Helix Theme Colors Wrong in tmux
Fixed in latest version Linux, macOS Updated November 15, 2026Based on 2 user reportsHow we research
Quick answer
Italics showing as background colors or odd colors in tmux is fixed by a true-color terminal override.
Most likely fix: Add a terminal override
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Add a terminal override
- Add set-option -sa terminal-overrides ",xterm*:Tc" to your tmux config
- Restart tmux
Did this fix it?2. Fallback
- Try set -g default-terminal "xterm-256color"
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Theme looks wrong inside tmux; italic text appears as a background color.
Why it happens
- tmux not told the terminal supports true color
This guide also covers
- helix tmux colors
- helix theme wrong colors
- helix true color
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