diff --git a/src/browser/chrome.ts b/src/browser/chrome.ts
index 727988dd7..fff4d91e4 100644
--- a/src/browser/chrome.ts
+++ b/src/browser/chrome.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,93 @@ function setDeep(obj: Record<string, unknown>, keys: string[], value: unknown) {
   node[keys[keys.length - 1] ?? ""] = value;
 }
 
+function parseHexRgbToSignedArgbInt(hex: string): number | null {
+  const cleaned = hex.trim().replace(/^#/, "");
+  if (!/^[0-9a-fA-F]{6}$/.test(cleaned)) return null;
+  const rgb = Number.parseInt(cleaned, 16);
+  const argbUnsigned = (0xff << 24) | rgb;
+  // Chrome stores colors as signed 32-bit ints (SkColor).
+  return argbUnsigned > 0x7fffffff
+    ? argbUnsigned - 0x1_0000_0000
+    : argbUnsigned;
+}
+
+function isProfileDecorated(
+  userDataDir: string,
+  desiredName: string,
+  desiredColorHex: string,
+): boolean {
+  const desiredColorInt = parseHexRgbToSignedArgbInt(desiredColorHex);
+
+  const localStatePath = path.join(userDataDir, "Local State");
+  const preferencesPath = path.join(userDataDir, "Default", "Preferences");
+
+  const localState = safeReadJson(localStatePath);
+  const profile = localState?.profile;
+  const infoCache =
+    typeof profile === "object" && profile !== null && !Array.isArray(profile)
+      ? (profile as Record<string, unknown>).info_cache
+      : null;
+  const info =
+    typeof infoCache === "object" &&
+    infoCache !== null &&
+    !Array.isArray(infoCache) &&
+    typeof (infoCache as Record<string, unknown>).Default === "object" &&
+    (infoCache as Record<string, unknown>).Default !== null &&
+    !Array.isArray((infoCache as Record<string, unknown>).Default)
+      ? ((infoCache as Record<string, unknown>).Default as Record<
+          string,
+          unknown
+        >)
+      : null;
+
+  const prefs = safeReadJson(preferencesPath);
+  const browserTheme = (() => {
+    const browser = prefs?.browser;
+    const theme =
+      typeof browser === "object" && browser !== null && !Array.isArray(browser)
+        ? (browser as Record<string, unknown>).theme
+        : null;
+    return typeof theme === "object" && theme !== null && !Array.isArray(theme)
+      ? (theme as Record<string, unknown>)
+      : null;
+  })();
+
+  const autogeneratedTheme = (() => {
+    const autogenerated = prefs?.autogenerated;
+    const theme =
+      typeof autogenerated === "object" &&
+      autogenerated !== null &&
+      !Array.isArray(autogenerated)
+        ? (autogenerated as Record<string, unknown>).theme
+        : null;
+    return typeof theme === "object" && theme !== null && !Array.isArray(theme)
+      ? (theme as Record<string, unknown>)
+      : null;
+  })();
+
+  const nameOk =
+    typeof info?.name === "string" ? info.name === desiredName : true;
+
+  if (desiredColorInt == null) {
+    // If the user provided a non-#RRGGBB value, we can only do best-effort.
+    return nameOk;
+  }
+
+  const localSeedOk =
+    typeof info?.profile_color_seed === "number"
+      ? info.profile_color_seed === desiredColorInt
+      : false;
+
+  const prefOk =
+    (typeof browserTheme?.user_color2 === "number" &&
+      browserTheme.user_color2 === desiredColorInt) ||
+    (typeof autogeneratedTheme?.color === "number" &&
+      autogeneratedTheme.color === desiredColorInt);
+
+  return nameOk && localSeedOk && prefOk;
+}
+
 /**
  * Best-effort profile decoration (name + lobster-orange). Chrome preference keys
  * vary by version; we keep this conservative and idempotent.
@@ -133,6 +220,7 @@ export function decorateClawdProfile(
   const desiredColor = (
     opts?.color ?? DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_COLOR
   ).toUpperCase();
+  const desiredColorInt = parseHexRgbToSignedArgbInt(desiredColor);
 
   const localStatePath = path.join(userDataDir, "Local State");
   const preferencesPath = path.join(userDataDir, "Default", "Preferences");
@@ -165,12 +253,41 @@ export function decorateClawdProfile(
     ["profile", "info_cache", "Default", "user_color"],
     desiredColor,
   );
+  if (desiredColorInt != null) {
+    // These are the fields Chrome actually uses for profile/avatar tinting.
+    setDeep(
+      localState,
+      ["profile", "info_cache", "Default", "profile_color_seed"],
+      desiredColorInt,
+    );
+    setDeep(
+      localState,
+      ["profile", "info_cache", "Default", "profile_highlight_color"],
+      desiredColorInt,
+    );
+    setDeep(
+      localState,
+      ["profile", "info_cache", "Default", "default_avatar_fill_color"],
+      desiredColorInt,
+    );
+    setDeep(
+      localState,
+      ["profile", "info_cache", "Default", "default_avatar_stroke_color"],
+      desiredColorInt,
+    );
+  }
   safeWriteJson(localStatePath, localState);
 
   const prefs = safeReadJson(preferencesPath) ?? {};
   setDeep(prefs, ["profile", "name"], desiredName);
   setDeep(prefs, ["profile", "profile_color"], desiredColor);
   setDeep(prefs, ["profile", "user_color"], desiredColor);
+  if (desiredColorInt != null) {
+    // Chrome refresh stores the autogenerated theme in these prefs (SkColor ints).
+    setDeep(prefs, ["autogenerated", "theme", "color"], desiredColorInt);
+    // User-selected browser theme color (pref name: browser.theme.user_color2).
+    setDeep(prefs, ["browser", "theme", "user_color2"], desiredColorInt);
+  }
   safeWriteJson(preferencesPath, prefs);
 
   try {
@@ -218,8 +335,11 @@ export async function launchClawdChrome(
   const userDataDir = resolveClawdUserDataDir();
   fs.mkdirSync(userDataDir, { recursive: true });
 
-  const marker = decoratedMarkerPath(userDataDir);
-  const needsDecorate = !exists(marker);
+  const needsDecorate = !isProfileDecorated(
+    userDataDir,
+    DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_PROFILE_NAME,
+    (resolved.color ?? DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_COLOR).toUpperCase(),
+  );
 
   // First launch to create preference files if missing, then decorate and relaunch.
   const spawnOnce = () => {
@@ -255,23 +375,33 @@ export async function launchClawdChrome(
   };
 
   const startedAt = Date.now();
-  let proc = spawnOnce();
 
-  // If this is the first run, let Chrome create prefs, then decorate + restart.
-  if (needsDecorate) {
-    const deadline = Date.now() + 5000;
+  const localStatePath = path.join(userDataDir, "Local State");
+  const preferencesPath = path.join(userDataDir, "Default", "Preferences");
+  const needsBootstrap = !exists(localStatePath) || !exists(preferencesPath);
+
+  // If the profile doesn't exist yet, bootstrap it once so Chrome creates defaults.
+  // Then decorate (if needed) before the "real" run.
+  if (needsBootstrap) {
+    const bootstrap = spawnOnce();
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 10_000;
     while (Date.now() < deadline) {
-      const localStatePath = path.join(userDataDir, "Local State");
-      const preferencesPath = path.join(userDataDir, "Default", "Preferences");
       if (exists(localStatePath) && exists(preferencesPath)) break;
       await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 100));
     }
     try {
-      proc.kill("SIGTERM");
+      bootstrap.kill("SIGTERM");
     } catch {
       // ignore
     }
-    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+    const exitDeadline = Date.now() + 5000;
+    while (Date.now() < exitDeadline) {
+      if (bootstrap.exitCode != null) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 50));
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (needsDecorate) {
     try {
       decorateClawdProfile(userDataDir, { color: resolved.color });
       logInfo(
@@ -284,9 +414,10 @@ export async function launchClawdChrome(
         runtime,
       );
     }
-    proc = spawnOnce();
   }
 
+  const proc = spawnOnce();
+
   // Wait for CDP to come up.
   const readyDeadline = Date.now() + 15_000;
   while (Date.now() < readyDeadline) {