diff --git a/crates/tui/src/deepseek_theme.rs b/crates/tui/src/deepseek_theme.rs
index 46f4069f..1b6142eb 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/deepseek_theme.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/deepseek_theme.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ impl Theme {
             section_borders: Borders::ALL,
             section_border_type: BorderType::Plain,
             section_border_color: palette::BORDER_COLOR,
-            section_bg: palette::DEEPSEEK_INK,
+            section_bg: Color::Reset,
             section_title_color: palette::DEEPSEEK_BLUE,
             // Horizontal padding only. `Padding::uniform(1)` ate two rows of
             // each sidebar panel — for compact terminals where Plan/Todos/Tasks
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/command_palette.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/command_palette.rs
index c6052786..0f01d462 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/command_palette.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/command_palette.rs
@@ -352,7 +352,6 @@ fn modal_block() -> Block<'static> {
     Block::default()
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
         .padding(Padding::uniform(1))
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/model_picker.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/model_picker.rs
index 17aa3079..21a08c98 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/model_picker.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/model_picker.rs
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ impl ModelPickerView {
             )))
             .borders(Borders::ALL)
             .border_style(border_style)
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK));
+            .style(Style::default());
         let inner = block.inner(area);
         block.render(area, buf);
 
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ impl ModalView for ModelPickerView {
             ]))
             .borders(Borders::ALL)
             .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK));
+            .style(Style::default());
         let inner = outer.inner(popup_area);
         outer.render(popup_area, buf);
 
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/pager.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/pager.rs
index 266e0c68..19ea9f99 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/pager.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/pager.rs
@@ -425,7 +425,6 @@ impl ModalView for PagerView {
             .title_bottom(footer)
             .borders(Borders::ALL)
             .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
             .padding(Padding::uniform(1));
 
         let paragraph = Paragraph::new(visible_lines)
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/plan_prompt.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/plan_prompt.rs
index 2bf84ff7..c72b801f 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/plan_prompt.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/plan_prompt.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ fn modal_block() -> Block<'static> {
         )]))
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
         .padding(Padding::uniform(1))
 }
 
@@ -48,7 +47,6 @@ fn render_modal_chrome(area: Rect, popup_area: Rect, buf: &mut Buffer) {
 
     if shadow_width > 0 && shadow_height > 0 {
         Block::default()
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_NAVY))
             .render(
                 Rect {
                     x: shadow_x,
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/provider_picker.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/provider_picker.rs
index 310928f6..ac13a7b3 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/provider_picker.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/provider_picker.rs
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ impl ProviderPickerView {
             ]))
             .borders(Borders::ALL)
             .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK));
+            .style(Style::default());
         let inner = outer.inner(area);
         outer.render(area, buf);
 
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ impl ProviderPickerView {
             ]))
             .borders(Borders::ALL)
             .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK));
+            .style(Style::default());
         let inner = outer.inner(area);
         outer.render(area, buf);
 
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/session_picker.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/session_picker.rs
index 7fff607c..39ddbdad 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/session_picker.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/session_picker.rs
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ fn modal_block(title: &str) -> Block<'static> {
         )]))
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
         .padding(Padding::uniform(1))
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/sidebar.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/sidebar.rs
index ef447c63..5516406e 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/sidebar.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/sidebar.rs
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ pub fn render_sidebar(f: &mut Frame, area: Rect, app: &App) {
         // Paint a styled block over the area so stale cells from a previous
         // (wider) frame don't persist as bleed-through artifacts (#400).
         Block::default()
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
             .render(area, f.buffer_mut());
         return;
     }
@@ -742,7 +741,6 @@ fn render_sidebar_section(f: &mut Frame, area: Rect, title: &str, lines: Vec<Lin
     if area.width < 4 || area.height < 3 {
         // Clear stale cells before bailing out (#400).
         Block::default()
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
             .render(area, f.buffer_mut());
         return;
     }
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/ui.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/ui.rs
index 62bc845f..a3a00977 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/ui.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/ui.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ use ratatui::{
     backend::CrosstermBackend,
     layout::{Constraint, Direction, Layout, Rect},
     prelude::Widget,
-    style::Style,
+    style::{Color, Style},
     text::Span,
     widgets::Block,
 };
@@ -4502,8 +4502,8 @@ fn build_pending_input_preview(app: &App) -> PendingInputPreview {
 fn render(f: &mut Frame, app: &mut App) {
     let size = f.area();
 
-    // Clear entire area with background color
-    let background = Block::default().style(Style::default().bg(app.ui_theme.header_bg));
+    // Clear entire area with terminal default background
+    let background = Block::default().style(Style::default().bg(Color::Reset));
     f.render_widget(background, size);
 
     // Show onboarding screen if needed
@@ -4605,7 +4605,6 @@ fn render(f: &mut Frame, app: &mut App) {
         // uncovered by layout splits (e.g. after file-tree toggle or
         // resize) don't retain stale content from a previous frame.
         Block::default()
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
             .render(chunks[1], f.buffer_mut());
 
         let mut sidebar_area = None;
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/user_input.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/user_input.rs
index f4e687bd..022f3e23 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/user_input.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/user_input.rs
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ fn modal_block(title: &str) -> Block<'static> {
         )]))
         .borders(Borders::ALL)
         .border_style(Style::default().fg(palette::BORDER_COLOR))
-        .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_INK))
         .padding(Padding::uniform(1))
 }
 
@@ -35,7 +34,6 @@ fn render_modal_chrome(area: Rect, popup_area: Rect, buf: &mut Buffer) {
 
     if shadow_width > 0 && shadow_height > 0 {
         Block::default()
-            .style(Style::default().bg(palette::DEEPSEEK_NAVY))
             .render(
                 Rect {
                     x: shadow_x,