diff --git a/src/aare/gui/styles.py b/src/aare/gui/styles.py
index cbf05261..7d94a09d 100644
--- a/src/aare/gui/styles.py
+++ b/src/aare/gui/styles.py
@@ -199,6 +199,10 @@ DARK_PANEL2 = "#0e1728"  # panel2 — deepest opaque: menus, popups, tooltips
 DARK_SURFACE = "#1c2b4a"  # panel — cards, state panel, scrollbar track
 DARK_ELEVATED = "#253148"  # glass2 (7% white) flattened — buttons, banners
 DARK_ELEVATED_HOVER = "#32405c"  # one glass step lighter — button hover
+# Half the button glass (7% -> 4% white), translucent so the sky shows
+# through: inputs sank to wells, buttons stay raised faces — same
+# button-vs-input split the light theme makes with INPUT_BG vs BUTTON_BG.
+DARK_INPUT_BG = "rgba(255, 255, 255, 4%)"
 # Solid, not transparent: scroll-area viewports don't composite the window
 # gradient on the container's X11 and render BLACK instead. Lighter sky-navy
 # so tables don't read near-black against the backdrop.
@@ -344,7 +348,9 @@ SPLASH_TEXT = "#4c4f69"  # latte text — bar % and loading message
 # -- Numeric inputs ---------------------------------------------------------
 # Translucent, not solid white: the sky gradient shimmers through the field
 # while text stays on a light ground. Raise the % for a more solid face.
-INPUT_BG = "rgba(255, 255, 255, 33%)"
+# Why 16%: half of BUTTON_BG's 50% — at 33% inputs read as clickable button
+# faces; the deeper glass keeps them visually distinct as wells, not buttons.
+INPUT_BG = "rgba(255, 255, 255, 16%)"
 INPUT_INVALID_BG = "#e9c4cf"  # red 20% over latte base
 INPUT_DISABLED_BG = "#e6e9ef"  # latte mantle
 INPUT_DISABLED_INVALID_BG = "#ecdae2"  # faint red wash
@@ -1329,8 +1335,7 @@ def _sunset_stylesheet() -> str:
     /* Interactive faces sit one step above the backdrop (site: glass2)
        with the faint gold hairline. Same pinned height as the light sheet
        so buttons and entry boxes match in both themes. */
-    QPushButton, QToolButton, QComboBox,
-    QLineEdit, QAbstractSpinBox {
+    QPushButton, QToolButton, QComboBox {
         background-color: $dark_elevated;
         border: 1px solid $dark_border_faint;
         min-height: 16px;
@@ -1339,6 +1344,18 @@ def _sunset_stylesheet() -> str:
         padding-bottom: 1px;
     }
 
+    /* Inputs: half the button glass (DARK_INPUT_BG) — a shared fill made
+       entry boxes indistinguishable from clickable buttons. Same box
+       metrics as above so the two still line up in rows. */
+    QLineEdit, QAbstractSpinBox {
+        background-color: $dark_input_bg;
+        border: 1px solid $dark_border_faint;
+        min-height: 16px;
+        max-height: 16px;
+        padding-top: 1px;
+        padding-bottom: 1px;
+    }
+
     /* Hover lightens in the dark theme (one glass step up); the light
        theme darkens instead — direction always moves toward contrast. */
     QPushButton:hover, QToolButton:hover, QComboBox:hover {