diff --git a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/AgentManagerPanel.kt b/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/AgentManagerPanel.kt
index d6d7b0b4bca..5f199ce61dc 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/AgentManagerPanel.kt
+++ b/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/AgentManagerPanel.kt
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import ai.kilocode.client.diff.ensureDiffEditorKind
 import ai.kilocode.client.plugin.KiloBundle
 import ai.kilocode.client.session.SessionActivityKind
 import ai.kilocode.client.ui.UiStyle
-import ai.kilocode.client.util.bindTheme
 import ai.kilocode.client.ui.list.ActiveList
 import ai.kilocode.client.ui.list.ActiveListBadge
 import ai.kilocode.client.ui.list.ActiveListConfig
@@ -108,7 +107,6 @@ class AgentManagerPanel(
         list.installPopup(group)
         sync()
         bindModel()
-        bindTheme(this, this)
         controller.onSelect = { key ->
             // Focus the list so the freshly created worktree renders as an active selection rather
             // than the inactive highlight it would get while focus stays on the toolbar.
diff --git a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanel.kt b/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanel.kt
index 1eee956f1cb..022a475f1f8 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanel.kt
+++ b/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanel.kt
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import ai.kilocode.client.session.history.HistoryTime
 import ai.kilocode.client.session.history.LocalHistoryItem
 import ai.kilocode.client.plugin.KiloPluginSettings
 import ai.kilocode.client.telemetry.Telemetry
-import ai.kilocode.client.util.bindTheme
 import ai.kilocode.client.ui.list.ActiveList
 import ai.kilocode.client.ui.list.ActiveListBadge
 import ai.kilocode.client.ui.list.ActiveListConfig
@@ -116,7 +115,9 @@ class WorktreeSessionEditorPanel(
         Disposer.register(parent, this)
         isOpaque = true
         toolbar.targetComponent = this
-        toolbar.component.background = activeListToolWindowBackground()
+        // Keep the toolbar transparent so it shows its themed parent background and tracks
+        // Look-and-Feel changes automatically, instead of caching a color that goes stale.
+        toolbar.component.isOpaque = false
         toolbar.updateActionsImmediately()
         list.installPopup(group)
         splitter.firstComponent = list
@@ -141,7 +142,6 @@ class WorktreeSessionEditorPanel(
             }
         }
         bindStatus()
-        bindTheme(this, this)
         sync()
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/util/Theme.kt b/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/util/Theme.kt
deleted file mode 100644
index 446d2eefad9..00000000000
--- a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/main/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/util/Theme.kt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-package ai.kilocode.client.util
-
-import com.intellij.ide.ui.LafManagerListener
-import com.intellij.openapi.Disposable
-import com.intellij.openapi.application.ApplicationManager
-import javax.swing.JComponent
-import javax.swing.SwingUtilities
-
-/**
- * Refresh [roots] on Look-and-Feel changes. The subscription is tied to [parent], so it is removed
- * when the owning component is disposed. Replaces the copy/pasted `LafManagerListener` blocks that
- * each panel used to carry.
- */
-internal fun bindTheme(parent: Disposable, vararg roots: JComponent) {
-    val bus = ApplicationManager.getApplication().messageBus.connect(parent)
-    bus.subscribe(LafManagerListener.TOPIC, LafManagerListener {
-        ApplicationManager.getApplication().invokeLater {
-            roots.forEach { SwingUtilities.updateComponentTreeUI(it) }
-        }
-    })
-}
diff --git a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/test/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanelTest.kt b/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/test/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanelTest.kt
index 5fe9e94c811..d8809cfdc19 100644
--- a/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/test/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanelTest.kt
+++ b/packages/kilo-jetbrains/frontend/src/test/kotlin/ai/kilocode/client/agentManager/worktree/WorktreeSessionEditorPanelTest.kt
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import com.intellij.ui.SearchTextField
 import com.intellij.ui.components.JBList
 import com.intellij.ui.components.JBScrollPane
 import com.intellij.util.ui.UIUtil
+import java.awt.Color
 import java.awt.Container
 import java.awt.Point
 import java.awt.event.ActionEvent
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ import javax.swing.JButton
 import javax.swing.JComponent
 import javax.swing.KeyStroke
 import javax.swing.SwingUtilities
+import javax.swing.UIManager
 
 @Suppress("UnstableApiUsage")
 class WorktreeSessionEditorPanelTest : BasePlatformTestCase() {
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ class WorktreeSessionEditorPanelTest : BasePlatformTestCase() {
         assertEquals(activeListToolWindowBackground(), edt { scroll.background })
         assertEquals(activeListToolWindowBackground(), edt { scroll.viewport.background })
         assertEquals(activeListToolWindowBackground(), edt { (scroll.viewport.view as JComponent).background })
-        assertEquals(activeListToolWindowBackground(), edt { toolbar.background })
+        assertFalse(edt { toolbar.isOpaque })
         assertEquals(activeListToolWindowBackground(), edt { toolbarPanel.background })
         assertEquals(activeListToolWindowBackground(), edt { header.background })
         assertEquals(0, edt { scroll.border.getBorderInsets(scroll).left })
@@ -119,6 +121,24 @@ class WorktreeSessionEditorPanelTest : BasePlatformTestCase() {
         assertTrue(edt { header.border.getBorderInsets(header).bottom > 0 })
     }
 
+    fun `test toolbar background tracks the theme automatically`() {
+        val button = edt { components(panel).filterIsInstance<ActionButton>().single { it.presentation.text == "New session" } }
+        val toolbar = edt { button.parent as JComponent }
+        val toolbarPanel = edt { toolbar.parent as JComponent }
+        val old = UIManager.get("ToolWindow.background")
+        val next = Color(17, 34, 51)
+
+        try {
+            // The toolbar is transparent, so its themed background comes from the parent and follows
+            // the theme's ToolWindow.background live -- no listener or manual assignment required.
+            assertFalse(edt { toolbar.isOpaque })
+            edt { UIManager.put("ToolWindow.background", next) }
+            assertEquals(next, edt { toolbarPanel.background })
+        } finally {
+            UIManager.put("ToolWindow.background", old)
+        }
+    }
+
     fun `test expand collapse hides session list and edit toolbar but keeps header actions`() {
         edt {
             val splitter = UIUtil.findComponentOfType(panel, OnePixelSplitter::class.java)!!