diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 12f8fac..71c0ca3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ permissions:
 
 env:
   DL_DIR: /srv/breadway-dl
-  ECOSYSTEM_DIR: /tmp/bread-ecosystem-ci
+  ECOSYSTEM_DIR: /home/breadway/Projects/bread-ecosystem
 
 jobs:
   build:
@@ -41,8 +41,12 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: ensure bread-ecosystem
         run: |
-          rm -rf "${ECOSYSTEM_DIR}"
-          git clone https://github.com/Breadway/bread-ecosystem.git "${ECOSYSTEM_DIR}"
+          if [[ -d "${ECOSYSTEM_DIR}/.git" ]]; then
+            git -C "${ECOSYSTEM_DIR}" pull --ff-only
+          else
+            mkdir -p "$(dirname "${ECOSYSTEM_DIR}")"
+            git clone https://github.com/Breadway/bread-ecosystem.git "${ECOSYSTEM_DIR}"
+          fi
 
       - name: regenerate index.json
         run: bash "${ECOSYSTEM_DIR}/scripts/gen-index.sh"
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 4f3f9c2..18d6e7c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ checksum = "b4388bee8683e3d04af747c73422af53102d2bd24d9eadb6cbc100baef4b43f8"
 [[package]]
 name = "bread-theme"
 version = "0.2.3"
-source = "git+https://github.com/Breadway/bread-ecosystem?tag=v0.2.8#77417d552130281ff787e07d52541eb25e9d533b"
+source = "git+https://github.com/Breadway/bread-ecosystem?tag=v0.2.6#0c8c5c00e435fedff4f81e36d603424c153519a9"
 dependencies = [
  "dirs",
  "gtk4",
diff --git a/breadbox/Cargo.toml b/breadbox/Cargo.toml
index 9189abf..6f23930 100644
--- a/breadbox/Cargo.toml
+++ b/breadbox/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ name = "breadbox"
 path = "src/main.rs"
 
 [dependencies]
-bread-theme = { git = "https://github.com/Breadway/bread-ecosystem", tag = "v0.2.8", features = ["gtk"] }
+bread-theme = { git = "https://github.com/Breadway/bread-ecosystem", tag = "v0.2.6", features = ["gtk"] }
 breadbox-shared = { path = "../breadbox-shared" }
 gtk4 = { version = "0.11", features = ["v4_12"] }
 gtk4-layer-shell = "0.8"
diff --git a/breadbox/src/main.rs b/breadbox/src/main.rs
index 17f72ac..68627d7 100644
--- a/breadbox/src/main.rs
+++ b/breadbox/src/main.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use bread_theme::{hex_to_rgba, ink_on, load_palette, Palette};
+use bread_theme::{hex_to_rgba, load_palette, Palette};
 use std::{
     cell::RefCell,
     collections::HashMap,
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use breadbox_shared::{
     config_dir, load_all_desktop_entries, Config, DesktopEntry, IconCache, LaunchHistory,
 };
 use gtk4::{
+    gdk::Display,
     glib,
     pango::EllipsizeMode,
     prelude::*,
@@ -134,30 +135,25 @@ fn build_css(p: &Palette) -> String {
     let bg_panel = hex_to_rgba(&p.background, 0.60);
     // breadbox-specific rules only — fonts, palette, and generic widgets come
     // from the shared ecosystem stylesheet (applied first in connect_activate).
-    // Colour is set on each surface (panel, search box, hovered/selected row) so
-    // child labels inherit the legible ink for that background. `on_*` are
-    // luminance-picked black/white — the pywal hues are untouched. Without this a
-    // light `surface` slot makes the selected row's text vanish.
     format!(
         "window {{ background-color: transparent; }}\
-         .launcher-bg {{ background-color: {bg_panel}; color: {on_bg}; border-radius: 8px;\
+         .launcher-bg {{ background-color: {bg_panel}; border-radius: 8px;\
              box-shadow: 0 8px 32px rgba(0,0,0,0.6); }}\
-         searchentry {{ background-color: {surface}; color: {on_surface}; caret-color: {accent};\
+         searchentry {{ background-color: {surface}; color: {fg}; caret-color: {accent};\
              border: none; outline: none; box-shadow: none;\
              padding: 12px 16px; border-radius: 6px 6px 0 0; }}\
          listbox {{ background-color: transparent; padding: 4px; }}\
-         row {{ padding: 8px 12px; color: {on_bg}; background-color: transparent;\
+         row {{ padding: 8px 12px; color: {fg}; background-color: transparent;\
              border-radius: 6px; }}\
-         row:hover {{ background-color: {surface}; color: {on_surface}; }}\
-         row:selected {{ background-color: {surface}; color: {on_surface}; }}\
+         row:hover {{ background-color: {surface}; }}\
+         row:selected {{ background-color: {surface}; }}\
          .app-name {{ font-size: 14px; }}\
-         .app-muted {{ opacity: 0.6; font-size: 12px; }}\
+         .app-muted {{ color: {fg}; opacity: 0.6; font-size: 12px; }}\
          image {{ margin-right: 8px; }}",
-        bg_panel   = bg_panel,
-        surface    = p.color0,
-        accent     = p.color4,
-        on_bg      = ink_on(&p.background),
-        on_surface = ink_on(&p.color0),
+        bg_panel = bg_panel,
+        surface  = p.color0,
+        fg       = p.foreground,
+        accent   = p.color4,
     )
 }
 
@@ -295,7 +291,7 @@ fn get_row_entry(row: &gtk4::ListBoxRow) -> Option<DesktopEntry> {
     }
 }
 
-fn run_ui(entries: Vec<DesktopEntry>, history: LaunchHistory) {
+fn run_ui(entries: Vec<DesktopEntry>, css: String, history: LaunchHistory) {
     let app = Application::builder()
         .application_id("com.breadway.breadbox")
         .build();
@@ -305,10 +301,16 @@ fn run_ui(entries: Vec<DesktopEntry>, history: LaunchHistory) {
 
     app.connect_activate(move |app| {
         // Shared ecosystem base (fonts, palette, generic widgets) first, then
-        // breadbox-specific CSS layered on top — both hot-reload on
-        // `bread-theme reload` (the closure re-reads the pywal palette).
+        // breadbox-specific CSS layered on top at APPLICATION priority.
         bread_theme::gtk::apply_shared();
-        bread_theme::gtk::apply_app_css(|| build_css(&load_palette()));
+
+        let provider = CssProvider::new();
+        provider.load_from_string(&css);
+        gtk4::style_context_add_provider_for_display(
+            &Display::default().expect("no display"),
+            &provider,
+            gtk4::STYLE_PROVIDER_PRIORITY_APPLICATION,
+        );
 
         // User CSS override
         {
@@ -564,5 +566,8 @@ fn main() {
     let manifest = load_manifest();
     let entries = load_sorted_entries(&manifest, &priority, &history);
 
-    run_ui(entries, history);
+    let palette = load_palette();
+    let css = build_css(&palette);
+
+    run_ui(entries, css, history);
 }