diff --git a/src/app/layout.tsx b/src/app/layout.tsx
index d5a47fa..55465ed 100644
--- a/src/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/layout.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,14 @@ const THEME_INIT_SCRIPT = `
   try {
     var v = localStorage.getItem("mercury.theme");
     var mode = v === "light" ? "light-only" : v === "dark" ? "dark-only" : "system";
-    document.documentElement.setAttribute("data-seed-color-mode", mode);
+    var el = document.documentElement;
+    el.setAttribute("data-seed-color-mode", mode);
+    // Seed's "system" mode resolves dark ONLY when data-seed-user-color-scheme
+    // reflects the OS preference — the CSS has no prefers-color-scheme media
+    // query of its own. Sync it from matchMedia so "system" actually follows
+    // the OS (light-only/dark-only ignore this attribute).
+    var dark = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches;
+    el.setAttribute("data-seed-user-color-scheme", dark ? "dark" : "light");
   } catch (e) {}
 })();
 `;
diff --git a/src/ds/ThemeToggle.tsx b/src/ds/ThemeToggle.tsx
index 10999eb..bc1f0bc 100644
--- a/src/ds/ThemeToggle.tsx
+++ b/src/ds/ThemeToggle.tsx
@@ -39,9 +39,19 @@ function persistTheme(theme: MercuryTheme): void {
   }
 }
 
+/** Seed's "system" color-mode resolves dark only via data-seed-user-color-scheme
+ * (there's no prefers-color-scheme media query in the tokens), so we sync it
+ * from matchMedia. light-only/dark-only ignore this attribute. */
+function syncUserScheme(): void {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined" || !window.matchMedia) return;
+  const dark = window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches;
+  document.documentElement.setAttribute("data-seed-user-color-scheme", dark ? "dark" : "light");
+}
+
 function applyTheme(theme: MercuryTheme): void {
   if (typeof document === "undefined") return;
   document.documentElement.setAttribute("data-seed-color-mode", toColorMode(theme));
+  syncUserScheme();
 }
 
 export interface ThemeToggleProps {
@@ -60,6 +70,17 @@ export function ThemeToggle({ labels = DEFAULT_LABELS }: ThemeToggleProps) {
   // DOM before this ever mounts, so both agree from the first paint.
   const [theme, setTheme] = React.useState<MercuryTheme>(() => getStoredTheme());
 
+  // Keep data-seed-user-color-scheme synced to the OS so "system" mode follows
+  // live OS light/dark changes without a reload.
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (typeof window === "undefined" || !window.matchMedia) return;
+    const mq = window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)");
+    syncUserScheme();
+    const onChange = () => syncUserScheme();
+    mq.addEventListener?.("change", onChange);
+    return () => mq.removeEventListener?.("change", onChange);
+  }, []);
+
   function handleChange(next: string) {
     const nextTheme = next as MercuryTheme;
     setTheme(nextTheme);