diff --git a/.changeset/sixty-onions-share.md b/.changeset/sixty-onions-share.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..10c54dc457a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/sixty-onions-share.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@primer/react': patch
+---
+
+fix: hover background in ActionList.Item
diff --git a/packages/react/src/ActionList/Item.tsx b/packages/react/src/ActionList/Item.tsx
index 5db1765bfb5..268c7a4312f 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/ActionList/Item.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/ActionList/Item.tsx
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ export const Item = React.forwardRef<HTMLLIElement, ActionListItemProps>(
 
     const hoverStyles = {
       '@media (hover: hover) and (pointer: fine)': {
-        ':hover:not([aria-disabled]):not([data-inactive])': {
+        '&:hover:not([aria-disabled]):not([data-inactive])': {
           backgroundColor: `actionListItem.${variant}.hoverBg`,
           color: getVariantStyles(variant, disabled, inactive).hoverColor,
           boxShadow: `inset 0 0 0 max(1px, 0.0625rem) ${theme?.colors.actionListItem.default.activeBorder}`,
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ export const Item = React.forwardRef<HTMLLIElement, ActionListItemProps>(
           border: `2 solid`,
           boxShadow: `0 0 0 2px ${theme?.colors.accent.emphasis}`,
         },
-        ':active:not([aria-disabled]):not([data-inactive])': {
+        '&:active:not([aria-disabled]):not([data-inactive])': {
           backgroundColor: `actionListItem.${variant}.activeBg`,
           color: getVariantStyles(variant, disabled, inactive).hoverColor,
         },