diff --git a/packages/app/public/index.html b/packages/app/public/index.html
index 12161df30..688fb0609 100644
--- a/packages/app/public/index.html
+++ b/packages/app/public/index.html
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@
       body {
         overflow: hidden;
       }
+      /* Prevent white flash before React mounts */
+      @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
+        html, body {
+          background-color: #181B1A;
+        }
+      }
       /* These styles make the root element full-height */
       #root {
         display: flex;
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/main.ts b/packages/desktop/src/main.ts
index f368c696c..e2dce43f4 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/main.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { closeAllTransportSessions } from "./daemon/local-transport.js";
 import {
   registerWindowManager,
   getMainWindowChromeOptions,
+  getWindowBackgroundColor,
   resolveSystemWindowTheme,
   setupWindowResizeEvents,
   setupDragDropPrevention,
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ async function createMainWindow(): Promise<void> {
     width: 1200,
     height: 800,
     show: false,
+    backgroundColor: getWindowBackgroundColor(systemTheme),
     ...(iconPath ? { icon: iconPath } : {}),
     ...getMainWindowChromeOptions({
       platform: process.platform,
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/window/window-manager.ts b/packages/desktop/src/window/window-manager.ts
index f7dee555c..ec02e8968 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/window/window-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/window/window-manager.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ export function resolveSystemWindowTheme(): WindowTheme {
   return nativeTheme.shouldUseDarkColors ? "dark" : "light";
 }
 
+export function getWindowBackgroundColor(theme: WindowTheme): string {
+  return theme === "dark" ? "#181B1A" : "#ffffff";
+}
+
 export function createWindowControlsOverlayState(theme: WindowTheme): WindowControlsOverlayState {
   const overlay = getTitleBarOverlayOptions(theme);
   return {
@@ -44,7 +48,7 @@ export function createWindowControlsOverlayState(theme: WindowTheme): WindowCont
 
 export function getTitleBarOverlayOptions(theme: WindowTheme): Electron.TitleBarOverlayOptions {
   if (theme === "dark") {
-    return { color: "#18181c", symbolColor: "#e4e4e7", height: 29 };
+    return { color: "#181B1A", symbolColor: "#e4e4e7", height: 29 };
   }
 
   return { color: "#ffffff", symbolColor: "#09090b", height: 29 };
@@ -171,7 +175,7 @@ export function registerWindowManager(): void {
 
   ipcMain.handle("paseo:window:updateWindowControls", (event, update?: unknown) => {
     const win = BrowserWindow.fromWebContents(event.sender);
-    if (!win || process.platform === "darwin") {
+    if (!win) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -180,6 +184,14 @@ export function registerWindowManager(): void {
       return;
     }
 
+    if (nextUpdate.backgroundColor) {
+      win.setBackgroundColor(nextUpdate.backgroundColor);
+    }
+
+    if (process.platform === "darwin") {
+      return;
+    }
+
     const current =
       overlayStateByWindow.get(win) ?? createWindowControlsOverlayState(resolveSystemWindowTheme());
     const nextState = applyWindowControlsOverlayUpdate({