diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js
index 86e935442a1..b4167a08675 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/pre-initializers/discourse-bootstrap.js
@@ -91,10 +91,11 @@ export default {
     );
 
     Session.currentProp(
-      "darkColorScheme",
-      getComputedStyle(document.documentElement)
-        .getPropertyValue("--scheme-type")
-        .trim() === "dark"
+      "defaultColorSchemeIsDark",
+      !window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches &&
+        getComputedStyle(document.documentElement)
+          .getPropertyValue("--scheme-type")
+          .trim() === "dark"
     );
 
     Session.currentProp("highlightJsPath", setupData.highlightJsPath);
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/widgets/home-logo.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/widgets/home-logo.js
index 31a10fd4151..98b40d7bec7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/widgets/home-logo.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/widgets/home-logo.js
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export default createWidget("home-logo", {
     // try dark logos first when color scheme is dark
     // this is independent of browser dark mode
     // hence the fallback to normal logos
-    if (Session.currentProp("darkColorScheme")) {
+    if (Session.currentProp("defaultColorSchemeIsDark")) {
       return (
         siteSettings[`site_${name}_dark_url`] ||
         siteSettings[`site_${name}_url`] ||
diff --git a/test/javascripts/widgets/home-logo-test.js b/test/javascripts/widgets/home-logo-test.js
index 130ff8b7e5e..32a18f900dc 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/widgets/home-logo-test.js
+++ b/test/javascripts/widgets/home-logo-test.js
@@ -202,10 +202,10 @@ widgetTest("dark color scheme and dark logo set", {
   beforeEach() {
     this.siteSettings.site_logo_url = bigLogo;
     this.siteSettings.site_logo_dark_url = darkLogo;
-    Session.currentProp("darkColorScheme", true);
+    Session.currentProp("defaultColorSchemeIsDark", true);
   },
   afterEach() {
-    Session.currentProp("darkColorScheme", null);
+    Session.currentProp("defaultColorSchemeIsDark", null);
   },
   test(assert) {
     assert.ok(find("img#site-logo.logo-big").length === 1);
@@ -222,10 +222,10 @@ widgetTest("dark color scheme and dark logo not set", {
   beforeEach() {
     this.siteSettings.site_logo_url = bigLogo;
     this.siteSettings.site_logo_dark_url = "";
-    Session.currentProp("darkColorScheme", true);
+    Session.currentProp("defaultColorSchemeIsDark", true);
   },
   afterEach() {
-    Session.currentProp("darkColorScheme", null);
+    Session.currentProp("defaultColorSchemeIsDark", null);
   },
   test(assert) {
     assert.ok(find("img#site-logo.logo-big").length === 1);