diff --git a/components/__tests__/plugin-app-events.test.tsx b/components/__tests__/plugin-app-events.test.tsx
index 75790e086..0c290c4fe 100644
--- a/components/__tests__/plugin-app-events.test.tsx
+++ b/components/__tests__/plugin-app-events.test.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { act, render } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { appLifecycleHooks, clearAllHooks, routerHooks } from '@/lib/plugin-hooks';
 import { usePluginStore } from '@/stores/plugin-store';
 import { useAuthStore } from '@/stores/auth-store';
+import { useThemeStore } from '@/stores/theme-store';
 
 let pathname = '/';
 vi.mock('next/navigation', () => ({ usePathname: () => pathname }));
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   clearAllHooks();
   pathname = '/';
   usePluginStore.setState({ initialized: false, initializePlugins: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined) });
+  useThemeStore.setState({ syncServerThemes: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined) });
   useAuthStore.setState({ isAuthenticated: false });
 });
 afterEach(() => {
@@ -83,6 +85,18 @@ describe('app events for plugins', () => {
     expect(usePluginStore.getState().initializePlugins).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  // A theme the admin installed used to arrive only once the mail view had
+  // been opened, so Settings opened directly never listed it.
+  it('syncs the server themes once the user is signed in, on any page', () => {
+    pathname = '/settings';
+    render(<PluginAppEvents />);
+    expect(useThemeStore.getState().syncServerThemes).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    act(() => { useAuthStore.setState({ isAuthenticated: true }); });
+
+    expect(useThemeStore.getState().syncServerThemes).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it('reports navigation between pages', () => {
     const navigate = listen(routerHooks.onNavigate);
     const { rerender } = render(<PluginAppEvents />);
diff --git a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
index aa89bb046..8dd4aa2dc 100644
--- a/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
+++ b/components/mail/mail-app.tsx
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ import { useDocumentTitle } from "@/hooks/use-document-title";
 import { mailTitleContext } from "@/lib/tab-title";
 import { usePluginStore } from "@/stores/plugin-store";
 import { AppTopBannerSlot } from "@/components/plugins/app-top-banner-slot";
-import { useThemeStore } from "@/stores/theme-store";
 import { consumePendingMailto, subscribeToPendingMailto } from "@/lib/protocol-handlers/session";
 import { INTERNAL_MAILTO_EVENT, type ParsedMailto } from "@/lib/protocol-handlers/mailto";
 import { PLUGIN_REPLY_EVENT, type PluginReplyRequest } from "@/lib/plugin-sandbox/host-api-compose";
@@ -1339,10 +1338,10 @@ export function MailApp({ linkSegments: routeSegments }: MailAppProps = {}) {
   }, [checkAuth]);
 
   // Initialize plugins on mount (re-activates enabled plugins after refresh)
-  // Also syncs server-managed plugins and themes to the client
+  // Also syncs server-managed plugins to the client; themes sync from
+  // PluginAppEvents on every page.
   useEffect(() => {
     usePluginStore.getState().initializePlugins();
-    useThemeStore.getState().syncServerThemes();
   }, []);
 
   // Hydrate persisted column widths from localStorage
diff --git a/components/providers/plugin-app-events.tsx b/components/providers/plugin-app-events.tsx
index f16b5146d..38ec9872e 100644
--- a/components/providers/plugin-app-events.tsx
+++ b/components/providers/plugin-app-events.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { usePathname } from 'next/navigation';
 import { appLifecycleHooks, routerHooks, toastHooks, uiHooks } from '@/lib/plugin-hooks';
 import { usePluginStore } from '@/stores/plugin-store';
+import { useThemeStore } from '@/stores/theme-store';
 import { useAuthStore } from '@/stores/auth-store';
 import { useAccountStore } from '@/stores/account-store';
 
@@ -126,8 +127,12 @@ export function PluginAppEvents() {
   // Start the plugins on whichever page the user lands on. They used to start
   // only from the mail view, so a plugin's sidebar entry, page or reminders
   // were missing on Calendar, Contacts, Files or Settings opened directly.
+  // Server themes had the same problem: one installed by the admin never
+  // reached the theme picker until the mail view had been opened.
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (signedIn) void usePluginStore.getState().initializePlugins();
+    if (!signedIn) return;
+    void usePluginStore.getState().initializePlugins();
+    void useThemeStore.getState().syncServerThemes();
   }, [signedIn]);
 
   const readyFired = useRef(false);
diff --git a/components/settings/__tests__/themes-settings-collapse.test.tsx b/components/settings/__tests__/themes-settings-collapse.test.tsx
index ceac48da8..f36c868f7 100644
--- a/components/settings/__tests__/themes-settings-collapse.test.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/__tests__/themes-settings-collapse.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { act, fireEvent, render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { ThemesSettings } from '../themes-settings';
 import { useThemeStore } from '@/stores/theme-store';
 
@@ -16,7 +16,16 @@ function cardNames(): string[] {
 
 describe('ThemesSettings collapse', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
-    act(() => { useThemeStore.setState({ activeThemeId: null }); });
+    act(() => {
+      useThemeStore.setState({ activeThemeId: null, syncServerThemes: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined) });
+    });
+  });
+
+  // Without this, a theme the admin installed in the same tab stayed out of
+  // the gallery until a reload.
+  it('fetches the server themes when it opens', () => {
+    render(<ThemesSettings embedded />);
+    expect(useThemeStore.getState().syncServerThemes).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
   it('shows three cards and a Show all button', () => {
diff --git a/components/settings/themes-settings.tsx b/components/settings/themes-settings.tsx
index 3978072db..9c80da72e 100644
--- a/components/settings/themes-settings.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/themes-settings.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ export function ThemesSettings({ embedded }: { embedded?: boolean } = {}) {
   const themePolicy = getThemePolicy();
   const forcedThemeId = getForcedThemeId(installedThemes.map((theme) => theme.id));
 
+  // Fetch again on open, so a theme the admin just installed in this tab
+  // shows up without a reload.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    void useThemeStore.getState().syncServerThemes();
+  }, []);
+
   // Render each preview in the variant matching the app's current mode, and
   // keep it in sync when the user toggles light/dark elsewhere.
   const [isDark, setIsDark] = useState(false);