diff --git a/src/useTheme.test.ts b/src/useTheme.test.ts
index d7576d70e..650321a7a 100644
--- a/src/useTheme.test.ts
+++ b/src/useTheme.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
 */
 
-import { renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { act, renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
 import {
   afterEach,
   beforeEach,
@@ -15,13 +15,19 @@ import {
   test,
   vi,
 } from "vitest";
+import EventEmitter from "events";
+import { WidgetApiToWidgetAction } from "matrix-widget-api";
 
 import { useTheme } from "./useTheme";
-import { useUrlParams } from "./UrlParams";
+import { getUrlParams } from "./UrlParams";
+import { widget } from "./widget";
 
-// Mock the useUrlParams hook
-vi.mock("./UrlParams", () => ({
-  useUrlParams: vi.fn(),
+vi.mock("./UrlParams", () => ({ getUrlParams: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("./widget", () => ({
+  widget: {
+    api: { transport: { reply: vi.fn() } },
+    lazyActions: new EventEmitter(),
+  },
 }));
 
 describe("useTheme", () => {
@@ -33,6 +39,7 @@ describe("useTheme", () => {
     vi.spyOn(originalClassList, "add");
     vi.spyOn(originalClassList, "remove");
     vi.spyOn(originalClassList, "item").mockReturnValue(null);
+    (getUrlParams as Mock).mockReturnValue({ theme: "dark" });
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
@@ -46,7 +53,7 @@ describe("useTheme", () => {
     { setTheme: "light-high-contrast", add: ["cpd-theme-light-hc"] },
   ])("apply procedure", ({ setTheme, add }) => {
     test(`should apply ${add[0]} theme when ${setTheme} theme is specified`, () => {
-      (useUrlParams as Mock).mockReturnValue({ theme: setTheme });
+      (getUrlParams as Mock).mockReturnValue({ theme: setTheme });
 
       renderHook(() => useTheme());
 
@@ -61,7 +68,6 @@ describe("useTheme", () => {
   });
 
   test("should not reapply the same theme if it hasn't changed", () => {
-    (useUrlParams as Mock).mockReturnValue({ theme: "dark" });
     // Simulate a previous theme
     originalClassList.item = vi.fn().mockReturnValue("cpd-theme-dark");
 
@@ -75,4 +81,25 @@ describe("useTheme", () => {
     expect(document.body.classList.remove).toHaveBeenCalledWith("no-theme");
     expect(originalClassList.add).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  test("theme changes in response to widget actions", async () => {
+    renderHook(() => useTheme());
+
+    expect(originalClassList.add).toHaveBeenCalledWith("cpd-theme-dark");
+    await act(() =>
+      widget!.lazyActions.emit(
+        WidgetApiToWidgetAction.ThemeChange,
+        new CustomEvent(WidgetApiToWidgetAction.ThemeChange, {
+          detail: { data: { name: "light" } },
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(originalClassList.remove).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "cpd-theme-light",
+      "cpd-theme-dark",
+      "cpd-theme-light-hc",
+      "cpd-theme-dark-hc",
+    );
+    expect(originalClassList.add).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith("cpd-theme-light");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/useTheme.ts b/src/useTheme.ts
index 3ad1ed9d2..a599545b8 100644
--- a/src/useTheme.ts
+++ b/src/useTheme.ts
@@ -5,17 +5,46 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
 */
 
-import { useLayoutEffect, useRef } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { WidgetApiToWidgetAction } from "matrix-widget-api";
+import { type IThemeChangeActionRequest } from "matrix-widget-api/lib/interfaces/ThemeChangeAction";
 
-import { useUrlParams } from "./UrlParams";
+import { getUrlParams } from "./UrlParams";
+import { widget } from "./widget";
 
 export const useTheme = (): void => {
-  const { theme: themeName } = useUrlParams();
+  const [requestedTheme, setRequestedTheme] = useState(
+    () => getUrlParams().theme,
+  );
   const previousTheme = useRef<string | null>(document.body.classList.item(0));
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (widget) {
+      const onThemeChange = (
+        ev: CustomEvent<IThemeChangeActionRequest>,
+      ): void => {
+        ev.preventDefault();
+        if ("name" in ev.detail.data && typeof ev.detail.data.name === "string")
+          setRequestedTheme(ev.detail.data.name);
+        widget!.api.transport.reply(ev.detail, {});
+      };
+
+      widget.lazyActions.on(WidgetApiToWidgetAction.ThemeChange, onThemeChange);
+      return (): void => {
+        widget!.lazyActions.off(
+          WidgetApiToWidgetAction.ThemeChange,
+          onThemeChange,
+        );
+      };
+    }
+  }, []);
+
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
-    // If the url does not contain a theme props we default to "dark".
-    const theme = themeName?.includes("light") ? "light" : "dark";
-    const themeHighContrast = themeName?.includes("high-contrast") ? "-hc" : "";
+    // If no theme has been explicitly requested we default to dark
+    const theme = requestedTheme?.includes("light") ? "light" : "dark";
+    const themeHighContrast = requestedTheme?.includes("high-contrast")
+      ? "-hc"
+      : "";
     const themeString = "cpd-theme-" + theme + themeHighContrast;
     if (themeString !== previousTheme.current) {
       document.body.classList.remove(
@@ -28,5 +57,5 @@ export const useTheme = (): void => {
       previousTheme.current = themeString;
     }
     document.body.classList.remove("no-theme");
-  }, [previousTheme, themeName]);
+  }, [previousTheme, requestedTheme]);
 };
diff --git a/src/widget.ts b/src/widget.ts
index fb1b1cfdc..f2ce9b836 100644
--- a/src/widget.ts
+++ b/src/widget.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ Please see LICENSE in the repository root for full details.
 import { logger } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/logger";
 import { EventType } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/@types/event";
 import { createRoomWidgetClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/matrix";
-import { WidgetApi, MatrixCapabilities } from "matrix-widget-api";
+import {
+  WidgetApi,
+  MatrixCapabilities,
+  WidgetApiToWidgetAction,
+} from "matrix-widget-api";
 
 import type { MatrixClient } from "matrix-js-sdk/src/client";
 import type { IWidgetApiRequest } from "matrix-widget-api";
@@ -70,6 +74,7 @@ export const widget = ((): WidgetHelpers | null => {
       // intend for the app to handle
       const lazyActions = new LazyEventEmitter();
       [
+        WidgetApiToWidgetAction.ThemeChange,
         ElementWidgetActions.JoinCall,
         ElementWidgetActions.HangupCall,
         ElementWidgetActions.TileLayout,
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index aa79781a4..ea5ce4e76 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -6457,9 +6457,9 @@ matrix-js-sdk@matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk#develop:
     uuid "11"
 
 matrix-widget-api@^1.10.0:
-  version "1.10.0"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/matrix-widget-api/-/matrix-widget-api-1.10.0.tgz#d31ea073a5871a1fb1a511ef900b0c125a37bf55"
-  integrity sha512-rkAJ29briYV7TJnfBVLVSKtpeBrBju15JZFSDP6wj8YdbCu1bdmlplJayQ+vYaw1x4fzI49Q+Nz3E85s46sRDw==
+  version "1.11.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/matrix-widget-api/-/matrix-widget-api-1.11.0.tgz#2f548b11a7c0df789d5d4fdb5cc9ef7af8aef3da"
+  integrity sha512-ED/9hrJqDWVLeED0g1uJnYRhINh3ZTquwurdM+Hc8wLVJIQ8G/r7A7z74NC+8bBIHQ1Jo7i1Uq5CoJp/TzFYrA==
   dependencies:
     "@types/events" "^3.0.0"
     events "^3.2.0"