diff --git a/assets/css/base.css b/assets/css/base.css
index d238799..5482d1c 100644
--- a/assets/css/base.css
+++ b/assets/css/base.css
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
   --accent-green-bright: #33FFAA;
   --accent-green-dim:    rgba(0,255,136,0.10);
   --accent-green-border: rgba(0,255,136,0.22);
+  --shadow-color:        rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
 
   /* --- Error / Critical --- */
   --accent-red:     #FF2D55;
@@ -3640,6 +3641,8 @@ html[data-theme="light"] {
   --accent-red-dim:      rgba(181,0,31,0.10);
   --accent-amber-dim:    rgba(138,90,0,0.10);
   --accent-cyan-border:  rgba(0,98,184,0.28);
+  --accent-green-border: rgba(0,109,53,0.28);
+  --shadow-color:        rgba(50,80,130,0.18);
 
   /* — Glows become subtle drop shadows in light mode — */
   --glow-orange:         0 0 0 1px rgba(196,78,0,0.25),  0 1px 6px rgba(196,78,0,0.18);
diff --git a/assets/css/dashboard.css b/assets/css/dashboard.css
index 6c788d7..0e04c22 100644
--- a/assets/css/dashboard.css
+++ b/assets/css/dashboard.css
@@ -338,17 +338,22 @@ kbd {
 }
 
 /* ── Ticket preview popup ────────────────────────────────────── */
+/* --lt-surface is not defined anywhere, so the background always fell through to
+   the hardcoded #0a0e14 — a near-black panel in light mode, with no colour set at
+   all, so the inherited near-black body text was invisible on it. These tokens
+   are redefined for light mode in base.css. */
 .ticket-preview-popup {
   position: fixed;
   z-index: 9999;
-  background: var(--lt-surface, #0a0e14);
-  border: 1px solid rgba(0, 255, 65, 0.4);
+  background: var(--bg-card);
+  color: var(--text-primary);
+  border: 1px solid var(--accent-green-border);
   padding: 0.75rem;
   min-width: 280px;
   max-width: 360px;
   font-size: 0.75rem;
   pointer-events: auto;
-  box-shadow: 0 4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
+  box-shadow: 0 4px 20px var(--shadow-color);
 }
 .ticket-preview-popup .preview-header {
   display: flex;
@@ -356,7 +361,7 @@ kbd {
   align-items: center;
   margin-bottom: 0.4rem;
 }
-.ticket-preview-popup .preview-id   { color: var(--lt-cyan, #00ffff); font-weight: 700; }
+.ticket-preview-popup .preview-id   { color: var(--accent-cyan); font-weight: 700; }
 .ticket-preview-popup .preview-title { font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0.4rem; }
 .ticket-preview-popup .preview-meta { opacity: 0.7; display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 0.1rem; }
 .ticket-preview-popup .preview-footer { margin-top: 0.4rem; opacity: 0.5; font-size: 0.65rem; }