diff --git a/src/components/session/SessionSettingsDialog.vue b/src/components/session/SessionSettingsDialog.vue
index 50b65989..d7e31108 100644
--- a/src/components/session/SessionSettingsDialog.vue
+++ b/src/components/session/SessionSettingsDialog.vue
@@ -900,7 +900,7 @@ h2 {
   gap: 4px;
   min-height: 20px;
   padding: 2px 0;
-  background: #f5f5f5;
+  background: #f0f0f0;
 }
 
 .settings-tabs button {
diff --git a/src/styles/main.css b/src/styles/main.css
index b09fa0dd..9d8275ff 100644
--- a/src/styles/main.css
+++ b/src/styles/main.css
@@ -4729,7 +4729,7 @@ html[data-show-path-bars='0'] .path-pair-bar {
   gap: 2px !important;
   min-height: 20px !important;
   padding: 2px !important;
-  background: #f5f5f5 !important;
+  background: #f0f0f0 !important;
 }
 
 .session-settings-dialog[data-rules-depth='capture-1to1-residual'] .settings-tabs button.active {
@@ -4831,7 +4831,7 @@ html[data-show-path-bars='0'] .path-pair-bar {
   padding: 2px 4px !important;
   border: 1px solid #a0a0a0 !important;
   border-radius: 0 !important;
-  background: #f5f5f5 !important;
+  background: #f0f0f0 !important;
 }
 
 .text-merge-view .merge-grid[data-pane-sync='capture-1to1-residual'] .pane-header {
diff --git a/src/styles/sessionSettingsChromeDensity.test.ts b/src/styles/sessionSettingsChromeDensity.test.ts
index 58a7ea86..8bb6d194 100644
--- a/src/styles/sessionSettingsChromeDensity.test.ts
+++ b/src/styles/sessionSettingsChromeDensity.test.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ describe('options/rules dialog content depth', () => {
 describe('session rules residual depth', () => {
   it('deepens Session Rules dialog chrome beyond #342/#333 content band', () => {
     expect(settingsDialog).toMatch(/data-rules-depth="capture-1to1-residual"/)
-    expect(settingsDialog).toMatch(/\.settings-tabs\s*\{[\s\S]*?background:\s*#f5f5f5/)
+    expect(settingsDialog).toMatch(/\.settings-tabs\s*\{[\s\S]*?background:\s*#f0f0f0/)
     expect(settingsDialog).toMatch(/footer\s*\{[\s\S]*?border-top:\s*1px solid #d0d0d0/)
     expect(css).toMatch(
       /\.session-settings-dialog\[data-rules-depth='capture-1to1-residual'\]\s*\{[\s\S]*?background:\s*#f0f0f0/,