diff --git a/docs-master/Config.md b/docs-master/Config.md
index 6d8f2fe10..e2107039b 100644
--- a/docs-master/Config.md
+++ b/docs-master/Config.md
@@ -193,9 +193,10 @@ gui:
       - blue
 
     # Background color of selected line.
+    # Default: 'blue' if the terminal has a dark background, or a suitable RGB blue
+    # computed from the background color if it is light.
     # See https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line
-    selectedLineBgColor:
-      - blue
+    selectedLineBgColor: []
 
     # Background color of selected line when view doesn't have focus.
     # Default: a suitable RGB grey computed from the terminal's background color.
diff --git a/pkg/config/theme_config.go b/pkg/config/theme_config.go
index 04fdf3726..7729adb77 100644
--- a/pkg/config/theme_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/theme_config.go
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ func (c *GuiConfig) ThemeForBackground(lightBackground bool, backgroundColor str
 // on the terminal's background. GetDefaultConfig leaves these fields empty in
 // gui.theme, so that a value there comes from the user, and wins over these.
 //
-// They are derived from the background color, so that they keep the same
-// distance from it however dark or light it is. If we don't know the
+// Most of them are derived from the background color, so that they keep the
+// same distance from it however dark or light it is. If we don't know the
 // background color, we assume black or white.
 func themeDefaults(lightBackground bool, backgroundColor string) ThemeConfig {
 	if len(backgroundColor) != 7 || !utils.IsValidHexValue(backgroundColor) {
@@ -35,11 +35,20 @@ func themeDefaults(lightBackground bool, backgroundColor string) ThemeConfig {
 
 	if lightBackground {
 		return ThemeConfig{
+			// The colors of a light palette are dark enough to read as text on
+			// the background, so none of them works as a background for text.
+			// Some blue mixed into the background keeps the colored text on the
+			// selected line as readable as elsewhere.
+			SelectedLineBgColor:             []string{mixHexColors(backgroundColor, "#0064ff", 0.25)},
 			InactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor: []string{mixHexColors(backgroundColor, "#000000", 0.15)},
 		}
 	}
 
 	return ThemeConfig{
+		// Dark palettes make their blue dark enough to work as a background for
+		// text. Unlike a color derived from a dark background, it doesn't turn
+		// into black on terminals with only 8 colors.
+		SelectedLineBgColor:             []string{"blue"},
 		InactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor: []string{mixHexColors(backgroundColor, "#ffffff", 0.3)},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/config/theme_config_test.go b/pkg/config/theme_config_test.go
index a4bd39028..4d83b56a3 100644
--- a/pkg/config/theme_config_test.go
+++ b/pkg/config/theme_config_test.go
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ func TestBackgroundDefaultsAreDerivedFromTheBackgroundColor(t *testing.T) {
 	gui := GetDefaultConfig().Gui
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"#626262"}, gui.ThemeForBackground(false, "#1e1e1e").InactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor)
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"#d7d1c1"}, gui.ThemeForBackground(true, "#fdf6e3").InactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"blue"}, gui.ThemeForBackground(false, "#1e1e1e").SelectedLineBgColor)
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"#bed2ea"}, gui.ThemeForBackground(true, "#fdf6e3").SelectedLineBgColor)
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"#bfd8ff"}, gui.ThemeForBackground(true, "").SelectedLineBgColor)
 }
 
 // If gui.theme had a default for a field that also has a default for the
diff --git a/pkg/config/user_config.go b/pkg/config/user_config.go
index f4d00cf60..8f67873a5 100644
--- a/pkg/config/user_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/user_config.go
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ type ThemeConfig struct {
 	// Color of keybindings help text in the bottom line
 	OptionsTextColor []string `yaml:"optionsTextColor" jsonschema:"minItems=1,uniqueItems=true"`
 	// Background color of selected line.
+	// Default: 'blue' if the terminal has a dark background, or a suitable RGB blue computed from the background color if it is light.
 	// See https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line
 	SelectedLineBgColor []string `yaml:"selectedLineBgColor" jsonschema:"minItems=1,uniqueItems=true"`
 	// Background color of selected line when view doesn't have focus.
@@ -895,7 +896,6 @@ func GetDefaultConfigForPlatform(platform string) *UserConfig {
 				SearchingActiveBorderColor: []string{"cyan", "bold"},
 				InactiveBorderColor:        []string{"dim"},
 				OptionsTextColor:           []string{"blue"},
-				SelectedLineBgColor:        []string{"blue"},
 				CherryPickedCommitBgColor:  []string{"cyan"},
 				CherryPickedCommitFgColor:  []string{"blue"},
 				MarkedBaseCommitBgColor:    []string{"yellow"},
diff --git a/schema-master/config.json b/schema-master/config.json
index 9b6383a7a..b6194d3f0 100644
--- a/schema-master/config.json
+++ b/schema-master/config.json
@@ -774,10 +774,7 @@
               "type": "array",
               "minItems": 1,
               "uniqueItems": true,
-              "description": "Background color of selected line.\nSee https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line",
-              "default": [
-                "blue"
-              ]
+              "description": "Background color of selected line.\nDefault: 'blue' if the terminal has a dark background, or a suitable RGB blue computed from the background color if it is light.\nSee https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line"
             },
             "inactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor": {
               "items": {
@@ -917,7 +914,7 @@
               "type": "array",
               "minItems": 1,
               "uniqueItems": true,
-              "description": "Background color of selected line.\nSee https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line"
+              "description": "Background color of selected line.\nDefault: 'blue' if the terminal has a dark background, or a suitable RGB blue computed from the background color if it is light.\nSee https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line"
             },
             "inactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor": {
               "items": {
@@ -1039,7 +1036,7 @@
               "type": "array",
               "minItems": 1,
               "uniqueItems": true,
-              "description": "Background color of selected line.\nSee https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line"
+              "description": "Background color of selected line.\nDefault: 'blue' if the terminal has a dark background, or a suitable RGB blue computed from the background color if it is light.\nSee https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md#highlighting-the-selected-line"
             },
             "inactiveViewSelectedLineBgColor": {
               "items": {