diff --git a/src/styles/tokens.css b/src/styles/tokens.css
index a572274a..d9eb0eb9 100644
--- a/src/styles/tokens.css
+++ b/src/styles/tokens.css
@@ -1159,8 +1159,8 @@ html {
   --palette-fg: #657b83;
   --palette-muted: #657b83;
   --palette-border: #eee8d5;
-  --palette-hover: #eee8d5;
-  --palette-selection: #eee8d5;
+  --palette-hover: #e4ddc8;
+  --palette-selection: #c2d3d4;
   --palette-line: #eee8d5;
   --palette-accent: #268bd2;
   --palette-on-accent: #002b36;
@@ -1191,6 +1191,9 @@ html {
   --syn-markup-code: #2aa198;
   --syn-tag: #268bd2;
   --syn-escape: #dc322f;
+  /* Selection and hover differ from the panel and popup surfaces; the editor keeps Solarized's own selection. */
+  --bg-editor-selection: #eee8d5;
+  --bg-editor-selection-inactive: #eee8d5;
 }
 
 :root[data-color-theme="solarized-dark"] {
@@ -1208,8 +1211,8 @@ html {
   --palette-fg: #839496;
   --palette-muted: #839496;
   --palette-border: #073642;
-  --palette-hover: #073642;
-  --palette-selection: #073642;
+  --palette-hover: #0b4053;
+  --palette-selection: #10506d;
   --palette-line: #073642;
   --palette-accent: #268bd2;
   --palette-on-accent: #002b36;
@@ -1240,6 +1243,9 @@ html {
   --syn-markup-code: #2aa198;
   --syn-tag: #268bd2;
   --syn-escape: #dc322f;
+  /* Selection and hover differ from the panel and popup surfaces; the editor keeps Solarized's own selection. */
+  --bg-editor-selection: #073642;
+  --bg-editor-selection-inactive: #073642;
 }
 
 :root[data-color-theme="one-light"] {
diff --git a/src/ui/Menu.tsx b/src/ui/Menu.tsx
index 74ef0dcc..0b083979 100644
--- a/src/ui/Menu.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/Menu.tsx
@@ -125,13 +125,22 @@ export function MenuList({ items, onDone, onCloseLevel, autoFocusFirst = true, .
   const [subAnchor, setSubAnchor] = useState<HTMLElement | null>(null);
   const itemRefs = useRef<Array<HTMLButtonElement | null>>([]);
   const hoverTimer = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined>(undefined);
+  // Pointer movement highlights a row without focusing it. Focusing on every
+  // enter drops the hover paint in the Windows webview, so the menu looks frozen.
+  const pointerHover = useRef(false);
+  // Row the pointer last entered: pointerenter and mouseenter both report it.
+  const hovered = useRef(-1);
   const setOpenSub = (i: number | null) => {
     setSubAnchor(i === null ? null : (itemRefs.current[i] ?? null));
     setOpenSubIndex(i);
   };
 
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
-    if (active >= 0 && openSub === null) itemRefs.current[active]?.focus({ preventScroll: false });
+    if (pointerHover.current) {
+      pointerHover.current = false;
+      return;
+    }
+    if (active >= 0 && openSub === null) itemRefs.current[active]?.focus({ preventScroll: true });
   }, [active, openSub]);
   useEffect(() => () => clearTimeout(hoverTimer.current), []);
 
@@ -165,6 +174,20 @@ export function MenuList({ items, onDone, onCloseLevel, autoFocusFirst = true, .
     item!.run?.();
   };
 
+  const hover = (i: number) => {
+    const item = resolved[i];
+    if (!item || item.disabled || item.kind !== "item") return;
+    if (hovered.current !== i) {
+      hovered.current = i;
+      if (i !== active) {
+        pointerHover.current = true;
+        focusItem(i);
+      }
+    }
+    clearTimeout(hoverTimer.current);
+    hoverTimer.current = setTimeout(() => setOpenSub(item.submenu ? i : null), item.submenu ? 120 : 200);
+  };
+
   const onKeyDown = (e: ReactKeyboardEvent) => {
     switch (e.key) {
       case "ArrowDown":
@@ -241,12 +264,10 @@ export function MenuList({ items, onDone, onCloseLevel, autoFocusFirst = true, .
                 r.disabled && styles.disabled,
                 r.danger && styles.danger,
               )}
-              onPointerEnter={() => {
-                if (r.disabled) return;
-                focusItem(i);
-                clearTimeout(hoverTimer.current);
-                hoverTimer.current = setTimeout(() => setOpenSub(hasSub ? i : null), hasSub ? 120 : 200);
-              }}
+              onPointerEnter={() => hover(i)}
+              onMouseEnter={() => hover(i)}
+              onPointerLeave={() => (hovered.current = -1)}
+              onMouseLeave={() => (hovered.current = -1)}
               onClick={() => activate(i)}
             >
               <span className={styles.icon} data-menu-icon={!r.checked && r.icon ? "" : undefined}>
diff --git a/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx b/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx
index ed98b039..2d0c2492 100644
--- a/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/Popup.test.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { getContext, setContext } from "@/platform/context";
 import { registerAction } from "@/platform/actions";
 import { Popup } from "./Popup";
 import { ContextMenuHost, Menu, MenuList, hideContextMenu, showContextMenu } from "./Menu";
+import menuStyles from "./Menu.module.css";
 import { Dialog } from "./Dialog";
 
 function Harness({ onClose }: { onClose?: (r: string) => void }) {
@@ -192,6 +193,41 @@ describe("Menu action enablement", () => {
     expect(input).toHaveFocus();
   });
 
+  it("highlights the row under the pointer without moving focus", () => {
+    render(
+      <MenuList
+        items={[
+          { label: "Open", run: () => undefined },
+          { label: "Save", run: () => undefined },
+        ]}
+        onDone={() => {}}
+      />,
+    );
+    const open = screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Open" });
+    const save = screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Save" });
+    expect(open).toHaveFocus();
+    expect(open.className).toContain(menuStyles.active);
+    fireEvent.pointerEnter(save);
+    expect(save.className).toContain(menuStyles.active);
+    expect(open.className).not.toContain(menuStyles.active);
+    expect(open).toHaveFocus();
+  });
+
+  it("reports a hovered row once and lets the keyboard continue from it", () => {
+    const active: string[] = [];
+    const item = (label: string) => ({ label, onActive: () => active.push(label), run: () => undefined });
+    render(<MenuList items={[item("Open"), item("Save"), item("Close")]} onDone={() => {}} />);
+    const save = screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Save" });
+    fireEvent.pointerEnter(save);
+    fireEvent.mouseEnter(save);
+    expect(active).toEqual(["Save"]);
+    fireEvent.keyDown(save, { key: "ArrowDown" });
+    expect(screen.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Close" })).toHaveFocus();
+    fireEvent.pointerLeave(save);
+    fireEvent.pointerEnter(save);
+    expect(active).toEqual(["Save", "Close", "Save"]);
+  });
+
   it("follows context changes after the menu opened", () => {
     const dispose = registerAction({ id: "test.menuWhen", title: "Needs Flag", when: "qaMenuFlag", run: () => {} });
     setContext("qaMenuFlag", false);
diff --git a/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx b/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx
index f9adf94a..53dc658e 100644
--- a/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx
+++ b/src/workbench/MainMenu.tsx
@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ function MainMenuBar({ merged, onExpandedChange }: MainMenuProps & { merged: boo
           onPointerEnter={() => {
             if (open !== null) setOpen(i);
           }}
+          onMouseEnter={() => {
+            if (open !== null) setOpen(i);
+          }}
           onClick={() => {
             if (open === i) close();
             else setOpen(i);