diff --git a/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 36716007afa5..01ad608b1bab 100644
--- a/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/GhosttyTabs.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@
 		A5001800A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* WindowBackdropController.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = A5001801A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* WindowBackdropController.swift */; };
 		F57072635F25EBCA741E125D /* SidebarState.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = D1614EAD3CCF70A177A51BD1 /* SidebarState.swift */; };
 		A8CBA43C2DA5AB9E3A1E65A4 /* CommandPaletteSearch.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = 38A09EB2E92203B2E95923A7 /* CommandPaletteSearch.swift */; };
+		B84BD7AD94EE485B8DDAB6FF /* GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = 9DAB808A8EC74C40B95F7672 /* GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift */; };
 		0D56BE882EAD4B67AC44F96D /* TerminalDirectoryOpenSupport.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = 6B8E2E03F4A64C61B729CF19 /* TerminalDirectoryOpenSupport.swift */; };
 		A72C9F4179B54DF38E99A021 /* CmuxCLIPathInstaller.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = 8A4FE96C3F394FC6A6D4B018 /* CmuxCLIPathInstaller.swift */; };
 		E8BA79E246754A8B99A0B823 /* ScreenIdentity.swift in Sources */ = {isa = PBXBuildFile; fileRef = 47D5AA7D29C94F5CA865B2BF /* ScreenIdentity.swift */; };
@@ -612,6 +613,7 @@
 		A5001801A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* WindowBackdropController.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = Windowing/WindowBackdropController.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		D1614EAD3CCF70A177A51BD1 /* SidebarState.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = Sidebar/SidebarState.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		38A09EB2E92203B2E95923A7 /* CommandPaletteSearch.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = CommandPalette/CommandPaletteSearch.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
+		9DAB808A8EC74C40B95F7672 /* GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = App/GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		6B8E2E03F4A64C61B729CF19 /* TerminalDirectoryOpenSupport.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = App/TerminalDirectoryOpenSupport.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		8A4FE96C3F394FC6A6D4B018 /* CmuxCLIPathInstaller.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = App/CmuxCLIPathInstaller.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
 		47D5AA7D29C94F5CA865B2BF /* ScreenIdentity.swift */ = {isa = PBXFileReference; lastKnownFileType = sourcecode.swift; path = App/ScreenIdentity.swift; sourceTree = "<group>"; };
@@ -1118,6 +1120,7 @@
 				A5001801A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* WindowBackdropController.swift */,
 				D1614EAD3CCF70A177A51BD1 /* SidebarState.swift */,
 				38A09EB2E92203B2E95923A7 /* CommandPaletteSearch.swift */,
+				9DAB808A8EC74C40B95F7672 /* GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift */,
 				6B8E2E03F4A64C61B729CF19 /* TerminalDirectoryOpenSupport.swift */,
 				8A4FE96C3F394FC6A6D4B018 /* CmuxCLIPathInstaller.swift */,
 				47D5AA7D29C94F5CA865B2BF /* ScreenIdentity.swift */,
@@ -1748,6 +1751,7 @@
 				A5001800A1B2C3D4E5F60718 /* WindowBackdropController.swift in Sources */,
 				F57072635F25EBCA741E125D /* SidebarState.swift in Sources */,
 				A8CBA43C2DA5AB9E3A1E65A4 /* CommandPaletteSearch.swift in Sources */,
+				B84BD7AD94EE485B8DDAB6FF /* GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift in Sources */,
 				0D56BE882EAD4B67AC44F96D /* TerminalDirectoryOpenSupport.swift in Sources */,
 				A72C9F4179B54DF38E99A021 /* CmuxCLIPathInstaller.swift in Sources */,
 				E8BA79E246754A8B99A0B823 /* ScreenIdentity.swift in Sources */,
diff --git a/Sources/App/GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift b/Sources/App/GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3887daf302ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Sources/App/GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+@MainActor
+enum GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh {
+    nonisolated static let forceRefreshReason = "appDelegate.refreshAfterGhosttyConfigReload"
+
+    static func applyAfterAppConfigReload(
+        to surface: ghostty_surface_t?,
+        source: String,
+        reloadSurfaceConfiguration: (ghostty_surface_t, Bool, String) -> Void,
+        refreshHostBackground: () -> Void,
+        forceRefresh: (String) -> Void
+    ) {
+        if let surface {
+            reloadSurfaceConfiguration(surface, true, source)
+        }
+        refreshHostBackground()
+        forceRefresh(forceRefreshReason)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Sources/AppDelegate.swift b/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
index 2db737ddd498..19099d6d78bc 100644
--- a/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -4790,8 +4790,22 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate, UNUserNotificationCent
     func refreshTerminalSurfacesAfterGhosttyConfigReload(source: String) {
         var refreshedCount = 0
         forEachTerminalPanel { terminalPanel in
-            terminalPanel.hostedView.refreshHostBackgroundAfterGhosttyConfigReload()
-            terminalPanel.surface.forceRefresh(reason: "appDelegate.refreshAfterGhosttyConfigReload")
+            let liveSurface = terminalPanel.surface.liveSurfaceForGhosttyAccess(
+                reason: "appDelegate.refreshAfterGhosttyConfigReload"
+            )
+            GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.applyAfterAppConfigReload(
+                to: liveSurface,
+                source: source,
+                reloadSurfaceConfiguration: { surface, soft, source in
+                    GhosttyApp.shared.reloadSurfaceConfiguration(surface, soft: soft, source: source)
+                },
+                refreshHostBackground: {
+                    terminalPanel.hostedView.refreshHostBackgroundAfterGhosttyConfigReload()
+                },
+                forceRefresh: { reason in
+                    terminalPanel.surface.forceRefresh(reason: reason)
+                }
+            )
             refreshedCount += 1
         }
 #if DEBUG
diff --git a/cmuxTests/AppearanceSettingsTests.swift b/cmuxTests/AppearanceSettingsTests.swift
index e999dd04f403..41c168c8d4c8 100644
--- a/cmuxTests/AppearanceSettingsTests.swift
+++ b/cmuxTests/AppearanceSettingsTests.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,56 @@ import SwiftUI
 
 @MainActor
 final class AppearanceSettingsTests: XCTestCase {
+    func testAppConfigReloadRefreshUpdatesSurfaceConfigBeforeRedraw() throws {
+        let fakeSurface = try XCTUnwrap(UnsafeMutableRawPointer(bitPattern: 0x3851))
+        var events: [String] = []
+
+        GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.applyAfterAppConfigReload(
+            to: fakeSurface,
+            source: "appearanceSync:test",
+            reloadSurfaceConfiguration: { surface, soft, source in
+                XCTAssertEqual(surface, fakeSurface)
+                XCTAssertTrue(soft)
+                events.append("reload:\(source)")
+            },
+            refreshHostBackground: {
+                events.append("host-background")
+            },
+            forceRefresh: { reason in
+                events.append("force-refresh:\(reason)")
+            }
+        )
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(events, [
+            "reload:appearanceSync:test",
+            "host-background",
+            "force-refresh:\(GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.forceRefreshReason)"
+        ])
+    }
+
+    func testAppConfigReloadRefreshSkipsSurfaceConfigUpdateWhenSurfaceIsUnavailable() {
+        var events: [String] = []
+
+        GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.applyAfterAppConfigReload(
+            to: nil,
+            source: "appearanceSync:teardown",
+            reloadSurfaceConfiguration: { _, _, _ in
+                events.append("reload")
+            },
+            refreshHostBackground: {
+                events.append("host-background")
+            },
+            forceRefresh: { reason in
+                events.append("force-refresh:\(reason)")
+            }
+        )
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(events, [
+            "host-background",
+            "force-refresh:\(GhosttySurfaceConfigurationRefresh.forceRefreshReason)"
+        ])
+    }
+
     func testResolvedModeDefaultsToSystemWhenUnset() {
         let suiteName = "AppearanceSettingsTests.Default.\(UUID().uuidString)"
         guard let defaults = UserDefaults(suiteName: suiteName) else {