diff --git a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/css/nav.css b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/css/nav.css
index 91adad5ab..13c0c3558 100644
--- a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/css/nav.css
+++ b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/css/nav.css
@@ -25,6 +25,29 @@ header a:hover, nav .row a:hover {
   color: var(--component-hover)
 }
 
+header .row button.theme-toggle {
+  margin: 0 0 0 20px;
+  padding: 0;
+  border: none;
+  background: none;
+  color: var(--component-color);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font: inherit;
+  font-size: 0.9rem;
+  opacity: 0.8;
+}
+
+header .row button.theme-toggle:hover {
+  color: var(--component-hover);
+  opacity: 1;
+}
+
+header .row button.theme-toggle:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid var(--component-border);
+  outline-offset: 3px;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+}
+
 header .image-link {
   height: var(--top-bar-height);
   display: flex;
diff --git a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/js/theme.js b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/js/theme.js
index efb09e944..2df6dc436 100644
--- a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/js/theme.js
+++ b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/js/theme.js
@@ -61,8 +61,54 @@ function initMenuToggles () {
   });
 }
 
+function initColorModeToggle () {
+  const btn = document.getElementById("theme-toggle");
+  if (!btn) return;
+
+  function currentMode () {
+    const attr = document.documentElement.getAttribute("data-color-mode");
+    return (attr === "light" || attr === "dark") ? attr : "auto";
+  }
+
+  function applyMode (mode) {
+    if (mode === "light" || mode === "dark") {
+      document.documentElement.setAttribute("data-color-mode", mode);
+      try { localStorage.setItem("laika-color-mode", mode); } catch (e) {}
+    } else {
+      document.documentElement.removeAttribute("data-color-mode");
+      try { localStorage.removeItem("laika-color-mode"); } catch (e) {}
+    }
+    updateUi(mode);
+  }
+
+  function updateUi (mode) {
+    if (mode === "light") {
+      btn.textContent = "Light";
+      btn.title = "Switch to dark mode";
+      btn.setAttribute("aria-label", "Switch to dark mode");
+    } else if (mode === "dark") {
+      btn.textContent = "Dark";
+      btn.title = "Switch to system mode";
+      btn.setAttribute("aria-label", "Switch to system mode");
+    } else {
+      btn.textContent = "Auto";
+      btn.title = "Switch to light mode";
+      btn.setAttribute("aria-label", "Switch to light mode");
+    }
+  }
+
+  updateUi(currentMode());
+
+  btn.addEventListener("click", () => {
+    const mode = currentMode();
+    const next = (mode === "auto") ? "light" : (mode === "light") ? "dark" : "auto";
+    applyMode(next);
+  });
+}
+
 document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
   initNavToggle();
   initMenuToggles();
   initTabs();
+  initColorModeToggle();
 });
diff --git a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/head.template.html b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/head.template.html
index 0d7aeb26f..d098bb7e2 100644
--- a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/head.template.html
+++ b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/head.template.html
@@ -19,6 +19,20 @@
   @:for(helium.webFonts)
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="${_}">
   @:@
+    <script>
+    (function () {
+      try {
+        var stored = localStorage.getItem("laika-color-mode");
+        if (stored === "light" || stored === "dark") {
+          document.documentElement.setAttribute("data-color-mode", stored);
+        } else {
+          document.documentElement.removeAttribute("data-color-mode");
+        }
+      } catch (e) {
+        document.documentElement.removeAttribute("data-color-mode");
+      }
+    })();
+  </script>
   @:includeCSS
   @:includeJS
   @:heliumInitVersions
diff --git a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/topNav.template.html b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/topNav.template.html
index cc68f21d1..8e7848112 100644
--- a/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/topNav.template.html
+++ b/io/src/main/resources/laika/helium/templates/includes/topNav.template.html
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
     </a>
     
     ${helium.site.topNavigation.versionMenu}
+    @:for(helium.site.darkModeEnabled)
+    <button id="theme-toggle" class="theme-toggle" type="button">
+      Auto
+    </button>
+    @:@
   </div>
 
   ${?helium.site.topNavigation.home}
diff --git a/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/CSSVarGenerator.scala b/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/CSSVarGenerator.scala
index 4959c7b0f..199b3f083 100644
--- a/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/CSSVarGenerator.scala
+++ b/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/CSSVarGenerator.scala
@@ -39,6 +39,24 @@ private[helium] object CSSVarGenerator {
        |  src: url("$path");
        |}""".stripMargin
 
+  private def renderManualOverride(
+      mode: String,
+      vars: Seq[(String, String)]
+  ): String = {
+    val rendered =
+      vars.map { case (name, value) =>
+        s"$name: $value;"
+      }.mkString("\n  ")
+
+    s"""
+  :root[data-color-mode="$mode"] {
+    $rendered
+    color-scheme: $mode;
+  }
+
+  """
+  }
+
   def generate(settings: SiteSettings): String = {
     import settings.layout.*
     val layoutStyles = Seq(
@@ -183,13 +201,20 @@ private[helium] object CSSVarGenerator {
 
     val (colorScheme, darkModeStyles) = common.darkMode match {
       case Some(darkModeColors) =>
-        (
-          Seq(("color-scheme", "light dark")),
+        val darkVars  = toVars(colorSet(darkModeColors, darkMode = true))
+        val lightVars = toVars(colorSet(common.colors, darkMode = false))
+
+        val darkMedia   =
           renderStyles(
-            toVars(colorSet(darkModeColors, darkMode = true)),
+            darkVars,
             includeInverted,
             darkMode = true
           )
+        val manualLight = renderManualOverride("light", lightVars)
+        val manualDark  = renderManualOverride("dark", darkVars)
+        (
+          Seq(("color-scheme", "light dark")),
+          darkMedia + manualLight + manualDark
         )
       case None                 => (Nil, "")
     }
diff --git a/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/ConfigGenerator.scala b/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/ConfigGenerator.scala
index 2a769794e..e1c831fa5 100644
--- a/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/ConfigGenerator.scala
+++ b/io/src/main/scala/laika/helium/internal/generate/ConfigGenerator.scala
@@ -206,6 +206,10 @@ private[laika] object ConfigGenerator {
         "helium.site.includePDF",
         helium.siteSettings.content.downloadPage.fold(false)(_.includePDF)
       )
+      .withValue(
+        "helium.site.darkModeEnabled",
+        helium.siteSettings.darkMode.map(_ => "enabled")
+      )
       .withValue("helium.site.fontFamilies", helium.siteSettings.themeFonts)
       .withValue("helium.epub.fontFamilies", helium.epubSettings.themeFonts)
       .withValue("helium.pdf.fontFamilies", helium.pdfSettings.themeFonts)