diff --git a/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokDay.conf b/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokDay.conf
index 9e335d5..b94e593 100644
--- a/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokDay.conf
+++ b/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokDay.conf
@@ -11,13 +11,14 @@
 #   crates/codegen/xai-grok-pager-render/src/theme/grokday.rs
 #
 # Light counterpart to GrokNight: same hue family, darkened for contrast on a
-# light background. background is grok's bg_terminal and cursor is accent_user,
-# which grok itself sets over OSC 12 on startup.
+# light background. background is grok's bg_base, the surface the TUI actually
+# paints; bg_terminal (#f5f5f5) is for terminal-output blocks and is unused.
+# cursor is accent_user, which grok itself sets over OSC 12 on startup.
 
-background            #f5f5f5
+background            #eeeeee
 foreground            #262626
 cursor                #444444
-cursor_text_color     #f5f5f5
+cursor_text_color     #eeeeee
 selection_background  #c6c6c6
 selection_foreground  #262626
 url_color             #2f64d2
@@ -43,9 +44,10 @@ color13               #7d4bc6
 # cyan    — teal / cyan
 color6                #0a8e70
 color14               #0082aa
-# white   — fg_gutter / bg_storm
+# white   — fg_gutter / bg (the palette's brightest; bg_storm is now the
+#           background itself, so it would be invisible here)
 color7                #b2b2b2
-color15               #eeeeee
+color15               #f5f5f5
 
 # START_AUTOGENERATED_TAB_STYLE
 # Feel free to update these colors manually and remove these comments.
diff --git a/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokNight.conf b/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokNight.conf
index c8c5519..1d48fe4 100644
--- a/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokNight.conf
+++ b/private_dot_config/kitty/themes/GrokNight.conf
@@ -10,14 +10,15 @@
 #   xai-org/grok-build
 #   crates/codegen/xai-grok-pager-render/src/theme/groknight.rs
 #
-# background is grok's bg_terminal (the color the TUI expects behind it) and
-# cursor is accent_user, which grok itself sets over OSC 12 on startup, so a
-# grok session blends into the terminal instead of sitting on a seam.
+# background is grok's bg_base, the surface the TUI actually paints, so a grok
+# session sits flush against the terminal. bg_terminal (#0a0a0a) is not the
+# terminal background despite the name -- it is for terminal-output blocks and
+# is unused. cursor is accent_user, which grok sets over OSC 12 on startup.
 
-background            #0a0a0a
+background            #141414
 foreground            #e1e1e1
 cursor                #c8c8c8
-cursor_text_color     #0a0a0a
+cursor_text_color     #141414
 selection_background  #363636
 selection_foreground  #e1e1e1
 url_color             #7aa6da