diff --git a/drb-frontend/app/globals.css b/drb-frontend/app/globals.css
index 215b20b..9dcc7c2 100644
--- a/drb-frontend/app/globals.css
+++ b/drb-frontend/app/globals.css
@@ -43,11 +43,11 @@
   --line-strong: rgba(255,255,255,.17);
   --ink:         #E8EBF0;
   --ink-2:       #A5B0C2;
-  --ink-muted:   #77839A;
+  --ink-muted:   #8C98AE; /* was #77839A: 4.2:1 on raised, failed AA at the 10-12px it's used at (#136) */
 
   --accent:       #3987E5;
   --sev-moderate: #C98500;
-  --sev-major:    #D03B3B;
+  --sev-major:    #F05252; /* was #D03B3B: 3.7:1 as text on surface (#136) */
 
   --map-bg:    #0E131B;
   --map-block: #161C26;
@@ -191,6 +191,14 @@ html:not(.dark) .border-indigo-800 { border-color: #a5b4fc !important; }
   z-index: 0;
 }
 
+/* "Dark" base layer (#136): the prod tile URL is bright OSM, so dark-theme
+ * overlay cards sat on a bright, busy map. Inverting the raster keeps the
+ * keyless OSM source (CARTO's dark_all CDN proved flaky, #117) while giving
+ * the overlays the dark ground their palette was chosen for. */
+.leaflet-tile-pane .drb-tiles-dark {
+  filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) brightness(0.9) contrast(0.9) saturate(0.6);
+}
+
 /* Pinned 511 camera tiles (MapView DotCameraLayer): strip Leaflet's tooltip
  * padding and let the tile's own theme colours show, so the tile is no bigger
  * than the video it holds. */
diff --git a/drb-frontend/components/MapView.tsx b/drb-frontend/components/MapView.tsx
index 1356181..3409220 100644
--- a/drb-frontend/components/MapView.tsx
+++ b/drb-frontend/components/MapView.tsx
@@ -1802,6 +1802,7 @@ function MapView({
             <TileLayer
               url={MAP_TILE_URL}
               attribution={MAP_TILE_ATTRIBUTION}
+              className={MAP_TILE_URL.includes("dark") ? undefined : "drb-tiles-dark"}
             />
           </LayersControl.BaseLayer>
           <LayersControl.BaseLayer checked={startBase === "light"} name={BASE_NAMES.light}>
@@ -2083,7 +2084,7 @@ function MapView({
             {/* Gate A / A2 (server-26#46) — the rail's titles, locations and
                 unit counts are pipeline output. Pinned above the scroll area
                 so it cannot be scrolled off the screen it qualifies. */}
-            <div className="bg-surface/90 backdrop-blur-sm border border-line rounded-lg px-2 py-1.5 shrink-0 pointer-events-auto">
+            <div className="bg-surface border border-line-strong rounded-lg px-2 py-1.5 shrink-0 pointer-events-auto shadow">
               {filteredFrom != null && (
                 <p className="text-[11px] text-ink-2 mb-1"><b className="text-ink font-semibold tabular-nums">{incidents.length} of {filteredFrom}</b> · filtered</p>
               )}
@@ -2104,12 +2105,13 @@ function MapView({
               const latest = (callsByIncident.get(inc.incident_id) ?? [])
                 .filter(hasAudio)
                 .reduce<CallRecord | null>((best, c) => (!best || c.started_at > best.started_at ? c : best), null);
-              const baseClass = `w-full text-left bg-surface/90 backdrop-blur-sm border rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-xs hover:brightness-110 transition-all ${selected ? "ring-2 ring-accent" : ""}`;
+              // Opaque, not glass (#136): any see-through over a busy basemap put text on map colour.
+              const baseClass = `w-full text-left bg-surface border shadow rounded-lg px-3 py-2 text-xs hover:brightness-110 transition-all ${selected ? "ring-2 ring-accent" : ""}`;
               const cardBody = (
                 <>
                   <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 mb-0.5">
                     <svg width="13" height="13" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke={color} strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: TYPE_GLYPH_PATHS[inc.type === "accident" ? "collision" : (inc.type && TYPE_GLYPH_PATHS[inc.type] ? inc.type : "other")] }} />
-                    <span className="uppercase tracking-wide font-semibold text-[10px]" style={{ color }}>
+                    <span className="uppercase tracking-wide font-semibold text-[11px]" style={{ color }}>
                       {isKnownSeverity(inc.severity) ? SEVERITY_LABEL[inc.severity] : "Unknown"}
                     </span>
                     {live && <span className="ml-auto bg-accent text-white rounded px-1 text-[9px] font-semibold tracking-wide">ON AIR</span>}
@@ -2123,9 +2125,9 @@ function MapView({
                   {onSelectIncident && units.length > 0 && (
                     <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1 mt-1">
                       {units.slice(0, 4).map((u) => (
-                        <span key={u} className="font-mono text-[10px] px-1 rounded bg-raised text-ink-2">{u}</span>
+                        <span key={u} className="font-mono text-[11px] px-1 rounded bg-raised text-ink-2">{u}</span>
                       ))}
-                      {units.length > 4 && <span className="font-mono text-[10px] px-1 rounded bg-raised text-ink-muted">+{units.length - 4}</span>}
+                      {units.length > 4 && <span className="font-mono text-[11px] px-1 rounded bg-raised text-ink-2">+{units.length - 4}</span>}
                     </div>
                   )}
                   <div className="flex items-center justify-between mt-0.5">
@@ -2137,7 +2139,7 @@ function MapView({
                     )}
                   </div>
                   {!inc.location_coords && !onSelectIncident && (
-                    <p className="text-[10px] text-accent mt-1">View details →</p>
+                    <p className="text-[11px] text-accent mt-1">View details →</p>
                   )}
                 </>
               );
@@ -2153,7 +2155,7 @@ function MapView({
                       onClick={() => handleIncidentSelect(inc)}
                       aria-pressed={selected}
                       className={`${baseClass} ${latest ? "pr-10" : ""}`}
-                      style={{ borderColor: color + "55" }}
+                      style={{ borderColor: `color-mix(in srgb, ${color} 60%, transparent)` }}
                     >
                       {cardBody}
                     </button>
@@ -2166,7 +2168,7 @@ function MapView({
                   <a
                     href={`/incidents/${inc.incident_id}`}
                     className={`block ${baseClass} ${latest ? "pr-10" : ""}`}
-                    style={{ borderColor: color + "55" }}
+                    style={{ borderColor: `color-mix(in srgb, ${color} 60%, transparent)` }}
                   >
                     {cardBody}
                   </a>
@@ -2181,13 +2183,13 @@ function MapView({
           <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 z-[1001] md:hidden">
             <button
               onClick={() => setDrawerOpen((v: boolean) => !v)}
-              className="w-full bg-surface/95 border-t border-line px-4 py-2 text-xs text-ink-2 flex items-center justify-between"
+              className="w-full bg-surface border-t border-line-strong px-4 py-2 text-xs text-ink-2 flex items-center justify-between"
             >
               <span>Incidents ({filteredFrom != null ? `${incidents.length} of ${filteredFrom} · filtered` : incidents.length})</span>
               <span>{drawerOpen ? "▼" : "▲"}</span>
             </button>
             {drawerOpen && (
-              <div className="bg-surface/95 border-t border-line max-h-52 overflow-y-auto px-3 py-2 space-y-1.5">
+              <div className="bg-surface border-t border-line max-h-52 overflow-y-auto px-3 py-2 space-y-1.5">
                 {/* Gate A / A2 (server-26#46) */}
                 <MachineOutputNotice variant="inline" className="text-[10px] items-start" />
                 {railIncidents.map((inc) => {
@@ -2210,7 +2212,7 @@ function MapView({
                           handleIncidentSelect(inc);
                         }}
                         className="w-full text-left border rounded px-2 py-1.5 text-xs"
-                        style={{ borderColor: color + "55" }}
+                        style={{ borderColor: `color-mix(in srgb, ${color} 60%, transparent)` }}
                       >
                         {label}
                       </button>
@@ -2221,7 +2223,7 @@ function MapView({
                       key={inc.incident_id}
                       href={`/incidents/${inc.incident_id}`}
                       className="block w-full text-left border rounded px-2 py-1.5 text-xs"
-                      style={{ borderColor: color + "55" }}
+                      style={{ borderColor: `color-mix(in srgb, ${color} 60%, transparent)` }}
                     >
                       {label}
                     </a>