diff --git a/docs/config.md b/docs/config.md
index c44a577..487e8e1 100644
--- a/docs/config.md
+++ b/docs/config.md
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ theme:
   activeBorderColor: ["#ff966c", bold]   # focused pane
   inactiveBorderColor: ["#589ed7"]
   selectedLineBgColor: ["#2d3f76"]       # cursor row background (default: palette 8)
-  inactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor: ["#2f334d"]
+  inactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor: ["#2f334d"] # in the other panes (default: palette 8, not bold)
   defaultFgColor: ["#c8d3f5"]
   optionsTextColor: ["#82aaff"]          # keys and labels
   searchMatchColor: ["#ffc777", bold]
diff --git a/internal/ui/app/app.go b/internal/ui/app/app.go
index 16712ae..f8ab7c3 100644
--- a/internal/ui/app/app.go
+++ b/internal/ui/app/app.go
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ func (m *Model) setVersions(items []provider.Object) {
 }
 
 func (m Model) Init() tea.Cmd {
-	cmds := []tea.Cmd{m.sourcesCmd(), m.spin.Tick, m.checkClipboard()}
+	cmds := []tea.Cmd{m.sourcesCmd(), m.spin.Tick, m.checkClipboard(), tea.RequestBackgroundColor}
 	if m.cachePath != "" || m.placeDir != "" {
 		cmds = append(cmds, tea.Tick(persistEvery, func(time.Time) tea.Msg { return persistTickMsg{} }))
 	}
@@ -514,6 +514,9 @@ func (m Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	var cmds []tea.Cmd
 
 	switch msg := msg.(type) {
+	case tea.BackgroundColorMsg:
+		m.st = m.st.OnBackground(msg.Color, msg.IsDark())
+		return m, nil
 	case tea.WindowSizeMsg:
 		m.w, m.h = msg.Width, msg.Height
 
diff --git a/internal/ui/styles/styles.go b/internal/ui/styles/styles.go
index ba0200c..8fe991c 100644
--- a/internal/ui/styles/styles.go
+++ b/internal/ui/styles/styles.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 package styles
 
 import (
+	"image/color"
+
 	"charm.land/lipgloss/v2"
 
 	"git.kebcloud.no/keb/lazysecrets/internal/provider"
@@ -32,6 +34,10 @@ type Styles struct {
 	KindAzure      lipgloss.Style
 	KindDatabricks lipgloss.Style
 	KindRepo       lipgloss.Style
+
+	// themed marks the selection colours as set by the theme, so
+	// OnBackground leaves them.
+	themed, themedBlurred bool
 }
 
 func Default() Styles {
@@ -43,9 +49,12 @@ func Default() Styles {
 		TitleBlurred:  lipgloss.NewStyle(),
 		Footer:        lipgloss.NewStyle().Faint(true),
 
-		// A background rather than reverse, so the row keeps its colours.
+		// A background rather than reverse, so the row keeps its colours;
+		// in every pane, so each shows what's selected in it. The focused
+		// pane's is bold too. Palette 8 until the terminal says what its
+		// background is (OnBackground).
 		Selected:        lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(lipgloss.BrightBlack).Bold(true),
-		SelectedBlurred: lipgloss.NewStyle().Bold(true),
+		SelectedBlurred: lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(lipgloss.BrightBlack),
 		Muted:           lipgloss.NewStyle().Faint(true),
 		Error:           lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Red),
 		Notice:          lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Green),
@@ -74,3 +83,23 @@ func (s Styles) Kind(k provider.Kind) lipgloss.Style {
 	}
 	return s.KindAzure
 }
+
+// OnBackground shades the selection colours from the terminal's
+// background, a little lighter on a dark one and darker on a light one:
+// a quiet band that keeps the row's colours readable, where palette 8 is
+// often too bright. Colours the theme sets are kept.
+func (s Styles) OnBackground(bg color.Color, dark bool) Styles {
+	shade := func(p float64) color.Color {
+		if dark {
+			return lipgloss.Lighten(bg, p)
+		}
+		return lipgloss.Darken(bg, p)
+	}
+	if !s.themed {
+		s.Selected = s.Selected.Background(shade(0.09))
+	}
+	if !s.themedBlurred {
+		s.SelectedBlurred = s.SelectedBlurred.Background(shade(0.05))
+	}
+	return s
+}
diff --git a/internal/ui/styles/theme.go b/internal/ui/styles/theme.go
index 0ca2ade..6142d1f 100644
--- a/internal/ui/styles/theme.go
+++ b/internal/ui/styles/theme.go
@@ -70,8 +70,10 @@ func FromTheme(theme map[string][]string) (Styles, color.Color, error) {
 			st.BorderBlurred = v.fg(lipgloss.NewStyle())
 		case "selectedLineBgColor":
 			st.Selected = v.bg(lipgloss.NewStyle()).Bold(true)
+			st.themed = true
 		case "inactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor":
 			st.SelectedBlurred = v.bg(lipgloss.NewStyle()).Bold(true)
+			st.themedBlurred = true
 		case "defaultFgColor":
 			fg = v.color
 		case "optionsTextColor":
diff --git a/internal/ui/styles/theme_test.go b/internal/ui/styles/theme_test.go
index fe07e03..4ae4d4d 100644
--- a/internal/ui/styles/theme_test.go
+++ b/internal/ui/styles/theme_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package styles
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -62,3 +63,32 @@ func TestEmptyThemeIsDefault(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("empty theme: %v %v reverse=%v bg=%v", err, fg, st.Selected.GetReverse(), st.Selected.GetBackground())
 	}
 }
+
+func TestOnBackground(t *testing.T) {
+	hex := func(c any) string {
+		r, g, b, _ := c.(interface{ RGBA() (r, g, b, a uint32) }).RGBA()
+		return fmt.Sprintf("#%02x%02x%02x", r>>8, g>>8, b>>8)
+	}
+	st := Default().OnBackground(lipgloss.Color("#282c34"), true)
+	if got := hex(st.Selected.GetBackground()); got != "#3e424a" {
+		t.Errorf("dark: selected %s", got)
+	}
+	if got := hex(st.SelectedBlurred.GetBackground()); got != "#343840" {
+		t.Errorf("dark: blurred %s", got)
+	}
+	if got := hex(Default().OnBackground(lipgloss.Color("#ffffff"), false).Selected.GetBackground()); got != "#e8e8e8" {
+		t.Errorf("light: selected %s", got)
+	}
+
+	themed, _, err := FromTheme(map[string][]string{"selectedLineBgColor": {"#2d3f76"}})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	st = themed.OnBackground(lipgloss.Color("#282c34"), true)
+	if got := hex(st.Selected.GetBackground()); got != "#2d3f76" {
+		t.Errorf("themed: selected %s (want the theme's)", got)
+	}
+	if got := hex(st.SelectedBlurred.GetBackground()); got != "#343840" {
+		t.Errorf("themed: blurred %s (not themed: shaded)", got)
+	}
+}