diff --git a/include/client.hpp b/include/client.hpp
index aaba3b6b..9ec29ef3 100644
--- a/include/client.hpp
+++ b/include/client.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include "bar.hpp"
 #include "config.hpp"
+#include "util/portal.hpp"
 
 struct zwlr_layer_shell_v1;
 struct zwp_idle_inhibitor_v1;
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ class Client {
 
  private:
   Client() = default;
-  const std::string getStyle(const std::string &style);
+  const std::string getStyle(const std::string &style, std::optional<Appearance> appearance);
   void bindInterfaces();
   void handleOutput(struct waybar_output &output);
   auto setupCss(const std::string &css_file) -> void;
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ class Client {
 
   Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::StyleContext> style_context_;
   Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::CssProvider> css_provider_;
+  std::unique_ptr<Portal> portal;
   std::list<struct waybar_output> outputs_;
 };
 
diff --git a/include/util/portal.hpp b/include/util/portal.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..23619169
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/util/portal.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <giomm/dbusproxy.h>
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include "fmt/format.h"
+
+namespace waybar {
+
+using namespace Gio;
+
+enum class Appearance {
+  UNKNOWN = 0,
+  DARK = 1,
+  LIGHT = 2,
+};
+class Portal : private DBus::Proxy {
+ public:
+  Portal();
+  void refreshAppearance();
+  Appearance getAppearance();
+
+  typedef sigc::signal<void, Appearance> type_signal_appearance_changed;
+  type_signal_appearance_changed signal_appearance_changed() { return m_signal_appearance_changed; }
+
+ private:
+  type_signal_appearance_changed m_signal_appearance_changed;
+  Appearance currentMode;
+  void on_signal(const Glib::ustring& sender_name, const Glib::ustring& signal_name,
+                 const Glib::VariantContainerBase& parameters);
+};
+
+}  // namespace waybar
+
+template <>
+struct fmt::formatter<waybar::Appearance> : formatter<fmt::string_view> {
+  // parse is inherited from formatter<string_view>.
+  auto format(waybar::Appearance c, format_context& ctx) const;
+};
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index b27bc05b..9ccd83d8 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ src_files = files(
     'src/client.cpp',
     'src/config.cpp',
     'src/group.cpp',
+    'src/util/portal.cpp',
     'src/util/enum.cpp',
     'src/util/prepare_for_sleep.cpp',
     'src/util/ustring_clen.cpp',
diff --git a/src/client.cpp b/src/client.cpp
index a815e2fe..cd0fa55b 100644
--- a/src/client.cpp
+++ b/src/client.cpp
@@ -151,8 +151,26 @@ void waybar::Client::handleDeferredMonitorRemoval(Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::Monitor> mon
   outputs_.remove_if([&monitor](const auto &output) { return output.monitor == monitor; });
 }
 
-const std::string waybar::Client::getStyle(const std::string &style) {
-  auto css_file = style.empty() ? Config::findConfigPath({"style.css"}) : style;
+const std::string waybar::Client::getStyle(const std::string &style,
+                                           std::optional<Appearance> appearance = std::nullopt) {
+  std::optional<std::string> css_file;
+  if (style.empty()) {
+    std::vector<std::string> search_files;
+    switch (appearance.value_or(portal->getAppearance())) {
+      case waybar::Appearance::LIGHT:
+        search_files.push_back("style-light.css");
+        break;
+      case waybar::Appearance::DARK:
+        search_files.push_back("style-dark.css");
+        break;
+      case waybar::Appearance::UNKNOWN:
+        break;
+    }
+    search_files.push_back("style.css");
+    css_file = Config::findConfigPath(search_files);
+  } else {
+    css_file = style;
+  }
   if (!css_file) {
     throw std::runtime_error("Missing required resource files");
   }
@@ -235,8 +253,15 @@ int waybar::Client::main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   }
   wl_display = gdk_wayland_display_get_wl_display(gdk_display->gobj());
   config.load(config_opt);
+  if (!portal) {
+    portal = std::make_unique<waybar::Portal>();
+  }
   auto css_file = getStyle(style_opt);
   setupCss(css_file);
+  portal->signal_appearance_changed().connect([&](waybar::Appearance appearance) {
+    auto css_file = getStyle(style_opt, appearance);
+    setupCss(css_file);
+  });
   bindInterfaces();
   gtk_app->hold();
   gtk_app->run();
@@ -244,4 +269,8 @@ int waybar::Client::main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
   return 0;
 }
 
-void waybar::Client::reset() { gtk_app->quit(); }
+void waybar::Client::reset() {
+  gtk_app->quit();
+  // delete signal handler for css changes
+  portal->signal_appearance_changed().clear();
+}
diff --git a/src/util/portal.cpp b/src/util/portal.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..50c646c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/portal.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+#include "util/portal.hpp"
+
+#include <giomm/dbusproxy.h>
+#include <glibmm/variant.h>
+#include <spdlog/spdlog.h>
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+
+#include "fmt/format.h"
+
+namespace waybar {
+static constexpr const char* PORTAL_BUS_NAME = "org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop";
+static constexpr const char* PORTAL_OBJ_PATH = "/org/freedesktop/portal/desktop";
+static constexpr const char* PORTAL_INTERFACE = "org.freedesktop.portal.Settings";
+static constexpr const char* PORTAL_NAMESPACE = "org.freedesktop.appearance";
+static constexpr const char* PORTAL_KEY = "color-scheme";
+}  // namespace waybar
+
+using namespace Gio;
+
+auto fmt::formatter<waybar::Appearance>::format(waybar::Appearance c, format_context& ctx) const {
+  string_view name;
+  switch (c) {
+    case waybar::Appearance::LIGHT:
+      name = "light";
+      break;
+    case waybar::Appearance::DARK:
+      name = "dark";
+      break;
+    default:
+      name = "unknown";
+      break;
+  }
+  return formatter<string_view>::format(name, ctx);
+}
+
+waybar::Portal::Portal()
+    : DBus::Proxy(DBus::Connection::get_sync(DBus::BusType::BUS_TYPE_SESSION), PORTAL_BUS_NAME,
+                  PORTAL_OBJ_PATH, PORTAL_INTERFACE),
+      currentMode(Appearance::UNKNOWN) {
+  refreshAppearance();
+};
+
+void waybar::Portal::refreshAppearance() {
+  auto params = Glib::Variant<std::tuple<Glib::ustring, Glib::ustring>>::create(
+      {PORTAL_NAMESPACE, PORTAL_KEY});
+  Glib::VariantBase response;
+  try {
+    response = call_sync(std::string(PORTAL_INTERFACE) + ".Read", params);
+  } catch (const Glib::Error& e) {
+    spdlog::info("Unable to receive desktop appearance: {}", std::string(e.what()));
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // unfortunately, the response is triple-nested, with type (v<v<uint32_t>>),
+  // so we have cast thrice. This is a variation from the freedesktop standard
+  // (it should only be doubly nested) but all implementations appear to do so.
+  //
+  // xdg-desktop-portal 1.17 will fix this issue with a new `ReadOne` method,
+  // but this version is not yet released.
+  // TODO(xdg-desktop-portal v1.17): switch to ReadOne
+  auto container = Glib::VariantBase::cast_dynamic<Glib::VariantContainerBase>(response);
+  Glib::VariantBase modev;
+  container.get_child(modev, 0);
+  auto mode =
+      Glib::VariantBase::cast_dynamic<Glib::Variant<Glib::Variant<Glib::Variant<uint32_t>>>>(modev)
+          .get()
+          .get()
+          .get();
+  auto newMode = Appearance(mode);
+  if (newMode == currentMode) {
+    return;
+  }
+  spdlog::info("Discovered appearance '{}'", newMode);
+  currentMode = newMode;
+  m_signal_appearance_changed.emit(currentMode);
+}
+
+waybar::Appearance waybar::Portal::getAppearance() { return currentMode; };
+
+void waybar::Portal::on_signal(const Glib::ustring& sender_name, const Glib::ustring& signal_name,
+                               const Glib::VariantContainerBase& parameters) {
+  spdlog::debug("Received signal {}", (std::string)signal_name);
+  if (signal_name != "SettingChanged" || parameters.get_n_children() != 3) {
+    return;
+  }
+  Glib::VariantBase nspcv, keyv, valuev;
+  parameters.get_child(nspcv, 0);
+  parameters.get_child(keyv, 1);
+  parameters.get_child(valuev, 2);
+  auto nspc = Glib::VariantBase::cast_dynamic<Glib::Variant<std::string>>(nspcv).get();
+  auto key = Glib::VariantBase::cast_dynamic<Glib::Variant<std::string>>(keyv).get();
+  if (nspc != PORTAL_NAMESPACE || key != PORTAL_KEY) {
+    return;
+  }
+  auto value =
+      Glib::VariantBase::cast_dynamic<Glib::Variant<Glib::Variant<uint32_t>>>(valuev).get().get();
+  auto newMode = Appearance(value);
+  if (newMode == currentMode) {
+    return;
+  }
+  spdlog::info("Received new appearance '{}'", newMode);
+  currentMode = newMode;
+  m_signal_appearance_changed.emit(currentMode);
+}