diff --git a/.changeset/bright-themes-guess.md b/.changeset/bright-themes-guess.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e65dc3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/bright-themes-guess.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@nodejs/doc-kit-generator-react': patch
+---
+
+Show the active light or dark theme icon when the system preference is selected.
diff --git a/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/ThemeToggle.jsx b/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/ThemeToggle.jsx
index 2e973755..e4e91e10 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/ThemeToggle.jsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/ThemeToggle.jsx
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ import withIsland from '../islands/withIsland.jsx';
  * Theme switcher.
  */
 const Toggle = () => {
-  const [themePreference, setThemePreference] = useTheme();
+  const [currentTheme, setThemePreference] = useTheme();
 
   return (
-    <ThemeToggle onChange={setThemePreference} currentTheme={themePreference} />
+    <ThemeToggle onChange={setThemePreference} currentTheme={currentTheme} />
   );
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/__tests__/theme.test.mjs b/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/__tests__/theme.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ffb22f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/__tests__/theme.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+
+import { getDisplayedTheme } from '../theme.mjs';
+
+describe('getDisplayedTheme', () => {
+  it('uses the resolved system scheme for the initial system preference', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(getDisplayedTheme('system', true), 'dark');
+    assert.strictEqual(getDisplayedTheme('system', false), 'light');
+  });
+
+  it('preserves explicit user preferences', () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(getDisplayedTheme('dark', false), 'dark');
+    assert.strictEqual(getDisplayedTheme('light', true), 'light');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/theme.mjs b/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/theme.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..54958973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/theme.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/**
+ * Resolves the theme preference that should be represented by the toggle icon.
+ *
+ * The selector still stores `system` as the user preference, but its trigger
+ * should show the light or dark icon that is currently applied to the page.
+ *
+ * @param {'system'|'light'|'dark'} preference - The stored theme preference.
+ * @param {boolean} systemSupportsDarkMode - Whether the OS currently prefers dark mode.
+ * @returns {'light'|'dark'} The theme currently displayed by the page.
+ */
+export const getDisplayedTheme = (preference, systemSupportsDarkMode) => {
+  if (preference === 'system') {
+    return systemSupportsDarkMode ? 'dark' : 'light';
+  }
+
+  return preference;
+};
diff --git a/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/useTheme.mjs b/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/useTheme.mjs
index 3ed562d1..c1333096 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/useTheme.mjs
+++ b/packages/react/src/html/ui/hooks/useTheme.mjs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
 
+import { getDisplayedTheme } from './theme.mjs';
+
 import { server } from '#theme/config';
 
 /** @returns {'dark'|'light'} The current OS-level color scheme. */
@@ -33,6 +35,14 @@ export const useTheme = () => {
   const [pref, setPref] = useState(() =>
     server ? 'system' : (localStorage.getItem('theme') ?? 'system')
   );
+  const [currentTheme, setCurrentTheme] = useState(() =>
+    server
+      ? 'system'
+      : getDisplayedTheme(
+          localStorage.getItem('theme') ?? 'system',
+          getSystemTheme() === 'dark'
+        )
+  );
 
   // Apply theme on every preference change, and if 'system',
   // also listen for OS-level color scheme changes.
@@ -44,8 +54,13 @@ export const useTheme = () => {
     }
 
     const mql = matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)');
-    mql.addEventListener('change', applySystemTheme);
-    return () => mql.removeEventListener('change', applySystemTheme);
+    /** Synchronizes the icon when the OS-level color scheme changes. */
+    const handleSystemThemeChange = () => {
+      applySystemTheme();
+      setCurrentTheme(getSystemTheme());
+    };
+    mql.addEventListener('change', handleSystemThemeChange);
+    return () => mql.removeEventListener('change', handleSystemThemeChange);
   }, [pref]);
 
   /** Updates the preference in both React state and localStorage. */
@@ -53,8 +68,9 @@ export const useTheme = () => {
     setPref(next);
     if (!server) {
       localStorage.setItem('theme', next);
+      setCurrentTheme(getDisplayedTheme(next, getSystemTheme() === 'dark'));
     }
   }, []);
 
-  return [pref, setTheme];
+  return [currentTheme, setTheme];
 };