diff --git a/config/colors.go b/config/colors.go
index 2bc92b3..86a9061 100644
--- a/config/colors.go
+++ b/config/colors.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ type Palette struct {
 	DeepPurple              Color    // #865ad6 — fallback for burndown gradient
 
 	// Content area
-	ContentBackgroundColor Color // canvas background (dark: black, light: transparent/default)
+	ContentBackgroundColor Color // canvas background (transparent/default — inherits terminal bg)
 
 	// Statusline (Nord palette)
 	NordPolarNight1 Color // #2e3440
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func DarkPalette() Palette {
 		DeepSkyBlue: NewColorRGB(0, 191, 255),
 		DeepPurple:  NewColorRGB(134, 90, 214),
 
-		ContentBackgroundColor: NewColor(tcell.ColorBlack),
+		ContentBackgroundColor: DefaultColor(), // transparent — inherit terminal background
 
 		NordPolarNight1: NewColorHex("#2e3440"),
 		NordPolarNight2: NewColorHex("#3b4252"),
diff --git a/config/loader.go b/config/loader.go
index e5b15fb..a6e9631 100644
--- a/config/loader.go
+++ b/config/loader.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func setDefaults() {
 	// Appearance defaults
 	viper.SetDefault("appearance.theme", "auto")
 	viper.SetDefault("appearance.gradientThreshold", 256)
-	viper.SetDefault("appearance.codeBlock.theme", "nord")
+	// code block theme resolved dynamically in GetCodeBlockTheme()
 }
 
 // bindFlags binds supported command line flags to viper so they can override config values.
@@ -389,9 +389,16 @@ func GetGradientThreshold() int {
 	return threshold
 }
 
-// GetCodeBlockTheme returns the chroma syntax highlighting theme for code blocks
+// GetCodeBlockTheme returns the chroma syntax highlighting theme for code blocks.
+// defaults to "nord" (dark) or "github" (light) when not explicitly configured.
 func GetCodeBlockTheme() string {
-	return viper.GetString("appearance.codeBlock.theme")
+	if t := viper.GetString("appearance.codeBlock.theme"); t != "" {
+		return t
+	}
+	if GetEffectiveTheme() == "light" {
+		return "github"
+	}
+	return "nord"
 }
 
 // GetCodeBlockBackground returns the background color for code blocks
diff --git a/config/loader_test.go b/config/loader_test.go
index 3743729..383bdc5 100644
--- a/config/loader_test.go
+++ b/config/loader_test.go
@@ -182,9 +182,13 @@ func TestLoadConfigCodeBlockDefaults(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("LoadConfig failed: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// codeBlock.theme defaults to "nord"; background and border have no defaults
-	if cfg.Appearance.CodeBlock.Theme != "nord" {
-		t.Errorf("expected default codeBlock.theme 'nord', got '%s'", cfg.Appearance.CodeBlock.Theme)
+	// codeBlock.theme is empty in config (resolved dynamically by GetCodeBlockTheme)
+	if cfg.Appearance.CodeBlock.Theme != "" {
+		t.Errorf("expected empty default codeBlock.theme, got '%s'", cfg.Appearance.CodeBlock.Theme)
+	}
+	// GetCodeBlockTheme resolves to "nord" for dark (default) theme
+	if got := GetCodeBlockTheme(); got != "nord" {
+		t.Errorf("expected GetCodeBlockTheme() 'nord' for dark theme, got '%s'", got)
 	}
 	if cfg.Appearance.CodeBlock.Background != "" {
 		t.Errorf("expected empty default codeBlock.background, got '%s'", cfg.Appearance.CodeBlock.Background)
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 0c4c37a..8f49da8 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ go 1.25.0
 
 require (
 	github.com/alecthomas/participle/v2 v2.1.4
-	github.com/boolean-maybe/navidown v0.4.16
+	github.com/boolean-maybe/navidown v0.4.17
 	github.com/charmbracelet/bubbles v0.21.1-0.20250623103423-23b8fd6302d7
 	github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea v1.3.10
 	github.com/charmbracelet/huh v0.8.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 2bb976d..5317467 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ github.com/aymanbagabas/go-udiff v0.3.1 h1:LV+qyBQ2pqe0u42ZsUEtPiCaUoqgA9gYRDs3v
 github.com/aymanbagabas/go-udiff v0.3.1/go.mod h1:G0fsKmG+P6ylD0r6N/KgQD/nWzgfnl8ZBcNLgcbrw8E=
 github.com/aymerick/douceur v0.2.0 h1:Mv+mAeH1Q+n9Fr+oyamOlAkUNPWPlA8PPGR0QAaYuPk=
 github.com/aymerick/douceur v0.2.0/go.mod h1:wlT5vV2O3h55X9m7iVYN0TBM0NH/MmbLnd30/FjWUq4=
-github.com/boolean-maybe/navidown v0.4.16 h1:KfanPIG6vm26+Y7rjT5ztrERkZa6FDiSZ6Z0e0wfZeI=
-github.com/boolean-maybe/navidown v0.4.16/go.mod h1:uF4Z/5uTnEtC6ZWyfKRv5Qw8Nir1nfp4kUraggTRfrk=
+github.com/boolean-maybe/navidown v0.4.17 h1:5xlXhgd6/nzjrmQAi0puSuD6p+rbDFJlcJbKhEnU/Nc=
+github.com/boolean-maybe/navidown v0.4.17/go.mod h1:uF4Z/5uTnEtC6ZWyfKRv5Qw8Nir1nfp4kUraggTRfrk=
 github.com/catppuccin/go v0.3.0 h1:d+0/YicIq+hSTo5oPuRi5kOpqkVA5tAsU6dNhvRu+aY=
 github.com/catppuccin/go v0.3.0/go.mod h1:8IHJuMGaUUjQM82qBrGNBv7LFq6JI3NnQCF6MOlZjpc=
 github.com/charmbracelet/bubbles v0.21.1-0.20250623103423-23b8fd6302d7 h1:JFgG/xnwFfbezlUnFMJy0nusZvytYysV4SCS2cYbvws=
diff --git a/internal/bootstrap/init.go b/internal/bootstrap/init.go
index c9ac552..347e28e 100644
--- a/internal/bootstrap/init.go
+++ b/internal/bootstrap/init.go
@@ -297,9 +297,14 @@ func InitColorAndGradientSupport(cfg *config.Config) *sysinfo.SystemInfo {
 			"wideGradients", config.UseWideGradients)
 	}
 
-	// set tview global background so all primitives inherit the theme background
+	// set tview global styles so all primitives inherit the theme colors.
+	// PrimaryTextColor must be set for light theme — tview defaults to white,
+	// which is invisible on light backgrounds.
 	colors := config.GetColors()
 	tview.Styles.PrimitiveBackgroundColor = colors.ContentBackgroundColor.TCell()
+	if config.GetEffectiveTheme() == "light" {
+		tview.Styles.PrimaryTextColor = colors.ContentTextColor.TCell()
+	}
 
 	return systemInfo
 }