diff --git a/admin/inertia/components/BuilderTagSelector.tsx b/admin/inertia/components/BuilderTagSelector.tsx
index 800ca29b..98e39aec 100644
--- a/admin/inertia/components/BuilderTagSelector.tsx
+++ b/admin/inertia/components/BuilderTagSelector.tsx
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ export default function BuilderTagSelector({
           value={adjective}
           onChange={(e) => handleAdjectiveChange(e.target.value)}
           disabled={disabled}
-          className="px-3 py-2 bg-desert-stone-lighter border border-desert-stone-light rounded-lg text-desert-green font-medium focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-desert-green disabled:opacity-50"
+          className="px-3 py-2 bg-desert-stone-lighter border border-desert-stone-light rounded-lg text-text-primary font-medium focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-desert-green disabled:opacity-50"
         >
           {ADJECTIVES.map((adj) => (
             <option key={adj} value={adj}>
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ export default function BuilderTagSelector({
           value={noun}
           onChange={(e) => handleNounChange(e.target.value)}
           disabled={disabled}
-          className="px-3 py-2 bg-desert-stone-lighter border border-desert-stone-light rounded-lg text-desert-green font-medium focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-desert-green disabled:opacity-50"
+          className="px-3 py-2 bg-desert-stone-lighter border border-desert-stone-light rounded-lg text-text-primary font-medium focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-desert-green disabled:opacity-50"
         >
           {NOUNS.map((n) => (
             <option key={n} value={n}>
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export default function BuilderTagSelector({
 
         <span className="text-desert-stone-dark font-bold">-</span>
 
-        <span className="px-3 py-2 bg-desert-stone-lighter border border-desert-stone-light rounded-lg text-desert-green font-mono font-bold">
+        <span className="px-3 py-2 bg-desert-stone-lighter border border-desert-stone-light rounded-lg text-text-primary font-mono font-bold">
           {number}
         </span>
 
diff --git a/admin/inertia/css/app.css b/admin/inertia/css/app.css
index 4fe2b920..90ebd143 100644
--- a/admin/inertia/css/app.css
+++ b/admin/inertia/css/app.css
@@ -66,8 +66,9 @@ body {
   --color-desert-green-darker: #f7eedc;
   --color-desert-green-dark: #e8dfc8;
 
-  /* Accent green: slightly brighter for dark bg visibility */
+  /* Accent green remains dark enough for white text on buttons */
   --color-desert-green: #525530;
+  --color-desert-green-foreground: #babaaa;
 
   /* Light variants → dark variants (hover bg, disabled states) */
   --color-desert-green-light: #3a3c24;
@@ -120,6 +121,11 @@ body {
   color-scheme: dark;
 }
 
+/* Keep foreground accents readable without lightening green button backgrounds. */
+[data-theme="dark"] .text-desert-green {
+  color: var(--color-desert-green-foreground);
+}
+
 /* MapLibre popup styling for dark mode */
 [data-theme="dark"] .maplibregl-popup-content {
   background: #2a2918;
diff --git a/admin/tests/unit/dark_mode_contrast.spec.ts b/admin/tests/unit/dark_mode_contrast.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c472f117
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/tests/unit/dark_mode_contrast.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+import * as assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import { readFile } from 'node:fs/promises'
+import { test } from 'node:test'
+
+const css = await readFile(new URL('../../inertia/css/app.css', import.meta.url), 'utf8')
+const builderTagSelector = await readFile(
+  new URL('../../inertia/components/BuilderTagSelector.tsx', import.meta.url),
+  'utf8'
+)
+
+const darkTheme = css.match(/\[data-theme="dark"\]\s*\{(?<tokens>[\s\S]*?)\n\}/)?.groups?.tokens
+
+if (!darkTheme) {
+  throw new Error('dark theme token block must exist')
+}
+
+function token(name: string) {
+  const value = darkTheme!.match(new RegExp(`${name}:\\s*(#[0-9a-f]{6})`, 'i'))?.[1]
+  assert.ok(value, `${name} must be defined in the dark theme`)
+  return value
+}
+
+function luminance(hex: string) {
+  const channels = hex
+    .slice(1)
+    .match(/.{2}/g)!
+    .map((channel) => Number.parseInt(channel, 16) / 255)
+    .map((channel) => (channel <= 0.04045 ? channel / 12.92 : ((channel + 0.055) / 1.055) ** 2.4))
+
+  return channels[0] * 0.2126 + channels[1] * 0.7152 + channels[2] * 0.0722
+}
+
+function contrast(foreground: string, background: string) {
+  const foregroundLuminance = luminance(foreground)
+  const backgroundLuminance = luminance(background)
+  const lighter = Math.max(foregroundLuminance, backgroundLuminance)
+  const darker = Math.min(foregroundLuminance, backgroundLuminance)
+  return (lighter + 0.05) / (darker + 0.05)
+}
+
+test('dark accent text clears WCAG AA without changing the accent background', () => {
+  const accent = token('--color-desert-green-foreground')
+  const surfaces = [
+    token('--color-desert-sand'),
+    token('--color-desert-white'),
+    token('--color-surface-secondary'),
+  ]
+
+  for (const surface of surfaces) {
+    assert.ok(
+      contrast(accent, surface) >= 4.5,
+      `${accent} on ${surface} must have at least 4.5:1 contrast`
+    )
+  }
+
+  assert.match(
+    css,
+    /\[data-theme="dark"\] \.text-desert-green\s*\{\s*color:\s*var\(--color-desert-green-foreground\)/,
+    'dark text-desert-green utilities must use the foreground-only accent token'
+  )
+  assert.ok(
+    contrast('#ffffff', token('--color-desert-green')) >= 4.5,
+    'the unchanged accent background must retain readable white text'
+  )
+})
+
+test('Builder Tag controls pair their inverted background with semantic text', () => {
+  const controls = builderTagSelector.match(
+    /className="[^"]*bg-desert-stone-lighter[^"]*text-text-primary[^"]*"/g
+  )
+
+  assert.equal(controls?.length, 3, 'the two selects and number should use semantic text')
+  assert.ok(
+    contrast(token('--color-text-primary'), token('--color-desert-stone-lighter')) >= 4.5,
+    'Builder Tag text and background must have at least 4.5:1 contrast'
+  )
+})