: Settings["theme"];
   // Path where the onboarding flow should write the new settings.
   globalSettingsPath: string;
   /** Original CLI path, present only when --config selected the write target. */
@@ -1119,6 +1121,9 @@ export async function loadConfig(
       auto,
       command,
       ...(director !== undefined ? { director } : {}),
+      ...(settingsForResolution?.theme !== undefined
+        ? { theme: settingsForResolution.theme }
+        : {}),
       globalSettingsPath: effectiveSettingsPath,
       ...(configPath !== undefined ? { cliConfigPath: configPath } : {}),
       programmaticSettingsPath: options.globalSettingsPath !== undefined,
 
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ test("loadSettings cannot silently drop a known optional key", async () => {
       favoriteModels: [{ provider: "p", model: "m" }],
       dangerouslySkipPermissions: true,
       anthropicCachePrompt: true,
+      theme: "dark" as const,
     };
     await writeFile(globalPath, JSON.stringify(fixture));
     const loaded = await loadSettings(globalPath);
 
@@ -186,6 +186,9 @@ export interface Settings {
   // results on the outgoing prompt only. Default off: sessions do not depend
   // on that shrink.
   anthropicCachePrompt?: boolean;
+  // Terminal palette selection (CL-8993). "auto" (default when unset) follows
+  // the terminal/OS detection chain; "light"/"dark" pin the palette.
+  theme?: "auto" | "light" | "dark";
 }
 
 function modelRefKey(ref: ModelRef): string {
@@ -599,6 +602,7 @@ const SettingsSchema = type({
   "showPromptCost?": "boolean",
   "dangerouslySkipPermissions?": "boolean",
   "anthropicCachePrompt?": "boolean",
+  "theme?": "'auto' | 'light' | 'dark'",
 });
 
 // Per-entry MCP shape without the name key. The "exactly one transport" rule is
@@ -803,6 +807,7 @@ export const GLOBAL_SETTINGS_OPTIONAL_KEYS = [
   "favoriteModels",
   "dangerouslySkipPermissions",
   "anthropicCachePrompt",
+  "theme",
 ] as const satisfies readonly (keyof OptionalSettingsFields)[];
 
 /** Optional local settings keys the load path is required to consider. */
@@ -974,6 +979,10 @@ function normalizeParsedSettings(path: string, parsed: unknown): Settings {
       s.anthropicCachePrompt !== undefined
         ? Boolean(s.anthropicCachePrompt)
         : undefined,
+    theme:
+      s.theme === "light" || s.theme === "dark" || s.theme === "auto"
+        ? s.theme
+        : undefined,
   };
   return {
     providers: s.providers as Settings["providers"],
 
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
 import { runExec } from "./exec/runner.js";
 import { runOnboarding } from "./tui/onboarding.js";
 import { runTUI } from "./tui/runner/index.js";
+import { applyStartupTheme } from "./tui/theme-startup.js";
 
 export interface Runners {
   runTUI: (config: import("./config/index.js").Config) => Promise<number>;
@@ -91,6 +92,12 @@ export async function mainWithRunners(
   }
 
   let exitCode: number;
+  // Welcome, setup, and the product host read `UI` at construction time.
+  if (config.command === "tui") {
+    applyStartupTheme(
+      config.configured ? config.settings?.theme : config.theme,
+    );
+  }
   if (!config.configured) {
     if (config.command === "exec") {
       // Exec needs a provider; onboarding is TUI-only. Fail closed with a
 
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   type SettingsSnapshot,
 } from "./command-surfaces";
 import type { KeyEvent } from "@opentui/core";
+import type { ThemeSetting } from "./theme-detect.js";
 
 import { focusOwner } from "./focus/index.js";
 import { BUNDLED_PLUGIN_MARKER as BUNDLED_MARKER } from "../plugins/origin-marker.js";
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ function baseSnapshot(): SettingsSnapshot {
     waitForApproval: true,
     telemetryEnabled: false,
     showPromptCost: false,
+    theme: "auto",
   };
 }
 
@@ -133,13 +135,15 @@ function settingsDeps(overrides?: Partial<SettingsSnapshot>): {
     waitForApproval: boolean[];
     telemetry: boolean[];
     showPromptCost: boolean[];
+    theme: ThemeSetting[];
   };
 } {
   let state: SettingsSnapshot = { ...baseSnapshot(), ...overrides };
   const calls = {
     waitForApproval: [] as boolean[],
     telemetry: [] as boolean[],
     showPromptCost: [] as boolean[],
+    theme: [] as ThemeSetting[],
   };
   const deps: CommandSurfaceDeps = {
     notify: () => undefined,
@@ -157,6 +161,10 @@ function settingsDeps(overrides?: Partial<SettingsSnapshot>): {
         calls.showPromptCost.push(value);
         state = { ...state, showPromptCost: value };
       },
+      setTheme: (value) => {
+        calls.theme.push(value);
+        state = { ...state, theme: value };
+      },
     },
   };
   return { deps, snapshot: () => state, calls };
@@ -217,6 +225,42 @@ describe("settings surface", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test("left/right cycles the theme pin through auto, dark, light", async () => {
+    await withShell(async (shell) => {
+      const { deps, calls, snapshot } = settingsDeps();
+      openCommandSurface(shell, "settings", deps);
+      await flushSurface();
+
+      // approval wait, telemetry, show cost, theme
+      moveOverlaySelection(shell, 3);
+      cycleOverlaySelection(shell, 1);
+      await flushSurface();
+      expect(calls.theme).toEqual(["dark"]);
+      expect(snapshot().theme).toBe("dark");
+      expect(shell.overlayItems.some((l) => l.includes("‹ dark ›"))).toBe(true);
+
+      cycleOverlaySelection(shell, 1);
+      await flushSurface();
+      expect(calls.theme).toEqual(["dark", "light"]);
+      expect(snapshot().theme).toBe("light");
+      expect(shell.overlayItems.some((l) => l.includes("‹ light ›"))).toBe(
+        true,
+      );
+
+      // Wraps around: past light comes auto again.
+      cycleOverlaySelection(shell, 1);
+      await flushSurface();
+      expect(calls.theme).toEqual(["dark", "light", "auto"]);
+      expect(snapshot().theme).toBe("auto");
+
+      // And stepping back from auto wraps the other way, to light.
+      cycleOverlaySelection(shell, -1);
+      await flushSurface();
+      expect(calls.theme).toEqual(["dark", "light", "auto", "light"]);
+      expect(snapshot().theme).toBe("light");
+    });
+  });
+
   test("arrow navigation still moves the cursor in a non-cycling overlay", async () => {
     await withShell(async (shell) => {
       const deps: CommandSurfaceDeps = {
 
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import {
   setOwnedOverlayItems,
 } from "./shell/overlay-host.js";
 import { openHelpOverlay, openSettingsOverlay } from "./shell/palette.js";
+import type { ThemeSetting } from "./theme-detect.js";
 
 /** A remembered approval, flattened for display and revocation by id. */
 export interface GrantEntry {
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ export interface SettingsSnapshot {
   readonly waitForApproval: boolean;
   readonly telemetryEnabled: boolean;
   readonly showPromptCost: boolean;
+  readonly theme: ThemeSetting;
 }
 
 export interface PermissionsSurfaceDeps {
@@ -216,6 +218,8 @@ export interface SettingsSurfaceDeps {
   readonly setWaitForApproval: (value: boolean) => void;
   readonly setTelemetryEnabled: (value: boolean) => void;
   readonly setShowPromptCost: (value: boolean) => void;
+  /** Pins the terminal palette (auto follows terminal/OS detection). */
+  readonly setTheme: (value: ThemeSetting) => void;
   /** Live counts for the hooks row summary. Omitted while hooks discovery is unbuilt. */
   readonly hooksSummary?: () => HooksSurfaceSummary;
   /** Opens the hooks surface. Omitted while it is unbuilt (row still shows, Enter no-ops). */
@@ -423,6 +427,19 @@ const ON_OFF_OPTIONS: readonly CycleOption<"on" | "off">[] = [
   { id: "on", label: "on" },
   { id: "off", label: "off" },
 ];
+const THEME_OPTIONS: readonly CycleOption<ThemeSetting>[] = [
+  { id: "auto", label: "auto" },
+  { id: "dark", label: "dark" },
+  { id: "light", label: "light" },
+];
+
+/** Step the theme pin forward or back through auto → dark → light. */
+function stepTheme(current: ThemeSetting, direction: -1 | 1): ThemeSetting {
+  const index = THEME_OPTIONS.findIndex((o) => o.id === current);
+  const next =
+    (index + direction + THEME_OPTIONS.length) % THEME_OPTIONS.length;
+  return THEME_OPTIONS[next]?.id ?? "auto";
+}
 const SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH = 16;
 
 /** One inline-cycled settings row: label, live value, description, and its cycle step. */
@@ -485,6 +502,18 @@ function settingsCycleRows(
       },
       cycle: () => settings.setShowPromptCost(!snapshot.showPromptCost),
     },
+    {
+      id: "theme",
+      value: `${"theme".padEnd(SETTINGS_NAME_WIDTH)}${cycleField(THEME_OPTIONS, snapshot.theme)}`,
+      chosenLabel: activeOptionLabel(THEME_OPTIONS, snapshot.theme),
+      describe: {
+        what: "which terminal palette the shell paints with.",
+        impact:
+          "applies immediately — auto follows the terminal and OS appearance; dark or light pins the palette instead.",
+      },
+      cycle: (direction) =>
+        settings.setTheme(stepTheme(snapshot.theme, direction)),
+    },
   ];
 }
 
 
@@ -310,10 +310,12 @@ describe("mountRunnerHost command surfaces", () => {
               waitForApproval: true,
               telemetryEnabled: false,
               showPromptCost: false,
+              theme: "auto",
             }),
             setWaitForApproval: () => undefined,
             setTelemetryEnabled: () => undefined,
             setShowPromptCost: () => undefined,
+            setTheme: () => undefined,
           },
         },
       },
 
@@ -36,11 +36,13 @@ import { wireMcp } from "./mcp.js";
 import { wirePostStartup } from "./wiring.js";
 import { createRunnerState, liveAgent } from "./state.js";
 import { applyCredentialRecoverySelection } from "./credential-recovery.js";
+import { applyStartupTheme } from "../theme-startup.js";
 import { getLogger } from "@intx/log";
 import { LOG_NAMESPACE_ROOT } from "../../branding.js";
 
 export async function runTUI(initialConfig: Config): Promise<number> {
   const tuiLogger = getLogger([LOG_NAMESPACE_ROOT, "tui"]);
+  applyStartupTheme(initialConfig.settings?.theme);
   const start = await prepareTUISession(initialConfig, liveTelemetry);
   if (start === null) return 0;
   const state = createRunnerState(start);