diff --git a/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml b/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml
index a8a134e9..271bc12d 100644
--- a/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Common/SettingsData.qml
@@ -249,8 +249,6 @@ Singleton {
     onFrameModeChanged: saveSettings()
     property var connectedFrameBarStyleBackups: ({})
     onConnectedFrameBarStyleBackupsChanged: saveSettings()
-    property var connectedFrameModalDarkenBackup: null
-    onConnectedFrameModalDarkenBackupChanged: saveSettings()
     readonly property bool connectedFrameModeActive: frameEnabled && frameMode === "connected"
     onConnectedFrameModeActiveChanged: {
         if (_loading)
@@ -1610,10 +1608,6 @@ Singleton {
     function _reconcileConnectedFrameBarStyles() {
         if (!connectedFrameModeActive) {
             _restoreConnectedFrameBarStyleBackups();
-            if (connectedFrameModalDarkenBackup === true) {
-                connectedFrameModalDarkenBackup = null;
-                set("modalDarkenBackground", true);
-            }
             return;
         }
         if (!_hasConnectedFrameBarStyleBackups())
@@ -1623,11 +1617,6 @@ Singleton {
             barConfigs = result.configs;
             updateBarConfigs();
         }
-        // Force modalDarkenBackground off; capture backup if not already set
-        if (modalDarkenBackground) {
-            connectedFrameModalDarkenBackup = true;
-            set("modalDarkenBackground", false);
-        }
     }
 
     function detectAvailableIconThemes() {
diff --git a/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js b/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js
index ea6f5616..2ec3db82 100644
--- a/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js
+++ b/quickshell/Common/settings/SettingsSpec.js
@@ -447,7 +447,6 @@ var SPEC = {
     displayShowDisconnected: { def: false },
     displaySnapToEdge: { def: true },
     connectedFrameBarStyleBackups: { def: {} },
-    connectedFrameModalDarkenBackup: { def: null },
 
     barConfigs: {
         def: [{
diff --git a/quickshell/Modals/Common/DankModalStandalone.qml b/quickshell/Modals/Common/DankModalStandalone.qml
index defeaab5..75efc8b4 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modals/Common/DankModalStandalone.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modals/Common/DankModalStandalone.qml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Item {
     readonly property alias contentWindow: contentWindow
     readonly property alias clickCatcher: clickCatcher
     readonly property bool useHyprlandFocusGrab: CompositorService.useHyprlandFocusGrab
-    readonly property bool useBackground: showBackground && SettingsData.modalDarkenBackground
+    readonly property bool useBackground: showBackground && !SettingsData.frameEnabled && SettingsData.modalDarkenBackground
     readonly property bool useSingleWindow: CompositorService.isHyprland || useBackground
 
     signal opened
diff --git a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2ModalStandalone.qml b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2ModalStandalone.qml
index a352cb35..9355d5a4 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2ModalStandalone.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modals/DankLauncherV2/DankLauncherV2ModalStandalone.qml
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ Item {
     readonly property real windowHeight: alignedHeight + contentY + shadowPad
 
     readonly property color backgroundColor: Theme.withAlpha(Theme.surfaceContainer, Theme.popupTransparency)
+    readonly property bool useBackgroundDarken: !SettingsData.frameEnabled && SettingsData.modalDarkenBackground
     readonly property real cornerRadius: Theme.cornerRadius
     readonly property color borderColor: {
         if (!SettingsData.dankLauncherV2BorderEnabled)
@@ -295,9 +296,9 @@ Item {
     PanelWindow {
         id: clickCatcher
         screen: launcherWindow.screen
-        visible: spotlightOpen
+        visible: spotlightOpen || isClosing
         color: "transparent"
-        updatesEnabled: false
+        updatesEnabled: root.useBackgroundDarken && (spotlightOpen || isClosing)
 
         WlrLayershell.namespace: "dms:spotlight:clickcatcher"
         WlrLayershell.layer: WlrLayershell.Top
@@ -330,10 +331,10 @@ Item {
             id: outsideClickHole
             visible: false
             color: "transparent"
-            x: root.alignedX
-            y: root.alignedY
-            width: root.alignedWidth
-            height: root.alignedHeight
+            x: root.windowX
+            y: root.windowY
+            width: root.windowWidth
+            height: root.windowHeight
         }
 
         MouseArea {
@@ -341,6 +342,22 @@ Item {
             enabled: spotlightOpen
             onClicked: root.hide()
         }
+
+        Rectangle {
+            id: backgroundDarken
+            anchors.fill: parent
+            color: "black"
+            opacity: contentVisible && root.useBackgroundDarken ? 0.5 : 0
+            visible: (spotlightOpen || isClosing) && (root.useBackgroundDarken || opacity > 0)
+
+            Behavior on opacity {
+                NumberAnimation {
+                    easing.type: Easing.BezierSpline
+                    duration: Theme.modalAnimationDuration
+                    easing.bezierCurve: contentVisible ? Theme.expressiveCurves.expressiveDefaultSpatial : Theme.expressiveCurves.emphasized
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     PanelWindow {
@@ -361,6 +378,8 @@ Item {
 
         WlrLayershell.namespace: "dms:spotlight"
         WlrLayershell.layer: {
+            if (root.useBackgroundDarken)
+                return WlrLayershell.Overlay;
             switch (Quickshell.env("DMS_MODAL_LAYER")) {
             case "bottom":
                 log.error("'bottom' layer is not valid for modals. Defaulting to 'top' layer.");
diff --git a/quickshell/Modules/Settings/ThemeColorsTab.qml b/quickshell/Modules/Settings/ThemeColorsTab.qml
index be78b134..6888a332 100644
--- a/quickshell/Modules/Settings/ThemeColorsTab.qml
+++ b/quickshell/Modules/Settings/ThemeColorsTab.qml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Item {
 
     property var parentModal: null
     readonly property bool connectedFrameModeActive: SettingsData.connectedFrameModeActive
+    readonly property bool frameModeActive: SettingsData.frameEnabled
     property var cachedIconThemes: SettingsData.availableIconThemes
     property var cachedCursorThemes: SettingsData.availableCursorThemes
     property var cachedMatugenSchemes: Theme.availableMatugenSchemes.map(option => option.label)
@@ -2251,10 +2252,10 @@ Item {
                 iconName: "layers"
 
                 SettingsControlledByFrame {
-                    visible: themeColorsTab.connectedFrameModeActive
+                    visible: themeColorsTab.frameModeActive
                     parentModal: themeColorsTab.parentModal
                     settingLabel: I18n.tr("Darken Modal Background")
-                    reason: I18n.tr("Managed by Frame in Connected Mode")
+                    reason: I18n.tr("Disabled by Frame Mode")
                 }
 
                 SettingsToggleRow {
@@ -2263,7 +2264,7 @@ Item {
                     settingKey: "modalDarkenBackground"
                     text: I18n.tr("Darken Modal Background")
                     description: I18n.tr("Show darkened overlay behind modal dialogs")
-                    visible: !themeColorsTab.connectedFrameModeActive
+                    visible: !themeColorsTab.frameModeActive
                     checked: SettingsData.modalDarkenBackground
                     onToggled: checked => SettingsData.set("modalDarkenBackground", checked)
                 }