diff --git a/apps/cockpit/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts b/apps/cockpit/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
index ffc4a0360..b60b7df1e 100644
--- a/apps/cockpit/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/cockpit/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ test.describe('dark mode', () => {
     const canvas = await page
       .locator('html')
       .evaluate((el) => getComputedStyle(el).getPropertyValue('--ds-canvas').trim());
-    expect(canvas).toBe('#0e1117');
+    expect(canvas).toBe('rgb(17, 17, 17)');
   });
 
   test('honors theme=light cookie on server render', async ({ page, context }) => {
diff --git a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-15-dark-palette-align-design.md b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-15-dark-palette-align-design.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6ff1367f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-05-15-dark-palette-align-design.md
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# Dark Palette Alignment — Design
+
+**Date:** 2026-05-15
+**Status:** Spec — pending implementation plan
+**Context:** Sibling of #321 (light palette refresh). Prerequisite for Stage 2 of examples theme sync.
+
+## Goal
+
+Refresh `@ngaf/design-tokens` **dark** palette to absorb `@ngaf/chat` library's neutral-dark aesthetic (matches what we did for light in PR #321). Cockpit dark mode flips from the original brand-blue undertone (`#0e1117` / `#161b25` / `#23293a`) to neutral dark (`rgb(17, 17, 17)` / `rgb(28, 28, 28)` / `rgb(45, 45, 45)`). This reverses decision D from the original cockpit dark mode brainstorming (where brand-blue undertone was preferred over neutral grays), in favor of cohesion with the chat lib's dark palette.
+
+Embedded chat surfaces in cockpit dark mode now visually unify with cockpit chrome — no longer have the slight color seam at the iframe boundary.
+
+Out of scope:
+- Light palette (already aligned in #321)
+- Accent family (`accent`, `accentLight`, `accentHover`, `accentGlow`, `accentBorder`, `accentBorderHover`, `accentSurface`) — brand-blue identity preserved
+- Shadow scale (already neutral `rgba(0, 0, 0, *)` from #321)
+- Brand colors (Angular red, render green, chat purple) — unchanged
+
+## Decision
+
+| # | Decision | Choice |
+|---|---|---|
+| 1 | Reverse #298's decision D (brand-blue undertone) | Yes — align dark to chat lib's neutral palette |
+| 2 | Accent family in dark | Unchanged — brand identity stays |
+| 3 | Generator pipeline | Same as #321 — values flow from `darkOverrides` to the design-tokens TS sources to the website's generated `theme.css` |
+| 4 | Cockpit changes | None to source. `cssVars('dark')` picks up new values automatically |
+
+## Concrete palette changes — `darkOverrides`
+
+In `libs/design-tokens/src/lib/dark.ts`:
+
+| Token | Before | After |
+|---|---|---|
+| `canvas` | `#0e1117` | `rgb(17, 17, 17)` |
+| `surface` | `#161b25` | `rgb(28, 28, 28)` |
+| `surfaceTinted` | `#1c2230` | `rgb(44, 44, 44)` |
+| `surfaceDim` | `#0b0e15` | `rgb(10, 10, 10)` (interpolated; chat lib has no direct equivalent — darker than canvas, matching the light pattern where dim < canvas) |
+| `border` | `#23293a` | `rgb(45, 45, 45)` |
+| `borderStrong` | `#2f3648` | `rgb(60, 60, 60)` (chat lib's `--ngaf-chat-muted`) |
+| `textPrimary` | `#e8e9eb` | `rgb(245, 245, 245)` |
+| `textSecondary` | `#a0a4ad` | `rgb(200, 200, 200)` (interpolated between primary and muted; chat lib has no direct equivalent) |
+| `textMuted` | `#6b6f7a` | `rgb(160, 160, 160)` |
+| `textInverted` | `#0e1117` | `rgb(17, 17, 17)` (matches canvas) |
+| `bg` (legacy alias) | `#0e1117` | `rgb(17, 17, 17)` |
+| `sidebarBg` | `rgba(22, 27, 37, 0.65)` | `rgba(28, 28, 28, 0.65)` (matches new surface translucency) |
+| `accent` (semantic) | `baseTokens.brand.accentLight` (`#64C3FD`) | unchanged |
+| `accentHover` | `#8dd4ff` | unchanged |
+| `accentGlow` | `rgba(100, 195, 253, 0.25)` | unchanged |
+| `accentBorder` | `rgba(100, 195, 253, 0.2)` | unchanged |
+| `accentBorderHover` | `rgba(100, 195, 253, 0.35)` | unchanged |
+| `accentSurface` | `rgba(100, 195, 253, 0.08)` | unchanged |
+
+## File changes
+
+- **Modify**: `libs/design-tokens/src/lib/dark.ts` — palette values per table above
+- **Modify**: `libs/design-tokens/src/lib/css-vars.spec.ts` — update dark-theme `toBe` expectations
+- **Modify**: `apps/cockpit/e2e/dark-mode.spec.ts` — update `'#0e1117'` assertion to `'rgb(17, 17, 17)'`
+- **Modify**: `libs/design-tokens/src/lib/theme.css` — re-run generator; verify diff is unchanged (the generator emits LIGHT values to `@theme`, so this file is unaffected by the dark change — confirm via drift-guard)
+- **Modify**: `libs/design-tokens/package.json` — patch bump
+- **No source changes** in `apps/cockpit`, `apps/website`, `libs/chat`, or `libs/example-layouts` — `cssVars(theme)` picks up new dark values automatically
+
+## Testing
+
+**Unit:**
+- `pnpm nx test design-tokens` — `css-vars.spec.ts` assertions updated, all green
+- Drift-guard test (`generate-theme-css.spec.ts`) — passes since theme.css doesn't contain dark values
+
+**E2e:**
+- `pnpm nx e2e cockpit` — `dark-mode.spec.ts` assertion updated, all green
+
+**Visual smoke (chrome MCP):**
+- Cockpit on 3000, timeline pilot on 4507
+- Default dark: surfaces are neutral dark (not blue-tinted); chat iframe's dark palette matches cockpit dark perfectly — no visible seam
+- Toggle to light: unchanged (PR #321 values still apply)
+- Toggle back to dark: matches new palette
+
+## Risks and mitigations
+
+- **Loss of brand-blue undertone in cockpit dark mode.** This was a deliberate aesthetic choice in #298. Mitigated by user-confirmed reversal during PR 3 brainstorming.
+- **Cockpit OG image (dark canvas).** `apps/cockpit/src/app/opengraph-image.tsx` reads `darkOverrides` directly at request time via Satori. After this change, the OG image renders with new dark canvas. CDN cache invalidates on deploy. Brief visual diff in social previews acceptable.
+- **e2e test assertion drift.** Mitigated by Task to update the specific assertion in this PR.
+
+## Out-of-scope follow-ups (track but defer)
+
+- Stage 2 of examples theme sync (auto-install side effect + 31-app fan-out) — separate PR
+- Removing the `@ngaf/example-layouts/theme.css` namespace bridge — now near-redundant in both light and dark (values match closely). Tracked.
diff --git a/libs/design-tokens/package.json b/libs/design-tokens/package.json
index 933d3ba81..c487860db 100644
--- a/libs/design-tokens/package.json
+++ b/libs/design-tokens/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@ngaf/design-tokens",
-  "version": "0.0.34",
+  "version": "0.0.35",
   "license": "MIT",
   "exports": {
     "./theme.css": "./src/lib/theme.css"
diff --git a/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/css-vars.spec.ts b/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/css-vars.spec.ts
index 0b5240a84..7725c21b6 100644
--- a/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/css-vars.spec.ts
+++ b/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/css-vars.spec.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ describe('cssVars(theme)', () => {
     const vars = cssVars('dark');
 
     it('uses dark canvas color', () => {
-      expect(vars['--ds-canvas']).toBe('#0e1117');
+      expect(vars['--ds-canvas']).toBe('rgb(17, 17, 17)');
     });
 
     it('uses bright-blue accent', () => {
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ describe('cssVars(theme)', () => {
     });
 
     it('uses near-white text on dark surfaces', () => {
-      expect(vars['--ds-text-primary']).toBe('#e8e9eb');
+      expect(vars['--ds-text-primary']).toBe('rgb(245, 245, 245)');
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/dark.ts b/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/dark.ts
index 7620cdcf9..e93cf03cd 100644
--- a/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/dark.ts
+++ b/libs/design-tokens/src/lib/dark.ts
@@ -2,26 +2,27 @@ import { baseTokens } from './base';
 
 /**
  * Theme-variant tokens resolved for the dark theme.
- * Brand-blue undertone palette: #0e1117 content, #161b25 sidebar, #23293a borders.
+ * Neutral-dark palette aligned to @ngaf/chat lib's dark aesthetic so embedded
+ * chat surfaces unify with cockpit chrome (no iframe color seam).
  */
 export const darkOverrides = Object.freeze({
   // Surfaces
-  canvas: '#0e1117',
-  surface: '#161b25',
-  surfaceTinted: '#1c2230',
-  surfaceDim: '#0b0e15',
-  border: '#23293a',
-  borderStrong: '#2f3648',
+  canvas: 'rgb(17, 17, 17)',
+  surface: 'rgb(28, 28, 28)',
+  surfaceTinted: 'rgb(44, 44, 44)',
+  surfaceDim: 'rgb(10, 10, 10)',
+  border: 'rgb(45, 45, 45)',
+  borderStrong: 'rgb(60, 60, 60)',
 
   // Text
-  textPrimary: '#e8e9eb',
-  textSecondary: '#a0a4ad',
-  textMuted: '#6b6f7a',
-  textInverted: '#0e1117',
+  textPrimary: 'rgb(245, 245, 245)',
+  textSecondary: 'rgb(200, 200, 200)',
+  textMuted: 'rgb(160, 160, 160)',
+  textInverted: 'rgb(17, 17, 17)',
 
   // Legacy surface aliases
-  bg: '#0e1117',
-  sidebarBg: 'rgba(22, 27, 37, 0.65)',
+  bg: 'rgb(17, 17, 17)',
+  sidebarBg: 'rgba(28, 28, 28, 0.65)',
 
   // Semantic accent maps to the bright-blue brand color (readable on dark surfaces)
   accent: baseTokens.brand.accentLight,
diff --git a/libs/example-layouts/src/lib/install-embedded-theme.spec.ts b/libs/example-layouts/src/lib/install-embedded-theme.spec.ts
index 1665d4d7f..f66811a8e 100644
--- a/libs/example-layouts/src/lib/install-embedded-theme.spec.ts
+++ b/libs/example-layouts/src/lib/install-embedded-theme.spec.ts
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ describe('installEmbeddedTheme', () => {
     installEmbeddedTheme();
     expect(document.documentElement.dataset.theme).toBe('dark');
     // Verify a representative --ds-* var got set to the dark value
-    expect(document.documentElement.style.getPropertyValue('--ds-canvas').trim()).toBe('#0e1117');
+    expect(document.documentElement.style.getPropertyValue('--ds-canvas').trim()).toBe('rgb(17, 17, 17)');
   });
 
   it('accepts a non-default initial theme', () => {
     installEmbeddedTheme('light');
     expect(document.documentElement.dataset.theme).toBe('light');
-    expect(document.documentElement.style.getPropertyValue('--ds-canvas').trim()).toBe('#fafbfc');
+    expect(document.documentElement.style.getPropertyValue('--ds-canvas').trim()).toBe('rgb(255, 255, 255)');
   });
 
   it('posts ngaf:theme-request to window.parent on call', () => {
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ describe('installEmbeddedTheme', () => {
       new MessageEvent('message', { data: { type: 'ngaf:theme', theme: 'light' } })
     );
     expect(document.documentElement.dataset.theme).toBe('light');
-    expect(document.documentElement.style.getPropertyValue('--ds-canvas').trim()).toBe('#fafbfc');
+    expect(document.documentElement.style.getPropertyValue('--ds-canvas').trim()).toBe('rgb(255, 255, 255)');
   });
 
   it('ignores malformed messages', () => {