diff --git a/settings.html b/settings.html
index bf2437d..aef65d5 100644
--- a/settings.html
+++ b/settings.html
@@ -2,17 +2,23 @@
 <html lang="en">
 <head><meta charset="utf-8"><title>Theseus — Settings</title>
 <style>
+  /* --acid-text: color used for text/inline emphasis. In dark mode it
+     equals --acid (bright acid green, ~10:1 on the dark ground). Light
+     mode overrides to #253A49 (BCH dark navy) which is ~12:1 on white,
+     because the BCH-teal --acid (#0AC18E) only manages ~2.9:1 as text.
+     --acid still drives fills, borders, and background tints where a
+     brand-green splash is wanted. */
   :root{ --bg:#0b0e14; --panel:#141a24; --line:rgba(255,255,255,.09);
-         --ink:#e7eaf1; --mut:#8b98a9; --dim:#5e6678; --acid:#d6ff3d; }
+         --ink:#e7eaf1; --mut:#8b98a9; --dim:#5e6678; --acid:#d6ff3d; --acid-text:#d6ff3d; }
   *{box-sizing:border-box}
   body{margin:0;height:100vh;background:var(--bg);color:var(--ink);font:15px/1.6 system-ui,-apple-system,Segoe UI,Roboto,sans-serif}
   .app{display:flex;height:100vh}
   /* left sidebar menu */
   .side{flex:none;width:220px;background:#0e131c;border-right:1px solid var(--line);padding:20px 12px;display:flex;flex-direction:column;gap:2px}
-  .brand{font-weight:700;color:var(--acid);font-size:15px;padding:4px 12px 16px}
+  .brand{font-weight:700;color:var(--acid-text);font-size:15px;padding:4px 12px 16px}
   .side a{display:block;padding:9px 12px;border-radius:8px;color:var(--mut);text-decoration:none;font-size:14px;cursor:pointer}
   .side a:hover{background:#ffffff0a;color:var(--ink)}
-  .side a.active{background:rgb(from var(--acid) r g b / .12);color:var(--acid)}
+  .side a.active{background:rgb(from var(--acid) r g b / .12);color:var(--acid-text)}
   /* content */
   .content{flex:1;overflow-y:auto;padding:2.4rem 2.4rem 4rem}
   section{max-width:640px}
@@ -38,14 +44,14 @@
      nativeTheme.themeSource, which drives prefers-color-scheme — so pinning
      color-scheme via that media query keeps the popup in sync automatically. */
   :root { color-scheme: dark; }
-  @media (prefers-color-scheme: light) { :root { color-scheme: light; --acid: #0AC18E; } }
+  @media (prefers-color-scheme: light) { :root { color-scheme: light; --acid: #0AC18E; --acid-text: #253A49; } }
   /* Explicit option styling — Chromium respects it in the popup on Windows. */
   select option { background: #1b2330; color: var(--ink); }
   @media (prefers-color-scheme: light) { select option { background: #f1f3f7; color: #1a1f28; } }
   code{font-family:ui-monospace,monospace;font-size:12px;background:#0e131b;border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:5px;padding:1px 5px;color:#bfeae4}
   .addeng{display:flex;gap:6px} .addeng input{flex:1;background:#1b2330;color:var(--ink);border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:8px;padding:8px 10px;font-size:13px;outline:none}
   .addeng input:focus{border-color:#4b7bec}
-  .btn{border:1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--acid) 33%, transparent);background:rgb(from var(--acid) r g b / .12);color:var(--acid);border-radius:8px;padding:8px 14px;font-size:13px;cursor:pointer}
+  .btn{border:1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--acid) 33%, transparent);background:rgb(from var(--acid) r g b / .12);color:var(--acid-text);border-radius:8px;padding:8px 14px;font-size:13px;cursor:pointer}
   .btn:hover{background:rgb(from var(--acid) r g b / .22)}
   /* segmented control — small toggle used elsewhere (kept for reuse) */
   .segseg{display:inline-flex;background:#10151f;border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:8px;padding:2px;gap:2px}
@@ -113,7 +119,7 @@
   .engcat .cat .enm{flex:1}
   .engcat .cat .kind{font-size:10.5px;letter-spacing:.05em;color:var(--dim);padding:1px 6px;border:1px solid var(--line);border-radius:999px}
   .engcat .cat .add{background:transparent;border:1px solid var(--line);color:var(--ink);border-radius:6px;padding:4px 10px;font-size:12px;cursor:pointer}
-  .engcat .cat .add:hover{background:rgb(from var(--acid) r g b / .14);border-color:color-mix(in srgb, var(--acid) 33%, transparent);color:var(--acid)}
+  .engcat .cat .add:hover{background:rgb(from var(--acid) r g b / .14);border-color:color-mix(in srgb, var(--acid) 33%, transparent);color:var(--acid-text)}
   .engcat .cempty2{color:var(--dim);font-size:12.5px;padding:6px 8px}
   .sw.sm{width:38px;height:22px} .sw.sm .knob{width:15px;height:15px} .sw.sm input:checked + .track .knob{transform:translateX(16px)}
   .ceng .cn{font-weight:600} .ceng .cu{color:var(--dim);font-size:12px;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap;flex:1}
@@ -132,10 +138,6 @@
     :root{ --bg:#eef0f4; --panel:#ffffff; --line:rgba(0,0,0,.11); --ink:#1a1f28; --mut:#4a5262; --dim:#7b8494; }
     .side{ background:#f6f8fb; }
     .side a:hover{ background:rgba(0,0,0,.05); }
-    /* BCH dark navy for the ⛓ Theseus brand — the BCH-teal --acid was
-       ~2.7:1 on the light sidebar; this reads as the primary UI accent
-       instead of a marginal green. */
-    .brand{ color:#253A49; }
     select, .ctl input, .addeng input{ background:#f1f3f7; }
     .track{ background:#c8cfdb; }
     .knob{ background:#8a93a2; }
@@ -922,7 +924,7 @@
         const verSuffix = r.installedVersion ? ` (v${r.installedVersion})` : "";
         const bundledSuffix = r.bundledVersion ? ` (bundled v${r.bundledVersion})` : "";
         if (r.state === "running") {
-          arStatus.innerHTML = `Status: <b style="color:var(--acid)">running</b>${verSuffix} — every browser on this machine resolves BCDN names.`;
+          arStatus.innerHTML = `Status: <b style="color:var(--acid-text)">running</b>${verSuffix} — every browser on this machine resolves BCDN names.`;
           arStop.hidden = false; arUninstall.hidden = !r.hasUninstaller;
           if (r.canUpdate) arUpdate.hidden = false;
         } else if (r.state === "stopped") {
@@ -967,7 +969,7 @@
       try {
         const r = await C.recheckUpdate();
         if (r && r.updateAvailable && r.updateAvailable.version) {
-          updStatus.innerHTML = `<b style="color:var(--acid)">v${r.updateAvailable.version}</b> is available — the update chip in the toolbar will offer it.`;
+          updStatus.innerHTML = `<b style="color:var(--acid-text)">v${r.updateAvailable.version}</b> is available — the update chip in the toolbar will offer it.`;
         } else {
           updStatus.textContent = `You're on the latest (v${(r && r.currentVersion) || "?"}).`;
         }
