diff --git a/doc/lsd.md b/doc/lsd.md
index 78a120465..d9b2f919d 100644
--- a/doc/lsd.md
+++ b/doc/lsd.md
@@ -175,3 +175,6 @@ lsd is a ls command with a lot of pretty colours and some other stuff to enrich
 
 `SHELL_COMPLETIONS_DIR` or `OUT_DIR`
 : Used to specify the directory for generating a shell completions file. If neither are set, no completions file will be generated. The directory will be created if it does not exist.
+
+`TERM_BACKGROUND`
+: Controls which theme is loaded when `color.theme` is set to a dark/light map in the config file. Set to `light` to select the light theme; any other value or unset selects the dark theme.
diff --git a/doc/samples/config-sample.yaml b/doc/samples/config-sample.yaml
index 3da640e5d..ff9a5632b 100644
--- a/doc/samples/config-sample.yaml
+++ b/doc/samples/config-sample.yaml
@@ -27,8 +27,15 @@ color:
   when: auto
   # How to colorize the output.
   # When "classic" is set, this is set to "no-color".
-  # Possible values: default, custom
+  # Possible values: default, custom, or a dark/light map (see below).
   # When "custom" is set, lsd will look in the config directory for `colors.yaml`.
+  # To use different themes for dark and light terminals, specify a map:
+  #   theme:
+  #     dark: my-dark-colors   # resolves to <config-dir>/my-dark-colors.yaml
+  #     light: my-light-colors # resolves to <config-dir>/my-light-colors.yaml
+  # Either key may be omitted; omitting falls back to the built-in default for
+  # that mode. The active mode is read from the TERM_BACKGROUND env var
+  # ("light" → light mode; anything else or unset → dark mode).
   theme: default
 
 # == Date ==
diff --git a/src/color.rs b/src/color.rs
index a88d0e076..ccf44b4df 100644
--- a/src/color.rs
+++ b/src/color.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ use std::path::Path;
 pub use crate::flags::color::ThemeOption;
 use crate::git::GitStatus;
 use crate::print_output;
-use crate::theme::{Theme, color::ColorTheme};
+use crate::theme::{
+    Theme,
+    color::{ColorTheme, is_dark_mode},
+};
 use jiff::{Span, SpanTotal, Timestamp, ToSpan, Unit};
 
 #[allow(dead_code)]
@@ -212,11 +215,22 @@ impl Colors {
                     .unwrap_or_default(),
                 )
             }
+            ThemeOption::DualCustom {
+                ref dark,
+                ref light,
+            } => {
+                let name = if is_dark_mode() { dark } else { light };
+                Some(match name {
+                    Some(n) => Theme::from_path::<ColorTheme>(n).unwrap_or_default(),
+                    None => ColorTheme::default(),
+                })
+            }
         };
         let lscolors = match t {
-            ThemeOption::Default | ThemeOption::Custom | ThemeOption::CustomLegacy(_) => {
-                Some(LsColors::from_env().unwrap_or_default())
-            }
+            ThemeOption::Default
+            | ThemeOption::Custom
+            | ThemeOption::CustomLegacy(_)
+            | ThemeOption::DualCustom { .. } => Some(LsColors::from_env().unwrap_or_default()),
             _ => None,
         };
 
diff --git a/src/config_file.rs b/src/config_file.rs
index 3a5dbe53b..6e0d46501 100644
--- a/src/config_file.rs
+++ b/src/config_file.rs
@@ -242,8 +242,15 @@ color:
   when: auto
   # How to colorize the output.
   # When "classic" is set, this is set to "no-color".
-  # Possible values: default, custom
+  # Possible values: default, custom, or a dark/light map (see below).
   # When "custom" is set, lsd will look in the config directory for `colors.yaml`.
+  # To use different themes for dark and light terminals, specify a map:
+  #   theme:
+  #     dark: my-dark-colors   # resolves to <config-dir>/my-dark-colors.yaml
+  #     light: my-light-colors # resolves to <config-dir>/my-light-colors.yaml
+  # Either key may be omitted; omitting falls back to the built-in default for
+  # that mode. The active mode is read from the TERM_BACKGROUND env var
+  # ("light" → light mode; anything else or unset → dark mode).
   theme: default
 
 # == Date ==
diff --git a/src/flags/color.rs b/src/flags/color.rs
index f8505e172..5af45835f 100644
--- a/src/flags/color.rs
+++ b/src/flags/color.rs
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ pub enum ThemeOption {
     NoLscolors,
     CustomLegacy(String),
     Custom,
+    /// Load separate theme files depending on whether the terminal is in dark or light mode.
+    /// Each path follows the same resolution rules as `Custom` (relative to config dir).
+    /// A `None` value falls back to the built-in default for that mode.
+    DualCustom {
+        dark: Option<String>,
+        light: Option<String>,
+    },
 }
 
 impl ThemeOption {
@@ -65,11 +72,13 @@ impl<'de> de::Deserialize<'de> for ThemeOption {
     {
         struct ThemeOptionVisitor;
 
-        impl Visitor<'_> for ThemeOptionVisitor {
+        impl<'de> Visitor<'de> for ThemeOptionVisitor {
             type Value = ThemeOption;
 
             fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
-                formatter.write_str("`default` or <theme-file-path>")
+                formatter.write_str(
+                    "`default`, `custom`, or a map with `light` and/or `dark` theme paths",
+                )
             }
 
             fn visit_str<E>(self, value: &str) -> Result<ThemeOption, E>
@@ -82,9 +91,27 @@ impl<'de> de::Deserialize<'de> for ThemeOption {
                     str => Ok(ThemeOption::CustomLegacy(str.to_string())),
                 }
             }
+
+            fn visit_map<M>(self, mut map: M) -> Result<ThemeOption, M::Error>
+            where
+                M: de::MapAccess<'de>,
+            {
+                let mut dark = None;
+                let mut light = None;
+                while let Some(key) = map.next_key::<String>()? {
+                    match key.as_str() {
+                        "dark" => dark = Some(map.next_value::<String>()?),
+                        "light" => light = Some(map.next_value::<String>()?),
+                        other => {
+                            return Err(de::Error::unknown_field(other, &["dark", "light"]));
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                Ok(ThemeOption::DualCustom { dark, light })
+            }
         }
 
-        deserializer.deserialize_identifier(ThemeOptionVisitor)
+        deserializer.deserialize_any(ThemeOptionVisitor)
     }
 }
 
@@ -320,4 +347,59 @@ mod test_theme_option {
         c.classic = Some(true);
         assert_eq!(ThemeOption::NoColor, ThemeOption::from_config(&c));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_deserialize_dual_custom_both() {
+        let yaml = "dark: my-dark\nlight: my-light\n";
+        let t: ThemeOption = serde_yaml::from_str(yaml).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            ThemeOption::DualCustom {
+                dark: Some("my-dark".to_string()),
+                light: Some("my-light".to_string()),
+            },
+            t
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_deserialize_dual_custom_dark_only() {
+        let yaml = "dark: my-dark\n";
+        let t: ThemeOption = serde_yaml::from_str(yaml).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            ThemeOption::DualCustom {
+                dark: Some("my-dark".to_string()),
+                light: None,
+            },
+            t
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_deserialize_dual_custom_light_only() {
+        let yaml = "light: my-light\n";
+        let t: ThemeOption = serde_yaml::from_str(yaml).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            ThemeOption::DualCustom {
+                dark: None,
+                light: Some("my-light".to_string()),
+            },
+            t
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_deserialize_string_variants_still_work() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            ThemeOption::Default,
+            serde_yaml::from_str::<ThemeOption>("default").unwrap()
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            ThemeOption::Custom,
+            serde_yaml::from_str::<ThemeOption>("custom").unwrap()
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            ThemeOption::CustomLegacy("old-path".to_string()),
+            serde_yaml::from_str::<ThemeOption>("old-path").unwrap()
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/theme/color.rs b/src/theme/color.rs
index 91bda92d2..cb7223b49 100644
--- a/src/theme/color.rs
+++ b/src/theme/color.rs
@@ -439,10 +439,24 @@ impl Default for GitStatus {
     }
 }
 
+/// Returns `true` when the terminal background is dark.
+///
+/// Reads `TERM_BACKGROUND`: `"light"` (case-insensitive) → false, anything
+/// else or unset → true. Set `TERM_BACKGROUND=light` in your shell config to
+/// enable light-mode theme selection.
+pub(crate) fn is_dark_mode() -> bool {
+    std::env::var("TERM_BACKGROUND")
+        .map(|v| v.to_ascii_lowercase() != "light")
+        .unwrap_or(true)
+}
+
 impl Default for ColorTheme {
     fn default() -> Self {
-        // TODO(zwpaper): check terminal color and return light or dark
-        Self::default_dark()
+        if is_dark_mode() {
+            Self::default_dark()
+        } else {
+            Self::default_light()
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -462,6 +476,89 @@ impl ColorTheme {
             git_status: Default::default(),
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn default_light() -> Self {
+        ColorTheme {
+            user: Color::AnsiValue(26),  // DodgerBlue3
+            group: Color::AnsiValue(28), // Green4
+            permission: Permission {
+                read: Color::DarkGreen,
+                write: Color::DarkYellow,
+                exec: Color::DarkRed,
+                exec_sticky: Color::AnsiValue(5),
+                no_access: Color::AnsiValue(240), // DarkGrey
+                octal: Color::AnsiValue(6),
+                acl: Color::DarkCyan,
+                context: Color::Cyan,
+            },
+            attributes: Attributes::default(),
+            file_type: FileType {
+                file: File {
+                    exec_uid: Color::AnsiValue(28),        // Green4
+                    uid_no_exec: Color::AnsiValue(100),    // Yellow4
+                    exec_no_uid: Color::AnsiValue(28),     // Green4
+                    no_exec_no_uid: Color::AnsiValue(100), // Yellow4
+                },
+                dir: Dir {
+                    uid: Color::AnsiValue(20),    // Blue3
+                    no_uid: Color::AnsiValue(20), // Blue3
+                },
+                symlink: Symlink {
+                    default: Color::AnsiValue(30),         // Teal
+                    broken: Color::AnsiValue(124),         // Red3
+                    missing_target: Color::AnsiValue(124), // Red3
+                },
+                pipe: Color::AnsiValue(30),         // Teal
+                block_device: Color::AnsiValue(30), // Teal
+                char_device: Color::AnsiValue(130), // DarkOrange3
+                socket: Color::AnsiValue(30),       // Teal
+                special: Color::AnsiValue(30),      // Teal
+            },
+            date: Date {
+                hour_old: None,
+                day_old: None,
+                older: Color::AnsiValue(30), // Teal
+                relative: vec![
+                    RelativeTimeColor {
+                        threshold: "1h".into(),
+                        color: Color::AnsiValue(28), // Green4
+                    },
+                    RelativeTimeColor {
+                        threshold: "1d".into(),
+                        color: Color::AnsiValue(34), // Green3
+                    },
+                ],
+                absolute: Vec::new(),
+            },
+            size: Size {
+                none: Color::AnsiValue(240),   // DarkGrey
+                small: Color::AnsiValue(130),  // DarkOrange3
+                medium: Color::AnsiValue(166), // DarkOrange
+                large: Color::AnsiValue(124),  // Red3
+            },
+            inode: INode {
+                valid: Color::AnsiValue(90),    // DarkMagenta
+                invalid: Color::AnsiValue(240), // DarkGrey
+            },
+            links: Links {
+                valid: Color::AnsiValue(90),    // DarkMagenta
+                invalid: Color::AnsiValue(240), // DarkGrey
+            },
+            tree_edge: Color::AnsiValue(240), // DarkGrey
+            git_status: GitStatus {
+                default: Color::AnsiValue(240),    // DarkGrey
+                unmodified: Color::AnsiValue(240), // DarkGrey
+                ignored: Color::AnsiValue(240),    // DarkGrey
+                new_in_index: Color::DarkGreen,
+                new_in_workdir: Color::DarkGreen,
+                typechange: Color::DarkYellow,
+                deleted: Color::DarkRed,
+                renamed: Color::DarkGreen,
+                modified: Color::DarkYellow,
+                conflicted: Color::DarkRed,
+            },
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -574,4 +671,37 @@ permission:
         theme.permission.read = Color::AnsiValue(130);
         assert_eq!(empty_theme, theme);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_is_dark_mode_unset_defaults_dark() {
+        temp_env::with_var("TERM_BACKGROUND", None::<&str>, || {
+            assert!(super::is_dark_mode());
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_is_dark_mode_term_background_light() {
+        temp_env::with_var("TERM_BACKGROUND", Some("light"), || {
+            assert!(!super::is_dark_mode());
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_is_dark_mode_term_background_light_uppercase() {
+        temp_env::with_var("TERM_BACKGROUND", Some("Light"), || {
+            assert!(!super::is_dark_mode());
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_is_dark_mode_term_background_dark() {
+        temp_env::with_var("TERM_BACKGROUND", Some("dark"), || {
+            assert!(super::is_dark_mode());
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_default_light_is_distinct_from_default_dark() {
+        assert_ne!(ColorTheme::default_dark(), ColorTheme::default_light());
+    }
 }