diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt
index d15f654bf1..36e98483b8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/data/preference/PreferencesHelper.kt
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ class PreferencesHelper(val context: Context) {
 
     fun zoomStart() = rxPrefs.getInteger(Keys.zoomStart, 1)
 
-    fun readerTheme() = rxPrefs.getInteger(Keys.readerTheme, 0)
+    fun readerTheme() = rxPrefs.getInteger(Keys.readerTheme, 1)
 
     fun cropBorders() = rxPrefs.getBoolean(Keys.cropBorders, false)
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsReaderController.kt b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsReaderController.kt
index 387a21f8e1..a83b89787a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsReaderController.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsReaderController.kt
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class SettingsReaderController : SettingsController() {
                 titleRes = R.string.pref_reader_theme
                 entriesRes = arrayOf(R.string.white_background, R.string.black_background)
                 entryValues = arrayOf("0", "1")
-                defaultValue = "0"
+                defaultValue = "1"
                 summary = "%s"
             }
             intListPreference {