diff --git a/assets/css/variables.css b/assets/css/variables.css
index 9148ef58..7deb6ac8 100644
--- a/assets/css/variables.css
+++ b/assets/css/variables.css
@@ -539,10 +539,16 @@ body.os-active {
 	 * `--os-ui-fg-on-accent`, which the shell reads as "light text on
 	 * a dark surface" in seventy-odd places that are not the accent.
 	 * Starlight here for Pulse; the accent picker rewrites it inline
-	 * to Void whenever the chosen accent is light (Starlight, Sirius,
-	 * Nebula, Lagoon), so the pair always agree.
+	 * to Void whenever Void has more contrast on the chosen accent
+	 * (Nebula, Sirius, Lagoon, Starlight, Teal, Emerald, Amber), so
+	 * the pair always agree.
 	 */
 	--os-ui-accent-ink: #fffbff;
+	/*
+	 * The accent as text, and its hover. Nebula is Pulse's pair; for any
+	 * other pick the accent picker writes this and `--os-link` inline,
+	 * lifted toward Starlight until it reads at 4.5:1 on Astro.
+	 */
 	--os-ui-accent-strong: #ec9bff;
 	--os-ui-accent-soft: color-mix(in srgb, var(--os-ui-accent-dim) 14%, transparent);
 	/*
@@ -1046,8 +1052,7 @@ body.os-active {
 	--os-ui-notice-neutral-bg: rgba(255, 251, 255, 0.06);
 	--os-ui-notice-neutral-border: rgba(255, 251, 255, 0.14);
 	/*
-	 * A link inside a notice reads Nebula, the same value `--os-link`
-	 * gives every other shell link — NOT the accent.
+	 * A link inside a notice reads Starlight, NOT the accent.
 	 *
 	 * Undeclared, the base fell through to `--wp-admin-theme-color`,
 	 * which OpenStation Preferences → Appearance writes inline on `<html>`
diff --git a/docs/desktop-themes.md b/docs/desktop-themes.md
index e6dcbaca..35222b3d 100644
--- a/docs/desktop-themes.md
+++ b/docs/desktop-themes.md
@@ -415,8 +415,8 @@ kit's own stylesheets never hard-wire it to a decorative surface.
 | `--os-ui-hover` | Row / tile hover wash |
 | `--os-ui-scrim` | Modal + overlay backdrop |
 | `--os-ui-accent` | Primary action |
-| `--os-ui-accent-strong` | Its hover / active state |
-| `--os-ui-accent-ink` | Ink on the accent fill: the tick in a checked box, the dot in a radio, a primary button's label. **Not `--os-ui-fg-on-accent`**, which the shell reads as light text on any dark surface (toasts, dock labels, tile captions); accent fills read this first and fall back to that. The palette declares Starlight and Legacy `#fff`, but the accent picker writes it inline next to `--os-ui-accent` (Void for a light accent, Starlight otherwise), so inside the shell the user's pick decides it. |
+| `--os-ui-accent-strong`, `--os-link` | The accent as text (links, labels) and the accent's hover state. The palette declares Nebula, and the accent picker writes both inline on `<body>`: the picked accent when it reads at 4.5:1 on the palette's surfaces, otherwise the accent mixed toward Starlight until it does (Pulse keeps Nebula). The picker does not write them while a desktop theme is worn, so a theme that changes the surfaces declares its own. |
+| `--os-ui-accent-ink` | Ink on the accent fill: the tick in a checked box, the dot in a radio, a primary button's label. **Not `--os-ui-fg-on-accent`**, which the shell reads as light text on any dark surface (toasts, dock labels, tile captions); accent fills read this first and fall back to that. The palette declares Starlight and Legacy `#fff`, but the accent picker writes it inline next to `--os-ui-accent` (Void when it has more contrast on the accent than Starlight, Starlight otherwise; Pulse keeps Starlight), so inside the shell the user's pick decides it. |
 | `--os-ui-danger`, `--os-ui-danger-hover` | Destructive actions |
 | `--os-ui-warning-fg`, `--os-ui-warning-bg`, `--os-ui-warning-border` | Warning notices |
 | `--os-ui-info-fg`, `--os-ui-info-bg` | Info notices |
diff --git a/src/settings/index.ts b/src/settings/index.ts
index 610f4ab7..98ce603a 100644
--- a/src/settings/index.ts
+++ b/src/settings/index.ts
@@ -67,31 +67,80 @@ import {
 	registerCustomImageIfPresent,
 } from './wallpaper-defs';
 
-/**
- * Whether text on a fill of this colour should be dark.
- *
- * WCAG relative luminance, with the threshold set between the two
- * brand accents that sit closest to it: Pulse (0.32) keeps the
- * Starlight ink the brand pairs it with, Lagoon (0.37), Nebula (0.49),
- * Sirius (0.78) and Starlight itself take Void. Anything that is not
- * a six-digit hex reads as dark, which keeps the palette's own
- * Starlight ink.
- */
-export function accentWantsDarkInk( hex: string ): boolean {
+/** WCAG relative luminance of a six-digit hex, or `null` for anything else. */
+function relativeLuminance( hex: string ): number | null {
 	const match = /^#?([0-9a-f]{6})$/i.exec( hex.trim() );
 	if ( ! match ) {
-		return false;
+		return null;
 	}
 	const linear = ( pair: string ): number => {
 		const s = parseInt( pair, 16 ) / 255;
 		return s <= 0.03928 ? s / 12.92 : ( ( s + 0.055 ) / 1.055 ) ** 2.4;
 	};
 	const hexRgb = match[ 1 ];
-	const luminance =
+	return (
 		0.2126 * linear( hexRgb.slice( 0, 2 ) ) +
 		0.7152 * linear( hexRgb.slice( 2, 4 ) ) +
-		0.0722 * linear( hexRgb.slice( 4, 6 ) );
-	return luminance > 0.35;
+		0.0722 * linear( hexRgb.slice( 4, 6 ) )
+	);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether text on a fill of this colour should be dark.
+ *
+ * WCAG relative luminance against the crossover where Void (#0c0b0f)
+ * and Starlight (#fffbff) have equal contrast on the fill:
+ * sqrt( ( 0.9747 + 0.05 ) * ( 0.0035 + 0.05 ) ) - 0.05, about 0.184.
+ * Above it Void reads better, below it Starlight does. Pulse is the
+ * one exception and keeps the Starlight ink the brand pairs it with.
+ * Anything that is not a six-digit hex reads as dark, which keeps the
+ * palette's own Starlight ink.
+ */
+export function accentWantsDarkInk( hex: string ): boolean {
+	if ( /^#?f252fc$/i.test( hex.trim() ) ) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	const luminance = relativeLuminance( hex );
+	return luminance !== null && luminance > 0.184;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The color link text takes for this accent on the shell's dark
+ * surfaces, or `null` to keep the palette's own.
+ *
+ * The accent itself when it already reads at WCAG AA (4.5:1) against
+ * Astro, the lightest surface the palette puts text on, so Nebula,
+ * Sirius, Lagoon and Starlight come back unchanged. A darker accent
+ * (WordPress Blue, Indigo, Rose, and slightly Teal, Emerald and Amber) is mixed toward Starlight, five
+ * percent at a time, until it does. Anything that is not a six-digit
+ * hex returns `null`.
+ */
+export function accentLinkColor( hex: string ): string | null {
+	const match = /^#?([0-9a-f]{6})$/i.exec( hex.trim() );
+	if ( ! match ) {
+		return null;
+	}
+	const astro = relativeLuminance( '#33303a' ) as number;
+	const starlight = [ 0xff, 0xfb, 0xff ];
+	const rgb = [ 0, 2, 4 ].map( ( i ) =>
+		parseInt( match[ 1 ].slice( i, i + 2 ), 16 ),
+	);
+	for ( let step = 0; step < 20; step++ ) {
+		const mixed =
+			'#' +
+			rgb
+				.map( ( c, i ) =>
+					Math.round( c + ( ( starlight[ i ] - c ) * step ) / 20 )
+						.toString( 16 )
+						.padStart( 2, '0' ),
+				)
+				.join( '' );
+		const luminance = relativeLuminance( mixed ) as number;
+		if ( ( luminance + 0.05 ) / ( astro + 0.05 ) >= 4.5 ) {
+			return mixed;
+		}
+	}
+	return '#fffbff';
 }
 
 /** Options for {@link OsSettings.update}. */
@@ -451,6 +500,35 @@ export class OsSettings {
 		// through `apply()`. `applyDesktopTheme` dedupes on the active
 		// id, so the repeated calls this makes cost two comparisons.
 		applyDesktopTheme( this.state.desktopTheme );
+
+		/*
+		 * Link text: `--os-link`, and `--os-ui-accent-strong`, which
+		 * the shell reads as the accent's text and hover color. The
+		 * palette declares both at Nebula, the brand's pair for Pulse,
+		 * so without this write every link in My WordPress, the
+		 * Preferences About card and the Content Graph stayed pink
+		 * whatever accent was picked.
+		 *
+		 * Unlike the accent, these are not written on the shell and
+		 * not written at all while a desktop theme is worn. A link is
+		 * text on a surface, and `accentLinkColor()` only knows the
+		 * palette's dark surfaces; a theme brings its own (Legacy is
+		 * white), so it keeps the link color it declares. Pulse keeps
+		 * the palette's Nebula, the same way it keeps its hand-mixed
+		 * dim.
+		 */
+		const linkColor =
+			shell.hasAttribute( 'data-os-desktop-theme' ) ||
+			accentValue.toLowerCase() === BRAND_ACCENT
+				? null
+				: accentLinkColor( accentValue );
+		for ( const token of [ '--os-link', '--os-ui-accent-strong' ] ) {
+			if ( linkColor === null ) {
+				root.style.removeProperty( token );
+			} else {
+				root.style.setProperty( token, linkColor );
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/tests/vitest/accent-ink.test.ts b/tests/vitest/accent-ink.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..930ebdca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/vitest/accent-ink.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/**
+ * The ink on an accent fill (`--os-ui-accent-ink`): the label of a
+ * primary button, the tick in a checked box.
+ *
+ * `accentWantsDarkInk` picks between Void and Starlight. The pick has
+ * to be the one that reads better on the fill, measured as the WCAG
+ * contrast ratio, for every swatch and for a custom colour. Pulse is
+ * the exception: the brand pairs it with Starlight.
+ */
+import { describe, expect, test } from 'vitest';
+import { accentWantsDarkInk } from '../../src/settings';
+
+const VOID = '#0c0b0f';
+const STARLIGHT = '#fffbff';
+
+function luminance( hex: string ): number {
+	const channel = ( i: number ): number => {
+		const s = parseInt( hex.slice( 1 + i * 2, 3 + i * 2 ), 16 ) / 255;
+		return s <= 0.03928 ? s / 12.92 : ( ( s + 0.055 ) / 1.055 ) ** 2.4;
+	};
+	return 0.2126 * channel( 0 ) + 0.7152 * channel( 1 ) + 0.0722 * channel( 2 );
+}
+
+function contrast( a: string, b: string ): number {
+	const [ hi, lo ] = [ luminance( a ), luminance( b ) ].sort( ( x, y ) => y - x );
+	return ( hi + 0.05 ) / ( lo + 0.05 );
+}
+
+describe( 'accentWantsDarkInk', () => {
+	test.each( [
+		[ 'Nebula', '#ec9bff' ],
+		[ 'Sirius', '#9af2ff' ],
+		[ 'Lagoon', '#9f98ff' ],
+		[ 'Starlight', '#fffbff' ],
+		[ 'WordPress Blue', '#2271b1' ],
+		[ 'Indigo', '#3858e9' ],
+		[ 'Teal', '#04a4cc' ],
+		[ 'Emerald', '#059669' ],
+		[ 'Amber', '#d97706' ],
+		[ 'Rose', '#e11d48' ],
+		[ 'custom red', '#ff0000' ],
+		[ 'custom green', '#00a000' ],
+		[ 'custom navy', '#000080' ],
+	] )( '%s (%s) gets the ink with more contrast', ( _label, hex ) => {
+		const ink = accentWantsDarkInk( hex ) ? VOID : STARLIGHT;
+		const other = ink === VOID ? STARLIGHT : VOID;
+		expect( contrast( hex, ink ) ).toBeGreaterThan( contrast( hex, other ) );
+	} );
+
+	test( 'a custom #ff0000 primary button passes AA', () => {
+		const ink = accentWantsDarkInk( '#ff0000' ) ? VOID : STARLIGHT;
+		expect( contrast( '#ff0000', ink ) ).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual( 4.5 );
+	} );
+
+	test( 'Pulse keeps the Starlight ink the brand pairs it with', () => {
+		expect( accentWantsDarkInk( '#f252fc' ) ).toBe( false );
+		expect( accentWantsDarkInk( '#F252FC' ) ).toBe( false );
+	} );
+
+	test( 'anything that is not a six-digit hex keeps Starlight', () => {
+		expect( accentWantsDarkInk( 'red' ) ).toBe( false );
+		expect( accentWantsDarkInk( '#fff' ) ).toBe( false );
+	} );
+} );
diff --git a/tests/vitest/os-settings-accent-link-apply.test.ts b/tests/vitest/os-settings-accent-link-apply.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b7a73e53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/vitest/os-settings-accent-link-apply.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+/**
+ * OS Settings → Appearance → Accent, at the apply pass: link text.
+ *
+ * The palette declares `--os-link` and `--os-ui-accent-strong` at
+ * Nebula, the brand's pair for Pulse. The picker wrote the accent, its
+ * ink and its dim, and left these two alone, so every link and every
+ * accent-strong label stayed pink whichever swatch was picked. These
+ * pin that each built-in swatch moves them, to a color that still
+ * reads at WCAG AA on the palette's dark surfaces.
+ */
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { _resetAllSharedStoresForTests } from '../../src/shared-store';
+import { OsSettings } from '../../src/settings';
+import { DEFAULT_ACCENTS, STORAGE_KEY } from '../../src/settings/constants';
+import { clearHooksStub, installHooksStub } from './helpers/hooks-stub';
+import type { WallpaperLayer } from '../../src/wallpapers/layer';
+
+const CSS = readFileSync(
+	resolve( __dirname, '../../assets/css/variables.css' ),
+	'utf8',
+);
+const TOKENS = [ '--os-link', '--os-ui-accent-strong' ];
+
+function declared( token: string ): string {
+	const match = new RegExp( `\\n\\t${ token }:\\s*([^;]+);` ).exec( CSS );
+	return match ? match[ 1 ].trim() : '';
+}
+
+function luminance( hex: string ): number {
+	const rgb = /^#([0-9a-f]{6})$/i.exec( hex )![ 1 ];
+	const [ r, g, b ] = [ 0, 2, 4 ].map( ( i ) => {
+		const s = parseInt( rgb.slice( i, i + 2 ), 16 ) / 255;
+		return s <= 0.03928 ? s / 12.92 : ( ( s + 0.055 ) / 1.055 ) ** 2.4;
+	} );
+	return 0.2126 * r + 0.7152 * g + 0.0722 * b;
+}
+
+function contrast( a: string, b: string ): number {
+	const [ hi, lo ] = [ luminance( a ), luminance( b ) ].sort( ( x, y ) => y - x );
+	return ( hi + 0.05 ) / ( lo + 0.05 );
+}
+
+// The palette's surfaces text sits on: Void, Obsidian, Astro.
+const SURFACES = [
+	'--os-ui-surface-sunken',
+	'--os-ui-surface',
+	'--os-ui-surface-elevated',
+].map( declared );
+
+function applyAccent( accent: string ): void {
+	window.localStorage.setItem( STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify( { accent } ) );
+	new OsSettings( { apply: vi.fn() } as unknown as WallpaperLayer ).apply();
+}
+
+/** What a link resolves to: the inline write, else the palette's value. */
+function linkOf( token: string ): string {
+	return document.body.style.getPropertyValue( token ) || declared( token );
+}
+
+beforeEach( () => {
+	_resetAllSharedStoresForTests();
+	installHooksStub();
+	window.localStorage.clear();
+	document.body.innerHTML = '';
+	document.body.removeAttribute( 'style' );
+	const shell = document.createElement( 'div' );
+	shell.id = 'os-shell';
+	document.body.appendChild( shell );
+	return () => clearHooksStub();
+} );
+
+describe( 'apply(): link color follows the accent', () => {
+	test.each( DEFAULT_ACCENTS.map( ( a ) => [ a.id, a.value ] ) )(
+		'%s (%s): links follow it and read at AA on every dark surface',
+		( id, value ) => {
+			applyAccent( id );
+			for ( const token of TOKENS ) {
+				const link = linkOf( token );
+				for ( const surface of SURFACES ) {
+					expect(
+						contrast( link, surface ),
+						`${ token } ${ link } on ${ surface }`,
+					).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual( 4.5 );
+				}
+				// Pulse keeps the palette's Nebula; every other swatch
+				// must move the link off it.
+				if ( id !== 'pulse' && value !== declared( token ) ) {
+					expect( link, token ).not.toBe( declared( token ) );
+				}
+			}
+		},
+	);
+
+	test.each( [ 'pulse', 'nebula' ] )(
+		'%s leaves links at Nebula, #ec9bff',
+		( id ) => {
+			applyAccent( id );
+			for ( const token of TOKENS ) {
+				expect( linkOf( token ) ).toBe( '#ec9bff' );
+			}
+		},
+	);
+
+	test( 'a worn desktop theme keeps the link color it declares', () => {
+		document
+			.getElementById( 'os-shell' )!
+			.setAttribute( 'data-os-desktop-theme', 'legacy' );
+		applyAccent( 'wp-blue' );
+		for ( const token of TOKENS ) {
+			expect( document.body.style.getPropertyValue( token ) ).toBe( '' );
+		}
+	} );
+} );