diff --git a/data/gnome-shell-theme.gresource.xml b/data/gnome-shell-theme.gresource.xml
index 24b3be8db..3ec37da33 100644
--- a/data/gnome-shell-theme.gresource.xml
+++ b/data/gnome-shell-theme.gresource.xml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
     <file>checkbox-off-light.svg</file>
     <file>checkbox-off.svg</file>
     <file>gnome-shell.css</file>
-    <file>gnome-shell-high-contrast.css</file>
     <file>gnome-shell-start.svg</file>
     <file>pad-osd.css</file>
     <file>process-working.svg</file>
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_common.scss b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_common.scss
index 953bee598..36ce19a4d 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_common.scss
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_common.scss
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ stage {
 
 // tooltip
 %tooltip {
-  background-color: transparentize(black, 0.1);
-  color: $light_1;
+  background-color: transparentize($bg_color, 0.1);
+  color: $fg_color;
 
   border-radius: 99px;
   padding: $base_padding $base_padding * 2;
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_drawing.scss b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_drawing.scss
index a69d38175..e79dc0c28 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_drawing.scss
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/_drawing.scss
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
 //
 // since buttons are all flat an borderless now the mixin is simpler
 
-@mixin button($t, $tc:$fg_color, $c:$bg_color, $flat: false) {
+@mixin button($t, $tc:$fg_color, $c:$base_color, $flat: false) {
 
   $button_bg_color: mix($tc, $c, $button_mix_factor);
   transition-duration: 100ms;
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_calendar.scss b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_calendar.scss
index 393221627..0bc93111a 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_calendar.scss
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_calendar.scss
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
   .date-label {
     @extend %title_2;
   }
+
+  color: $fg_color !important;
 }
 
 /* Calendar */
@@ -250,7 +252,7 @@
   .weather-forecast-time {
     @extend %numeric;
     @extend %caption;
-    color: darken($fg_color,30%);
+    color: transparentize($insensitive_fg_color, 0.5);
     padding-top: 0.2em;
     padding-bottom: 0.4em;
   }
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss
index 650d4fa83..63ac5df8f 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_panel.scss
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 /* Top Bar */
 // a.k.a. the panel
 
-$panel_bg_color: if($variant == 'light', $light_3, $dark_5);
-$panel_fg_color: if($variant == 'light', $fg_color, darken($fg_color, 5%));
-$panel_border_color: if($variant == 'light', darken($panel_bg_color, 2%), $panel_bg_color);
+$panel_bg_color: $base_color;
+$panel_fg_color: $fg_color;
+$panel_border_color: transparentize($panel_bg_color, 0.9);
 
 $panel_system_fg_color: $system_fg_color; // always light for lockscreen, overview and other transparent panels
 $panel_height: 2.2em;
diff --git a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_quick-settings.scss b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_quick-settings.scss
index 82a5e11aa..681d73e33 100644
--- a/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_quick-settings.scss
+++ b/data/theme/gnome-shell-sass/widgets/_quick-settings.scss
@@ -108,15 +108,10 @@
     padding-bottom: 2 * $base_padding;
 
     & .icon {
-      icon-size: $base_icon_size*1.5; // a non-standard symbolic size but ok
-      border-radius: 999px;
-      padding: 1.5 * $base_padding;
-      background-color: transparentize($fg_color, 0.8);
-
-      &.active {
-        background-color: $selected_bg_color;
-        color: $selected_fg_color;
-      }
+      icon-size: $base_icon_size * 1.5;
+      padding: $base_padding;
+      background-color: $bg_color;
+      color: $fg_color;
     }
 
     & .title {