diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 1f0d0cd17..670becbbe 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Notable improvements and fixes
 
 Deprecations and removed features
 ---------------------------------
+- The default theme (i.e. the ``fish_color_*`` variables) is no longer set in non-interactive shells.
 
 Interactive improvements
 ------------------------
diff --git a/share/config.fish b/share/config.fish
index dbd13cfee..3f4ca64de 100644
--- a/share/config.fish
+++ b/share/config.fish
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ end
 
 if status is-interactive
     __fish_migrate
+    fish_config theme choose default --no-override
 end
-fish_config theme choose default --no-override
 
 # As last part of initialization, source the conf directories.
 # Implement precedence (User > Admin > Extra (e.g. vendors) > Fish) by basically doing "basename".
diff --git a/tests/checks/__fish_migrate.fish b/tests/checks/__fish_migrate.fish
index 94464b700..af733401a 100644
--- a/tests/checks/__fish_migrate.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/__fish_migrate.fish
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ echo no default universal variables
 # Labeled color variables may be updated by fish.
 {
     $fish -c '
+        fish_config theme choose default
         set -g fish_color_autosuggestion red
         set -g fish_color_command green --theme=default
         __fish_migrate
diff --git a/tests/checks/fish_config.fish b/tests/checks/fish_config.fish
index 7eb2a3974..3c4d9302a 100644
--- a/tests/checks/fish_config.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/fish_config.fish
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # RUN: %fish %s
 # REQUIRES: command -v diff
 
+fish_config theme choose default
+
 set -g fish (status fish-path)
 
 fish_config prompt list | string match -r '^(?:acidhub|disco|nim)$'
diff --git a/tests/checks/functions.fish b/tests/checks/functions.fish
index 4828d0ece..7c642c855 100644
--- a/tests/checks/functions.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/functions.fish
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ functions --no-details --color=never test_color_option
 # CHECK:     echo hello
 # CHECK: end
 
+fish_config theme choose default
 string escape (functions --no-details --color=always test_color_option)
 # CHECK: function\ \e\[36mtest_color_option\e\[32m
 # CHECK: \e\[39m\ \ \ \ echo\ \e\[36mhello\e\[32m