diff --git a/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Lib/ShortcutGuideProperties.cs b/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Lib/ShortcutGuideProperties.cs
index 4d3bbaf3bc..38a46a0cbb 100644
--- a/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Lib/ShortcutGuideProperties.cs
+++ b/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Lib/ShortcutGuideProperties.cs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.Lib
         {
             OverlayOpacity = new IntProperty(90);
             PressTime = new IntProperty(900);
-            Theme = new StringProperty("light");
+            Theme = new StringProperty("system");
         }
 
         [JsonPropertyName("overlay_opacity")]
diff --git a/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.UnitTests/ViewModelTests/ShortcutGuide.cs b/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.UnitTests/ViewModelTests/ShortcutGuide.cs
index 24928c1006..ef1dbeb34d 100644
--- a/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.UnitTests/ViewModelTests/ShortcutGuide.cs
+++ b/src/core/Microsoft.PowerToys.Settings.UI.UnitTests/ViewModelTests/ShortcutGuide.cs
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ namespace ViewModelTests
 
             // Arrange
             ShortcutGuideViewModel viewModel = new ShortcutGuideViewModel(SettingsRepository<GeneralSettings>.GetInstance(mockGeneralSettingsUtils.Object), SettingsRepository<ShortcutGuideSettings>.GetInstance(mockShortcutGuideSettingsUtils.Object), SendMockIPCConfigMSG, ShortCutGuideTestFolderName);
-            Assert.AreEqual(1, viewModel.ThemeIndex);
+            // Initialize shortcut guide settings theme to 'system' to be in sync with shortcut_guide.h.
+            Assert.AreEqual(2, viewModel.ThemeIndex);
 
             // Act
             viewModel.ThemeIndex = 0;