diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates
index a7266490..ab89869a 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates
@@ -59,6 +59,120 @@ mix_color() {
   '
 }
 
+trim() {
+  local value="$1"
+
+  value="${value#"${value%%[![:space:]]*}"}"
+  value="${value%"${value##*[![:space:]]}"}"
+  printf "%s" "$value"
+}
+
+resolve_theme_ref() {
+  local ref="$1"
+  local fallback="${2:-}"
+
+  if [[ -n ${THEME_COLORS[$ref]+_} ]]; then
+    printf "%s" "${THEME_COLORS[$ref]}"
+  elif [[ -n $fallback && -n ${THEME_COLORS[$fallback]+_} ]]; then
+    printf "%s" "${THEME_COLORS[$fallback]}"
+  elif [[ -n $fallback ]]; then
+    printf "%s" "$fallback"
+  else
+    printf "%s" "$ref"
+  fi
+}
+
+resolve_gradient_color() {
+  local color
+
+  color=$(trim "$1")
+  if [[ -n ${THEME_COLORS[$color]+_} ]]; then
+    color="${THEME_COLORS[$color]}"
+  fi
+
+  printf "%s" "$color"
+}
+
+parse_gradient() {
+  local spec="$1"
+  local part color
+  local -a parts
+
+  GRADIENT_COLORS=()
+  GRADIENT_ANGLE=""
+
+  read -ra parts <<<"$spec"
+  for part in "${parts[@]}"; do
+    [[ -n $part ]] || continue
+
+    if [[ $part =~ ^-?[0-9]+([.][0-9]+)?deg$ ]]; then
+      GRADIENT_ANGLE="${part%deg}"
+    else
+      color=$(resolve_gradient_color "$part")
+      GRADIENT_COLORS+=("$color")
+    fi
+  done
+}
+
+color_to_shell_hex() {
+  local color r g b
+
+  color=$(resolve_gradient_color "$1")
+
+  if [[ $color =~ ^#[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}([0-9A-Fa-f]{2})?$ ]]; then
+    printf "#%s" "${color:1:6}"
+  elif [[ $color =~ ^[Rr][Gg][Bb][Aa]?\(([0-9A-Fa-f]{6})([0-9A-Fa-f]{2})?\)$ ]]; then
+    printf "#%s" "${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
+  elif [[ $color =~ ^[Rr][Gg][Bb][Aa]?\(([0-9]+),([0-9]+),([0-9]+)(,[0-9.]+)?\)$ ]]; then
+    r=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}
+    g=${BASH_REMATCH[2]}
+    b=${BASH_REMATCH[3]}
+    (( r > 255 )) && r=255
+    (( g > 255 )) && g=255
+    (( b > 255 )) && b=255
+    printf "#%02x%02x%02x" "$r" "$g" "$b"
+  elif [[ $color =~ ^0x[0-9A-Fa-f]{8}$ ]]; then
+    printf "#%s" "${color:4:6}"
+  else
+    printf "%s" "$color"
+  fi
+}
+
+hypr_gradient_value() {
+  local spec color index
+
+  spec=$(resolve_theme_ref "$1" "${2:-}")
+  parse_gradient "$spec"
+
+  if (( ${#GRADIENT_COLORS[@]} == 0 )); then
+    printf '"%s"' "$spec"
+  elif (( ${#GRADIENT_COLORS[@]} == 1 )); then
+    printf '"%s"' "${GRADIENT_COLORS[0]}"
+  else
+    printf '{ colors = {'
+    for index in "${!GRADIENT_COLORS[@]}"; do
+      (( index > 0 )) && printf ','
+      printf ' "%s"' "${GRADIENT_COLORS[$index]}"
+    done
+    printf ' }'
+    [[ -n $GRADIENT_ANGLE ]] && printf ', angle = %s' "$GRADIENT_ANGLE"
+    printf ' }'
+  fi
+}
+
+gradient_start_value() {
+  local spec
+
+  spec=$(resolve_theme_ref "$1" "${2:-}")
+  parse_gradient "$spec"
+
+  if (( ${#GRADIENT_COLORS[@]} == 0 )); then
+    color_to_shell_hex "$spec"
+  else
+    color_to_shell_hex "${GRADIENT_COLORS[0]}"
+  fi
+}
+
 add_template_value() {
   local key="$1"
   local value="$2"
@@ -118,6 +232,42 @@ add_mix_values() {
   done
 }
 
+add_gradient_function_value() {
+  local token="$1"
+  local content fn key fallback value
+
+  content="${token#\{\{}"
+  content="${content%\}\}}"
+  read -r fn key fallback <<<"$content"
+
+  case "$fn" in
+    hypr_gradient)
+      value=$(hypr_gradient_value "$key" "$fallback")
+      ;;
+    gradient_start)
+      value=$(gradient_start_value "$key" "$fallback")
+      ;;
+    *)
+      return
+      ;;
+  esac
+
+  printf 's|%s|%s|g\n' "$token" "$value" >>"$sed_script"
+}
+
+add_gradient_function_values() {
+  local tpl token
+  local -A seen=()
+
+  for tpl in "${template_files[@]}"; do
+    while IFS= read -r token; do
+      [[ -n ${seen[$token]:-} ]] && continue
+      seen[$token]=1
+      add_gradient_function_value "$token"
+    done < <(grep -hEo '\{\{[[:space:]]*(hypr_gradient|gradient_start)[[:space:]]+[^}]+[[:space:]]*\}\}' "$tpl" 2>/dev/null || true)
+  done
+}
+
 # Only generate dynamic templates for themes with a colors.toml definition
 if [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]]; then
   sed_script=$(mktemp)
@@ -136,6 +286,7 @@ if [[ -f $COLORS_FILE ]]; then
   done <"$COLORS_FILE"
 
   add_mix_values
+  add_gradient_function_values
 
   # Process user templates first, then built-in templates (user overrides built-in)
   for tpl in "${template_files[@]}"; do
diff --git a/default/themed/hyprland.lua.tpl b/default/themed/hyprland.lua.tpl
index 5c9e2101..1a2d6d1a 100644
--- a/default/themed/hyprland.lua.tpl
+++ b/default/themed/hyprland.lua.tpl
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
-local active_border_color = "rgb({{ accent_strip }})"
+local active_border_color = {{ hypr_gradient hyprland_active_border accent }}
+local inactive_border_color = {{ hypr_gradient hyprland_inactive_border rgba(595959aa) }}
 
 hl.config({
   general = {
     col = {
       active_border = active_border_color,
+      inactive_border = inactive_border_color,
     },
   },
 
   group = {
     col = {
       border_active = active_border_color,
+      border_inactive = inactive_border_color,
     },
   },
 })
diff --git a/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl b/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl
index b3d219da..30f84338 100644
--- a/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl
+++ b/default/themed/shell.toml.tpl
@@ -126,8 +126,10 @@ border-alpha     = 1.0
 background       = "{{ background }}"
 background-alpha = 1.0
 text             = "{{ foreground }}"
-# Conventionally matches the Hyprland active-window border
-border           = "{{ accent }}"
+# Conventionally matches the Hyprland active-window border. If a theme
+# defines a gradient active border, the shell uses its first stop because
+# QML Rectangle borders are flat colors.
+border           = "{{ gradient_start hyprland_active_border accent }}"
 border-alpha     = 1.0
 countdown        = "{{ accent }}"
 
diff --git a/test/cli b/test/cli
index 0c875615..10755405 100755
--- a/test/cli
+++ b/test/cli
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ mkdir -p "$NEXT_THEME" "$CURRENT_THEME" "$USER_THEMED"
 
 cat >"$NEXT_THEME/colors.toml" <<'EOF'
 accent = "#336699"
+hyprland_active_border = "rgba(010203ee) rgba(040506ee) 45deg"
 cursor = "#ffffff"
 foreground = "#ffffff"
 background = "#000000"
@@ -245,12 +246,25 @@ strip={{ mix_strip background foreground 50% }}
 rgb={{ mix_rgb background foreground 50% }}
 EOF
 
+cat >"$USER_THEMED/gradient-test.txt.tpl" <<'EOF'
+hypr={{ hypr_gradient hyprland_active_border accent }}
+shell={{ gradient_start hyprland_active_border accent }}
+fallback-hypr={{ hypr_gradient missing accent }}
+fallback-shell={{ gradient_start missing accent }}
+EOF
+
 OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT" HOME="$PI_TMPDIR" "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-theme-set-templates"
 grep -qx 'mix=#808080' "$NEXT_THEME/mix-test.txt" || fail "theme template mix helper works"
 grep -qx 'strip=808080' "$NEXT_THEME/mix-test.txt" || fail "theme template mix_strip helper works"
 grep -qx 'rgb=128,128,128' "$NEXT_THEME/mix-test.txt" || fail "theme template mix_rgb helper works"
 pass "theme template color mix helpers work"
 
+grep -qx 'hypr={ colors = { "rgba(010203ee)", "rgba(040506ee)" }, angle = 45 }' "$NEXT_THEME/gradient-test.txt" || fail "theme template hypr_gradient helper works"
+grep -qx 'shell=#010203' "$NEXT_THEME/gradient-test.txt" || fail "theme template gradient_start helper works"
+grep -qx 'fallback-hypr="#336699"' "$NEXT_THEME/gradient-test.txt" || fail "theme template hypr_gradient fallback works"
+grep -qx 'fallback-shell=#336699' "$NEXT_THEME/gradient-test.txt" || fail "theme template gradient_start fallback works"
+pass "theme template gradient helpers work"
+
 jq -e '.name == "omarchy-system" and .vars.panel == "#0f0f0f" and .vars.border == "#4d4d4d" and .colors.accent == "accent"' "$NEXT_THEME/pi.json" >/dev/null
 pass "pi theme template is generated from standard themed templates"
 cp "$NEXT_THEME/pi.json" "$CURRENT_THEME/pi.json"
diff --git a/themes/hackerman/colors.toml b/themes/hackerman/colors.toml
index 517ff366..63a33957 100644
--- a/themes/hackerman/colors.toml
+++ b/themes/hackerman/colors.toml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 accent = "#82FB9C"
+hyprland_active_border = "rgba(26a269ee) rgba(2ec27eee) 45deg"
 cursor = "#ddf7ff"
 foreground = "#ddf7ff"
 background = "#0B0C16"
diff --git a/themes/last-horizon/colors.toml b/themes/last-horizon/colors.toml
index 08e6145a..7ec8cc19 100644
--- a/themes/last-horizon/colors.toml
+++ b/themes/last-horizon/colors.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Accent and UI colors
 accent = "#b59790"
+hyprland_active_border = "rgba(8a8588ee) rgba(e2dddcee)"
+hyprland_inactive_border = "rgba(584e51aa)"
 active_border_color = "#d6d3de"
 active_tab_background = "#a5a0b6"
 
diff --git a/themes/last-horizon/shell.toml b/themes/last-horizon/shell.toml
index d0bea2a1..d8adae2a 100644
--- a/themes/last-horizon/shell.toml
+++ b/themes/last-horizon/shell.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # last-horizon preserves the historical behavior of matching notification
-# borders to the theme's Hyprland active-window border ($activeBorderColor
-# in hyprland.conf), rather than the accent.
+# borders to the theme's Hyprland active-window border (hyprland_active_border
+# in colors.toml), rather than the accent.
 [notifications]
 border = "#8a8588"
diff --git a/themes/solitude/colors.toml b/themes/solitude/colors.toml
index c7e26a1b..a81c4ec0 100644
--- a/themes/solitude/colors.toml
+++ b/themes/solitude/colors.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Accent and UI colors
 accent = "#798186"
+hyprland_active_border = "rgba(798186ee) rgba(caccccee)"
+hyprland_inactive_border = "rgb(1e1e1e)"
 active_border_color = "#a8adb0"
 active_tab_background = "#798186"
 
diff --git a/themes/solitude/shell.toml b/themes/solitude/shell.toml
index 5f2e138b..ed5d4afc 100644
--- a/themes/solitude/shell.toml
+++ b/themes/solitude/shell.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # solitude preserves the historical behavior of matching notification
-# borders to the theme's Hyprland active-window border ($activeBorderColor
-# in hyprland.conf), rather than the accent.
+# borders to the theme's Hyprland active-window border (hyprland_active_border
+# in colors.toml), rather than the accent.
 [notifications]
 border = "#798186"
diff --git a/themes/tokyo-night/colors.toml b/themes/tokyo-night/colors.toml
index fe51dd04..e7448486 100644
--- a/themes/tokyo-night/colors.toml
+++ b/themes/tokyo-night/colors.toml
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 accent = "#7aa2f7"
+hyprland_active_border = "rgba(33ccffee) rgba(00ff99ee) 45deg"
 cursor = "#c0caf5"
 foreground = "#a9b1d6"
 background = "#1a1b26"