diff --git a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-16-color-scheme-design.md b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-16-color-scheme-design.md
index beebeb1..27bdf2e 100644
--- a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-16-color-scheme-design.md
+++ b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-03-16-color-scheme-design.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Color Scheme Switcher Design
 
 **Date:** 2026-03-16
-**Status:** Draft
+**Status:** Revised after review
 **Scope:** Interactive color theme selection for Mainline news ticker
 
 ---
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ The implementation uses a dedicated `Theme` class to encapsulate gradients and m
 **Non-functional:**
 - Reuse the existing font picker pattern for UI consistency
 - Zero runtime overhead during streaming (theme lookup happens once at startup)
-- Boot messages and title render in the selected theme
+- **Boot UI (title, subtitle, status lines) use hardcoded green color constants (G_HI, G_DIM, G_MID); only scrolling headlines and ntfy messages use theme gradients**
+- Font picker UI remains hardcoded green for visual continuity
 
 ---
 
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ The implementation uses a dedicated `Theme` class to encapsulate gradients and m
 
 ### New Module: `engine/themes.py`
 
+**Data-only module:** Contains Theme class, THEME_REGISTRY, and get_theme() function. **Imports only typing; does NOT import config or render** to prevent circular dependencies.
+
 ```python
 class Theme:
     """Encapsulates a color scheme: name, main gradient, message gradient."""
@@ -50,20 +53,42 @@ class Theme:
 ```
 
 **Theme Registry:**
-Three instances registered by ID: `"verdant"`, `"molten"`, `"violet"`.
+Three instances registered by ID: `"green"`, `"orange"`, `"purple"` (IDs match menu labels for clarity).
 
-Each gradient is a list of 12 ANSI 256-color codes matching the current format in `render.py`:
+Each gradient is a list of 12 ANSI 256-color codes matching the current green gradient:
 ```
 [
     "\033[1;38;5;231m",  # white (bold)
     "\033[1;38;5;195m",  # pale white-tint
-    ...,
+    "\033[38;5;123m",    # bright cyan
+    "\033[38;5;118m",    # bright lime
+    "\033[38;5;82m",     # lime
+    "\033[38;5;46m",     # bright color
+    "\033[38;5;40m",     # color
+    "\033[38;5;34m",     # medium color
+    "\033[38;5;28m",     # dark color
+    "\033[38;5;22m",     # deep color
+    "\033[2;38;5;22m",   # dim deep color
     "\033[2;38;5;235m",  # near black
 ]
 ```
 
+**Finalized color codes:**
+
+**Green (primary: 22, complementary: 89)** — unchanged from current
+- Main: `[231, 195, 123, 118, 82, 46, 40, 34, 28, 22, 22(dim), 235]`
+- Messages: `[231, 225, 219, 213, 207, 201, 165, 161, 125, 89, 89(dim), 235]`
+
+**Orange (primary: 208, complementary: 21)**
+- Main: `[231, 215, 209, 208, 202, 166, 130, 94, 58, 94, 94(dim), 235]`
+- Messages: `[231, 195, 33, 27, 21, 21, 21, 18, 18, 18, 18(dim), 235]`
+
+**Purple (primary: 129, complementary: 226)**
+- Main: `[231, 225, 177, 171, 165, 135, 129, 93, 57, 57, 57(dim), 235]`
+- Messages: `[231, 226, 226, 220, 220, 184, 184, 178, 178, 172, 172(dim), 235]`
+
 **Public API:**
-- `get_theme(theme_id: str) -> Theme` — lookup by ID, raises if not found
+- `get_theme(theme_id: str) -> Theme` — lookup by ID, raises KeyError if not found
 - `THEME_REGISTRY` — dict of all available themes (for picker)
 
 ---
@@ -72,49 +97,83 @@ Each gradient is a list of 12 ANSI 256-color codes matching the current format i
 
 **New globals:**
 ```python
-ACTIVE_THEME = None  # set by set_active_theme() after picker
+ACTIVE_THEME = None  # set by set_active_theme() after picker; guaranteed non-None during stream()
 ```
 
 **New function:**
 ```python
-def set_active_theme(theme_id: str):
-    """Set the active theme after user selection."""
+def set_active_theme(theme_id: str = "green"):
+    """Set the active theme. Defaults to 'green' if not specified."""
     global ACTIVE_THEME
     from engine import themes
     ACTIVE_THEME = themes.get_theme(theme_id)
 ```
 
+**Behavior:**
+- Called by `app.pick_color_theme()` with user selection
+- Has default fallback to "green" for non-interactive environments (CI, testing, piped stdin)
+- Guarantees `ACTIVE_THEME` is set before any render functions are called
+
 **Removal:**
-- Delete hardcoded `GRAD_COLS` and `MSG_GRAD_COLS` — these move to `themes.py`
+- Delete hardcoded `GRAD_COLS` and `MSG_GRAD_COLS` constants
 
 ---
 
 ### Modified: `engine/render.py`
 
-**Updated gradient access:**
+**Updated gradient access in existing functions:**
 
-Old pattern:
+Current pattern (will be removed):
 ```python
-def lr_gradient(rows, offset, cols=None):
-    cols = cols or GRAD_COLS  # module-level constant
+GRAD_COLS = [...]  # hardcoded green
+MSG_GRAD_COLS = [...] # hardcoded magenta
 ```
 
-New pattern:
+New pattern — update `lr_gradient()` function:
 ```python
 def lr_gradient(rows, offset, cols=None):
     if cols is None:
         from engine import config
-        cols = config.ACTIVE_THEME.main_gradient if config.ACTIVE_THEME else _DEFAULT_GRAD
+        cols = (config.ACTIVE_THEME.main_gradient
+                if config.ACTIVE_THEME
+                else _default_green_gradient())
     # ... rest of function unchanged
 ```
 
-**Fallback:** Define `_DEFAULT_GRAD` (current green) for cases where theme isn't selected yet.
-
-**Message gradient lookup:**
+**Define fallback:**
 ```python
-def msg_gradient_rows(rows, offset):
+def _default_green_gradient():
+    """Fallback green gradient (current colors)."""
+    return [
+        "\033[1;38;5;231m", "\033[1;38;5;195m", "\033[38;5;123m",
+        "\033[38;5;118m", "\033[38;5;82m", "\033[38;5;46m",
+        "\033[38;5;40m", "\033[38;5;34m", "\033[38;5;28m",
+        "\033[38;5;22m", "\033[2;38;5;22m", "\033[2;38;5;235m",
+    ]
+```
+
+**Message gradient handling:**
+
+The existing code (scroll.py line 89) calls `lr_gradient()` with `MSG_GRAD_COLS`. Change this call to:
+```python
+# Instead of: lr_gradient(rows, offset, MSG_GRAD_COLS)
+# Use:
+from engine import config
+cols = (config.ACTIVE_THEME.message_gradient
+        if config.ACTIVE_THEME
+        else _default_magenta_gradient())
+lr_gradient(rows, offset, cols)
+```
+
+or define a helper:
+```python
+def msg_gradient(rows, offset):
+    """Apply message (ntfy) gradient using theme complementary colors."""
     from engine import config
-    return lr_gradient(rows, offset, config.ACTIVE_THEME.message_gradient)
+    cols = (config.ACTIVE_THEME.message_gradient
+            if config.ACTIVE_THEME
+            else _default_magenta_gradient())
+    return lr_gradient(rows, offset, cols)
 ```
 
 ---
@@ -124,10 +183,25 @@ def msg_gradient_rows(rows, offset):
 **New function: `pick_color_theme()`**
 
 Mirrors `pick_font_face()` pattern:
-1. Display menu: `[1] Verdant Green  [2] Molten Orange  [3] Violet Purple`
-2. Read arrow keys (↑/↓) or j/k to navigate
-3. Return selected theme ID
-4. Call `config.set_active_theme(theme_id)`
+
+```python
+def pick_color_theme():
+    """Interactive color theme picker. Defaults to 'green' if not TTY."""
+    import sys
+    from engine import config, themes
+
+    # Non-interactive fallback: use default
+    if not sys.stdin.isatty():
+        config.set_active_theme("green")
+        return
+
+    # Interactive picker (similar to font picker)
+    themes_list = list(themes.THEME_REGISTRY.items())
+    selected = 0
+
+    # ... render menu, handle arrow keys j/k, ↑/↓ ...
+    # ... on Enter, call config.set_active_theme(themes_list[selected][0]) ...
+```
 
 **Placement in `main()`:**
 ```python
@@ -135,10 +209,10 @@ def main():
     # ... signal handler setup ...
     pick_color_theme()  # NEW — before title/subtitle
     pick_font_face()
-    # ... rest of boot sequence ...
+    # ... rest of boot sequence, title/subtitle use hardcoded G_HI/G_DIM ...
 ```
 
-This ensures boot messages (title, subtitle, status lines) render in the selected theme color.
+**Important:** The title and subtitle render with hardcoded `G_HI`/`G_DIM` constants, not theme gradients. This is intentional for visual consistency with the font picker menu.
 
 ---
 
@@ -150,15 +224,14 @@ User starts: mainline.py
 main() called
     ↓
 pick_color_theme()
-    → Display menu
-    → Read user input
-    → config.set_active_theme(theme_id)
+    → If TTY: display menu, read input, call config.set_active_theme(user_choice)
+    → If not TTY: silently call config.set_active_theme("green")
     ↓
-pick_font_face() — renders with active theme
+pick_font_face() — renders in hardcoded green UI colors
     ↓
-Boot messages (title, status, etc.) — all use active theme
+Boot messages (title, status) — all use hardcoded G_HI/G_DIM (not theme gradients)
     ↓
-stream() — news + messages use active theme gradients
+stream() — headlines + ntfy messages use config.ACTIVE_THEME gradients
     ↓
 On exit: no persistence
 ```
@@ -167,38 +240,52 @@ On exit: no persistence
 
 ## Implementation Notes
 
-### Color Selection
-ANSI 256-color palette is used throughout. Each gradient has 12 steps from white to deep primary/complementary color, matching the current green gradient structure exactly.
+### Initialization Guarantee
+`config.ACTIVE_THEME` is guaranteed to be non-None before `stream()` is called because:
+1. `pick_color_theme()` always sets it (either interactively or via fallback)
+2. It's called before any rendering happens
+3. Default fallback ensures non-TTY environments don't crash
 
-Orange gradient: `231 → 195 → 214 → 208 → 202 → 166 → 130 → 94 → 58 → 94 → 94 (dim) → 235`
-Purple gradient: `231 → 225 → 183 → 177 → 171 → 165 → 129 → 93 → 57 → 57 → 57 (dim) → 235`
-(Exact codes TBD via manual testing for visual balance)
+### Module Independence
+`themes.py` is a pure data module with no imports of `config` or `render`. This prevents circular dependencies and allows it to be imported by multiple consumers without side effects.
 
-### Future Extensions
-The Theme class can be extended with:
-- `animation_delay`: for strobing/pulsing themes
-- `metadata`: tags like `["cyberpunk", "retro", "ethereal"]`
-- `random_pick()`: returns a random theme (enables future `--color=random` flag)
+### Color Code Finalization
+All three gradient sequences (green, orange, purple main + complementary) are now finalized with specific ANSI codes. No TBD placeholders remain.
 
-The picker can offer a "Random" option without any code changes to render or config.
+### Theme ID Naming
+IDs are `"green"`, `"orange"`, `"purple"` — matching the menu labels exactly for clarity.
 
-### Testing
-- Unit test `themes.py` for Theme construction and registry lookup
-- Integration test that boot sequence respects active theme
-- No changes needed to existing gradient tests (they now pull from config.ACTIVE_THEME)
+### Testing Strategy
+1. **Unit tests** (`tests/test_themes.py`):
+   - Verify Theme class construction
+   - Test THEME_REGISTRY lookup (valid and invalid IDs)
+   - Confirm gradient lists have correct length (12)
+
+2. **Integration tests** (`tests/test_render.py`):
+   - Mock `config.ACTIVE_THEME` to each theme
+   - Verify `lr_gradient()` uses correct colors
+   - Verify fallback works when `ACTIVE_THEME` is None
+
+3. **Existing tests:**
+   - Render tests that check gradient output will need to mock `config.ACTIVE_THEME`
+   - Use pytest fixtures to set theme per test case
 
 ---
 
 ## Files Changed
 - `engine/themes.py` (new)
 - `engine/config.py` (add `ACTIVE_THEME`, `set_active_theme()`)
-- `engine/render.py` (update gradient access to use config.ACTIVE_THEME)
+- `engine/render.py` (replace GRAD_COLS/MSG_GRAD_COLS references with config lookups)
 - `engine/app.py` (add `pick_color_theme()`, call in main)
 - `tests/test_themes.py` (new unit tests)
+- `tests/test_render.py` (update mocking strategy)
 
 ## Acceptance Criteria
 1. ✓ Color picker displays 3 theme options at startup
 2. ✓ Selection applies to all headline and message gradients
-3. ✓ Boot messages render in selected theme
-4. ✓ No persistence between runs
-5. ✓ Architecture supports future random/animation modes
+3. ✓ Boot UI (title, status) uses hardcoded green (not theme)
+4. ✓ Scrolling headlines and ntfy messages use theme gradients
+5. ✓ No persistence between runs
+6. ✓ Non-TTY environments default to green without error
+7. ✓ Architecture supports future random/animation modes
+8. ✓ All gradient color codes finalized with no TBD values