diff --git a/.changeset/attention-accent-color.md b/.changeset/attention-accent-color.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0db5dd56564
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/attention-accent-color.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@opencode-ai/theme": patch
+---
+
+Use the unread accent color by default for question and permission status indicators, while preserving explicit theme overrides.
diff --git a/packages/theme/src/tui/defaults.ts b/packages/theme/src/tui/defaults.ts
index 9c6cb1cee1b..268bf6593c5 100644
--- a/packages/theme/src/tui/defaults.ts
+++ b/packages/theme/src/tui/defaults.ts
@@ -123,8 +123,8 @@ export const DEFAULT_THEME = {
       },
       status: {
         running: "$hue.interactive.800",
-        question: "$text.feedback.info.default",
-        permission: "$text.feedback.warning.default",
+        question: "$text.status.unread",
+        permission: "$text.status.unread",
         unread: "$hue.accent.800",
       },
       feedback: {
@@ -344,8 +344,8 @@ export const DEFAULT_THEME = {
       },
       status: {
         running: "$hue.interactive.200",
-        question: "$text.feedback.info.default",
-        permission: "$text.feedback.warning.default",
+        question: "$text.status.unread",
+        permission: "$text.status.unread",
         unread: "$hue.accent.200",
       },
       feedback: {
diff --git a/packages/theme/test/status.test.ts b/packages/theme/test/status.test.ts
index f5308b69b93..c47d6489dd2 100644
--- a/packages/theme/test/status.test.ts
+++ b/packages/theme/test/status.test.ts
@@ -11,13 +11,33 @@ test.each(["light", "dark"] as const)("built-in %s themes resolve status colors"
   for (const document of [DEFAULT_THEME, migrateV1(source)]) {
     const theme = resolveThemeDocument(document, mode)
     expect(theme.text.status.running.equals(theme.hue.interactive[mode === "light" ? 800 : 200])).toBeTrue()
-    expect(theme.text.status.question.equals(theme.text.feedback.info.default)).toBeTrue()
-    expect(theme.text.status.permission.equals(theme.text.feedback.warning.default)).toBeTrue()
+    expect(theme.text.status.question.equals(theme.text.status.unread)).toBeTrue()
+    expect(theme.text.status.permission.equals(theme.text.status.unread)).toBeTrue()
     expect(theme.text.status.unread.equals(theme.hue.accent[mode === "light" ? 800 : 200])).toBeTrue()
     expect(theme.contextual.elevated.text.status).toEqual(theme.text.status)
   }
 })
 
+test.each(["light", "dark"] as const)("custom %s themes inherit the unread attention color", (mode) => {
+  for (const standalone of [false, true]) {
+    const theme = resolveThemeDocument(
+      Schema.decodeUnknownSync(ThemeDocument)({
+        version: 2,
+        standalone,
+        [mode]: {
+          hue: { ...DEFAULT_THEME[mode].hue, accent: "$hue.purple" },
+          text: { status: { unread: "#abcdef" } },
+        },
+      }),
+      mode,
+    )
+    expect(theme.text.status.unread.equals(RGBA.fromHex("#abcdef"))).toBeTrue()
+    expect(theme.text.status.question.equals(theme.text.status.unread)).toBeTrue()
+    expect(theme.text.status.permission.equals(theme.text.status.unread)).toBeTrue()
+    expect(theme.contextual.elevated.text.status).toEqual(theme.text.status)
+  }
+})
+
 test.each(["light", "dark"] as const)("custom %s themes inherit and override status colors", (mode) => {
   for (const standalone of [false, true]) {
     const theme = resolveThemeDocument(
@@ -27,8 +47,7 @@ test.each(["light", "dark"] as const)("custom %s themes inherit and override sta
         [mode]: {
           hue: { ...DEFAULT_THEME[mode].hue, interactive: "$hue.purple", accent: "$hue.orange" },
           text: {
-            feedback: { warning: { default: "#654321" } },
-            status: { question: "#123456" },
+            status: { question: "#123456", permission: "#654321" },
           },
         },
       }),
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/component/session-tabs-status.test.tsx b/packages/tui/test/component/session-tabs-status.test.tsx
index 1e3eeebe6f7..57eb6516a3b 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/component/session-tabs-status.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/test/component/session-tabs-status.test.tsx
@@ -124,6 +124,12 @@ for (const orientation of ["horizontal", "vertical"] as const) {
         setActive("second")
         setStatus({ ...EMPTY_SESSION_TAB_STATUS, busy: true, attention })
         await app.renderOnce()
+        const indicatorColor = () =>
+          app
+            .captureSpans()
+            .lines.flatMap((line) => line.spans)
+            .find((span) => span.text.trim() === (attention === "question" ? "?" : "!"))?.fg
+        expect(indicatorColor()?.toInts()).toEqual(theme.text.status[attention].toInts())
         const glow = () => {
           const colors = app
             .captureSpans()
@@ -140,6 +146,7 @@ for (const orientation of ["horizontal", "vertical"] as const) {
         expect(full).toBeGreaterThan(0)
         setActive("first")
         await app.renderOnce()
+        expect(indicatorColor()?.toInts()).toEqual(theme.text.status[attention].toInts())
         const dim = glow()
         expect(dim).toBeGreaterThan(0)
         expect(dim).toBeLessThan(full)