diff --git a/data/org.x.editor.gschema.xml.in b/data/org.x.editor.gschema.xml.in
index 322ad49b..9418cda9 100644
--- a/data/org.x.editor.gschema.xml.in
+++ b/data/org.x.editor.gschema.xml.in
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@
       <description>A custom font that will be used for the editing area. This will only take effect if the "Use Default Font" option is turned off.</description>
     </key>
 
+    <key name="prefer-dark-theme" type="b">
+      <default>false</default>
+      <summary>Prefer Dark Theme</summary>
+      <description>Whether xed should prefer the dark variation of the current Gtk theme if available.</description>
+    </key>
+
     <key name="scheme" type="s">
       <default>'tango'</default>
       <summary>Style Scheme</summary>
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 6e84ffed..c433a54d 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Build-Depends: debhelper-compat (= 12),
                libgtk-3-dev,
                libgtksourceview-4-dev,
                libpeas-dev,
-               libxapp-dev (>= 2.5.0),
+               libxapp-dev (>= 1.9),
                libx11-dev,
                libxml2-dev,
                python3,
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index d9bc5cff..8a39348d 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ libpeas = dependency('libpeas-1.0', version: '>= 1.12.0')
 libpeas_gtk = dependency('libpeas-gtk-1.0', version: '>= 1.12.0')
 gir_dep = dependency('gobject-introspection-1.0', version: '>= 1.42.0', required: false)
 gmodule = dependency('gmodule-2.0')
-xapp = dependency('xapp', version: '>= 2.5.0')
+xapp = dependency('xapp', version: '>= 1.9.0')
 X11 = dependency('x11')
 pango = dependency('pango')
 
diff --git a/xed/resources/ui/xed-preferences-dialog.ui b/xed/resources/ui/xed-preferences-dialog.ui
index 5f6c070f..2929d33d 100644
--- a/xed/resources/ui/xed-preferences-dialog.ui
+++ b/xed/resources/ui/xed-preferences-dialog.ui
@@ -1203,6 +1203,61 @@
         <property name="border_width">12</property>
         <property name="orientation">vertical</property>
         <property name="spacing">6</property>
+        <child>
+          <object class="GtkLabel" id="label21">
+            <property name="visible">True</property>
+            <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+            <property name="label" translatable="yes">Dark theme</property>
+            <property name="xalign">0</property>
+            <attributes>
+              <attribute name="weight" value="bold"/>
+              <attribute name="scale" value="1.1000000000000001"/>
+            </attributes>
+          </object>
+          <packing>
+            <property name="expand">False</property>
+            <property name="fill">False</property>
+            <property name="position">0</property>
+          </packing>
+        </child>
+        <child>
+          <object class="GtkBox" id="box25">
+            <property name="visible">True</property>
+            <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+            <property name="margin_left">32</property>
+            <property name="margin_right">32</property>
+            <child>
+              <object class="GtkLabel" id="label20">
+                <property name="visible">True</property>
+                <property name="can_focus">False</property>
+                <property name="label" translatable="yes">Use dark theme variant (if available)</property>
+                <property name="xalign">0</property>
+              </object>
+              <packing>
+                <property name="expand">False</property>
+                <property name="fill">True</property>
+                <property name="position">0</property>
+              </packing>
+            </child>
+            <child>
+              <object class="GtkSwitch" id="prefer_dark_theme_switch">
+                <property name="visible">True</property>
+                <property name="can_focus">True</property>
+              </object>
+              <packing>
+                <property name="expand">False</property>
+                <property name="fill">True</property>
+                <property name="pack_type">end</property>
+                <property name="position">1</property>
+              </packing>
+            </child>
+          </object>
+          <packing>
+            <property name="expand">False</property>
+            <property name="fill">True</property>
+            <property name="position">1</property>
+          </packing>
+        </child>
         <child>
           <object class="GtkLabel" id="label22">
             <property name="visible">True</property>
diff --git a/xed/xed-app.c b/xed/xed-app.c
index bfddbe52..1ccf033b 100644
--- a/xed/xed-app.c
+++ b/xed/xed-app.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <glib/gi18n.h>
 #include <libpeas/peas-extension-set.h>
 #include <gtksourceview/gtksource.h>
-#include <libxapp/xapp-dark-mode-manager.h>
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_INTROSPECTION
 #include <girepository.h>
@@ -77,7 +76,6 @@ struct _XedAppPrivate
     GObject *settings;
     GSettings *window_settings;
     GSettings *editor_settings;
-    XAppDarkModeManager *dark_mode_manager;
 
     PeasExtensionSet *extensions;
 
@@ -167,7 +165,6 @@ xed_app_dispose (GObject *object)
 
     g_clear_object (&app->priv->window_settings);
     g_clear_object (&app->priv->editor_settings);
-    g_clear_object (&app->priv->dark_mode_manager);
     g_clear_object (&app->priv->settings);
     g_clear_object (&app->priv->page_setup);
     g_clear_object (&app->priv->print_settings);
@@ -209,6 +206,18 @@ extension_removed (PeasExtensionSet *extensions,
     peas_extension_call (exten, "deactivate");
 }
 
+static void
+set_initial_theme_style (XedApp *app)
+{
+    if (g_settings_get_boolean (app->priv->editor_settings, XED_SETTINGS_PREFER_DARK_THEME))
+    {
+        GtkSettings *gtk_settings;
+
+        gtk_settings = gtk_settings_get_default ();
+        g_object_set (G_OBJECT (gtk_settings), "gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme", TRUE, NULL);
+    }
+}
+
 static void
 theme_changed (GtkSettings *settings,
                GParamSpec  *pspec,
@@ -302,7 +311,8 @@ xed_app_startup (GApplication *application)
     app->priv->settings = xed_settings_new ();
     app->priv->window_settings = g_settings_new ("org.x.editor.state.window");
     app->priv->editor_settings = g_settings_new ("org.x.editor.preferences.editor");
-    app->priv->dark_mode_manager = xapp_dark_mode_manager_new (FALSE);
+
+    set_initial_theme_style (app);
 
     /* Load custom css */
     css_file = g_file_new_for_uri ("resource:///org/x/editor/css/xed-style.css");
diff --git a/xed/xed-preferences-dialog.c b/xed/xed-preferences-dialog.c
index e9a3ed77..fe44e451 100644
--- a/xed/xed-preferences-dialog.c
+++ b/xed/xed-preferences-dialog.c
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ struct _XedPreferencesDialog
     GtkWidget *tab_scrolling_switch;
 
     /* Style scheme */
+    GtkWidget *prefer_dark_theme_switch;
     GtkWidget *schemes_list;
     GtkWidget *install_scheme_button;
     GtkWidget *uninstall_scheme_button;
@@ -200,6 +201,7 @@ xed_preferences_dialog_class_init (XedPreferencesDialogClass *klass)
     gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, XedPreferencesDialog, ensure_newline_switch);
 
     /* Theme page widgets */
+    gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, XedPreferencesDialog, prefer_dark_theme_switch);
     gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, XedPreferencesDialog, schemes_list);
     gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, XedPreferencesDialog, install_scheme_button);
     gtk_widget_class_bind_template_child (widget_class, XedPreferencesDialog, uninstall_scheme_button);
@@ -855,6 +857,13 @@ setup_theme_page (XedPreferencesDialog *dlg)
 
     xed_debug (DEBUG_PREFS);
 
+    /* Prefer dark theme */
+    g_settings_bind (dlg->editor_settings,
+                     XED_SETTINGS_PREFER_DARK_THEME,
+                     dlg->prefer_dark_theme_switch,
+                     "active",
+                     G_SETTINGS_BIND_GET | G_SETTINGS_BIND_SET);
+
     /* Style scheme */
     scheme = get_default_color_scheme (dlg);
 
diff --git a/xed/xed-settings.c b/xed/xed-settings.c
index 22977922..5002a428 100644
--- a/xed/xed-settings.c
+++ b/xed/xed-settings.c
@@ -174,6 +174,20 @@ on_editor_font_changed (GSettings   *settings,
     g_free (font);
 }
 
+static void
+on_prefer_dark_theme_changed (GSettings   *settings,
+                              const gchar *key,
+                              XedSettings *xs)
+{
+    GtkSettings *gtk_settings;
+    gboolean prefer_dark_theme;
+
+    prefer_dark_theme = g_settings_get_boolean (xs->priv->editor, XED_SETTINGS_PREFER_DARK_THEME);
+    gtk_settings = gtk_settings_get_default ();
+
+    g_object_set (G_OBJECT (gtk_settings), "gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme", prefer_dark_theme, NULL);
+}
+
 static void
 on_scheme_changed (GSettings   *settings,
                    const gchar *key,
@@ -363,6 +377,8 @@ xed_settings_init (XedSettings *xs)
                       G_CALLBACK (on_use_default_font_changed), xs);
     g_signal_connect (xs->priv->editor, "changed::editor-font",
                       G_CALLBACK (on_editor_font_changed), xs);
+    g_signal_connect (xs->priv->editor, "changed::prefer-dark-theme",
+                      G_CALLBACK (on_prefer_dark_theme_changed), xs);
     g_signal_connect (xs->priv->editor, "changed::scheme",
                       G_CALLBACK (on_scheme_changed), xs);
     g_signal_connect (xs->priv->editor, "changed::auto-save",
diff --git a/xed/xed-settings.h b/xed/xed-settings.h
index a49f3ff3..71790c8e 100644
--- a/xed/xed-settings.h
+++ b/xed/xed-settings.h
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ void xed_settings_set_list (GSettings    *settings,
 /* key constants */
 #define XED_SETTINGS_USE_DEFAULT_FONT           "use-default-font"
 #define XED_SETTINGS_EDITOR_FONT                "editor-font"
+#define XED_SETTINGS_PREFER_DARK_THEME          "prefer-dark-theme"
 #define XED_SETTINGS_SCHEME                     "scheme"
 #define XED_SETTINGS_CREATE_BACKUP_COPY         "create-backup-copy"
 #define XED_SETTINGS_AUTO_SAVE                  "auto-save"