diff --git a/shell/Commons/Color.qml b/shell/Commons/Color.qml
index 064abab7..25eba3e8 100644
--- a/shell/Commons/Color.qml
+++ b/shell/Commons/Color.qml
@@ -105,46 +105,26 @@ QtObject {
     shellValues = parsed
   }
 
-  property bool themeReloadSuspended: false
-
-  function suspendThemeReloads() {
-    themeReloadSuspended = true
-  }
-
-  function resumeThemeReloads() {
-    themeReloadSuspended = false
-  }
-
   function reloadTheme() {
-    if (themeReloadSuspended) return
     colorsFile.reload()
     shellFile.reload()
   }
 
-  // `omarchy-theme-set` recreates the theme/ directory via rm+mv, which kills
-  // the inotify watch on colors.toml. Use theme.name (overwritten in place) as
-  // a tripwire that forces a fresh reload after each swap.
+  // Startup load plus manual reloadTheme() support. Runtime theme switches
+  // normally push the payload explicitly through shell IPC.
   property FileView colorsFile: FileView {
     id: colorsFile
     path: Quickshell.env("HOME") + "/.config/omarchy/current/theme/colors.toml"
-    watchChanges: true
+    watchChanges: false
     printErrors: false
     onLoaded: root.loadColors(text())
-    onFileChanged: root.reloadTheme()
   }
   property FileView shellFile: FileView {
     id: shellFile
     path: Quickshell.env("HOME") + "/.config/omarchy/current/theme/shell.toml"
-    watchChanges: true
+    watchChanges: false
     printErrors: false
     onLoaded: root.loadShell(text())
     onLoadFailed: root.loadShell("")
-    onFileChanged: root.reloadTheme()
-  }
-  property FileView themeNameFile: FileView {
-    path: Quickshell.env("HOME") + "/.config/omarchy/current/theme.name"
-    watchChanges: true
-    printErrors: false
-    onFileChanged: root.reloadTheme()
   }
 }
diff --git a/shell/Commons/Style.qml b/shell/Commons/Style.qml
index 90422b1f..2752afb5 100644
--- a/shell/Commons/Style.qml
+++ b/shell/Commons/Style.qml
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import Quickshell.Io
 // their own rounding via theme/hyprland.lua; the user toggle via
 // `omarchy style corners <round|sharp>` flips Hyprland's flag file
 // and Hyprland's auto-reload pushes the new value out. The shell picks
-// up the change here by re-running `hyprctl getoption` whenever either
-// of those input files changes.
+// up the change here by re-running `hyprctl getoption` when theme IPC
+// manually reloads the theme and whenever user toggle files change.
 //
 // Typography, spacing, and bar size come from `theme/shell.toml`.
 // `[font] base-size` is the rem root; every `Style.font.<token>` derives
@@ -348,23 +348,11 @@ QtObject {
     gapsOutProc.running = true
   }
 
-  property bool themeReloadSuspended: false
-
-  function suspendThemeReloads() {
-    themeReloadSuspended = true
-  }
-
-  function resumeThemeReloads() {
-    themeReloadSuspended = false
-  }
-
   function scheduleRefresh() {
-    if (themeReloadSuspended) return
     refreshTimer.restart()
   }
 
   function reloadTheme() {
-    if (themeReloadSuspended) return
     shellTomlFile.reload()
     scheduleRefresh()
   }
@@ -507,18 +495,6 @@ QtObject {
     onTriggered: root.refresh()
   }
 
-  // The theme name flips whenever `omarchy-theme-set` swaps the theme/
-  // symlink; that's when theme/hyprland.lua's `rounding` value changes
-  // and the new theme/shell.toml drops into place. Force a reload of
-  // shell.toml here so we don't wait on the inotify watch — Color.qml
-  // uses the same tripwire for the same reason.
-  property FileView themeNameFile: FileView {
-    path: Quickshell.env("HOME") + "/.config/omarchy/current/theme.name"
-    watchChanges: true
-    printErrors: false
-    onFileChanged: root.reloadTheme()
-  }
-
   // `omarchy style corners <round|sharp>` and `omarchy toggle window-gaps`
   // create/remove these flag files. Hyprland reloads its config when sourced
   // files change, then hyprctl reflects the new effective values.
@@ -543,11 +519,10 @@ QtObject {
   property FileView shellTomlFile: FileView {
     id: shellTomlFile
     path: Quickshell.env("HOME") + "/.config/omarchy/current/theme/shell.toml"
-    watchChanges: true
+    watchChanges: false
     printErrors: false
     onLoaded: root.loadShell(text())
     onLoadFailed: root.loadShell("")
-    onFileChanged: root.reloadTheme()
   }
 
   Component.onCompleted: {
diff --git a/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml b/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml
index 525f6f62..05f29ae6 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/background/Background.qml
@@ -74,13 +74,12 @@ Item {
 
   function applyPendingTheme() {
     if (pendingThemeVersion !== backgroundVersion) return
-    NoctaliaCommons.Color.resumeThemeReloads()
     NoctaliaCommons.Color.loadColors(pendingColorsRaw)
     NoctaliaCommons.Color.loadShell(pendingShellRaw)
-    // Style watches the same shell.toml for [font] and [bar] sizing; push
-    // synchronously so the type scale flips with the background instead of
-    // waiting on inotify debounce.
+    // Push style tokens synchronously so the type scale flips with the
+    // background reveal instead of waiting for a separate reload path.
     NoctaliaCommons.Style.loadShell(pendingShellRaw)
+    NoctaliaCommons.Style.scheduleRefresh()
     pendingThemeVersion = -1
     pendingColorsRaw = ""
     pendingShellRaw = ""
diff --git a/shell/shell.qml b/shell/shell.qml
index ec8f220f..7548e8be 100644
--- a/shell/shell.qml
+++ b/shell/shell.qml
@@ -582,8 +582,6 @@ ShellRoot {
       var shellRaw = ""
       try { colorsRaw = Qt.atob(String(colorsB64 || "")) } catch (e) { colorsRaw = "" }
       try { shellRaw = Qt.atob(String(shellB64 || "")) } catch (e2) { shellRaw = "" }
-      NoctaliaCommons.Color.resumeThemeReloads()
-      NoctaliaCommons.Style.resumeThemeReloads()
       NoctaliaCommons.Color.loadColors(colorsRaw)
       NoctaliaCommons.Color.loadShell(shellRaw)
       NoctaliaCommons.Style.loadShell(shellRaw)
@@ -591,12 +589,6 @@ ShellRoot {
       return "ok"
     }
 
-    function suspendThemeReloads(): string {
-      NoctaliaCommons.Color.suspendThemeReloads()
-      NoctaliaCommons.Style.suspendThemeReloads()
-      return "ok"
-    }
-
     function reloadTheme(): string {
       NoctaliaCommons.Color.reloadTheme()
       NoctaliaCommons.Style.reloadTheme()