diff --git a/docs/content/docs/api-reference/react-ui.mdx b/docs/content/docs/api-reference/react-ui.mdx
index 86a960d7f..629c89f5d 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/api-reference/react-ui.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/api-reference/react-ui.mdx
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ Use this package for prebuilt chat UIs and default component library primitives.
 import { Copilot, FullScreen, BottomTray } from "@openuidev/react-ui";
 ```
 
+### Cascade-layer contract
+
+`@openuidev/react-ui/components.css` wraps every component rule in `@layer openui`. Unlayered consumer CSS overrides OpenUI components without specificity matching or `!important`. See [Chat → Theming](/docs/chat/theming#override-component-styles-with-css) for override patterns, and [Chat → Installation](/docs/chat/installation#3-for-tailwind-v4-set-the-cascade-layer-order) for the Tailwind v4 layer-order setup.
+
+Browser support: Chrome 99+, Firefox 97+, Safari 15.4+, Edge 99+ (all baseline from March 2022).
+
 ## Layout components
 
 These layouts are documented in Chat UI guides and are all wrapped with `ChatProvider`.
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/chat/installation.mdx b/docs/content/docs/chat/installation.mdx
index 0b49eaa82..1f52d2ee2 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/chat/installation.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/chat/installation.mdx
@@ -57,7 +57,23 @@ export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode })
 
 These imports give you the default chat layout styling and theme tokens.
 
-## 3. Render a layout to verify setup
+## 3. (For Tailwind v4) Set the cascade-layer order
+
+OpenUI's component styles live in `@layer openui`. If your app uses Tailwind v4, declare the layer order in your global stylesheet so `openui` sits above Tailwind's reset (`base`) but below `components` and `utilities`:
+
+```css
+/* app/globals.css */
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
+@import "tailwindcss";
+```
+
+This places OpenUI above Tailwind's Preflight (so its element resets don't override component styles) while keeping Tailwind utilities like `bg-red-500` winning over OpenUI. Without this declaration, the cascade order is bundler-dependent and `openui` may end up declared *after* `utilities`, which prevents utility overrides from taking effect.
+
+Tailwind v3, plain CSS, CSS Modules, and CSS-in-JS need no configuration — their styles are unlayered and beat anything in `@layer openui` automatically.
+
+See [`@openuidev/react-ui`](/docs/api-reference/react-ui#cascade-layer-contract) for the full styling integration contract.
+
+## 4. Render a layout to verify setup
 
 Render one of the built-in layouts on a page to confirm the package is installed correctly.
 
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/chat/theming.mdx b/docs/content/docs/chat/theming.mdx
index 945c060e1..81218c053 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/chat/theming.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/chat/theming.mdx
@@ -54,6 +54,20 @@ import { FullScreen } from "@openuidev/react-ui";
 
 `disableThemeProvider` only skips the wrapper. It does not remove any chat functionality.
 
+## Override component styles with CSS
+
+OpenUI's component styles live in `@layer openui`. Any unlayered consumer CSS overrides them without `!important` or matching specificity:
+
+```css
+.openui-button-base-primary {
+  background: hotpink;
+}
+```
+
+For Tailwind v4 apps, declare `@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;` ahead of `@import "tailwindcss";` in your global stylesheet (see [Installation](/docs/chat/installation#3-for-tailwind-v4-set-the-cascade-layer-order)) so utility classes also override OpenUI styles. CSS Modules, CSS-in-JS, and Tailwind v3 utilities emit unlayered CSS and override OpenUI automatically with no configuration.
+
+Browser support: Chrome 99+, Firefox 97+, Safari 15.4+, Edge 99+ (all baseline from March 2022).
+
 <div className="grid md:grid-cols-2 gap-6 my-6">
   <div>
     <p className="text-sm text-center font-medium mb-2">Light (default)</p>
diff --git a/docs/content/docs/openui-lang/standard-library.mdx b/docs/content/docs/openui-lang/standard-library.mdx
index f8eeeaeef..3bebcde91 100644
--- a/docs/content/docs/openui-lang/standard-library.mdx
+++ b/docs/content/docs/openui-lang/standard-library.mdx
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import { openuiLibrary } from "@openuidev/react-ui";
 <Renderer library={openuiLibrary} response={streamedText} isStreaming={isStreaming} />;
 ```
 
+The compiled stylesheet wraps component rules in `@layer openui` so your own CSS overrides them without specificity matching. See [Chat → Theming](/docs/chat/theming#override-component-styles-with-css) for the override contract, or [Chat → Installation](/docs/chat/installation#3-for-tailwind-v4-set-the-cascade-layer-order) for the Tailwind v4 setup.
+
 ## Generate prompt
 
 Use the CLI to generate the system prompt at build time:
diff --git a/examples/hands-on-table-chat/src/app/globals.css b/examples/hands-on-table-chat/src/app/globals.css
index cec7e6528..e5922b2c3 100644
--- a/examples/hands-on-table-chat/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/hands-on-table-chat/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
 
 :root {
diff --git a/examples/mastra-chat/src/app/globals.css b/examples/mastra-chat/src/app/globals.css
index f1d8c73cd..4a090eef4 100644
--- a/examples/mastra-chat/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/mastra-chat/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
diff --git a/examples/multi-agent-chat/src/app/globals.css b/examples/multi-agent-chat/src/app/globals.css
index e4ac5af9b..c45470e58 100644
--- a/examples/multi-agent-chat/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/multi-agent-chat/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
 @import "@openuidev/react-ui/components.css";
diff --git a/examples/openui-artifact-demo/src/app/globals.css b/examples/openui-artifact-demo/src/app/globals.css
index 3d552a61f..0ffe00eb2 100644
--- a/examples/openui-artifact-demo/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/openui-artifact-demo/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
 
diff --git a/examples/openui-chat/src/app/globals.css b/examples/openui-chat/src/app/globals.css
index 3d552a61f..0ffe00eb2 100644
--- a/examples/openui-chat/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/openui-chat/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
 
diff --git a/examples/openui-dashboard/src/app/globals.css b/examples/openui-dashboard/src/app/globals.css
index 975bcec94..00eb02317 100644
--- a/examples/openui-dashboard/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/openui-dashboard/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
 
 @keyframes openui-loading-bar {
diff --git a/examples/shadcn-chat/src/app/globals.css b/examples/shadcn-chat/src/app/globals.css
index d63189515..39a6d2c91 100644
--- a/examples/shadcn-chat/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/shadcn-chat/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
 
 @custom-variant dark (&:is([data-theme="dark"] *));
diff --git a/examples/supabase-chat/src/app/globals.css b/examples/supabase-chat/src/app/globals.css
index f1d8c73cd..4a090eef4 100644
--- a/examples/supabase-chat/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/supabase-chat/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
diff --git a/examples/vercel-ai-chat/src/app/globals.css b/examples/vercel-ai-chat/src/app/globals.css
index e4ac5af9b..c45470e58 100644
--- a/examples/vercel-ai-chat/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/examples/vercel-ai-chat/src/app/globals.css
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
 @import "tailwindcss";
 @import "@openuidev/react-ui/components.css";
diff --git a/packages/react-ui/README.md b/packages/react-ui/README.md
index 460cfef42..2f3044661 100644
--- a/packages/react-ui/README.md
+++ b/packages/react-ui/README.md
@@ -139,6 +139,37 @@ function App() {
 | `defaultDarkTheme` | Built-in dark theme |
 | `swatchTokens` | Token palette for use in theme builders |
 
+## Styling integration
+
+OpenUI's component styles live inside a CSS cascade layer named `openui`. Any unlayered consumer CSS overrides OpenUI without `!important` or specificity matching:
+
+```css
+@import "@openuidev/react-ui/components.css";
+
+/* Wins, no specificity tricks needed */
+.openui-button-base-primary { background: hotpink; }
+```
+
+### With Tailwind v4
+
+Declare layer order at the top of your entry stylesheet so `openui` sits above Tailwind's reset but below `components` and `utilities`:
+
+```css
+@layer theme, base, openui, components, utilities;
+@import "@openuidev/react-ui/components.css";
+@import "tailwindcss";
+```
+
+This places Tailwind's Preflight (in `base`) below OpenUI components so its element resets don't override them, while keeping utilities (`bg-red-500`, etc.) winning over OpenUI styles.
+
+### With Tailwind v3, CSS Modules, or CSS-in-JS
+
+No configuration needed — these all emit unlayered CSS, which automatically beats anything in `@layer openui`.
+
+### Browser support
+
+CSS cascade layers require Chrome 99+, Firefox 97+, Safari 15.4+, or Edge 99+ (all baseline from March 2022). On older browsers, the `@layer { ... }` block is dropped entirely and components render unstyled. The package declares this floor via the `browserslist` field in its `package.json`.
+
 ## Components
 
 All components are available as individual imports:
diff --git a/packages/react-ui/cp-css.js b/packages/react-ui/cp-css.js
index c805b4941..dc8f9b78a 100644
--- a/packages/react-ui/cp-css.js
+++ b/packages/react-ui/cp-css.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "fs";
 import { camelCase } from "lodash-es";
 import path from "path";
-import {fileURLToPath} from "url"
+import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
 
 const dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 
@@ -12,6 +12,29 @@ function ensureDirectoryExists(dirPath) {
   }
 }
 
+// Wrap a CSS file's contents in @layer openui { ... } if not already wrapped.
+// Idempotency check protects watch-mode and back-to-back builds.
+function wrapInLayer(content) {
+  if (content.trim() === "") return content;
+  if (/^\s*@layer\s+openui\b/.test(content)) return content;
+  return `@layer openui{${content}}`;
+}
+
+// Walk dist/components and wrap every emitted .css file in @layer openui.
+// *.module.css are Storybook CSS Modules — locally scoped, not shipped, not wrapped.
+function wrapComponentCssInPlace(dir) {
+  for (const entry of fs.readdirSync(dir, { withFileTypes: true })) {
+    const full = path.join(dir, entry.name);
+    if (entry.isDirectory()) {
+      wrapComponentCssInPlace(full);
+    } else if (entry.name.endsWith(".css") && !entry.name.endsWith(".module.css")) {
+      const content = fs.readFileSync(full, "utf8");
+      const wrapped = wrapInLayer(content);
+      if (wrapped !== content) fs.writeFileSync(full, wrapped, "utf8");
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // Replace .scss imports with .css imports in compiled JS files
 function fixScssImportsInJs(dir) {
   const entries = fs.readdirSync(dir);
@@ -37,6 +60,12 @@ function copyCssFiles() {
   const srcDir = path.join(dirname, "dist", "components");
   const distDir = path.join(dirname, "dist", "styles");
 
+  // Wrap every emitted component CSS in @layer openui before copying.
+  // dist/openui-defaults.css lives outside dist/components and stays unwrapped
+  // so the defaults.css export remains in the unlayered cascade — matching the
+  // ThemeProvider runtime injection contract.
+  wrapComponentCssInPlace(srcDir);
+
   // Ensure the dist/styles directory exists
   ensureDirectoryExists(distDir);
 
diff --git a/packages/react-ui/package.json b/packages/react-ui/package.json
index d381a04fb..7014497d5 100644
--- a/packages/react-ui/package.json
+++ b/packages/react-ui/package.json
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@
   "bugs": {
     "url": "https://github.com/thesysdev/openui/issues"
   },
+  "browserslist": "defaults and supports css-cascade-layers",
   "eslintConfig": {
     "extends": [
       "plugin:storybook/recommended"
diff --git a/packages/react-ui/src/components/ThemeProvider/ThemeProvider.tsx b/packages/react-ui/src/components/ThemeProvider/ThemeProvider.tsx
index 1949046ce..424fab01a 100644
--- a/packages/react-ui/src/components/ThemeProvider/ThemeProvider.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-ui/src/components/ThemeProvider/ThemeProvider.tsx
@@ -236,6 +236,8 @@ export const ThemeProvider = ({
   const useAutoScope = isNested && !hasExplicitSelector;
   const styleSelector = useAutoScope ? `.${scopedClassName}` : effectiveCssSelector;
 
+  // Intentionally unlayered — must override @layer openui so runtime theme
+  // switching takes effect. See README "Styling integration" before changing.
   useInsertionEffect(() => {
     const style = document.createElement("style");
     style.setAttribute("data-openui-theme", id);