diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/controller.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/controller.tsx
index 8f486accb56..c0aa5e64a2a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/controller.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/contrib/controller.tsx
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ export function ContribController() {
                   tree-published --workspace-left/right vars (pure CSS, no rect
                   threading), clamped to clear the REAL TitlebarControls
                   clusters (fixed, z-70); center is truly window-centered. */}
-          <div className="relative flex h-[34px] shrink-0 items-center border-b border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) text-xs">
+          <div className="relative flex h-[34px] shrink-0 items-center border-b border-(--ui-stroke-tertiary) bg-(--ui-sidebar-surface-background) text-xs">
             {/* Drag strips, AppShell-style: cut to AVOID the fixed control
                 clusters instead of overlapping them — Electron's no-drag
                 carve-out of fixed/transformed elements is unreliable, so a