diff --git a/main/blockhandling.js b/main/blockhandling.js
index 7254ae4a..b5269aa6 100644
--- a/main/blockhandling.js
+++ b/main/blockhandling.js
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ function observeBlocklyInputs() {
 
   // Observe only the Blockly container to avoid scanning the entire document
   const blocklyContainer =
-    workspace.getParentSvg()?.closest("#blocklyDiv") ??
+    workspace?.getParentSvg()?.closest("#blocklyDiv") ??
     document.getElementById("blocklyDiv") ??
     document.body;
   observer.observe(blocklyContainer, { childList: true, subtree: true });
diff --git a/main/blocklyinit.js b/main/blocklyinit.js
index a749293d..e9fc88e9 100644
--- a/main/blocklyinit.js
+++ b/main/blocklyinit.js
@@ -647,6 +647,55 @@ export function initializeWorkspace() {
   }
   workspaceSearch.init();
 
+  // Fade non-matching blocks during search
+  const blocklyDiv = document.getElementById("blocklyDiv");
+  const originalOpen = workspaceSearch.open.bind(workspaceSearch);
+  const originalClose = workspaceSearch.close.bind(workspaceSearch);
+  workspaceSearch.open = function () {
+    originalOpen();
+    blocklyDiv?.classList.add("blockly-search-active");
+  };
+  workspaceSearch.close = function () {
+    originalClose();
+    blocklyDiv?.classList.remove("blockly-search-active");
+  };
+
+  // Override highlight methods to work at block-group level so the plugin's
+  // injected fill: #000 rule never applies to matched block paths.
+  workspaceSearch.highlightSearchGroup = function (blocks) {
+    const matchTopIds = new Set();
+    blocks.forEach((block) => {
+      block.getSvgRoot()?.classList.add("ws-search-match");
+      let top = block;
+      while (top.getSurroundParent()) top = top.getSurroundParent();
+      matchTopIds.add(top.id);
+    });
+    workspace.getTopBlocks(false).forEach((block) => {
+      if (!matchTopIds.has(block.id)) {
+        block.getSvgRoot()?.classList.add("ws-search-fade");
+      }
+    });
+  };
+  workspaceSearch.unhighlightSearchGroup = function (blocks) {
+    blocks.forEach((block) => block.getSvgRoot()?.classList.remove("ws-search-match"));
+    workspace.getTopBlocks(false).forEach((block) => {
+      block.getSvgRoot()?.classList.remove("ws-search-fade");
+    });
+  };
+  workspaceSearch.highlightCurrentSelection = function (block) {
+    const svg = block.getSvgRoot();
+    if (svg) {
+      svg.classList.add("ws-search-current");
+      let top = block;
+      while (top.getSurroundParent()) top = top.getSurroundParent();
+      const topSvg = top.getSvgRoot();
+      if (topSvg) topSvg.parentNode?.appendChild(topSvg);
+    }
+  };
+  workspaceSearch.unhighlightCurrentSelection = function (block) {
+    block.getSvgRoot()?.classList.remove("ws-search-current");
+  };
+
   // Override the workspace centering for workspace search as it jumps all over the place by default!
   const originalCenter = workspace.centerOnBlock.bind(workspace);
 
diff --git a/style/blockly.css b/style/blockly.css
index 1ff35190..1f60c75f 100644
--- a/style/blockly.css
+++ b/style/blockly.css
@@ -198,9 +198,6 @@ textarea.blocklyCommentText.blocklyTextarea.blocklyText {
 }
 
 body[data-theme="contrast"] {
-  .blocklyWidgetDiv .blocklyMenuItemContent {
-    color: black !important;
-  }
   .blocklyField text.blocklyText.blocklyFieldText {
     fill: black !important;
   }
@@ -241,9 +238,6 @@ body[data-theme="low-vision"] {
   }
 }
 
-textarea.blocklyCommentText.blocklyTextarea.blocklyText {
-  color: black;
-}
 /* Search Highlight Styles */
 .blockly-ws-search {
   background: var(--color-bg);
@@ -256,12 +250,36 @@ textarea.blocklyCommentText.blocklyTextarea.blocklyText {
   z-index: 70;
 }
 
-path.blocklyPath.blockly-ws-search-highlight {
-  fill: var(--color-search-highlight);
+/* Fade top-level blocks that contain no search matches */
+#blocklyDiv.blockly-search-active .ws-search-fade {
+  opacity: 0.4;
+  transition: opacity 0.15s ease;
 }
 
-path.blocklyPath.blockly-ws-search-highlight.blockly-ws-search-current {
-  fill: var(--color-border-highlight);
+/* Non-current matches get a pale yellow background */
+#blocklyDiv.blockly-search-active
+  .ws-search-match:not(.ws-search-current)
+  > path.blocklyPath {
+  fill: rgba(255, 242, 0, 0.3) !important;
+}
+
+/* Low-vision: replace fill with a dashed white stroke for better contrast */
+[data-theme="low-vision"]
+  #blocklyDiv.blockly-search-active
+  .ws-search-match:not(.ws-search-current)
+  > path.blocklyPath {
+  fill: revert !important;
+  stroke: #ffffff !important;
+  stroke-width: 10px !important;
+  stroke-dasharray: 8 4;
+  paint-order: stroke fill;
+}
+
+/* Current match gets a yellow outline */
+#blocklyDiv.blockly-search-active .ws-search-current > path.blocklyPath {
+  stroke: var(--block-outline-focus) !important;
+  stroke-width: 10px !important;
+  paint-order: stroke fill;
 }
 
 @media (min-width: 769px) {
@@ -418,24 +436,19 @@ path.blocklyPath.blockly-ws-search-highlight.blockly-ws-search-current {
   cursor: pointer !important;
 }
 
-/* Search Highlight Styles */
-.blockly-ws-search {
-  background: var(--color-bg);
-  margin-top: 5px;
-  border: solid var(--color-border-highlight) 4px;
-  box-shadow: 0px 10px 20px var(--color-shadow);
-  justify-content: center;
-  padding: 0.25em;
-  position: absolute;
-  z-index: 70;
-}
-
-path.blocklyPath.blockly-ws-search-highlight {
-  fill: var(--color-search-highlight);
+[data-theme="dark"] .blockly-ws-search button,
+[data-theme="dark-contrast"] .blockly-ws-search button,
+[data-theme="low-vision"] .blockly-ws-search button,
+[data-theme="contrast"] .blockly-ws-search button {
+  filter: invert(1);
 }
 
-path.blocklyPath.blockly-ws-search-highlight.blockly-ws-search-current {
-  fill: var(--color-border-highlight);
+[data-theme="dark"] .blockly-ws-search button:focus,
+[data-theme="dark-contrast"] .blockly-ws-search button:focus,
+[data-theme="low-vision"] .blockly-ws-search button:focus,
+[data-theme="contrast"] .blockly-ws-search button:focus {
+  outline: 3px solid #0033cc; /* inverts to #ffcc33 (~#fc3) after filter: invert(1) */
+  outline-offset: 2px;
 }
 
 /* Responsive Styles */
@@ -471,16 +484,6 @@ path.blocklyPath.blockly-ws-search-highlight.blockly-ws-search-current {
   stroke-width: 2.5px !important;
 }
 
-/* Toolbox category selection outline */
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="1"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory,
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="2"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--color-outline-focus);
-  outline-offset: -2px;
-  border-radius: 4px;
-}
-
 /* 2. Default item text color */
 .blocklyDropDownDiv .goog-menuitem-content,
 .blocklyWidgetDiv .goog-menuitem-content,
@@ -575,23 +578,6 @@ body[data-theme="dark"] .blocklyTreeLabel {
   outline: none !important;
 }
 
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="1"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory {
-  outline: 2px solid #fc3;
-  outline-offset: -2px;
-  border-radius: 4px;
-}
-
-/* Add custom selection outline for both level 1 and 2 categories */
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="1"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory,
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="2"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory {
-  outline: 2px solid #fc3;
-  outline-offset: -2px;
-  border-radius: 4px;
-}
-
 [data-theme="contrast"] .blocklyText {
   fill: white !important;
 }
@@ -784,22 +770,6 @@ body[data-theme="low-vision"]
   }
 }
 
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="1"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory {
-  outline: 2px solid #fc3;
-  outline-offset: -2px;
-  border-radius: 4px;
-}
-
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="1"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory,
-.blocklyToolboxCategoryContainer[aria-selected="true"][aria-level="2"]
-  > .blocklyToolboxCategory {
-  outline: 2px solid #fc3;
-  outline-offset: -2px;
-  border-radius: 4px;
-}
-
 /* Keyboard focus for image BUTTON fields only (e.g. plus/minus/toggle icons) */
 .blocklyKeyboardNavigation .blocklyActiveFocus.blocklyImageField {
   outline: 5px solid var(--block-outline-focus);
@@ -956,11 +926,6 @@ body[data-theme="low-vision"]
   stroke-width: 2px !important;
 }
 
-/* Wrap long lines inside the workspace-comment editor */
-textarea.blocklyCommentText.blocklyTextarea.blocklyText {
-  color: black;
-}
-
 /* Keep block comment editor constrained to its bubble */
 .blocklyCommentForeignObject > body.blocklyMinimalBody,
 .blocklyCommentForeignObject textarea.blocklyCommentText {