diff --git a/src/lib/utils/colors.test.ts b/src/lib/utils/colors.test.ts
index 6dc1c0c..7977c30 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils/colors.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/utils/colors.test.ts
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ describe('getNoteColor', () => {
 	});
 
 	it('returns dark color when isDark is true', () => {
-		expect(getNoteColor('default', true)).toBe('#2a2520');
-		expect(getNoteColor('coral', true)).toBe('#4a2522');
+		expect(getNoteColor('default', true)).toBe('#21201f');
+		expect(getNoteColor('coral', true)).toBe('#3f1f1c');
 	});
 
 	it('returns default color for unknown color name', () => {
 		expect(getNoteColor('unknown' as any, false)).toBe('#faf5eb');
-		expect(getNoteColor('unknown' as any, true)).toBe('#2a2520');
+		expect(getNoteColor('unknown' as any, true)).toBe('#21201f');
 	});
 
 	it('has matching keys in light and dark color maps', () => {
@@ -23,3 +23,43 @@ describe('getNoteColor', () => {
 		expect(lightKeys).toEqual(darkKeys);
 	});
 });
+
+/** WCAG relative luminance. */
+function relativeLuminance(hex: string): number {
+	const n = parseInt(hex.slice(1), 16);
+	const channels = [(n >> 16) & 255, (n >> 8) & 255, n & 255].map((v) => {
+		const s = v / 255;
+		return s <= 0.03928 ? s / 12.92 : Math.pow((s + 0.055) / 1.055, 2.4);
+	});
+	return 0.2126 * channels[0] + 0.7152 * channels[1] + 0.0722 * channels[2];
+}
+
+function contrastRatio(a: string, b: string): number {
+	const [l1, l2] = [relativeLuminance(a), relativeLuminance(b)];
+	return (Math.max(l1, l2) + 0.05) / (Math.min(l1, l2) + 0.05);
+}
+
+describe('dark note colours', () => {
+	// Must track [data-theme="dark"] in src/app.css.
+	const DARK_TEXT = '#ece3d3';
+	const DARK_TEXT_MUTED = '#b3a695';
+
+	it('keeps body text above the AA threshold on every dark card', () => {
+		for (const [name, { bg }] of Object.entries(NOTE_COLORS_DARK)) {
+			expect(contrastRatio(bg, DARK_TEXT), `${name} (${bg})`).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(4.5);
+		}
+	});
+
+	it('keeps muted text above the AA threshold on every dark card', () => {
+		// This is the invariant the old palette broke: muted/struck-through text
+		// became unreadable on the lighter surfaces.
+		for (const [name, { bg }] of Object.entries(NOTE_COLORS_DARK)) {
+			expect(contrastRatio(bg, DARK_TEXT_MUTED), `${name} (${bg})`).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(4.5);
+		}
+	});
+
+	it('holds the twelve surfaces within a narrow lightness band so they read as a family', () => {
+		const luminances = Object.values(NOTE_COLORS_DARK).map((c) => relativeLuminance(c.bg));
+		expect(Math.max(...luminances) - Math.min(...luminances)).toBeLessThan(0.03);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/colors.ts b/src/lib/utils/colors.ts
index 09f7190..f3aa947 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils/colors.ts
+++ b/src/lib/utils/colors.ts
@@ -16,18 +16,18 @@ export const NOTE_COLORS: Record<NoteColor, { bg: string; label: string }> = {
 };
 
 export const NOTE_COLORS_DARK: Record<NoteColor, { bg: string; label: string }> = {
-	default: { bg: '#2a2520', label: 'Default' },
-	coral: { bg: '#4a2522', label: 'Coral' },
-	peach: { bg: '#4a3020', label: 'Peach' },
-	sand: { bg: '#3a3520', label: 'Sand' },
-	mint: { bg: '#2a3a22', label: 'Mint' },
-	sage: { bg: '#223a32', label: 'Sage' },
-	fog: { bg: '#222e3a', label: 'Fog' },
-	storm: { bg: '#1e2a35', label: 'Storm' },
-	dusk: { bg: '#352540', label: 'Dusk' },
-	blossom: { bg: '#3a2830', label: 'Blossom' },
-	clay: { bg: '#302e28', label: 'Clay' },
-	chalk: { bg: '#2e2e30', label: 'Chalk' }
+	default: { bg: '#21201f', label: 'Default' },
+	coral: { bg: '#3f1f1c', label: 'Coral' },
+	peach: { bg: '#3f2b1c', label: 'Peach' },
+	sand: { bg: '#3c371b', label: 'Sand' },
+	mint: { bg: '#2a3d1d', label: 'Mint' },
+	sage: { bg: '#1f3d36', label: 'Sage' },
+	fog: { bg: '#253946', label: 'Fog' },
+	storm: { bg: '#1d283d', label: 'Storm' },
+	dusk: { bg: '#3d2843', label: 'Dusk' },
+	blossom: { bg: '#3d2129', label: 'Blossom' },
+	clay: { bg: '#363126', label: 'Clay' },
+	chalk: { bg: '#303036', label: 'Chalk' }
 };
 
 export function getNoteColor(color: NoteColor, isDark: boolean): string {
diff --git a/tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
index f409dd7..254d537 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ test.describe.serial('Dark mode', () => {
 		const noteCard = page.getByTestId('note-card').first();
 		await expect(noteCard).toBeVisible();
 		const bg = await noteCard.evaluate((el) => getComputedStyle(el).backgroundColor);
-		// Dark default color is #2a2520 = rgb(42, 37, 32); NOT light default rgb(250, 245, 235)
+		// Dark default color is #21201f = rgb(33, 32, 31); NOT light default rgb(250, 245, 235)
 		expect(bg).not.toBe('rgb(250, 245, 235)');
 	});
 });
diff --git a/tests/e2e/public-sharing.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/public-sharing.spec.ts
index 2768984..5ba69c1 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/public-sharing.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/public-sharing.spec.ts
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ test.describe('Public Note Sharing', () => {
 		await expect(publicPage.locator('html')).toHaveAttribute('data-theme', 'dark');
 		await expect(publicPage.getByTestId('shared-note')).toHaveCSS(
 			'background-color',
-			'rgb(34, 46, 58)'
+			'rgb(37, 57, 70)'
 		);
 
 		await context.close();