diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index d30279b52..84b0c712f 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - diff kitten: Add half page and full page scroll vim-like bindings (:pull:`8514`)
 
+- Fix a regression that caused automatic color themes to not be re-applied after config file reload (:iss:`8530`)
+
 0.41.1 [2025-04-03]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index f7f92f60e..6435210e7 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -2695,8 +2695,10 @@ class Boss:
         for tm in self.all_tab_managers:
             tm.apply_options()
         # Update colors
-        if theme_colors.applied_theme and theme_colors.refresh():
-            theme_colors.apply_theme(theme_colors.applied_theme, notify_on_bg_change=False)
+        if theme_colors.has_applied_theme:
+            theme_colors.refresh()
+            if theme_colors.has_applied_theme:  # in case the theme file was deleted
+                theme_colors.apply_theme(theme_colors.applied_theme, notify_on_bg_change=False)
         for w in self.all_windows:
             if w.screen.color_profile.default_bg != bg_colors_before.get(w.id):
                 self.default_bg_changed_for(w.id)
diff --git a/kitty/colors.py b/kitty/colors.py
index ec0e8a0de..1db4e524f 100644
--- a/kitty/colors.py
+++ b/kitty/colors.py
@@ -83,6 +83,18 @@ class ThemeColors:
                         found = True
         return found
 
+    @property
+    def has_applied_theme(self) -> bool:
+        match self.applied_theme:
+            case '':
+                return False
+            case 'dark':
+                return self.has_dark_theme
+            case 'light':
+                return self.has_light_theme
+            case 'no_preference':
+                return self.has_no_preference_theme
+
     @property
     def has_dark_theme(self) -> bool:
         return self.dark_mtime > -1