diff --git a/packages/tui/src/routes/session/composer/subagents-tab.tsx b/packages/tui/src/routes/session/composer/subagents-tab.tsx
index 79aa0582c8..1e907120fb 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/routes/session/composer/subagents-tab.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/routes/session/composer/subagents-tab.tsx
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ export function SubagentsTab(props: { sessionID: string }) {
                   flexDirection="row"
                   paddingLeft={1}
                   paddingRight={1}
-                  backgroundColor={themeV2.background.action({ focused: active() })}
+                  backgroundColor={themeV2.background.action({ focused: active(), selected: entry.current })}
                   onMouseOver={() => setStore("selected", index())}
                   onMouseUp={() => {
                     setStore("selected", index())
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/defaults.ts b/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/defaults.ts
index cae67681a8..796bd9f89b 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/defaults.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/defaults.ts
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_THEME = {
           $hovered: "$hue.interactive.700",
           $focused: "$hue.interactive.700",
           $pressed: "$hue.interactive.800",
-          $selected: "$hue.interactive.700",
+          $selected: "transparent",
           $disabled: "$hue.neutral.300",
         },
         destructive: {
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_THEME = {
           $hovered: "$hue.interactive.600",
           $focused: "$hue.interactive.600",
           $pressed: "$hue.interactive.800",
-          $selected: "$hue.interactive.600",
+          $selected: "transparent",
           $disabled: "$hue.neutral.800",
         },
         destructive: {
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/v1-migrate.ts b/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/v1-migrate.ts
index 3b00547772..e688f02b2a 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/v1-migrate.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/src/theme/v2/v1-migrate.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ function migrateMode(theme: Theme, mode: Mode): FileThemeDefinition {
         overlay: backgroundMenu,
       },
       action: {
-        primary: { default: "transparent", $hovered: backgroundPanel, $focused: primary, $selected: primary },
+        primary: { default: "transparent", $hovered: backgroundPanel, $focused: primary, $selected: "transparent" },
         destructive: { default: color("error") },
       },
       formfield: {
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/resolve.test.ts b/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/resolve.test.ts
index 67aafc208f..70811a6aaa 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/resolve.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/resolve.test.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ test("resolves independent definitions and hue aliases", () => {
   expect(lightTheme.background.surface.overlay).toBe(lightTheme.hue.neutral[400])
   expect(lightTheme.syntax.keyword).toBeInstanceOf(RGBA)
   expect(lightTheme.text.action.primary.default).toBe(lightTheme.hue.neutral[200])
+  expect(lightTheme.background.action.primary.selected.toInts()).toEqual([0, 0, 0, 0])
+  expect(darkTheme.background.action.primary.selected.toInts()).toEqual([0, 0, 0, 0])
   expect(lightTheme.contexts["@context:elevated"]?.background.action.primary.default).toBe(
     lightTheme.hue.interactive[500],
   )
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/v1-migrate.test.ts b/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/v1-migrate.test.ts
index 27ccb9db25..e2cd71228e 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/v1-migrate.test.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/test/theme/v2/v1-migrate.test.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ test("migrates resolved V1 modes into literal V2 tokens", () => {
   expect(migrated.dark.background?.surface?.offset).toBe("$hue.neutral.700")
   expect(migrated.dark.background?.surface?.overlay).toBe("$hue.neutral.600")
   expect(migrated.light.text?.action?.primary?.default).toBe("$text.default")
-  expect(migrated.light.background?.action?.primary?.$selected).toBe("$hue.interactive.800")
+  expect(migrated.light.background?.action?.primary?.$selected).toBe("transparent")
   expect(migrated.light.scrollbar?.default).toBe(hex(legacy.borderActive))
   expect(migrated.light.diff?.lineNumber?.background?.removed).toBe(hex(legacy.diffRemovedLineNumberBg))
   expect(migrated.light.markdown?.emphasis).toBe(hex(legacy.markdownEmph))
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ test("migrates resolved V1 modes into literal V2 tokens", () => {
   expect(resolved.text.formfield.focused.toInts()).toEqual(legacy.primary.toInts())
   expect(resolved.hue.accent[800].toInts()).toEqual(legacy.accent.toInts())
   expect(resolved.hue.interactive[800].toInts()).toEqual(legacy.primary.toInts())
-  expect(resolved.background.action.primary.selected.toInts()).toEqual(legacy.primary.toInts())
+  expect(resolved.background.action.primary.selected.toInts()).toEqual([0, 0, 0, 0])
   expect(resolved.text.action.primary.selected.toInts()).toEqual(legacy.primary.toInts())
   expect(resolved.background.feedback.error.default.toInts()).toEqual(legacy.background.toInts())
   expect(resolved.contexts["@context:elevated"]?.background.default.toInts()).toEqual(legacy.backgroundPanel.toInts())