diff --git a/css/tailwind.source.css b/css/tailwind.source.css
index 151a738f..f0a202a4 100644
--- a/css/tailwind.source.css
+++ b/css/tailwind.source.css
@@ -3773,11 +3773,11 @@
 
   .notification-banner,
   .torrent-toast {
-    --notify-accent: var(--color-accent-strong);
-    --notify-accent-strong: var(--color-accent);
-    --notify-border: var(--surface-overlay-panel-tint);
-    --notify-background: var(--surface-overlay-panel);
-    --notify-foreground: var(--color-text);
+    --notify-accent: var(--notification-banner-accent);
+    --notify-accent-strong: var(--notification-banner-accent-strong);
+    --notify-border: var(--notification-banner-border);
+    --notify-background: var(--notification-banner-background);
+    --notify-foreground: var(--notification-banner-text);
 
     position: relative;
     display: flex;
@@ -3845,37 +3845,38 @@
 
   .notification-banner--critical,
   .torrent-toast--error {
-    --notify-accent: var(--color-critical-strong);
-    --notify-accent-strong: var(--color-critical);
-    --notify-border: var(--color-ring-critical-soft);
-    --notify-background: var(--color-card-critical);
-    --notify-foreground: var(--color-critical-strong);
+    --notify-accent: var(--notification-banner-critical-accent);
+    --notify-accent-strong: var(--notification-banner-critical-accent-strong);
+    --notify-border: var(--notification-banner-critical-border);
+    --notify-background: var(--notification-banner-critical-background);
+    --notify-foreground: var(--notification-banner-critical-text);
   }
 
   .notification-banner--success,
   .torrent-toast--success {
-    --notify-accent: var(--status-success-strong);
-    --notify-accent-strong: var(--status-success);
-    --notify-border: var(--status-success-border);
-    --notify-background: var(--status-success-surface);
-    --notify-foreground: var(--status-success-on);
+    --notify-accent: var(--notification-banner-success-accent);
+    --notify-accent-strong: var(--notification-banner-success-accent-strong);
+    --notify-border: var(--notification-banner-success-border);
+    --notify-background: var(--notification-banner-success-background);
+    --notify-foreground: var(--notification-banner-success-text);
   }
 
   .notification-banner--info,
   .torrent-toast--info {
-    --notify-accent: var(--color-info-strong);
-    --notify-accent-strong: var(--color-info);
-    --notify-border: var(--color-info-border);
-    --notify-background: var(--status-info-surface);
+    --notify-accent: var(--notification-banner-info-accent);
+    --notify-accent-strong: var(--notification-banner-info-accent-strong);
+    --notify-border: var(--notification-banner-info-border);
+    --notify-background: var(--notification-banner-info-background);
+    --notify-foreground: var(--notification-banner-info-text);
   }
 
   .notification-banner--warning,
   .torrent-toast--warn {
-    --notify-accent: var(--color-warning-strong);
-    --notify-accent-strong: var(--color-warning);
-    --notify-border: var(--status-warning-border);
-    --notify-background: var(--status-warning-surface);
-    --notify-foreground: var(--status-warning-on);
+    --notify-accent: var(--notification-banner-warning-accent);
+    --notify-accent-strong: var(--notification-banner-warning-accent-strong);
+    --notify-border: var(--notification-banner-warning-border);
+    --notify-background: var(--notification-banner-warning-background);
+    --notify-foreground: var(--notification-banner-warning-text);
   }
 
   .status-banner .status-spinner {
@@ -5112,8 +5113,8 @@
     align-self: flex-start;
     padding: var(--space-3xs) var(--space-xs);
     border-radius: var(--radius-full);
-    background: var(--surface-overlay);
-    color: var(--text-inverse);
+    background: var(--unread-badge-background);
+    color: var(--unread-badge-text);
     font-size: var(--font-size-3xs);
   }
 
@@ -5196,8 +5197,9 @@
     gap: var(--space-2xs);
     padding: var(--space-sm) var(--space-md);
     border-radius: var(--radius-lg);
-    border: var(--border-width-hairline) solid var(--border-subtle);
-    background: var(--surface-sunken);
+    border: var(--border-width-hairline) solid var(--message-bubble-border);
+    background: var(--message-bubble-background);
+    color: var(--message-bubble-text);
   }
 
   .dm-message-bubble--incoming {
@@ -5206,7 +5208,8 @@
 
   .dm-message-bubble--outgoing {
     align-self: flex-end;
-    background: var(--surface-overlay-panel);
+    background: var(--message-bubble-outgoing-background);
+    border-color: var(--message-bubble-outgoing-border);
   }
 
   .dm-message-bubble__content {
@@ -5217,7 +5220,7 @@
     display: flex;
     gap: var(--space-xs);
     font-size: var(--font-size-2xs);
-    color: var(--text-muted);
+    color: var(--message-bubble-meta);
   }
 
   .dm-message-bubble__status {
@@ -5281,6 +5284,18 @@
     color: var(--status-danger-on);
   }
 
+  .reply-highlight {
+    padding: var(--space-xs) var(--space-sm);
+    border-radius: var(--radius-md);
+    border: var(--border-width-hairline) solid var(--reply-highlight-border);
+    background: var(--reply-highlight-background);
+    color: var(--reply-highlight-text);
+  }
+
+  .reply-highlight svg {
+    color: var(--reply-highlight-icon);
+  }
+
   .dm-composer {
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;
diff --git a/css/tokens.css b/css/tokens.css
index 566d0be0..3003107b 100644
--- a/css/tokens.css
+++ b/css/tokens.css
@@ -141,6 +141,53 @@
   --status-neutral-border: var(--color-neutral-border);
   --status-neutral-on: var(--color-neutral-on);
 
+  /* Messaging & notifications */
+  --message-bubble-background: var(--surface-sunken);
+  --message-bubble-border: var(--border-subtle);
+  --message-bubble-text: var(--text-primary);
+  --message-bubble-meta: var(--text-muted);
+  --message-bubble-outgoing-background: var(--surface-overlay-panel);
+  --message-bubble-outgoing-border: var(--border-overlay);
+
+  --unread-badge-background: var(--status-info-strong);
+  --unread-badge-text: var(--text-inverse);
+
+  --reply-highlight-background: var(--status-info-surface);
+  --reply-highlight-border: var(--status-info-border);
+  --reply-highlight-text: var(--status-info-on);
+  --reply-highlight-icon: var(--status-info-on);
+
+  --notification-banner-accent: var(--color-accent-strong);
+  --notification-banner-accent-strong: var(--color-accent);
+  --notification-banner-border: var(--surface-overlay-panel-tint);
+  --notification-banner-background: var(--surface-overlay-panel);
+  --notification-banner-text: var(--text-primary);
+  --notification-banner-icon: var(--text-primary);
+
+  --notification-banner-critical-accent: var(--status-danger-strong);
+  --notification-banner-critical-accent-strong: var(--status-danger);
+  --notification-banner-critical-border: var(--color-ring-critical-soft);
+  --notification-banner-critical-background: var(--surface-raised-critical);
+  --notification-banner-critical-text: var(--status-danger-on);
+
+  --notification-banner-success-accent: var(--status-success-strong);
+  --notification-banner-success-accent-strong: var(--status-success);
+  --notification-banner-success-border: var(--status-success-border);
+  --notification-banner-success-background: var(--status-success-surface);
+  --notification-banner-success-text: var(--status-success-on);
+
+  --notification-banner-info-accent: var(--status-info-strong);
+  --notification-banner-info-accent-strong: var(--status-info);
+  --notification-banner-info-border: var(--status-info-border);
+  --notification-banner-info-background: var(--status-info-surface);
+  --notification-banner-info-text: var(--status-info-on);
+
+  --notification-banner-warning-accent: var(--status-warning-strong);
+  --notification-banner-warning-accent-strong: var(--status-warning);
+  --notification-banner-warning-border: var(--status-warning-border);
+  --notification-banner-warning-background: var(--status-warning-surface);
+  --notification-banner-warning-text: var(--status-warning-on);
+
   /* Layout & stacking */
   --scrollbar-width: 0.5rem;
   --scrollbar-track: var(--color-white-soft);
diff --git a/docs/design-system.md b/docs/design-system.md
index e4ac598b..7761c42e 100644
--- a/docs/design-system.md
+++ b/docs/design-system.md
@@ -181,6 +181,15 @@ Mix in Tailwind utilities for icon spacing (`gap-3`), sizing (`px-lg`, `py-sm`),
 
 `.badge` renders an inline pill (`bg-panel`, uppercase text). Opt into semantic variants with `data-variant="info"`, `data-variant="critical"`, or `data-variant="neutral"`. Layer on utilities for icon alignment or truncation.
 
+### Messaging & Notification Tokens
+
+Use the dedicated messaging tokens when styling chat surfaces and banners so they inherit theme-safe contrast and icon colors:
+
+- **Message bubbles:** `--message-bubble-background`, `--message-bubble-border`, `--message-bubble-text`, and `--message-bubble-meta` drive the base bubble surface, while `--message-bubble-outgoing-background`/`--message-bubble-outgoing-border` cover the current-user variant. These map back to surface, border, and text semantic tokens so bubbles maintain AA contrast. 【F:css/tokens.css†L102-L115】
+- **Unread badges:** `--unread-badge-background` and `--unread-badge-text` keep badge text legible at WCAG AA while ensuring iconography stays ≥3:1 against the fill. 【F:css/tokens.css†L117-L118】
+- **Reply highlights:** `--reply-highlight-background`, `--reply-highlight-border`, `--reply-highlight-text`, and `--reply-highlight-icon` align reply callouts with the info status palette. 【F:css/tokens.css†L120-L123】
+- **Notification banners:** Base banner colors map through `--notification-banner-*` tokens, with per-variant slots (`critical`, `success`, `info`, `warning`) pulling from the status palettes for AA-compliant text and 3:1 icon contrast. 【F:css/tokens.css†L125-L154】
+
 ### Cards
 
 `.card` is the base surface for grid items and panels: