diff --git a/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.cpp b/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.cpp
index 2e801ad28..60738dd00 100644
--- a/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.cpp
+++ b/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include <QSettings>
 
 #include "appearancesettingspage.h"
+#include "core/utilities.h"
 #include "core/appearance.h"
 #include "core/iconloader.h"
 #include "core/stylehelper.h"
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ void AppearanceSettingsPage::Load() {
   ui_->tabbar_system_color->setChecked(tabbar_system_color);
   ui_->tabbar_custom_color->setChecked(!tabbar_system_color);
 
-  current_tabbar_bg_color_ = s.value(kTabBarColor, StyleHelper::highlightColor()).value<QColor>();
+  current_tabbar_bg_color_ = s.value(kTabBarColor, DefaultTabbarBgColor()).value<QColor>();
 
   UpdateColorSelectorColor(ui_->select_tabbar_color, current_tabbar_bg_color_);
   TabBarSystemColor(ui_->tabbar_system_color->isChecked());
@@ -415,7 +416,7 @@ void AppearanceSettingsPage::OpacityLevelChanged(int percent) {
 void AppearanceSettingsPage::TabBarSystemColor(bool checked) {
 
   if (checked) {
-    current_tabbar_bg_color_ = StyleHelper::highlightColor();
+    current_tabbar_bg_color_ = DefaultTabbarBgColor();
     UpdateColorSelectorColor(ui_->select_tabbar_color, current_tabbar_bg_color_);
   }
   ui_->layout_tabbar_color->setEnabled(!checked);
@@ -463,3 +464,13 @@ void AppearanceSettingsPage::PlaylistPlayingSongSelectColor() {
   set_changed();
 
 }
+
+QColor AppearanceSettingsPage::DefaultTabbarBgColor() {
+
+  QColor color = StyleHelper::highlightColor();
+  if (Utilities::IsColorDark(color)) {
+    color = color.lighter(130);
+  }
+  return color;
+
+}
diff --git a/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.h b/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.h
index 0d3d1099d..597cec095 100644
--- a/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.h
+++ b/src/settings/appearancesettingspage.h
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ class AppearanceSettingsPage : public SettingsPage {
   void Save() override;
   void Cancel() override;
 
+  static QColor DefaultTabbarBgColor();
+
  private slots:
   void SelectForegroundColor();
   void SelectBackgroundColor();
diff --git a/src/widgets/fancytabwidget.cpp b/src/widgets/fancytabwidget.cpp
index 04e71a317..5f17f203e 100644
--- a/src/widgets/fancytabwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/fancytabwidget.cpp
@@ -522,7 +522,10 @@ void FancyTabWidget::ReloadSettings() {
   s.beginGroup(AppearanceSettingsPage::kSettingsGroup);
   bg_color_system_ = s.value(AppearanceSettingsPage::kTabBarSystemColor, false).toBool();
   bg_gradient_ = s.value(AppearanceSettingsPage::kTabBarGradient, true).toBool();
-  bg_color_ = s.value(AppearanceSettingsPage::kTabBarColor, StyleHelper::highlightColor()).value<QColor>();
+  bg_color_ = AppearanceSettingsPage::DefaultTabbarBgColor();
+  if (!bg_color_system_) {
+    bg_color_ = s.value(AppearanceSettingsPage::kTabBarColor, bg_color_).value<QColor>();
+  }
   iconsize_smallsidebar_ = s.value(AppearanceSettingsPage::kIconSizeTabbarSmallMode, FancyTabWidget::IconSize_SmallSidebar).toInt();
   iconsize_largesidebar_ = s.value(AppearanceSettingsPage::kIconSizeTabbarLargeMode, FancyTabWidget::IconSize_LargeSidebar).toInt();
   s.endGroup();