diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/workbenchThemeService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/workbenchThemeService.ts
index 0ae7e479016c7..ea58be56b01f4 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/workbenchThemeService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/browser/workbenchThemeService.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import * as nls from 'vs/nls';
 import * as types from 'vs/base/common/types';
 import { IExtensionService } from 'vs/workbench/services/extensions/common/extensions';
-import { IWorkbenchThemeService, IWorkbenchColorTheme, IWorkbenchFileIconTheme, ExtensionData, VS_LIGHT_THEME, VS_DARK_THEME, VS_HC_THEME, VS_HC_LIGHT_THEME, ThemeSettings, IWorkbenchProductIconTheme, ThemeSettingTarget, ThemeSettingDefaults } from 'vs/workbench/services/themes/common/workbenchThemeService';
+import { IWorkbenchThemeService, IWorkbenchColorTheme, IWorkbenchFileIconTheme, ExtensionData, VS_LIGHT_THEME, VS_DARK_THEME, VS_HC_THEME, VS_HC_LIGHT_THEME, ThemeSettings, IWorkbenchProductIconTheme, ThemeSettingTarget, ThemeSettingDefaults, COLOR_THEME_DARK_INITIAL_COLORS, COLOR_THEME_LIGHT_INITIAL_COLORS } from 'vs/workbench/services/themes/common/workbenchThemeService';
 import { IStorageService, StorageScope, StorageTarget } from 'vs/platform/storage/common/storage';
 import { ITelemetryService } from 'vs/platform/telemetry/common/telemetry';
 import { Registry } from 'vs/platform/registry/common/platform';
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ export class WorkbenchThemeService implements IWorkbenchThemeService {
 		// themes are loaded asynchronously, we need to initialize
 		// a color theme document with good defaults until the theme is loaded
 		let themeData: ColorThemeData | undefined = ColorThemeData.fromStorageData(this.storageService);
-		if (themeData && this.settings.colorTheme !== themeData.settingsId && this.settings.isDefaultColorTheme()) {
+		const colorThemeSetting = this.settings.colorTheme;
+		if (themeData && colorThemeSetting !== themeData.settingsId && this.settings.isDefaultColorTheme()) {
 			this.hasDefaultUpdated = themeData.settingsId === ThemeSettingDefaults.COLOR_THEME_DARK_OLD || themeData.settingsId === ThemeSettingDefaults.COLOR_THEME_LIGHT_OLD;
 
 			// the web has different defaults than the desktop, therefore do not restore when the setting is the default theme and the storage doesn't match that.
@@ -152,18 +153,19 @@ export class WorkbenchThemeService implements IWorkbenchThemeService {
 
 		// the preferred color scheme (high contrast, light, dark) has changed since the last start
 		const preferredColorScheme = this.getPreferredColorScheme();
+		const defaultColorMap = colorThemeSetting === ThemeSettingDefaults.COLOR_THEME_LIGHT ? COLOR_THEME_LIGHT_INITIAL_COLORS : colorThemeSetting === ThemeSettingDefaults.COLOR_THEME_DARK ? COLOR_THEME_DARK_INITIAL_COLORS : undefined;
 
 		if (preferredColorScheme && themeData?.type !== preferredColorScheme && this.storageService.get(PERSISTED_OS_COLOR_SCHEME, PERSISTED_OS_COLOR_SCHEME_SCOPE) !== preferredColorScheme) {
-			themeData = ColorThemeData.createUnloadedThemeForThemeType(preferredColorScheme);
+			themeData = ColorThemeData.createUnloadedThemeForThemeType(preferredColorScheme, undefined);
 		}
 		if (!themeData) {
 			const initialColorTheme = environmentService.options?.initialColorTheme;
 			if (initialColorTheme) {
-				themeData = ColorThemeData.createUnloadedThemeForThemeType(initialColorTheme.themeType, initialColorTheme.colors);
+				themeData = ColorThemeData.createUnloadedThemeForThemeType(initialColorTheme.themeType, initialColorTheme.colors ?? defaultColorMap);
 			}
 		}
 		if (!themeData) {
-			themeData = ColorThemeData.createUnloadedThemeForThemeType(isWeb ? ColorScheme.LIGHT : ColorScheme.DARK);
+			themeData = ColorThemeData.createUnloadedThemeForThemeType(isWeb ? ColorScheme.LIGHT : ColorScheme.DARK, defaultColorMap);
 		}
 		themeData.setCustomizations(this.settings);
 		this.applyTheme(themeData, undefined, true);
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/colorThemeData.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/colorThemeData.ts
index 257a77e705194..c498d6c4da4a8 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/colorThemeData.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/colorThemeData.ts
@@ -587,22 +587,6 @@ export class ColorThemeData implements IWorkbenchColorTheme {
 	// constructors
 
 	static createUnloadedThemeForThemeType(themeType: ColorScheme, colorMap?: { [id: string]: string }): ColorThemeData {
-		if (!colorMap) {
-			if (themeType === ColorScheme.LIGHT) {
-				colorMap = {
-					'activityBar.background': '#f8f8f8',
-					'statusBar.background': '#f8f8f8',
-					'statusBar.noFolderBackground': '#f8f8f8'
-				};
-			} else {
-				colorMap = {
-					'activityBar.background': '#181818',
-					'statusBar.background': '#181818',
-					'statusBar.noFolderBackground': '#1f1f1f',
-				};
-			}
-
-		}
 		return ColorThemeData.createUnloadedTheme(getThemeTypeSelector(themeType), colorMap);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/workbenchThemeService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/workbenchThemeService.ts
index b375061018091..22ebde5b0b802 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/workbenchThemeService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/themes/common/workbenchThemeService.ts
@@ -50,9 +50,21 @@ export enum ThemeSettingDefaults {
 	COLOR_THEME_LIGHT_OLD = 'Default Light+',
 
 	FILE_ICON_THEME = 'vs-seti',
-	PRODUCT_ICON_THEME = 'Default'
+	PRODUCT_ICON_THEME = 'Default',
 }
 
+export const COLOR_THEME_DARK_INITIAL_COLORS = {
+	'activityBar.background': '#181818',
+	'statusBar.background': '#181818',
+	'statusBar.noFolderBackground': '#1f1f1f',
+};
+
+export const COLOR_THEME_LIGHT_INITIAL_COLORS = {
+	'activityBar.background': '#f8f8f8',
+	'statusBar.background': '#f8f8f8',
+	'statusBar.noFolderBackground': '#f8f8f8'
+};
+
 export interface IWorkbenchTheme {
 	readonly id: string;
 	readonly label: string;