diff --git a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
index 8c78d8b70..2f3331654 100644
--- a/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
+++ b/src/client/ClientGameRunner.ts
@@ -514,10 +514,9 @@ async function createClientGame(
     const regenerateRenderSettings = (): void => {
       deepAssign(view.getSettings(), resolveRenderSettings());
     };
-    // Re-apply render settings, then re-theme and recolor players, on a
-    // graphics-override change (covers a theme switch such as colorblind mode).
-    const onGraphicsChanged = (): void => {
-      regenerateRenderSettings();
+    // Rebuild the GPU-derived graphics state that the per-frame passes don't
+    // pick up from the live settings object on their own.
+    const refreshDerivedGraphics = (): void => {
       // Terrain is baked into a GPU texture rather than read per-frame, so a
       // terrain-color override (e.g. ocean) needs an explicit texture rebuild.
       view.rebuildTerrain();
@@ -527,6 +526,12 @@ async function createClientGame(
       gameView.refreshPlayerColors();
       webglBuilder.refreshPalette(gameView);
     };
+    // Re-apply render settings, then re-theme and recolor players, on a
+    // graphics-override change (covers a theme switch such as colorblind mode).
+    const onGraphicsChanged = (): void => {
+      regenerateRenderSettings();
+      refreshDerivedGraphics();
+    };
     // No initial regenerate or terrain rebuild needed — the renderer was
     // constructed with the resolved settings above, so the terrain texture
     // already bakes any saved ocean-color override.
@@ -545,7 +550,11 @@ async function createClientGame(
         debugGuiLoading = true;
         import("./render/gl/debug/index")
           .then(({ createDebugGui }) => {
-            debugGui = createDebugGui(view.getSettings());
+            debugGui = createDebugGui(
+              view.getSettings(),
+              resolveRenderSettings,
+              refreshDerivedGraphics,
+            );
             debugGui.open();
           })
           .finally(() => {
diff --git a/src/client/render/gl/debug/Wiring.ts b/src/client/render/gl/debug/Wiring.ts
index 9511ac9c4..866be2b5e 100644
--- a/src/client/render/gl/debug/Wiring.ts
+++ b/src/client/render/gl/debug/Wiring.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import GUI, { FunctionController } from "lil-gui";
 import type { RenderSettings } from "../RenderSettings";
-import { createRenderSettings, dumpSettings } from "../RenderSettings";
+import { dumpSettings } from "../RenderSettings";
 import { deepAssign } from "../SettingsUtils";
 import type { ConfigProp } from "./ConfigProp";
 
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export function wireActions(
   gui: GUI,
   settings: RenderSettings,
   props: ConfigProp[],
+  resolveDefaults: () => RenderSettings,
   onSettingsChanged?: () => void,
 ): void {
   gui.add({ dump: () => dumpSettings(settings) }, "dump").name("Download JSON");
@@ -99,7 +100,7 @@ export function wireActions(
     .add(
       {
         reset: () => {
-          deepAssign(settings, createRenderSettings());
+          deepAssign(settings, resolveDefaults());
           props.forEach((p) => p.resetToDefault());
           onSettingsChanged?.();
         },
diff --git a/src/client/render/gl/debug/index.ts b/src/client/render/gl/debug/index.ts
index 7a414c464..4401c7404 100644
--- a/src/client/render/gl/debug/index.ts
+++ b/src/client/render/gl/debug/index.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { makeDraggable, wireActions, wireModifiedIndicators } from "./Wiring";
 
 export function createDebugGui(
   settings: RenderSettings,
+  resolveDefaults: () => RenderSettings = createRenderSettings,
   onSettingsChanged?: () => void,
 ): GUI {
   const gui = new GUI({ title: "Render Settings", width: 320 });
@@ -17,10 +18,13 @@ export function createDebugGui(
 
   makeDraggable(gui);
 
-  const defaults = createRenderSettings();
+  // Defaults include the user's graphics overrides so "Reset to Defaults"
+  // (and the per-prop reset / modified indicators) restore the same settings
+  // the renderer was built with — not bare defaults that drop the overrides.
+  const defaults = resolveDefaults();
   const props = walkTree(buildTree(settings, defaults), gui);
 
-  wireActions(gui, settings, props, onSettingsChanged);
+  wireActions(gui, settings, props, resolveDefaults, onSettingsChanged);
   wireModifiedIndicators(gui, props, onSettingsChanged);
 
   gui.close();