diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/surfaces.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/surfaces.tsx
index 2e40092ffc..750248fbfe 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/surfaces.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/surfaces.tsx
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export const SidebarSurface = memo(function SidebarSurface({
 
 export const TerminalSurface = memo(function TerminalSurface() {
   return (
-    <div className="relative flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col overflow-hidden bg-(--ui-editor-surface-background)">
+    <div className="relative flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col overflow-hidden bg-(--ui-terminal-surface-background)">
       <TerminalPaneChrome />
     </div>
   )
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/instance.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/instance.tsx
index 933916b640..9d81495642 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/instance.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/instance.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ import { useTerminalSession } from './use-terminal-session'
 
 // Absolute-stacked so inactive tabs keep layout size (a display:none host goes
 // 0×0 and renders garbled on re-show); visibility toggles which one is seen.
-const INSTANCE_CLASS = 'absolute inset-0 flex flex-col bg-(--ui-editor-surface-background) px-2 pb-2 pt-0'
+const INSTANCE_CLASS = 'absolute inset-0 flex flex-col bg-(--ui-terminal-surface-background) px-2 pb-2 pt-0'
+
+// xterm host. The screen/viewport overrides matter for the DOM renderer (the
+// WebGL fast-path paints the canvas from ITheme.background instead) — both
+// resolve to the same token, so the two renderers can't disagree.
+const HOST_CLASS =
+  'h-full min-h-0 overflow-hidden text-(--ui-text-secondary) [&_.xterm]:h-full [&_.xterm-screen]:bg-(--ui-terminal-surface-background)! [&_.xterm-viewport]:bg-(--ui-terminal-surface-background)!'
 
 interface TerminalInstanceProps {
   id: string
@@ -81,10 +87,7 @@ export function TerminalInstance({
       )}
       {/* Outer div paints the terminal inset; inner div is the xterm host so the
           canvas sizes to the content area and p-2 stays as terminal padding. */}
-      <div
-        className="h-full min-h-0 overflow-hidden text-(--ui-text-secondary) [&_.xterm]:h-full [&_.xterm-screen]:bg-(--ui-editor-surface-background)! [&_.xterm-viewport]:bg-(--ui-editor-surface-background)!"
-        ref={hostRef}
-      />
+      <div className={HOST_CLASS} ref={hostRef} />
     </div>
   )
 }
@@ -107,10 +110,7 @@ export function AgentTerminalInstance({ active, id, procId }: AgentTerminalInsta
       // routes ⌘W here and closes the focused agent tab (not a preview).
       data-terminal=""
     >
-      <div
-        className="h-full min-h-0 overflow-hidden text-(--ui-text-secondary) [&_.xterm]:h-full [&_.xterm-screen]:bg-(--ui-editor-surface-background)! [&_.xterm-viewport]:bg-(--ui-editor-surface-background)!"
-        ref={hostRef}
-      />
+      <div className={HOST_CLASS} ref={hostRef} />
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/persistent.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/persistent.tsx
index 3fe2edb04a..b5e75978b0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/persistent.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/persistent.tsx
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ export function PersistentTerminal({ onAddSelectionToChat }: PersistentTerminalP
     zIndex: 4,
     // Match the live skin surface so the header strip (transparent) and body
     // read as one cohesive pane instead of revealing a near-black slab behind.
-    backgroundColor: 'var(--ui-editor-surface-background)',
+    backgroundColor: 'var(--ui-terminal-surface-background)',
     contain: 'layout size paint'
   }
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx
index ced1675032..7b5aee0ffa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/rail.tsx
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export function TerminalRail() {
 
   return (
     <div
-      className="group/rail relative z-40 flex h-full w-9 shrink-0 flex-col items-center border-l border-(--ui-stroke-quaternary) bg-(--ui-editor-surface-background)"
+      className="group/rail relative z-40 flex h-full w-9 shrink-0 flex-col items-center border-l border-(--ui-stroke-quaternary) bg-(--ui-terminal-surface-background)"
       // The rail sits at the pane's outer edge, under the collapsed sidebars'
       // hover-reveal triggers; mark it so those triggers go pointer-transparent
       // while it's hovered (see the suppression rules in styles.css) and a reach
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/selection.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/selection.ts
index 2e6f0184e7..2aa2f891d3 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/selection.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/selection.ts
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ export function terminalTheme(mode: 'light' | 'dark', palette?: DesktopTerminalP
   return overlay as ITheme
 }
 
-// Resolve --ui-editor-surface-background (a color-mix on the skin seed) to a
-// concrete rgb for the WebGL renderer + contrast clamp. Custom props don't
+// Resolve --ui-terminal-surface-background (a color-mix on the skin seed) to a
+// concrete color for the WebGL renderer + contrast clamp. Custom props don't
 // resolve via getComputedStyle, so probe a real background-color. Read AFTER
 // applyTheme repaints (mount / rAF post-change) or it lags a frame behind.
 export function resolveSurfaceColor(fallback: string): string {
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export function resolveSurfaceColor(fallback: string): string {
 
   const probe = document.createElement('span')
   probe.style.cssText =
-    'position:absolute;visibility:hidden;pointer-events:none;background-color:var(--ui-editor-surface-background)'
+    'position:absolute;visibility:hidden;pointer-events:none;background-color:var(--ui-terminal-surface-background)'
   document.body.appendChild(probe)
   const resolved = getComputedStyle(probe).backgroundColor
   probe.remove()
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/use-agent-terminal.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/use-agent-terminal.ts
index a8d92d9e36..f87840e95c 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/use-agent-terminal.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/right-sidebar/terminal/use-agent-terminal.ts
@@ -26,9 +26,13 @@ export function useAgentTerminal({ active, id, procId }: { active: boolean; id:
 
   const surfaceTheme = () => {
     const ansi = renderedMode === 'dark' ? (theme.darkTerminal ?? theme.terminal) : theme.terminal
-    const surface = resolveSurfaceColor('#ffffff')
+    const base = terminalTheme(renderedMode, ansi)
+    // Fall back to the palette's own background, not white — a hardcoded
+    // '#ffffff' flashes a white slab in dark mode whenever the probe can't read
+    // the token (pre-paint mount). Same contract as the user terminal.
+    const surface = resolveSurfaceColor(base.background ?? '#ffffff')
 
-    return { ...terminalTheme(renderedMode, ansi), background: surface, cursorAccent: surface }
+    return { ...base, background: surface, cursorAccent: surface }
   }
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-syntax -- legitimate non-atom ref write (see eslint rule comment)
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/styles.css b/apps/desktop/src/styles.css
index 4017644307..065f5bd562 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/styles.css
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/styles.css
@@ -327,6 +327,12 @@
     --ui-sidebar-surface-background: var(--ui-bg-sidebar);
     --ui-chat-surface-background: var(--ui-bg-chrome);
     --ui-editor-surface-background: var(--ui-bg-chrome);
+    /* The integrated terminal wears the transcript's background, not the
+       editor's — it reads as part of the conversation surface. Its own token so
+       the two can diverge without dragging the terminal along, and so a skin
+       gets one knob for it. xterm's canvas can't use a var, so the probe in
+       terminal/selection.ts resolves this same name to a concrete rgb. */
+    --ui-terminal-surface-background: var(--ui-chat-surface-background);
     /* Inline chat widgets (clarify, artifact card) — the card fill in light
        mode, nudged down in dark so a widget settles into the transcript
        instead of glowing above it (see the `.dark` override). */