diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index b11e6a92..69615a26 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ Homepage: https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/squeekboard
 Package: squeekboard
 Architecture: linux-any
 Depends:
+# for the Adwaita-dark theme
+ gnome-themes-extra-data,
  ${shlibs:Depends}
  ${misc:Depends}
 Description: On-screen keyboard for Wayland
diff --git a/debian/squeekboard.lintian-overrides b/debian/squeekboard.lintian-overrides
index 5be12589..0167bdc4 100644
--- a/debian/squeekboard.lintian-overrides
+++ b/debian/squeekboard.lintian-overrides
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 # yaml-rust 0.4.3 shares some roots with libyaml, including the string which lintian checks, creating a false positive
-squeekboard binary: embedded-library usr/bin/squeekboard: libyaml
+squeekboard binary: embedded-library usr/bin/squeekboard-real: libyaml
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 68c86ce5..4e2a2e47 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -95,7 +95,20 @@ libsqueekboard = static_library('libsqueekboard',
     '-DEEK_COMPILATION=1'],
 )
 
-squeekboard = executable('squeekboard',
+# the straight binary needs to be demoted in favor of the wrapper script
+# due to styling being inconsistent
+bindir = join_paths(prefix, get_option('bindir'))
+wrapper_conf = configuration_data()
+wrapper_conf.set('bindir', bindir)
+configure_file(
+  input: '../tools/squeekboard.in',
+  output: 'squeekboard',
+  install_dir: bindir,
+  configuration: wrapper_conf,
+  install: true,
+)
+
+squeekboard = executable('squeekboard-real',
   'server-main.c',
   wl_proto_sources,
   squeekboard_resources,
diff --git a/tools/squeekboard.in b/tools/squeekboard.in
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ea5d239c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/squeekboard.in
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -e
+
+# Override default theme but allow selecting the replacement
+export GTK_THEME="Adwaita:dark"
+CONFIG_HOME="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}"
+DIRS="${CONFIG_HOME} $(set -f; IFS=:; printf '%s\n' $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS)"
+for DIR in ${DIRS}; do
+  if cat $DIR/squeekboard/gtk_theme 2> /dev/null; then
+    export GTK_THEME="$(cat $DIR/squeekboard/gtk_theme 2> /dev/null)"
+    break;
+  fi;
+done;
+
+exec @bindir@/squeekboard-real