diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/theme/ThemeMode.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/theme/ThemeMode.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b821e67b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/theme/ThemeMode.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+package com.fabledsword.minstrel.theme
+
+/**
+ * User-selectable theme override. SYSTEM defers to
+ * `isSystemInDarkTheme()`; LIGHT and DARK pin the app to that mode
+ * regardless of the device setting.
+ *
+ * Stored as the wire string in `AuthSessionEntity.themeMode`. Null
+ * persistence value means "never set" which we treat as SYSTEM.
+ */
+enum class ThemeMode {
+    SYSTEM, LIGHT, DARK;
+
+    /** Stable string identifier used for persistence. */
+    val wire: String get() = name.lowercase()
+
+    /**
+     * Maps to MinstrelTheme's `darkOverride: Boolean?` parameter:
+     *   - SYSTEM → null (let isSystemInDarkTheme decide)
+     *   - LIGHT  → false
+     *   - DARK   → true
+     */
+    fun toDarkOverride(): Boolean? = when (this) {
+        SYSTEM -> null
+        LIGHT -> false
+        DARK -> true
+    }
+
+    companion object {
+        fun fromWire(wire: String?): ThemeMode = when (wire) {
+            "light" -> LIGHT
+            "dark" -> DARK
+            else -> SYSTEM
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/theme/ThemePreferenceViewModel.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/theme/ThemePreferenceViewModel.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7234c90d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/theme/ThemePreferenceViewModel.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package com.fabledsword.minstrel.theme
+
+import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModel
+import androidx.lifecycle.viewModelScope
+import com.fabledsword.minstrel.auth.AuthStore
+import dagger.hilt.android.lifecycle.HiltViewModel
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.SharingStarted
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.StateFlow
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.map
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.stateIn
+import javax.inject.Inject
+
+private const val SHARE_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000L
+
+/**
+ * Surfaces AuthStore.themeMode as a typed [ThemeMode] StateFlow and
+ * lets callers write through. Used by:
+ *   - MainActivity's App() to pick the darkOverride to wrap the
+ *     NavGraph in.
+ *   - SettingsScreen's Appearance section as the 3-way picker.
+ *
+ * Lives in the theme package rather than a UI package because it's
+ * tightly coupled to the theme tokens; SettingsScreen just consumes it.
+ */
+@HiltViewModel
+class ThemePreferenceViewModel @Inject constructor(
+    private val authStore: AuthStore,
+) : ViewModel() {
+
+    val themeMode: StateFlow<ThemeMode> =
+        authStore.themeMode
+            .map { ThemeMode.fromWire(it) }
+            .stateIn(
+                scope = viewModelScope,
+                started = SharingStarted.WhileSubscribed(SHARE_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS),
+                initialValue = ThemeMode.fromWire(authStore.themeMode.value),
+            )
+
+    fun setThemeMode(mode: ThemeMode) {
+        // Persist null for SYSTEM so a "never set" row reads identically
+        // to an explicit "follow system" pick — keeps the wire/storage
+        // round-trip clean.
+        authStore.setThemeMode(if (mode == ThemeMode.SYSTEM) null else mode.wire)
+    }
+}