--- a/devtools/client/themes/common.css
+++ b/devtools/client/themes/common.css
@@ -3,16 +3,17 @@
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 
 @import url("resource://devtools/client/themes/splitters.css");
 @namespace html url("http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml");
 
 :root {
   font: message-box;
 
+  --tab-selected-text-color: var(--blue-60);
   --tab-line-hover-color: var(--grey-30);
   --tab-line-selected-color: var(--blue-50);
 }
 
 :root[platform="mac"] {
   --monospace-font-family: Menlo, monospace;
 }
 
@@ -704,16 +705,21 @@ checkbox:-moz-focusring {
   background: var(--tab-line-hover-color);
 }
 
 .devtools-tab.selected .devtools-tab-line,
 .tabs-menu-item.is-active .devtools-tab-line {
   background: var(--tab-line-selected-color);
 }
 
+.theme-light .devtools-tab.selected,
+.theme-light .tabs .tabs-menu-item.is-active {
+  color: var(--tab-selected-text-color);
+}
+
 /* Hide the tab line in the firebug theme */
 .theme-firebug .devtools-tab:hover .devtools-tab-line,
 .theme-firebug .devtools-tab.selected .devtools-tab-line,
 .theme-firebug .tabs-menu-item:hover:not(.is-active) .devtools-tab-line,
 .theme-firebug .tabs-menu-item.is-active .devtools-tab-line {
   background: transparent;
 }