diff --git a/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/theme-tokens.e2e.ts b/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/theme-tokens.e2e.ts
index 9c18a3147..bcadf0f9d 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/theme-tokens.e2e.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend-e2e/src/theme-tokens.e2e.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ async function outlineContrast(
     }, fillSelector);
 }
 
+/** Resolves a CSS color (including var() and color-mix()) to rgb()/rgba(). */
+async function resolveColor(page: Page, value: string): Promise<string> {
+    return page.evaluate((css) => {
+        const probe = document.createElement('div');
+        probe.style.color = css;
+        document.body.appendChild(probe);
+        const color = getComputedStyle(probe).color;
+        probe.remove();
+        return color;
+    }, value);
+}
+
 async function systemVariable(page: Page, name: string): Promise<string> {
     return page.evaluate(
         (variable) =>
@@ -87,6 +99,30 @@ test.describe('Theme tokens', () => {
                     '--mat-sys-surface'
                 );
 
+                // The dark surface belongs to the app host. Components that
+                // carry `dark-theme` for its tokens (the fullscreen channel
+                // panel, the diagnostic's alternative sources) keep their own.
+                const backgrounds = await page.evaluate(() => {
+                    const nested = document.createElement('div');
+                    nested.className = 'dark-theme';
+                    nested.style.background = 'rgb(22, 27, 36)';
+                    document.body.appendChild(nested);
+                    const result = {
+                        nested: getComputedStyle(nested).backgroundColor,
+                        body: getComputedStyle(document.body).backgroundColor,
+                    };
+                    nested.remove();
+                    return result;
+                });
+                expect(backgrounds.nested, `nested in ${theme} theme`).toBe(
+                    'rgb(22, 27, 36)'
+                );
+                if (theme === 'dark') {
+                    expect(backgrounds.body).toBe(
+                        await resolveColor(page, 'var(--mat-sys-surface)')
+                    );
+                }
+
                 // Form-field overrides must reach Material's --mat-* tokens
                 // (the retired --mdc-* names were ignored): the outline takes
                 // the app's 10px shape instead of the 4px M3 default.
diff --git a/apps/web/src/styles.scss b/apps/web/src/styles.scss
index 03382e810..c0c09dafb 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/styles.scss
+++ b/apps/web/src/styles.scss
@@ -164,8 +164,14 @@ textarea,
 }
 
 // ─── Dark Theme ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-.dark-theme {
+// Only the app host takes the dark surface: components such as the fullscreen
+// channel panel and the playback diagnostic's alternative sources carry
+// `dark-theme` for its tokens while painting their own surfaces.
+body.dark-theme {
     background: var(--mat-sys-surface) !important;
+}
+
+.dark-theme {
     color-scheme: dark;
 
     // Refined scrollbar for dark mode
diff --git a/libs/ui/playback/src/lib/fullscreen-channel-panel/fullscreen-channel-panel.component.scss b/libs/ui/playback/src/lib/fullscreen-channel-panel/fullscreen-channel-panel.component.scss
index 71803f4d1..6b75089d2 100644
--- a/libs/ui/playback/src/lib/fullscreen-channel-panel/fullscreen-channel-panel.component.scss
+++ b/libs/ui/playback/src/lib/fullscreen-channel-panel/fullscreen-channel-panel.component.scss
@@ -117,13 +117,10 @@
         visibility 0s linear 220ms;
 }
 
-// The controls' glass fill over the video. The panel carries `dark-theme` for its tokens, and the app's global
-// `.dark-theme { background: var(--mat-sys-surface) !important }`
-// (apps/web/src/styles.scss) would replace this gradient with the flat
-// surface — or with no background at all where that token is not defined —
-// so the compound selector and `!important` are required to out-rank it.
+// The controls' glass fill over the video. The panel carries `dark-theme` for
+// its tokens only; the app's dark surface is scoped to body.dark-theme.
 .fullscreen-channel-panel.dark-theme {
-    background: rgba(12, 16, 23, 0.72) !important;
+    background: rgba(12, 16, 23, 0.72);
 }
 
 .fullscreen-channel-panel--open {