diff --git a/apps/app/src/components/layout/sidebar.tsx b/apps/app/src/components/layout/sidebar.tsx
index ff28f4e8..222e54e2 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/components/layout/sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/components/layout/sidebar.tsx
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ export function Sidebar() {
     cycleNextProject,
     clearProjectHistory,
     setProjectTheme,
+    setTheme,
     theme: globalTheme,
   } = useAppStore();
 
@@ -430,12 +431,16 @@ export function Sidebar() {
           );
           useAppStore.setState({ projects: updatedProjects });
         } else {
-          // Create new project
+          // Create new project - check for trashed project with same path first (preserves theme if deleted/recreated)
+          // Then fall back to current effective theme, then global theme
+          const trashedProject = trashedProjects.find((p) => p.path === path);
+          const effectiveTheme = trashedProject?.theme || currentProject?.theme || globalTheme;
           project = {
             id: `project-${Date.now()}`,
             name,
             path,
             lastOpened: new Date().toISOString(),
+            theme: effectiveTheme,
           };
           addProject(project);
         }
@@ -474,7 +479,7 @@ export function Sidebar() {
         });
       }
     }
-  }, [projects, addProject, setCurrentProject]);
+  }, [projects, trashedProjects, addProject, setCurrentProject, currentProject, globalTheme]);
 
   const handleRestoreProject = useCallback(
     (projectId: string) => {
@@ -963,6 +968,10 @@ export function Sidebar() {
                         value={currentProject.theme || ""}
                         onValueChange={(value) => {
                           if (currentProject) {
+                            // If selecting an actual theme (not "Use Global"), also update global
+                            if (value !== "") {
+                              setTheme(value as any);
+                            }
                             setProjectTheme(
                               currentProject.id,
                               value === "" ? null : (value as any)
diff --git a/apps/app/src/components/views/settings-view.tsx b/apps/app/src/components/views/settings-view.tsx
index 810df708..9b085f2a 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/components/views/settings-view.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/components/views/settings-view.tsx
@@ -82,12 +82,14 @@ export function SettingsView() {
   // Compute the effective theme for the current project
   const effectiveTheme = (settingsProject?.theme || theme) as Theme;
 
-  // Handler to set theme - saves to project if one is selected, otherwise to global
+  // Handler to set theme - always updates global theme (user's preference),
+  // and also sets per-project theme if a project is selected
   const handleSetTheme = (newTheme: typeof theme) => {
+    // Always update global theme so user's preference persists across all projects
+    setTheme(newTheme);
+    // Also set per-project theme if a project is selected
     if (currentProject) {
       setProjectTheme(currentProject.id, newTheme);
-    } else {
-      setTheme(newTheme);
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/apps/app/src/store/app-store.ts b/apps/app/src/store/app-store.ts
index ca8a6336..81d50617 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/store/app-store.ts
+++ b/apps/app/src/store/app-store.ts
@@ -636,6 +636,7 @@ export const useAppStore = create<AppState & AppActions>()(
           name: trashed.name,
           path: trashed.path,
           lastOpened: new Date().toISOString(),
+          theme: trashed.theme, // Preserve theme from trashed project
         };
 
         set({