diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx b/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx
index bc76f8bdb..2720b5f35 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/theme/CommunityThemeController.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { useIdentityQuery } from "@/shared/api/hooks";
 import {
   cacheAndApplyCommunityTheme,
   captureCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot,
+  clearCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox,
   clearCommunityThemeOutbox,
   communityThemeAppearanceFallback,
   communityThemeApplyExpectation,
@@ -12,10 +13,13 @@ import {
   communityThemeScopeFallback,
   hasMigratedCommunityTheme,
   markCommunityThemeMigrated,
+  readCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance,
+  readCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox,
   readCommunityThemeOutbox,
   readCommunityThemePreference,
-  refreshCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot,
+  refreshCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance,
   sameCommunityThemePreference,
+  writeCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox,
   writeCommunityThemeOutbox,
   writeCommunityThemePreference,
   type CommunityThemeAppearance,
@@ -92,13 +96,17 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
       initialPreferenceRef.current,
     );
     appearanceSnapshotRef.current = snapshot;
+    const currentAppearance = readCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance(
+      pubkey,
+      snapshot,
+    );
     const appearanceFallback = communityThemeAppearanceFallback(snapshot);
     const scopeFallback: CommunityThemePreference = {
       ...communityThemeScopeFallback(
         hasMigratedCommunityTheme(pubkey),
         initialPreferenceRef.current,
       ),
-      ...snapshot,
+      ...currentAppearance,
     };
     const local = readCommunityThemePreference(
       pubkey,
@@ -135,6 +143,10 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
     // the correct in-session value.
     const snapshot = appearanceSnapshotRef.current;
     const appearanceFallback = communityThemeAppearanceFallback(snapshot);
+    const currentAppearance = readCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance(
+      pubkey,
+      snapshot ?? appearanceFallback,
+    );
     const local = readCommunityThemePreference(
       pubkey,
       relayUrl,
@@ -146,15 +158,15 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
       appearanceFallback,
     );
     // A value already cached for this relay is the safest fallback for a later
-    // incomplete event. Without one, use the durable appearance snapshot, which
-    // holds the profile's pre-migration glass and tab choices for every scope.
+    // incomplete event. Without one, use the immutable pre-migration snapshot,
+    // never the mutable current-choice fallback used only for absent scopes.
     const legacyFallback = durablePending ?? local ?? appearanceFallback;
     const scopeFallback: CommunityThemePreference = {
       ...communityThemeScopeFallback(
         hasMigratedCommunityTheme(pubkey),
         initialPreferenceRef.current,
       ),
-      ...snapshot,
+      ...currentAppearance,
     };
     scopeRef.current = scope;
     lastRemoteRef.current = { createdAt: 0, eventId: "" };
@@ -174,11 +186,21 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
           published.preference,
           legacyFallback,
         );
+        clearCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(pubkey, relayUrl);
       },
       legacyFallback,
     );
     managerRef.current = manager;
-    if (durablePending) manager.publish(durablePending);
+    if (durablePending) {
+      manager.publish(durablePending);
+    } else {
+      const migrationPending = readCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(
+        pubkey,
+        relayUrl,
+        legacyFallback,
+      );
+      if (migrationPending) manager.publish(migrationPending);
+    }
 
     const applyRemote = (remote: RemoteCommunityTheme) => {
       if (scopeRef.current !== scope) return;
@@ -196,6 +218,10 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
         manager.publish(dirty);
         return;
       }
+      // Migration-only upgrades never outrank relay state. A newer complete
+      // coordinate cancels the pending upgrade rather than being overwritten by
+      // a legacy-derived republish two seconds later.
+      clearCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(pubkey, relayUrl);
       scopedPreferenceRef.current = remote.preference;
       manager.cancelPendingPublish();
       cacheAndApplyCommunityTheme(
@@ -206,7 +232,7 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
       );
       if (
         remote.needsUpgrade &&
-        writeCommunityThemeOutbox(pubkey, relayUrl, remote.preference)
+        writeCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(pubkey, relayUrl, remote.preference)
       ) {
         manager.publish(remote.preference);
       }
@@ -290,13 +316,11 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
       communityThemeAppearanceFallback(appearanceSnapshotRef.current),
     );
     if (stored && sameCommunityThemePreference(stored, preference)) return;
-    // A genuine user edit that changes glass/opacity/prominent-tab is the
-    // user's current profile-wide appearance intent, so refresh the snapshot
-    // that seeds no-record communities. Without this the snapshot stays frozen
-    // at the pre-migration value and a later empty community resurrects it over
-    // the user's current choice. Only a changed appearance refreshes it, so an
-    // accent- or theme-only edit never leaks this community's glass into the
-    // profile-wide seed.
+    // A genuine user edit that changes glass/opacity/prominent-tab updates the
+    // profile-wide fallback used only for a genuinely absent community. Keep
+    // that value separate from the immutable pre-migration snapshot used to
+    // hydrate older three-field records, or one community's explicit choice
+    // contaminates every still-legacy community.
     const priorScoped = scopedPreferenceRef.current;
     if (
       !priorScoped ||
@@ -304,10 +328,7 @@ export function CommunityThemeController() {
       priorScoped.glassOpacity !== preference.glassOpacity ||
       priorScoped.prominentActiveTab !== preference.prominentActiveTab
     ) {
-      appearanceSnapshotRef.current = refreshCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot(
-        pubkey,
-        preference,
-      );
+      refreshCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance(pubkey, preference);
     }
     scopedPreferenceRef.current = preference;
     if (!writeCommunityThemePreference(pubkey, relayUrl, preference)) return;
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs b/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs
index e565f3888..761fca602 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.test.mjs
@@ -8,16 +8,20 @@ import {
   clearCommunityThemeOutbox,
   communityThemeAppearanceFallback,
   communityThemeApplyExpectation,
+  communityThemeMigrationOutboxKey,
   communityThemeOutboxKey,
   communityThemePersistenceAction,
   communityThemeScopeFallback,
   communityThemeStorageKey,
   parseCommunityThemePreference,
   readCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot,
+  readCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance,
+  readCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox,
   readCommunityThemeOutbox,
   readCommunityThemePreference,
-  refreshCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot,
+  refreshCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance,
   sameCommunityThemePreference,
+  writeCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox,
   writeCommunityThemeOutbox,
   writeCommunityThemePreference,
 } from "./communityThemePreference.ts";
@@ -283,11 +287,9 @@ test("a full store pins the snapshot across a controller remount", () => {
   );
 });
 
-test("a user glass edit refreshes the snapshot for no-record communities", () => {
-  // The initial snapshot is frozen at the pre-migration appearance. Once the
-  // user changes glass, that former value is stale: a no-record community must
-  // inherit the new choice, not resurrect the old one. refresh overwrites the
-  // durable snapshot so the empty-scope fallback tracks the current choice.
+test("a user glass edit updates absent scopes without changing the legacy snapshot", () => {
+  // Empty communities track the latest explicit choice, but a legacy record
+  // must always inherit the immutable pre-migration appearance.
   globalThis.window = { localStorage: localStorageStub() };
   const preMigration = {
     ...DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME,
@@ -299,11 +301,6 @@ test("a user glass edit refreshes the snapshot for no-record communities", () =>
     "edit-pk",
     preMigration,
   );
-  assert.deepEqual(pinned, {
-    glassBackground: true,
-    glassOpacity: 80,
-    prominentActiveTab: true,
-  });
 
   const edited = {
     ...DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME,
@@ -311,17 +308,34 @@ test("a user glass edit refreshes the snapshot for no-record communities", () =>
     glassOpacity: 40,
     prominentActiveTab: false,
   };
-  const refreshed = refreshCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot("edit-pk", edited);
-  assert.deepEqual(refreshed, {
+  const current = refreshCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance("edit-pk", edited);
+  assert.deepEqual(current, {
     glassBackground: false,
     glassOpacity: 40,
     prominentActiveTab: false,
   });
-  // A subsequent capture (a later community mount) sees the refreshed value,
-  // so the no-record fallback carries the user's current choice.
   assert.deepEqual(
-    captureCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot("edit-pk", preMigration),
-    refreshed,
+    readCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance("edit-pk", pinned),
+    current,
+  );
+
+  // The next mount still sees the original snapshot for an older payload.
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    captureCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot("edit-pk", edited),
+    pinned,
+  );
+  const legacy = {
+    version: 1,
+    theme: "houston",
+    accent: "#a855f7",
+    followSystem: false,
+  };
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    parseCommunityThemePreference(
+      legacy,
+      communityThemeAppearanceFallback(pinned),
+    ),
+    { ...legacy, ...pinned },
   );
 });
 
@@ -436,6 +450,40 @@ test("dirty outbox survives restart and clears only its exact revision", () => {
   );
 });
 
+test("migration upgrades are isolated from user edits", () => {
+  globalThis.window = { localStorage: localStorageStub() };
+  const migration = { ...DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME, theme: "houston" };
+  const userEdit = { ...DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME, accent: "#ef4444" };
+
+  assert.equal(
+    writeCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox("alice", "wss://a.example", migration),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    readCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox("alice", "wss://a.example"),
+    migration,
+  );
+  assert.equal(readCommunityThemeOutbox("alice", "wss://a.example"), null);
+
+  // A genuine edit supersedes and clears the migration-only upgrade.
+  assert.equal(
+    writeCommunityThemeOutbox("alice", "wss://a.example", userEdit),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    readCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox("alice", "wss://a.example"),
+    null,
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    readCommunityThemeOutbox("alice", "wss://a.example"),
+    userEdit,
+  );
+  assert.notEqual(
+    communityThemeMigrationOutboxKey("alice", "wss://a.example"),
+    communityThemeOutboxKey("alice", "wss://a.example"),
+  );
+});
+
 test("malformed local data returns null so switching can apply the safe default", () => {
   globalThis.window = { localStorage: localStorageStub() };
   const key = communityThemeStorageKey("alice", "wss://broken.example");
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.ts b/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.ts
index ae3cb52bc..68e6234f8 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/theme/communityThemePreference.ts
@@ -11,9 +11,12 @@ import { SYNTAX_THEMES, type SyntaxThemeName } from "./theme-loader";
 
 const STORAGE_KEY_PREFIX = "buzz-community-theme.v1";
 const OUTBOX_KEY_PREFIX = "buzz-community-theme-outbox.v1";
+const MIGRATION_OUTBOX_KEY_PREFIX = "buzz-community-theme-migration-outbox.v1";
 const MIGRATION_KEY_PREFIX = "buzz-community-theme-migrated.v1";
 const APPEARANCE_SNAPSHOT_KEY_PREFIX =
   "buzz-community-theme-appearance-snapshot.v1";
+const CURRENT_APPEARANCE_KEY_PREFIX =
+  "buzz-community-theme-current-appearance.v1";
 
 export type CommunityThemePreference = {
   version: 1;
@@ -59,6 +62,13 @@ export function communityThemeOutboxKey(
   return `${OUTBOX_KEY_PREFIX}:${pubkey}:${encodeURIComponent(normalizeRelayUrl(relayUrl))}`;
 }
 
+export function communityThemeMigrationOutboxKey(
+  pubkey: string,
+  relayUrl: string,
+): string {
+  return `${MIGRATION_OUTBOX_KEY_PREFIX}:${pubkey}:${encodeURIComponent(normalizeRelayUrl(relayUrl))}`;
+}
+
 export function parseCommunityThemePreference(
   value: unknown,
   legacyFallback: CommunityThemePreference = DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME,
@@ -150,12 +160,71 @@ export function writeCommunityThemeOutbox(
       communityThemeOutboxKey(pubkey, relayUrl),
       JSON.stringify(preference),
     );
+    clearCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(pubkey, relayUrl);
     return true;
   } catch {
     return false;
   }
 }
 
+export function readCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(
+  pubkey: string,
+  relayUrl: string,
+  legacyFallback: CommunityThemePreference = DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME,
+): CommunityThemePreference | null {
+  try {
+    const raw = window.localStorage.getItem(
+      communityThemeMigrationOutboxKey(pubkey, relayUrl),
+    );
+    return raw
+      ? parseCommunityThemePreference(JSON.parse(raw), legacyFallback)
+      : null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+export function writeCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(
+  pubkey: string,
+  relayUrl: string,
+  preference: CommunityThemePreference,
+): boolean {
+  try {
+    window.localStorage.setItem(
+      communityThemeMigrationOutboxKey(pubkey, relayUrl),
+      JSON.stringify(preference),
+    );
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+export function clearCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(
+  pubkey: string,
+  relayUrl: string,
+  acknowledged?: CommunityThemePreference,
+  legacyFallback: CommunityThemePreference = DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_THEME,
+): void {
+  if (acknowledged) {
+    const pending = readCommunityThemeMigrationOutbox(
+      pubkey,
+      relayUrl,
+      legacyFallback,
+    );
+    if (!pending || !sameCommunityThemePreference(pending, acknowledged)) {
+      return;
+    }
+  }
+  try {
+    window.localStorage.removeItem(
+      communityThemeMigrationOutboxKey(pubkey, relayUrl),
+    );
+  } catch {
+    // A later remote can safely cancel the migration-only upgrade again.
+  }
+}
+
 export function clearCommunityThemeOutbox(
   pubkey: string,
   relayUrl: string,
@@ -194,6 +263,10 @@ export function communityThemeAppearanceSnapshotKey(pubkey: string): string {
   return `${APPEARANCE_SNAPSHOT_KEY_PREFIX}:${pubkey}`;
 }
 
+export function communityThemeCurrentAppearanceKey(pubkey: string): string {
+  return `${CURRENT_APPEARANCE_KEY_PREFIX}:${pubkey}`;
+}
+
 function parseCommunityThemeAppearance(
   value: unknown,
 ): CommunityThemeAppearance | null {
@@ -229,6 +302,7 @@ export function readCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot(
 }
 
 const inMemoryAppearanceSnapshots = new Map<string, CommunityThemeAppearance>();
+const inMemoryCurrentAppearances = new Map<string, CommunityThemeAppearance>();
 
 /**
  * Persist the profile's pre-migration appearance the first time it is seen and
@@ -270,35 +344,47 @@ export function captureCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot(
 }
 
 /**
- * Overwrite the profile's appearance snapshot with a later explicit user glass
- * choice. The initial snapshot is frozen at the pre-migration appearance, but
- * once the user changes glass/opacity/prominent-tab that former value is stale:
- * a no-record community would otherwise resurrect it and republish it over the
- * user's current choice. Callers refresh only on a genuine user edit, never on
- * a programmatic per-community apply, so a community's own record can never
- * leak into the profile-wide seed.
+ * Persist the latest explicit user glass choice separately from the immutable
+ * migration snapshot. Empty communities may inherit this current choice, while
+ * legacy records must continue to inherit the original pre-migration value.
  */
-export function refreshCommunityThemeAppearanceSnapshot(
+export function refreshCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance(
   pubkey: string,
   appearance: CommunityThemeAppearance,
 ): CommunityThemeAppearance {
-  const snapshot: CommunityThemeAppearance = {
+  const current: CommunityThemeAppearance = {
     glassBackground: appearance.glassBackground,
     glassOpacity: appearance.glassOpacity,
     prominentActiveTab: appearance.prominentActiveTab,
   };
   try {
     window.localStorage.setItem(
-      communityThemeAppearanceSnapshotKey(pubkey),
-      JSON.stringify(snapshot),
+      communityThemeCurrentAppearanceKey(pubkey),
+      JSON.stringify(current),
     );
-    inMemoryAppearanceSnapshots.delete(pubkey);
+    inMemoryCurrentAppearances.delete(pubkey);
   } catch {
-    // Retain the refreshed value in memory when the store is full, mirroring
-    // the capture path so the current choice still survives a remount.
-    inMemoryAppearanceSnapshots.set(pubkey, snapshot);
+    inMemoryCurrentAppearances.set(pubkey, current);
   }
-  return snapshot;
+  return current;
+}
+
+export function readCommunityThemeCurrentAppearance(
+  pubkey: string,
+  fallback: CommunityThemeAppearance,
+): CommunityThemeAppearance {
+  try {
+    const raw = window.localStorage.getItem(
+      communityThemeCurrentAppearanceKey(pubkey),
+    );
+    if (raw) {
+      const current = parseCommunityThemeAppearance(JSON.parse(raw));
+      if (current) return current;
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // Fall through to the in-memory current choice or immutable snapshot.
+  }
+  return inMemoryCurrentAppearances.get(pubkey) ?? fallback;
 }
 
 export function writeCommunityThemePreference(