diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/project-menu.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/project-menu.tsx
index 8995013cb751..5b77fe342a48 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/project-menu.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/project-menu.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import {
   openProjectRename,
   revealPath,
   setActiveProject,
-  updateProject
+  setProjectAppearance
 } from '@/store/projects'
 
 import type { SidebarProjectTree } from './workspace-groups'
@@ -110,6 +110,26 @@ export function ProjectMenu({
     }
   }
 
+  // Appearance writes route through the adopt-aware helper: an auto project is
+  // materialized on its first change (its id then changes), so close the picker
+  // when that happens to avoid a second write double-creating from a stale node.
+  const applyAppearance = (patch: { color?: null | string; icon?: null | string }) => {
+    void setProjectAppearance(project, patch).then(adopted => {
+      if (adopted) {
+        setAppearanceOpen(false)
+      }
+    })
+  }
+
+  // Set color / pick an icon — shown for explicit projects and for auto ones
+  // (where selecting adopts the repo as a real project so the look sticks).
+  const appearanceItem = (
+    <DropdownMenuItem onSelect={() => setAppearanceOpen(true)}>
+      <Codicon name="symbol-color" size="0.875rem" />
+      <span>{p.menuAppearance}</span>
+    </DropdownMenuItem>
+  )
+
   const trigger = (
     <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
       <button
@@ -144,16 +164,23 @@ export function ProjectMenu({
           onCloseAutoFocus={event => event.preventDefault()}
           sideOffset={6}
         >
-          {!project.isAuto && (
+          {project.isAuto ? (
+            // Inherited (auto) repos can still be themed — the change adopts the
+            // repo as a real project. Rename / add-folder / set-active stay out
+            // until then (they need the materialized record).
+            project.path ? (
+              <>
+                {appearanceItem}
+                <DropdownMenuSeparator />
+              </>
+            ) : null
+          ) : (
             <>
               <DropdownMenuItem onSelect={() => openProjectRename(target)}>
                 <Codicon name="edit" size="0.875rem" />
                 <span>{p.menuRename}</span>
               </DropdownMenuItem>
-              <DropdownMenuItem onSelect={() => setAppearanceOpen(true)}>
-                <Codicon name="symbol-color" size="0.875rem" />
-                <span>{p.menuAppearance}</span>
-              </DropdownMenuItem>
+              {appearanceItem}
               <DropdownMenuItem onSelect={() => openProjectAddFolder(target)}>
                 <Codicon name="new-folder" size="0.875rem" />
                 <span>{p.menuAddFolder}</span>
@@ -197,7 +224,7 @@ export function ProjectMenu({
         <ColorSwatches
           clearIcon="circle-slash"
           clearLabel={p.noColor}
-          onChange={color => void updateProject(project.id, { color })}
+          onChange={color => applyAppearance({ color })}
           swatches={PROFILE_SWATCHES}
           value={project.color ?? null}
         />
@@ -212,7 +239,7 @@ export function ProjectMenu({
                 project.icon === name && 'bg-(--ui-control-active-background) text-foreground'
               )}
               key={name}
-              onClick={() => void updateProject(project.id, { icon: project.icon === name ? null : name })}
+              onClick={() => applyAppearance({ icon: project.icon === name ? null : name })}
               style={project.icon === name && project.color ? { color: project.color } : undefined}
               type="button"
             >
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts
index 64f9b01fd3a7..18c5727cc1f9 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts
@@ -573,6 +573,38 @@ export async function updateProject(
   )
 }
 
+// Appearance for an AUTO (inherited git-repo) project has no projects.db row to
+// write to — its id is just the repo path. So the first color/icon change ADOPTS
+// the repo as a real project (folder = repo root, name = its label) carrying the
+// chosen look; from then on it patches in place like any explicit project.
+// Returns true when an adoption happened, so an incremental picker can close
+// (the node's id changes on adopt, and a second stale write would double-create).
+export async function setProjectAppearance(
+  project: Pick<SidebarProjectTree, 'color' | 'icon' | 'id' | 'isAuto' | 'label' | 'path'>,
+  patch: { color?: null | string; icon?: null | string }
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  if (!project.isAuto) {
+    await updateProject(project.id, patch)
+
+    return false
+  }
+
+  if (!project.path) {
+    return false
+  }
+
+  await createProject({
+    name: project.label,
+    folders: [project.path],
+    primaryPath: project.path,
+    // Carry any already-set look so setting one field doesn't wipe the other.
+    color: (patch.color ?? project.color) || undefined,
+    icon: (patch.icon ?? project.icon) || undefined
+  })
+
+  return true
+}
+
 export async function addProjectFolder(
   id: string,
   path: string,