diff --git a/webview-ui/playwright/themes.ts b/webview-ui/playwright/themes.ts
index 65ec5ee384..cff590bcdd 100644
--- a/webview-ui/playwright/themes.ts
+++ b/webview-ui/playwright/themes.ts
@@ -24,5 +24,11 @@ export async function applyVisualTheme(page: Page, theme: VisualTheme) {
 		document.body.className = bodyClass
 		document.body.removeAttribute("style")
 		document.body.dataset.vscodeThemeId = themeId
+
+		for (const animation of document.getAnimations()) {
+			if (animation instanceof CSSTransition) {
+				animation.finish()
+			}
+		}
 	}, theme)
 }
diff --git a/webview-ui/src/components/ui/__tests__/VisualTheme.visual.tsx b/webview-ui/src/components/ui/__tests__/VisualTheme.visual.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..594f68155a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webview-ui/src/components/ui/__tests__/VisualTheme.visual.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { expect, test } from "../../../../playwright/coverage-fixture"
+import { mountedStory } from "../../../../playwright/mounted-story"
+import { applyVisualTheme, visualThemes } from "../../../../playwright/themes"
+
+test("finishes theme color transitions before contrast checks read them", async ({ mount, page }) => {
+	const component = mountedStory(await mount("welcome"))
+	const action = component.getByRole("button", { name: /provider/i }).first()
+	await expect(action).toBeVisible()
+
+	// Stretch the about 150 ms transition so it cannot end on its own before the assertions read it.
+	// Reading the computed style flushes it, so the theme switch below starts the long transition.
+	const transitionDuration = await action.evaluate((element) => {
+		element.style.transitionDuration = "10s"
+		return getComputedStyle(element).transitionDuration
+	})
+	expect(transitionDuration).toBe("10s")
+
+	// finish() throws on an infinite animation, so the theme switch must leave CSS animations running.
+	await page.evaluate(() => {
+		const style = document.createElement("style")
+		style.id = "visual-theme-infinite-animation"
+		style.textContent =
+			"@keyframes visual-theme-pulse { to { opacity: 0.5; } }" +
+			"#visual-theme-infinite-animation-probe { animation: visual-theme-pulse 1s infinite; }"
+		const probe = document.createElement("div")
+		probe.id = "visual-theme-infinite-animation-probe"
+		document.head.append(style)
+		document.body.append(probe)
+	})
+
+	// The gallery starts in the dark theme, so this switch starts the Button border-color transition.
+	await applyVisualTheme(
+		page,
+		visualThemes.find((theme) => theme.name === "high-contrast-light")!,
+	)
+
+	const { runningTransitions, runningAnimations } = await page.evaluate(() => {
+		const running = document.getAnimations().filter((animation) => animation.playState === "running")
+		return {
+			runningTransitions: running.filter((animation) => animation instanceof CSSTransition).length,
+			runningAnimations: running.filter(
+				(animation) => animation instanceof CSSAnimation && animation.animationName === "visual-theme-pulse",
+			).length,
+		}
+	})
+	expect(runningTransitions).toBe(0)
+	expect(runningAnimations).toBe(1)
+	// Read once instead of toHaveCSS, which retries until the transition ends on its own.
+	expect(await action.evaluate((element) => getComputedStyle(element).borderTopColor)).toBe("rgb(15, 74, 133)")
+
+	await page.evaluate(() => {
+		document.getElementById("visual-theme-infinite-animation")?.remove()
+		document.getElementById("visual-theme-infinite-animation-probe")?.remove()
+	})
+})