diff --git a/glfw/cocoa_window.m b/glfw/cocoa_window.m
index f0df3985f..e73bf0a17 100644
--- a/glfw/cocoa_window.m
+++ b/glfw/cocoa_window.m
@@ -952,7 +952,7 @@ static const NSRange kEmptyRange = { NSNotFound, 0 };
 - (void)viewDidChangeEffectiveAppearance
 {
     static GLFWColorScheme appearance = GLFW_COLOR_SCHEME_NO_PREFERENCE;
-    GLFWColorScheme new_appearance = glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme();
+    GLFWColorScheme new_appearance = glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(true);
     if (new_appearance != appearance) {
         appearance = new_appearance;
         _glfwInputColorScheme(appearance, false);
@@ -3091,7 +3091,8 @@ GLFWAPI void glfwCocoaSetWindowChrome(GLFWwindow *w, unsigned int color, bool us
     [window->ns.object makeFirstResponder:window->ns.view];
 }}
 
-GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(void) {
+GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(bool query_if_unintialized) {
+    (void)query_if_unintialized;
     int theme_type = 0;
     NSAppearance *changedAppearance = NSApp.effectiveAppearance;
     NSAppearanceName newAppearance = [changedAppearance bestMatchFromAppearancesWithNames:@[NSAppearanceNameAqua, NSAppearanceNameDarkAqua]];
diff --git a/glfw/dbus_glfw.c b/glfw/dbus_glfw.c
index 7313bcc85..328fad359 100644
--- a/glfw/dbus_glfw.c
+++ b/glfw/dbus_glfw.c
@@ -234,12 +234,21 @@ method_reply_received(DBusPendingCall *pending, void *user_data) {
 }
 
 bool
-call_method_with_msg(DBusConnection *conn, DBusMessage *msg, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void *user_data) {
+call_method_with_msg(DBusConnection *conn, DBusMessage *msg, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void *user_data, bool block) {
     bool retval = false;
 #define REPORT(errs) _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "Failed to call DBUS method: node=%s path=%s interface=%s method=%s, with error: %s", dbus_message_get_destination(msg), dbus_message_get_path(msg), dbus_message_get_interface(msg), dbus_message_get_member(msg), errs)
     if (callback) {
         DBusPendingCall *pending = NULL;
-        if (dbus_connection_send_with_reply(conn, msg, &pending, timeout)) {
+        if (block) {
+            DBusError error; dbus_error_init(&error);
+            RAII_MSG(reply, dbus_connection_send_with_reply_and_block(session_bus, msg, timeout, &error));
+            if (dbus_error_is_set(&error)) {
+                callback(reply, error.message, user_data);
+                return false;
+            } else if (reply) {
+                callback(reply, NULL, user_data);
+            } else return false;
+        } else if (dbus_connection_send_with_reply(conn, msg, &pending, timeout)) {
             MethodResponse *res = malloc(sizeof(MethodResponse));
             if (!res) return false;
             res->callback = callback;
@@ -261,7 +270,7 @@ call_method_with_msg(DBusConnection *conn, DBusMessage *msg, int timeout, dbus_p
 }
 
 static bool
-call_method(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const char *path, const char *interface, const char *method, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void *user_data, va_list ap) {
+call_method(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const char *path, const char *interface, const char *method, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void *user_data, bool blocking, va_list ap) {
     if (!conn || !path) return false;
     RAII_MSG(msg, dbus_message_new_method_call(node, path, interface, method));
     if (!msg) return false;
@@ -269,7 +278,7 @@ call_method(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const char *path, const char
 
     int firstarg = va_arg(ap, int);
     if ((firstarg == DBUS_TYPE_INVALID) || dbus_message_append_args_valist(msg, firstarg, ap)) {
-        retval = call_method_with_msg(conn, msg, timeout, callback, user_data);
+        retval = call_method_with_msg(conn, msg, timeout, callback, user_data, blocking);
     } else {
         _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "Failed to call DBUS method: %s on node: %s and interface: %s could not add arguments", method, node, interface);
     }
@@ -282,7 +291,17 @@ glfw_dbus_call_method_with_reply(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const c
     bool retval;
     va_list ap;
     va_start(ap, user_data);
-    retval = call_method(conn, node, path, interface, method, timeout, callback, user_data, ap);
+    retval = call_method(conn, node, path, interface, method, timeout, callback, user_data, false, ap);
+    va_end(ap);
+    return retval;
+}
+
+bool
+glfw_dbus_call_blocking_method(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const char *path, const char *interface, const char *method, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void* user_data, ...) {
+    bool retval;
+    va_list ap;
+    va_start(ap, user_data);
+    retval = call_method(conn, node, path, interface, method, timeout, callback, user_data, true, ap);
     va_end(ap);
     return retval;
 }
@@ -292,7 +311,7 @@ glfw_dbus_call_method_no_reply(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const cha
     bool retval;
     va_list ap;
     va_start(ap, method);
-    retval = call_method(conn, node, path, interface, method, DBUS_TIMEOUT_USE_DEFAULT, NULL, NULL, ap);
+    retval = call_method(conn, node, path, interface, method, DBUS_TIMEOUT_USE_DEFAULT, NULL, NULL, false, ap);
     va_end(ap);
     return retval;
 }
diff --git a/glfw/dbus_glfw.h b/glfw/dbus_glfw.h
index a491778a6..58eff276e 100644
--- a/glfw/dbus_glfw.h
+++ b/glfw/dbus_glfw.h
@@ -45,11 +45,13 @@ void glfw_dbus_terminate(_GLFWDBUSData *dbus);
 DBusConnection* glfw_dbus_connect_to(const char *path, const char* err_msg, const char* name, bool register_on_bus);
 void glfw_dbus_close_connection(DBusConnection *conn);
 bool
-call_method_with_msg(DBusConnection *conn, DBusMessage *msg, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void *user_data);
+call_method_with_msg(DBusConnection *conn, DBusMessage *msg, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void *user_data, bool block);
 bool
 glfw_dbus_call_method_no_reply(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const char *path, const char *interface, const char *method, ...);
 bool
 glfw_dbus_call_method_with_reply(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const char *path, const char *interface, const char *method, int timeout_ms, dbus_pending_callback callback, void *user_data, ...);
+bool
+glfw_dbus_call_blocking_method(DBusConnection *conn, const char *node, const char *path, const char *interface, const char *method, int timeout, dbus_pending_callback callback, void* user_data, ...);
 void glfw_dbus_dispatch(DBusConnection *);
 void glfw_dbus_session_bus_dispatch(void);
 bool glfw_dbus_get_args(DBusMessage *msg, const char *failmsg, ...);
diff --git a/glfw/glfw3.h b/glfw/glfw3.h
index f4c30218c..446032b6e 100644
--- a/glfw/glfw3.h
+++ b/glfw/glfw3.h
@@ -3982,7 +3982,7 @@ GLFWAPI GLFWwindowsizefun glfwSetWindowSizeCallback(GLFWwindow* window, GLFWwind
 GLFWAPI GLFWwindowclosefun glfwSetWindowCloseCallback(GLFWwindow* window, GLFWwindowclosefun callback);
 GLFWAPI GLFWapplicationclosefun glfwSetApplicationCloseCallback(GLFWapplicationclosefun callback);
 GLFWAPI GLFWsystemcolorthemechangefun glfwSetSystemColorThemeChangeCallback(GLFWsystemcolorthemechangefun callback);
-GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(void);
+GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(bool query_if_unintialized);
 
 /*! @brief Sets the refresh callback for the specified window.
  *
diff --git a/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.c b/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.c
index bfa6bbe8c..de52f40df 100644
--- a/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.c
+++ b/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.c
@@ -22,12 +22,7 @@ static const char* supported_namespaces[2] = {FDO_DESKTOP_NAMESPACE, GNOME_DESKT
 static char theme_name[128] = {0};
 static int theme_size = -1;
 static GLFWColorScheme appearance = GLFW_COLOR_SCHEME_NO_PREFERENCE;
-static bool cursor_theme_changed = false;
-
-GLFWColorScheme
-glfw_current_system_color_theme(void) {
-    return appearance;
-}
+static bool cursor_theme_changed = false, appearance_initialized = false;
 
 #define HANDLER(name) static void name(DBusMessage *msg, const char* errmsg, void *data) { \
     (void)data; \
@@ -36,6 +31,34 @@ glfw_current_system_color_theme(void) {
         return; \
     }
 
+
+HANDLER(get_color_scheme)
+    uint32_t val;
+    DBusMessageIter iter, variant_iter;
+    if (!dbus_message_iter_init(msg, &iter)) return;
+    dbus_message_iter_recurse(&iter, &variant_iter);
+    int type = dbus_message_iter_get_arg_type(&variant_iter);
+    if (type != DBUS_TYPE_UINT32) {
+        _glfwInputError(GLFW_PLATFORM_ERROR, "ReadOne for color-scheme did not return a uint32"); return;
+    }
+    dbus_message_iter_get_basic(&variant_iter, &val);
+    if (val < 3) appearance = val;
+}
+
+GLFWColorScheme
+glfw_current_system_color_theme(bool query_if_unintialized) {
+    if (!appearance_initialized && query_if_unintialized) {
+        appearance_initialized = true;
+        DBusConnection *session_bus = glfw_dbus_session_bus();
+        if (session_bus) {
+            const char *namespace = FDO_DESKTOP_NAMESPACE, *key = FDO_APPEARANCE_KEY;
+            glfw_dbus_call_blocking_method(session_bus, DESKTOP_SERVICE, DESKTOP_PATH, DESKTOP_INTERFACE, "ReadOne", DBUS_TIMEOUT_USE_DEFAULT,
+                get_color_scheme, NULL, DBUS_TYPE_STRING, &namespace, DBUS_TYPE_STRING, &key, DBUS_TYPE_INVALID);
+        }
+    }
+    return appearance;
+}
+
 static void
 process_fdo_setting(const char *key, DBusMessageIter *value) {
     if (strcmp(key, FDO_APPEARANCE_KEY) == 0) {
@@ -43,8 +66,13 @@ process_fdo_setting(const char *key, DBusMessageIter *value) {
             uint32_t val;
             dbus_message_iter_get_basic(value, &val);
             if (val > 2) val = 0;
-            appearance = val;
-            _glfwInputColorScheme(appearance, true);
+            if (!appearance_initialized) {
+                appearance_initialized = true;
+                if (val != appearance) {
+                    appearance = val;
+                    _glfwInputColorScheme(appearance, true);
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -131,7 +159,7 @@ read_desktop_settings(DBusConnection *session_bus) {
         if (!dbus_message_iter_append_basic(&array_iter, DBUS_TYPE_STRING, &supported_namespaces[i])) return false;
     }
     if (!dbus_message_iter_close_container(&iter, &array_iter)) { return false; }
-    return call_method_with_msg(session_bus, msg, DBUS_TIMEOUT_USE_DEFAULT, process_desktop_settings, NULL);
+    return call_method_with_msg(session_bus, msg, DBUS_TIMEOUT_USE_DEFAULT, process_desktop_settings, NULL, false);
 }
 
 void
@@ -166,6 +194,7 @@ on_color_scheme_change(DBusMessage *message) {
                 if (val > 2) val = 0;
                 if (val != appearance) {
                     appearance = val;
+                    appearance_initialized = true;
                     _glfwInputColorScheme(appearance, false);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.h b/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.h
index de260ec29..de8cb8a8f 100644
--- a/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.h
+++ b/glfw/linux_desktop_settings.h
@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@
 
 void glfw_initialize_desktop_settings(void);
 void glfw_current_cursor_theme(const char **theme, int *size);
-GLFWColorScheme glfw_current_system_color_theme(void);
+GLFWColorScheme glfw_current_system_color_theme(bool);
diff --git a/glfw/linux_notify.c b/glfw/linux_notify.c
index 617058473..f0ef298f6 100644
--- a/glfw/linux_notify.c
+++ b/glfw/linux_notify.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ glfw_dbus_send_user_notification(const GLFWDBUSNotificationData *n, GLFWDBusnoti
     APPEND(args, DBUS_TYPE_INT32, n->timeout)
 #undef check_call
 #undef APPEND
-    if (!call_method_with_msg(session_bus, msg, 5000, notification_created, data)) return 0;
+    if (!call_method_with_msg(session_bus, msg, 5000, notification_created, data, false)) return 0;
     notification_id_type ans = data->next_id;
     data = NULL;
     return ans;
diff --git a/glfw/wl_client_side_decorations.c b/glfw/wl_client_side_decorations.c
index bef02b2b6..6690c5b4d 100644
--- a/glfw/wl_client_side_decorations.c
+++ b/glfw/wl_client_side_decorations.c
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ render_title_bar(_GLFWwindow *window, bool to_front_buffer) {
     const uint32_t dark_fg = is_focused ? 0xffffffff : 0xffcccccc, dark_bg = is_focused ? 0xff303030 : 0xff242424;
     static const uint32_t hover_dark_bg = 0xff444444, hover_light_bg = 0xffbbbbbb;
     uint32_t bg_color = light_bg, fg_color = light_fg, hover_bg = hover_light_bg;
-    GLFWColorScheme appearance = glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme();
+    GLFWColorScheme appearance = glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(false);
     bool is_dark = false;
     if (decs.use_custom_titlebar_color || appearance == GLFW_COLOR_SCHEME_NO_PREFERENCE) {
         bg_color = 0xff000000 | (decs.titlebar_color & 0xffffff);
diff --git a/glfw/wl_init.c b/glfw/wl_init.c
index 56df744c7..4a0202aa4 100644
--- a/glfw/wl_init.c
+++ b/glfw/wl_init.c
@@ -636,8 +636,8 @@ static const struct wl_registry_listener registryListener = {
 };
 
 
-GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(void) {
-    return glfw_current_system_color_theme();
+GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(bool query_if_unintialized) {
+    return glfw_current_system_color_theme(query_if_unintialized);
 }
 
 static pid_t
diff --git a/glfw/x11_init.c b/glfw/x11_init.c
index cbf47c598..219ef61ab 100644
--- a/glfw/x11_init.c
+++ b/glfw/x11_init.c
@@ -615,8 +615,8 @@ Cursor _glfwCreateCursorX11(const GLFWimage* image, int xhot, int yhot)
 //////                       GLFW platform API                      //////
 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(void) {
-    return GLFW_COLOR_SCHEME_NO_PREFERENCE;
+GLFWAPI GLFWColorScheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(bool query_if_unintialized) {
+    return glfw_current_system_color_theme(query_if_unintialized);
 }
 
 void _glfwPlatformInputColorScheme(GLFWColorScheme appearance UNUSED) { }
diff --git a/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi b/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
index fb8b261f7..acb4cb126 100644
--- a/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
+++ b/kitty/fast_data_types.pyi
@@ -1711,6 +1711,7 @@ def opengl_version_string() -> str: ...
 def systemd_move_pid_into_new_scope(pid: int, scope_name: str, description: str) -> str: ...
 def play_desktop_sound_async(name: str, event_id: str = 'test sound', is_path: bool = False, theme_name: str = '') -> str: ...
 def cocoa_play_system_sound_by_id_async(sound_id: int) -> None: ...
+def glfw_get_system_color_theme(query_if_unintialized: bool = True) -> Literal['light', 'dark', 'no_preference']: ...
 
 class MousePosition(TypedDict):
     cell_x: int
diff --git a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
index 94bc7ef28..dfc38b6a8 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
+++ b/kitty/glfw-wrapper.h
@@ -2010,7 +2010,7 @@ typedef GLFWsystemcolorthemechangefun (*glfwSetSystemColorThemeChangeCallback_fu
 GFW_EXTERN glfwSetSystemColorThemeChangeCallback_func glfwSetSystemColorThemeChangeCallback_impl;
 #define glfwSetSystemColorThemeChangeCallback glfwSetSystemColorThemeChangeCallback_impl
 
-typedef GLFWColorScheme (*glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme_func)(void);
+typedef GLFWColorScheme (*glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme_func)(bool);
 GFW_EXTERN glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme_func glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme_impl;
 #define glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme_impl
 
diff --git a/kitty/glfw.c b/kitty/glfw.c
index 21ead3f1a..01911e630 100644
--- a/kitty/glfw.c
+++ b/kitty/glfw.c
@@ -46,14 +46,20 @@ get_platform_dependent_config_values(void *glfw_window) {
     }
 }
 
-static void
-on_system_color_scheme_change(GLFWColorScheme appearance, bool is_initial_value) {
+static const char*
+appearance_name(GLFWColorScheme appearance) {
     const char *which = NULL;
     switch (appearance) {
         case GLFW_COLOR_SCHEME_NO_PREFERENCE: which = "no_preference"; break;
         case GLFW_COLOR_SCHEME_DARK: which = "dark"; break;
         case GLFW_COLOR_SCHEME_LIGHT: which = "light"; break;
     }
+    return which;
+}
+
+static void
+on_system_color_scheme_change(GLFWColorScheme appearance, bool is_initial_value) {
+    const char *which = appearance_name(appearance);
     debug("system color-scheme changed to: %s is_initial_value: %d\n", which, is_initial_value);
     call_boss(on_system_color_scheme_change, "sO", which, is_initial_value ? Py_True : Py_False);
 }
@@ -1519,6 +1525,17 @@ glfw_get_physical_dpi(PYNOARG) {
     return get_physical_dpi(m);
 }
 
+static PyObject*
+glfw_get_system_color_theme(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
+    int query_if_unintialized = 1;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|p", &query_if_unintialized)) return NULL;
+    if (!glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme) {
+        PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, "must initialize GFLW before calling this function"); return NULL;
+    }
+    const char *which = appearance_name(glfwGetCurrentSystemColorTheme(query_if_unintialized));
+    return PyUnicode_FromString(which);
+}
+
 static PyObject*
 glfw_get_key_name(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
     int key, native_key;
@@ -2306,6 +2323,7 @@ static PyMethodDef module_methods[] = {
     {"glfw_terminate", (PyCFunction)glfw_terminate, METH_NOARGS, ""},
     {"glfw_get_physical_dpi", (PyCFunction)glfw_get_physical_dpi, METH_NOARGS, ""},
     {"glfw_get_key_name", (PyCFunction)glfw_get_key_name, METH_VARARGS, ""},
+    {"glfw_get_system_color_theme", (PyCFunction)glfw_get_system_color_theme, METH_VARARGS, ""},
     {"glfw_primary_monitor_size", (PyCFunction)primary_monitor_size, METH_NOARGS, ""},
     {"glfw_primary_monitor_content_scale", (PyCFunction)primary_monitor_content_scale, METH_NOARGS, ""},
     {NULL, NULL, 0, NULL}        /* Sentinel */