diff --git a/window/src/os/wayland/connection.rs b/window/src/os/wayland/connection.rs
index f20417ee0e8..17c3738e7e6 100644
--- a/window/src/os/wayland/connection.rs
+++ b/window/src/os/wayland/connection.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use crate::os::wayland::output::OutputHandler;
 use crate::os::x11::keyboard::Keyboard;
 use crate::screen::{ScreenInfo, Screens};
 use crate::spawn::*;
-use crate::{Connection, ScreenRect, WindowEvent};
+use crate::{Appearance, Connection, ScreenRect, WindowEvent};
 use anyhow::{bail, Context};
 use mio::unix::SourceFd;
 use mio::{Events, Interest, Poll, Token};
@@ -425,6 +425,17 @@ impl ConnectionOps for WaylandConnection {
         *self.should_terminate.borrow_mut() = true;
     }
 
+    fn get_appearance(&self) -> Appearance {
+        match promise::spawn::block_on(crate::os::xdg_desktop_portal::get_appearance()) {
+            Ok(appearance) => return appearance,
+            Err(err) => {
+                log::debug!("Unable to resolve appearance using xdg-desktop-portal: {err:#}");
+            }
+        }
+        // fallback
+        Appearance::Light
+    }
+
     fn run_message_loop(&self) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let res = self.run_message_loop_impl();
         // Ensure that we drop these eagerly, to avoid
diff --git a/window/src/os/x11/connection.rs b/window/src/os/x11/connection.rs
index b1f7fe0fa27..c9c3bf302a0 100644
--- a/window/src/os/x11/connection.rs
+++ b/window/src/os/x11/connection.rs
@@ -125,6 +125,12 @@ impl ConnectionOps for XConnection {
     }
 
     fn get_appearance(&self) -> Appearance {
+        match promise::spawn::block_on(crate::os::xdg_desktop_portal::get_appearance()) {
+            Ok(appearance) => return appearance,
+            Err(err) => {
+                log::debug!("Unable to resolve appearance using xdg-desktop-portal: {err:#}");
+            }
+        }
         if let Some(XSetting::String(name)) = self.xsettings.borrow().get("Net/ThemeName") {
             let lower = name.to_ascii_lowercase();
             match lower.as_str() {
diff --git a/window/src/os/x_and_wayland.rs b/window/src/os/x_and_wayland.rs
index c802b36ce1c..935d98b2a65 100644
--- a/window/src/os/x_and_wayland.rs
+++ b/window/src/os/x_and_wayland.rs
@@ -142,12 +142,6 @@ impl ConnectionOps for Connection {
     }
 
     fn get_appearance(&self) -> Appearance {
-        match promise::spawn::block_on(crate::os::xdg_desktop_portal::get_appearance()) {
-            Ok(appearance) => return appearance,
-            Err(err) => {
-                log::debug!("Unable to resolve appearance using xdg-desktop-portal: {err:#}");
-            }
-        }
         match self {
             Self::X11(x) => x.get_appearance(),
             #[cfg(feature = "wayland")]