diff --git a/cockatrice/src/interface/theme_manager.cpp b/cockatrice/src/interface/theme_manager.cpp
index cbf869639..9a96b3e45 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/interface/theme_manager.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/interface/theme_manager.cpp
@@ -111,12 +111,17 @@ struct PaletteColorInfo
 
 static QString usableDefaultStyle(const QString &style)
 {
-    // The Windows 11 native style is broken: dragging cards across zones can
+    // Only the OS/default ("System") style is sanitized: the Windows 11 and
+    // Windows Vista native styles are broken (dragging cards across zones can
     // shrink the board to a tiny grey window that is unfixable without
-    // rejoining. It is never usable, so guard against it no matter how it was
-    // requested (OS default or an explicit "windows11" theme choice) and fall
-    // back to the Vista style.
-    return style.compare("windows11", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0 ? QStringLiteral("windowsvista") : style;
+    // rejoining), so a "System" choice falls through to the built-in "windows"
+    // style (QWindowsStyle) instead. They remain selectable by hand, where the
+    // settings page warns about them.
+    if (style.compare("windows11", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0 ||
+        style.compare("windowsvista", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0) {
+        return QStringLiteral("windows");
+    }
+    return style;
 }
 
 ThemeManager::ThemeManager(QObject *parent) : QObject(parent)
@@ -496,14 +501,13 @@ void ThemeManager::applyStyleAndPalette(const QString &themeName,
         if (themeName == FUSION_THEME_NAME) {
             styleName = "Fusion";
         } else {
+            // "System" resolves through the guard, which steers the broken
+            // Windows native styles to "windows". An explicitly chosen style
+            // name is honored as-is.
             styleName = usableDefaultStyle(defaultStyleName);
         }
     }
 
-    // The Windows 11 style is broken even when selected explicitly in a theme,
-    // so sanitize the resolved name here rather than trusting the theme config.
-    styleName = usableDefaultStyle(styleName);
-
     QStyle *style = QStyleFactory::create(styleName);
     if (!style) {
         style = QStyleFactory::create(usableDefaultStyle(defaultStyleName));
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp
index 159db767d..4c38459c6 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp
@@ -74,15 +74,10 @@ AppearanceSettingsPage::AppearanceSettingsPage()
     connect(&schemeCombo, &QComboBox::currentIndexChanged, this,
             [this] { themeManager->setColorScheme(schemeCombo.currentData().toString()); });
 
-    // Qt widget style; "System" lets the application decide
+    // Qt widget style; "System" lets the application decide. The broken Windows
+    // native styles are still offered, but selecting one raises a warning.
     styleCombo.addItem(tr("System"), QStringLiteral("System"));
     for (const QString &key : QStyleFactory::keys()) {
-        // The Windows 11 native style is broken (board rendering glitches when
-        // moving cards), so never offer it; it is already sanitized at apply
-        // time in ThemeManager.
-        if (key.compare("windows11", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0) {
-            continue;
-        }
         styleCombo.addItem(key, key);
     }
 
@@ -92,6 +87,7 @@ AppearanceSettingsPage::AppearanceSettingsPage()
 
     connect(&styleCombo, &QComboBox::currentIndexChanged, this,
             [this] { themeManager->setStyleName(styleCombo.currentData().toString()); });
+    connect(&styleCombo, &QComboBox::currentIndexChanged, this, &AppearanceSettingsPage::updateStyleWarning);
 
     connect(themeManager, &ThemeManager::themeChanged, this, [this, dirPath] {
         const QString newDir = themeManager->getAvailableThemes().value(SettingsCache::instance().getThemeName());
@@ -108,6 +104,8 @@ AppearanceSettingsPage::AppearanceSettingsPage()
         const int styleIdx = currentStyle.isEmpty() ? 0 : styleCombo.findData(currentStyle);
         styleCombo.setCurrentIndex(styleIdx >= 0 ? styleIdx : 0);
         styleCombo.blockSignals(false);
+
+        updateStyleWarning();
     });
 
     connect(&editPaletteButton, &QPushButton::clicked, this, &AppearanceSettingsPage::editPalette);
@@ -120,7 +118,11 @@ AppearanceSettingsPage::AppearanceSettingsPage()
     themeGrid->addWidget(&schemeCombo, 2, 1);
     themeGrid->addWidget(&styleComboLabel, 3, 0);
     themeGrid->addWidget(&styleCombo, 3, 1);
-    themeGrid->addWidget(&editPaletteButton, 4, 1);
+    themeGrid->addWidget(&styleWarningLabel, 4, 0, 1, 2);
+    themeGrid->addWidget(&editPaletteButton, 5, 1);
+
+    styleWarningLabel.setWordWrap(true);
+    styleWarningLabel.setAlignment(Qt::AlignLeft | Qt::AlignVCenter);
 
     themeGroupBox = new QGroupBox;
     themeGroupBox->setLayout(themeGrid);
@@ -465,6 +467,14 @@ void AppearanceSettingsPage::updateHomeTabSettingsVisibility()
     homeTabDisplayCardNameCheckBox.setVisible(visible);
 }
 
+void AppearanceSettingsPage::updateStyleWarning()
+{
+    const QString style = styleCombo.currentData().toString();
+    const bool broken =
+        style.compare("windows11", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0 || style.compare("windowsvista", Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0;
+    styleWarningLabel.setVisible(broken);
+}
+
 void AppearanceSettingsPage::showShortcutsChanged(QT_STATE_CHANGED_T value)
 {
     SettingsCache::instance().userInterface().setShowShortcuts(value);
@@ -527,6 +537,11 @@ void AppearanceSettingsPage::retranslateUi()
     schemeComboLabel.setText(tr("Active theme palette:"));
     styleComboLabel.setText(tr("Active theme style:"));
     styleCombo.setToolTip(tr("Qt widget style saved to this theme (\"System\" lets the application decide)"));
+    styleWarningLabel.setText(
+        tr("Warning: the Windows 11 and Windows Vista styles are buggy and can render controls such as combo boxes "
+           "unreadable, especially in dark mode. Fusion is the recommended style on every platform: it is Qt's "
+           "cross-platform style and the one Cockatrice is developed against."));
+    updateStyleWarning();
     editPaletteButton.setText(tr("Edit theme palette"));
 
     homeTabGroupBox->setTitle(tr("Home tab settings"));
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.h b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.h
index 096ba0915..8afd326a3 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ private slots:
     void openThemeLocation();
     void editPalette();
     void updateHomeTabSettingsVisibility();
+    void updateStyleWarning();
     void showShortcutsChanged(QT_STATE_CHANGED_T enabled);
     void overrideAllCardArtWithPersonalPreferenceToggled(QT_STATE_CHANGED_T enabled);
 
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ private:
     QComboBox schemeCombo;
     QLabel styleComboLabel;
     QComboBox styleCombo;
+    QLabel styleWarningLabel;
     QPushButton editPaletteButton;
 
     QLabel homeTabBackgroundSourceLabel;