diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/QuickTerminal/QuickTerminalController.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/QuickTerminal/QuickTerminalController.swift
index 55b674fae..26fae7556 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/QuickTerminal/QuickTerminalController.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/QuickTerminal/QuickTerminalController.swift
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ class QuickTerminalController: BaseTerminalController {
         // applies if we can be seen.
         guard visible else { return }
 
+        window?.terminalViewContainer?.updateGlassTintOverlay(isKeyWindow: true)
+
         // Re-hide the dock if we were hiding it before.
         hiddenDock?.hide()
     }
@@ -172,6 +174,8 @@ class QuickTerminalController: BaseTerminalController {
         // ensures we don't run logic twice.
         guard visible else { return }
 
+        window?.terminalViewContainer?.updateGlassTintOverlay(isKeyWindow: false)
+
         // We don't animate out if there is a modal sheet being shown currently.
         // This lets us show alerts without causing the window to disappear.
         guard window?.attachedSheet == nil else { return }
@@ -704,6 +708,8 @@ class QuickTerminalController: BaseTerminalController {
         self.derivedConfig = DerivedConfig(config)
 
         syncAppearance()
+
+        window?.terminalViewContainer?.ghosttyConfigDidChange(config, preferredBackgroundColor: nil)
     }
 
     @objc private func onNewTab(notification: SwiftUI.Notification) {
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift
index ad01e2bed..736ca8b74 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalController.swift
@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ class TerminalController: BaseTerminalController, TabGroupCloseCoordinator.Contr
 
         // Call this last in case it uses any of the properties above.
         window.syncAppearance(surfaceConfig)
+        window.terminalViewContainer?.ghosttyConfigDidChange(ghostty.config, preferredBackgroundColor: window.preferredBackgroundColor)
     }
 
     /// Adjusts the given frame for the configured window position.
@@ -1146,6 +1147,12 @@ class TerminalController: BaseTerminalController, TabGroupCloseCoordinator.Contr
         super.windowDidBecomeKey(notification)
         self.relabelTabs()
         self.fixTabBar()
+        window?.terminalViewContainer?.updateGlassTintOverlay(isKeyWindow: true)
+    }
+
+    override func windowDidResignKey(_ notification: Notification) {
+        super.windowDidResignKey(notification)
+        window?.terminalViewContainer?.updateGlassTintOverlay(isKeyWindow: false)
     }
 
     override func windowDidMove(_ notification: Notification) {
diff --git a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalViewContainer.swift b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalViewContainer.swift
index eb176f296..fb310a0cc 100644
--- a/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalViewContainer.swift
+++ b/macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/TerminalViewContainer.swift
@@ -33,10 +33,6 @@ class TerminalViewContainer: NSView {
         fatalError("init(coder:) has not been implemented")
     }
 
-    deinit {
-        NotificationCenter.default.removeObserver(self)
-    }
-
     /// To make ``TerminalController/DefaultSize/contentIntrinsicSize``
     /// work in ``TerminalController/windowDidLoad()``,
     /// we override this to provide the correct size.
@@ -53,27 +49,6 @@ class TerminalViewContainer: NSView {
             terminalView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: bottomAnchor),
             terminalView.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: trailingAnchor),
         ])
-
-        NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(
-            self,
-            selector: #selector(ghosttyConfigDidChange(_:)),
-            name: .ghosttyConfigDidChange,
-            object: nil
-        )
-
-        NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(
-            self,
-            selector: #selector(windowDidBecomeKey(_:)),
-            name: NSWindow.didBecomeKeyNotification,
-            object: nil
-        )
-
-        NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(
-            self,
-            selector: #selector(windowDidResignKey(_:)),
-            name: NSWindow.didResignKeyNotification,
-            object: nil
-        )
     }
 
     override func viewDidMoveToWindow() {
@@ -98,26 +73,15 @@ class TerminalViewContainer: NSView {
         let newValue = DerivedConfig(config: config, preferredBackgroundColor: preferredBackgroundColor, cornerRadius: windowCornerRadius)
         guard newValue != derivedConfig else { return }
         derivedConfig = newValue
-
-        // Add some delay to wait TerminalWindow to update first to ensure
-        // that some of our properties are updated. This is a HACK to ensure
-        // light/dark themes work, and we will come up with a better way
-        // in the future.
-        DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(
-            deadline: .now() + 0.05,
-            execute: updateGlassEffectIfNeeded)
+        DispatchQueue.main.async(execute: updateGlassEffectIfNeeded)
     }
+}
 
-    @objc private func windowDidBecomeKey(_ notification: Notification) {
-        guard let window = notification.object as? NSWindow,
-              window == self.window else { return }
-        updateGlassTintOverlay(isKeyWindow: true)
-    }
+// MARK: - NSWindow + terminalViewContainer
 
-    @objc private func windowDidResignKey(_ notification: Notification) {
-        guard let window = notification.object as? NSWindow,
-              window == self.window else { return }
-        updateGlassTintOverlay(isKeyWindow: false)
+extension NSWindow {
+    var terminalViewContainer: TerminalViewContainer? {
+        contentView as? TerminalViewContainer
     }
 }