diff --git a/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.test.ts b/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.test.ts
index 51fb04cdee..c8bd6b1721 100644
--- a/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.test.ts
+++ b/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.test.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,29 @@ describe('BitFunControl presentation bridge', () => {
     expect(reconcile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it('acknowledges a runtime-applied pending appearance before its config mutation completes', async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(appearanceService, 'getSnapshot').mockReturnValue({
+      ...appearanceService.getSnapshot(),
+      status: 'applying',
+      selectedAppearanceId: 'system',
+      pendingSelectionId: 'bitfun-dark',
+    });
+    const pendingApplied = vi.spyOn(appearanceService, 'hasAppliedPendingSelection')
+      .mockReturnValue(true);
+    const reload = vi.spyOn(configManager, 'applyExternalReload').mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    const reconcile = vi.spyOn(appearanceService, 'reconcilePersistedState').mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+    await expect(applyBitFunControlEffect({
+      capabilityId: 'setting.application.appearance',
+      optionId: 'theme',
+      changedPaths: ['appearance.selection'],
+      value: 'bitfun-dark',
+    })).resolves.toEqual({ status: 'alreadyApplied' });
+    expect(pendingApplied).toHaveBeenCalledWith('bitfun-dark');
+    expect(reload).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(reconcile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('applies an Agent appearance mutation through persisted-state reconciliation', async () => {
     vi.spyOn(appearanceService, 'getSnapshot').mockReturnValue({
       ...appearanceService.getSnapshot(),
diff --git a/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.ts b/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.ts
index c8506b5191..0914de9f52 100644
--- a/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.ts
+++ b/src/web-ui/src/app/global-search/bitfunControlBridge.ts
@@ -118,9 +118,11 @@ async function handleRequest(request: BitFunControlRequest): Promise<void> {
 }
 
 function appearanceAlreadyApplied(event: BitFunControlAppliedEvent): boolean {
-  return event.changedPaths.includes('appearance.selection')
-    && typeof event.value === 'string'
-    && appearanceService.getSnapshot().selectedAppearanceId === event.value;
+  if (!event.changedPaths.includes('appearance.selection') || typeof event.value !== 'string') {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return appearanceService.getSnapshot().selectedAppearanceId === event.value
+    || appearanceService.hasAppliedPendingSelection(event.value);
 }
 
 function languageAlreadyApplied(event: BitFunControlAppliedEvent): boolean {
diff --git a/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.test.ts b/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.test.ts
index cf6b5b46d0..7784407b29 100644
--- a/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.test.ts
+++ b/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.test.ts
@@ -143,6 +143,29 @@ describe('AppearanceService', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it('reports a pending selection after its runtime apply while persistence is in flight', async () => {
+    configMocks.getConfig.mockResolvedValue('system');
+    const pendingWrite = deferred<void>();
+    configMocks.setConfig.mockReturnValueOnce(pendingWrite.promise);
+    const { service } = createService();
+    await service.initialize();
+
+    const selection = service.select('bitfun-dark');
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(configMocks.setConfig).toHaveBeenCalledOnce());
+
+    expect(service.getSnapshot()).toMatchObject({
+      status: 'applying',
+      selectedAppearanceId: 'system',
+      pendingSelectionId: 'bitfun-dark',
+    });
+    expect(service.hasAppliedPendingSelection('bitfun-dark')).toBe(true);
+    expect(service.hasAppliedPendingSelection('bitfun-light')).toBe(false);
+
+    pendingWrite.resolve(undefined);
+    await selection;
+    expect(service.hasAppliedPendingSelection('bitfun-dark')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('reconciles externally persisted selections without writing them again', async () => {
     configMocks.getConfig.mockResolvedValueOnce('system').mockResolvedValueOnce('bitfun-dark');
     const { service } = createService();
diff --git a/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.ts b/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.ts
index 316c569bcd..dbbc55903e 100644
--- a/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.ts
+++ b/src/web-ui/src/infrastructure/appearance/runtime/AppearanceService.ts
@@ -174,6 +174,14 @@ export class AppearanceService {
     return this.snapshot;
   }
 
+  hasAppliedPendingSelection(id: AppearanceSelectionId): boolean {
+    if (this.snapshot.status !== 'applying' || this.snapshot.pendingSelectionId !== id) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    const resolvedId = id === SYSTEM_APPEARANCE_ID ? getSystemAppearanceId() : id;
+    return this.runtime.getSnapshot()?.id === resolvedId;
+  }
+
   getPackage(id: string): Promise<AppearancePackage | null> {
     const builtin = getBuiltinAppearance(id);
     if (builtin) return Promise.resolve(builtin);