diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-colors-from-alacritty b/bin/omarchy-theme-colors-from-alacritty
index 7fc77efc..a740c0ed 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-colors-from-alacritty
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-colors-from-alacritty
@@ -182,24 +182,6 @@ selection_background=${selection_background:-$foreground}
 selection_foreground=${selection_foreground:-$background}
 accent=$color4
 
-# Remap ANSI slots to semantic names for the output palette
-bg=$color0
-red=$color1
-green=$color2
-yellow=$color3
-blue=$color4
-purple=$color5
-cyan=$color6
-fg=$color7
-muted=$color8
-bright_red=$color9
-bright_green=$color10
-bright_yellow=$color11
-bright_blue=$color12
-bright_purple=$color13
-bright_cyan=$color14
-bright_fg=$color15
-
 mkdir -p "$THEME_SOURCE"
 
 cat > "$COLORS_OUTPUT" <<EOF
@@ -210,20 +192,20 @@ background = "$background"
 selection_foreground = "$selection_foreground"
 selection_background = "$selection_background"
 
-color0 = "$bg"
-color1 = "$red"
-color2 = "$green"
-color3 = "$yellow"
-color4 = "$blue"
-color5 = "$purple"
-color6 = "$cyan"
-color7 = "$fg"
-color8 = "$muted"
-color9 = "$bright_red"
-color10 = "$bright_green"
-color11 = "$bright_yellow"
-color12 = "$bright_blue"
-color13 = "$bright_purple"
-color14 = "$bright_cyan"
-color15 = "$bright_fg"
+color0 = "$color0"
+color1 = "$color1"
+color2 = "$color2"
+color3 = "$color3"
+color4 = "$color4"
+color5 = "$color5"
+color6 = "$color6"
+color7 = "$color7"
+color8 = "$color8"
+color9 = "$color9"
+color10 = "$color10"
+color11 = "$color11"
+color12 = "$color12"
+color13 = "$color13"
+color14 = "$color14"
+color15 = "$color15"
 EOF
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-gnome b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-gnome
index c2c6f610..a19b59f1 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-gnome
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-gnome
@@ -3,20 +3,19 @@
 # omarchy:summary=Apply the current theme to GNOME color mode and icon settings
 # omarchy:hidden=true
 
-# Detect mode (light|dark) with this precedence:
-#   1. `mode` key in the active theme's colors.toml
-#   2. legacy `light.mode` file shipped beside the theme
 THEME_DIR=~/.config/omarchy/current/theme
 COLORS_FILE="$THEME_DIR/colors.toml"
 
-theme_color() {
-  local key="$1"
+# In-tree light themes now declare `mode = "light"` in colors.toml instead of
+# shipping a separate light.mode marker. Keep light.mode as a user-theme fallback.
+theme_mode() {
+  [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]] || return
 
-  awk -F= -v key="$key" '
+  awk -F= '
     {
       field = $1
       gsub(/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$/, "", field)
-      if (field == key) {
+      if (field == "mode") {
         value = $2
         gsub(/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$/, "", value)
         if (value ~ /^"/) {
@@ -30,10 +29,7 @@ theme_color() {
   ' "$COLORS_FILE"
 }
 
-mode=""
-if [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]]; then
-  mode=$(theme_color mode)
-fi
+mode=$(theme_mode)
 if [[ -z $mode && -f $THEME_DIR/light.mode ]]; then
   mode="light"
 fi
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates
index a9a09786..db26c383 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates
@@ -290,6 +290,30 @@ add_gradient_function_values() {
   done
 }
 
+alias_theme_color() {
+  local key="$1"
+  local fallback="$2"
+
+  [[ ${THEME_COLORS[$key]} ]] || THEME_COLORS[$key]="${THEME_COLORS[$fallback]}"
+}
+
+resolve_theme_mode() {
+  local bg_hex lum
+
+  [[ ${THEME_COLORS[mode]} ]] || THEME_COLORS[mode]="${THEME_COLORS[theme_type]}"
+  [[ ${THEME_COLORS[mode]} ]] && return
+
+  if [[ -f $NEXT_THEME_DIR/light.mode ]]; then
+    THEME_COLORS[mode]="light"
+  elif [[ ${THEME_COLORS[background]} =~ ^#[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}$ ]]; then
+    bg_hex="${THEME_COLORS[background]#\#}"
+    lum=$(( $(printf "%d" "0x${bg_hex:0:2}") + $(printf "%d" "0x${bg_hex:2:2}") + $(printf "%d" "0x${bg_hex:4:2}") ))
+    (( lum > 382 )) && THEME_COLORS[mode]="light" || THEME_COLORS[mode]="dark"
+  else
+    THEME_COLORS[mode]="dark"
+  fi
+}
+
 # Only generate dynamic templates for themes with a colors.toml definition
 if [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]]; then
   sed_script=$(mktemp)
@@ -308,14 +332,23 @@ if [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]]; then
 
   # Legacy compatibility: map ANSI color0..color15 and raw bg/fg to semantic names
   declare -A legacy_alias=(
-    [bg]=background    [fg]=foreground
-    [red]=color1       [green]=color2   [yellow]=color3
-    [blue]=color4      [purple]=color5  [cyan]=color6
-    [bright_red]=color9      [bright_green]=color10  [bright_yellow]=color11
-    [bright_blue]=color12    [bright_purple]=color13 [bright_cyan]=color14
+    [bg]=background
+    [fg]=foreground
+    [red]=color1
+    [green]=color2
+    [yellow]=color3
+    [blue]=color4
+    [purple]=color5
+    [cyan]=color6
+    [bright_red]=color9
+    [bright_green]=color10
+    [bright_yellow]=color11
+    [bright_blue]=color12
+    [bright_purple]=color13
+    [bright_cyan]=color14
   )
   for key in "${!legacy_alias[@]}"; do
-    [[ ${THEME_COLORS[$key]} ]] || THEME_COLORS[$key]="${THEME_COLORS[${legacy_alias[$key]}]}"
+    alias_theme_color "$key" "${legacy_alias[$key]}"
   done
 
   [[ ${THEME_COLORS[light_fg]} ]]   || THEME_COLORS[light_fg]="${THEME_COLORS[color7]:-${THEME_COLORS[foreground]}}"
@@ -340,15 +373,25 @@ if [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]]; then
   # Keep semantic themes compatible with user templates that still reference
   # the legacy ANSI placeholders directly.
   declare -A ansi_alias=(
-    [color0]=bg          [color1]=red           [color2]=green
-    [color3]=yellow      [color4]=blue          [color5]=purple
-    [color6]=cyan        [color7]=fg            [color8]=muted
-    [color9]=bright_red  [color10]=bright_green [color11]=bright_yellow
-    [color12]=bright_blue [color13]=bright_purple [color14]=bright_cyan
+    [color0]=bg
+    [color1]=red
+    [color2]=green
+    [color3]=yellow
+    [color4]=blue
+    [color5]=purple
+    [color6]=cyan
+    [color7]=fg
+    [color8]=muted
+    [color9]=bright_red
+    [color10]=bright_green
+    [color11]=bright_yellow
+    [color12]=bright_blue
+    [color13]=bright_purple
+    [color14]=bright_cyan
     [color15]=bright_fg
   )
   for key in "${!ansi_alias[@]}"; do
-    [[ ${THEME_COLORS[$key]} ]] || THEME_COLORS[$key]="${THEME_COLORS[${ansi_alias[$key]}]}"
+    alias_theme_color "$key" "${ansi_alias[$key]}"
   done
 
   # Resolve theme mode (dark|light) with this precedence:
@@ -356,16 +399,7 @@ if [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]]; then
   #   2. legacy `light.mode` file shipped beside the theme
   #   3. background luminance auto-detect
   # `theme_type` is kept as an alias so existing templates ({{ theme_type }}) keep working.
-  [[ ${THEME_COLORS[mode]} ]] || THEME_COLORS[mode]="${THEME_COLORS[theme_type]}"
-  if [[ ! ${THEME_COLORS[mode]} ]]; then
-    if [[ -f $NEXT_THEME_DIR/light.mode ]]; then
-      THEME_COLORS[mode]="light"
-    else
-      bg_hex="${THEME_COLORS[background]#\#}"
-      lum=$(( $(printf "%d" "0x${bg_hex:0:2}") + $(printf "%d" "0x${bg_hex:2:2}") + $(printf "%d" "0x${bg_hex:4:2}") ))
-      [[ $lum -gt 382 ]] && THEME_COLORS[mode]="light" || THEME_COLORS[mode]="dark"
-    fi
-  fi
+  resolve_theme_mode
   THEME_COLORS[theme_type]="${THEME_COLORS[mode]}"
 
   for key in "${!THEME_COLORS[@]}"; do
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-vscode b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-vscode
index 569a9fcb..d8ea056b 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-vscode
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-vscode
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # omarchy:summary=Sync Omarchy theme to VS Code, VSCodium, and Cursor
 # omarchy:hidden=true
 
-VS_CODE_THEME="$HOME/.config/omarchy/current/theme/vscode.json"
+VS_CODE_THEME_DESCRIPTOR="$HOME/.config/omarchy/current/theme/vscode.json"
 GENERATED_THEME="$HOME/.config/omarchy/current/theme/vscode-theme.json"
 
 # Install generated theme as a local extension for a given editor
@@ -50,22 +50,18 @@ set_theme() {
 
   local theme_name=""
 
-  # Always deploy the generated theme so it's available in the theme picker
-  if [[ -f "$GENERATED_THEME" ]]; then
-    install_generated_extension "$ext_base/omarchy-theme"
-  fi
-
-  if [[ -f "$VS_CODE_THEME" ]]; then
-    # Theme specifies a preferred 3rd-party extension
-    theme_name=$(jq -r '.name' "$VS_CODE_THEME")
+  if [[ -f "$VS_CODE_THEME_DESCRIPTOR" ]]; then
+    # Theme specifies a preferred 3rd-party extension/theme pair.
+    theme_name=$(jq -r '.name' "$VS_CODE_THEME_DESCRIPTOR")
     local extension
-    extension=$(jq -r '.extension' "$VS_CODE_THEME")
+    extension=$(jq -r '.extension' "$VS_CODE_THEME_DESCRIPTOR")
 
     if [[ -n $extension ]] && ! "$editor_cmd" --list-extensions 2>/dev/null | grep -Fxq "$extension"; then
       "$editor_cmd" --install-extension "$extension" >/dev/null 2>&1
     fi
   elif [[ -f "$GENERATED_THEME" ]]; then
-    # No 3rd-party preference, activate the generated theme
+    # VS Code only discovers local color themes through an extension package.
+    install_generated_extension "$ext_base/omarchy-theme"
     theme_name="Omarchy"
   fi