diff --git a/docs/expo-router.md b/docs/expo-router.md
index af5ce6792..14344a3f1 100644
--- a/docs/expo-router.md
+++ b/docs/expo-router.md
@@ -96,6 +96,18 @@ Keep workspace identity and retention outside native-stack `getId` and
 Navigation `getId`, and `getId` has broken Android native-stack/Fabric by
 reordering an already-mounted workspace screen.
 
+Use `ThemedStack` from `packages/app/src/navigation/themed-stack.tsx` for every
+Expo Router stack. React Navigation otherwise paints each native stack screen
+with its light default background. A screen-level wrapper can hide that surface
+while settled, but Android may expose it for one frame when navigation crosses
+from a nested stack to its parent stack. This is especially visible when an
+app-wide route such as `/new` opens from a dark workspace.
+
+Do not read the active theme with `useUnistyles()` in a layout to build
+`screenOptions`. `ThemedStack` keeps that third-party prop theme-reactive through
+a small `withUnistyles` boundary without subscribing the route tree itself to
+every Unistyles runtime update.
+
 ## Regression Shape
 
 Pure helper tests are useful but not enough. The failure mode here is native
diff --git a/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx b/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx
index e397affd5..db6db10e5 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/app/_layout.tsx
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ import {
   type StartupBlocker,
 } from "@/navigation/host-runtime-bootstrap";
 import { registerWorkspaceRouteNavigationRef } from "@/navigation/workspace-route-navigation";
+import { ThemedStack } from "@/navigation/themed-stack";
 import { shouldUseDesktopDaemon } from "@/desktop/daemon/desktop-daemon";
 import { listenToDesktopEvent } from "@/desktop/electron/events";
 import { updateDesktopWindowControls } from "@/desktop/electron/window";
@@ -784,21 +785,15 @@ function FaviconStatusSync() {
   return null;
 }
 
+const ROOT_STACK_SCREEN_OPTIONS = {
+  headerShown: false,
+  animation: "none" as const,
+};
+
 function RootStack() {
   const storeReady = useStoreReady();
-  const { theme } = useUnistyles();
-  const stackScreenOptions = useMemo(
-    () => ({
-      headerShown: false,
-      animation: "none" as const,
-      contentStyle: {
-        backgroundColor: theme.colors.surface0,
-      },
-    }),
-    [theme.colors.surface0],
-  );
   return (
-    <Stack screenOptions={stackScreenOptions}>
+    <ThemedStack screenOptions={ROOT_STACK_SCREEN_OPTIONS}>
       <Stack.Screen name="index" />
       <Stack.Protected guard={storeReady}>
         <Stack.Screen name="welcome" />
@@ -815,7 +810,7 @@ function RootStack() {
       <Stack.Screen name="h/[serverId]" />
       <Stack.Screen name="settings/hosts/[serverId]/index" />
       <Stack.Screen name="settings/hosts/[serverId]/[hostSection]" />
-    </Stack>
+    </ThemedStack>
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/app/h/[serverId]/_layout.tsx b/packages/app/src/app/h/[serverId]/_layout.tsx
index 70f7fcf55..4cd3428e0 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/app/h/[serverId]/_layout.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/app/h/[serverId]/_layout.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Redirect, Stack, useLocalSearchParams } from "expo-router";
 import { useHostRuntimeBootstrapState } from "@/app/_layout";
 import { HostRouteProvider } from "@/navigation/host-route-context";
 import { resolveStartupRoute } from "@/navigation/host-runtime-bootstrap";
+import { ThemedStack } from "@/navigation/themed-stack";
 import { useHostRegistryStatus, useHosts } from "@/runtime/host-runtime";
 
 const HOST_STACK_SCREEN_OPTIONS = {
@@ -33,14 +34,14 @@ function KnownHostRoute() {
   }
 
   const stack = (
-    <Stack screenOptions={HOST_STACK_SCREEN_OPTIONS}>
+    <ThemedStack screenOptions={HOST_STACK_SCREEN_OPTIONS}>
       <Stack.Screen name="index" />
       <Stack.Screen name="workspace/[workspaceId]/index" />
       <Stack.Screen name="agent/[agentId]" options={AGENT_SCREEN_OPTIONS} />
       <Stack.Screen name="sessions" />
       <Stack.Screen name="open-project" />
       <Stack.Screen name="settings" />
-    </Stack>
+    </ThemedStack>
   );
 
   if (!routeServerId) {
diff --git a/packages/app/src/navigation/themed-stack.tsx b/packages/app/src/navigation/themed-stack.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf83f701c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/navigation/themed-stack.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import type { NativeStackNavigationOptions } from "@react-navigation/native-stack";
+import { Stack } from "expo-router";
+import { type ReactNode, useMemo } from "react";
+import { withUnistyles } from "react-native-unistyles";
+
+interface ThemedStackBaseProps {
+  backgroundColor: string;
+  children?: ReactNode;
+  screenOptions?: NativeStackNavigationOptions;
+}
+
+function ThemedStackBase({ backgroundColor, children, screenOptions }: ThemedStackBaseProps) {
+  const themedScreenOptions = useMemo<NativeStackNavigationOptions>(
+    () => ({
+      ...screenOptions,
+      contentStyle: [{ backgroundColor }, screenOptions?.contentStyle],
+    }),
+    [backgroundColor, screenOptions],
+  );
+
+  return <Stack screenOptions={themedScreenOptions}>{children}</Stack>;
+}
+
+export const ThemedStack = withUnistyles(ThemedStackBase, (theme) => ({
+  backgroundColor: theme.colors.surface0,
+}));