diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx b/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx
index d1fda46e8..dca362e2b 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx
@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
 
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     if (!pubkey || !relayUrl) return;
-    const legacyFallback = initialPreferenceRef.current;
+    const legacyFallback = communityThemeScopeFallback(
+      hasMigratedCommunityTheme(pubkey),
+      initialPreferenceRef.current,
+    );
     const local = readCommunityThemePreference(
       pubkey,
       relayUrl,
@@ -90,10 +93,7 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
     // Preserve the user's existing global appearance the first time this
     // feature sees their current community. Later missing/malformed target
     // records use the stable default so the previous community never leaks.
-    const fallback = communityThemeScopeFallback(
-      hasMigratedCommunityTheme(pubkey),
-      initialPreferenceRef.current,
-    );
+    const fallback = legacyFallback;
     const scopedPreference = dirty ?? local ?? fallback;
     scopedPreferenceRef.current = scopedPreference;
     applyPreference(scopedPreference);
@@ -110,7 +110,10 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!pubkey || !relayUrl) return;
     const scope = `${pubkey}:${relayUrl}`;
-    const legacyFallback = initialPreferenceRef.current;
+    const legacyFallback = communityThemeScopeFallback(
+      hasMigratedCommunityTheme(pubkey),
+      initialPreferenceRef.current,
+    );
     scopeRef.current = scope;
     lastRemoteRef.current = { createdAt: 0, eventId: "" };
     const manager = new CommunityThemeSyncManager(
@@ -247,7 +250,10 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
     const stored = readCommunityThemePreference(
       pubkey,
       relayUrl,
-      initialPreferenceRef.current,
+      communityThemeScopeFallback(
+        hasMigratedCommunityTheme(pubkey),
+        initialPreferenceRef.current,
+      ),
     );
     if (stored && sameCommunityThemePreference(stored, preference)) return;
     scopedPreferenceRef.current = preference;
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs b/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs
index 3ccb8b98e..d86c4cc1a 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs
@@ -86,6 +86,29 @@ test("older theme records inherit the pre-migration appearance controls", () =>
   });
 });
 
+test("later legacy records use stable defaults instead of a prior community", () => {
+  const priorCommunity = {
+    ...DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME,
+    glassBackground: true,
+    glassOpacity: 42,
+    prominentActiveTab: true,
+  };
+  const olderRecord = {
+    version: 1,
+    theme: "houston",
+    accent: "#a855f7",
+    followSystem: false,
+  };
+
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    parseCommunityThemePreference(
+      olderRecord,
+      communityThemeScopeFallback(true, priorCommunity),
+    ),
+    { ...DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME, ...olderRecord },
+  );
+});
+
 test("appearance equality includes glass and prominent-tab choices", () => {
   assert.equal(
     sameCommunityThemePreference(DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME, {
diff --git a/mobile/lib/shared/theme/community_theme_preference.dart b/mobile/lib/shared/theme/community_theme_preference.dart
index 4428c7ddd..ad4b1ea68 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/shared/theme/community_theme_preference.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/shared/theme/community_theme_preference.dart
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const defaultCommunityGlassBackground = false;
 const defaultCommunityGlassOpacity = 65;
 const minCommunityGlassOpacity = 30;
 const maxCommunityGlassOpacity = 90;
-const defaultCommunityProminentActiveTab = true;
+const defaultCommunityProminentActiveTab = false;
 const defaultCommunityTheme = CommunityThemePreference(
   theme: 'buzz',
   accent: '#3b82f6',
diff --git a/mobile/test/shared/theme/community_theme_preference_test.dart b/mobile/test/shared/theme/community_theme_preference_test.dart
index 8b0063383..b823dd324 100644
--- a/mobile/test/shared/theme/community_theme_preference_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/shared/theme/community_theme_preference_test.dart
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ void main() {
 
     expect(preference.glassBackground, isFalse);
     expect(preference.glassOpacity, 65);
-    expect(preference.prominentActiveTab, isTrue);
+    expect(preference.prominentActiveTab, isFalse);
     expect(preference.toJson(), containsPair('glassOpacity', 65));
   });