diff --git a/public/js/modules/theme.js b/public/js/modules/theme.js
index 15b5b29..78ea6b2 100644
--- a/public/js/modules/theme.js
+++ b/public/js/modules/theme.js
@@ -232,7 +232,10 @@ function saveUserPresets(p) {
 function refreshPresetSelect() {
     const sel = $('design-preset-select');
     if (!sel) return;
-    const cur = sel.value;
+    // localStorage wins over sel.value: the <select> survives settings
+    // close/reopen, so its lingering value would otherwise mask the
+    // persisted selection on the next refresh.
+    const cur = localStorage.getItem('hyprcrd-design-active-preset') || sel.value || '';
     sel.innerHTML = '';
     const builtinGroup = document.createElement('optgroup');
     builtinGroup.label = 'built-in';
@@ -254,7 +257,7 @@ function refreshPresetSelect() {
         }
         sel.appendChild(userGroup);
     }
-    if (cur) sel.value = cur;
+    if (cur && sel.querySelector(`option[value="${CSS.escape(cur)}"]`)) sel.value = cur;
 }
 
 function getSelectedPreset() {
@@ -274,6 +277,8 @@ function loadSelectedPreset() {
     syncControlsFromPending();
     commitDesign();
     renderThemes();
+    const sel = $('design-preset-select');
+    if (sel?.value) localStorage.setItem('hyprcrd-design-active-preset', sel.value);
 }
 $('design-preset-select')?.addEventListener('change', loadSelectedPreset);
 
@@ -288,6 +293,7 @@ $('design-preset-save')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
     refreshPresetSelect();
     const sel = $('design-preset-select');
     if (sel) sel.value = 'user:' + name;
+    localStorage.setItem('hyprcrd-design-active-preset', 'user:' + name);
     const status = $('design-status');
     if (status) { status.textContent = `preset "${name}" saved`; status.style.color = 'var(--t-accent)'; }
 });
@@ -299,6 +305,9 @@ $('design-preset-delete')?.addEventListener('click', () => {
     const presets = loadUserPresets();
     delete presets[name];
     saveUserPresets(presets);
+    if (localStorage.getItem('hyprcrd-design-active-preset') === 'user:' + name) {
+        localStorage.removeItem('hyprcrd-design-active-preset');
+    }
     refreshPresetSelect();
 });