diff --git a/dotfiles/.bashrc b/dotfiles/.bashrc
index 7be0d80..20c46d2 100644
--- a/dotfiles/.bashrc
+++ b/dotfiles/.bashrc
@@ -25,6 +25,17 @@ bashrc_customize_environment() {
     export HISTFILE=~/.bash_eternal_history
 }
 
+bashrc_update_colors() {
+    export BACKGROUND="$1"
+    bashrc_customize_terminal_colors
+    bashrc_customize_prompt
+    bashrc_customize_ls
+    if [ -n "$TMUX" ] && [ -f "$HOME/.tmux.conf" ]; then
+        tmux set-environment -g BACKGROUND "$BACKGROUND"
+        tmux source-file "$HOME/.tmux.conf"
+    fi
+}
+
 bashrc_customize_shell_options() {
     for option in cdspell checkwinsize globstar histappend nocaseglob
     do
@@ -82,6 +93,9 @@ EOS
 }
 
 bashrc_customize_aliases() {
+    alias light='bashrc_update_colors "light"'
+    alias dark='bashrc_update_colors "dark"'
+
     # Make `ls` group directories first if supported.
     if ls --group-directories-first >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         alias ls="ls -hF --group-directories-first --color=auto"    # GNU
@@ -232,22 +246,6 @@ bashrc_customize_ls() {
     fi
 }
 
-# Change to light background
-light() {
-    export BACKGROUND="light"
-    bashrc_customize_terminal_colors
-    bashrc_customize_prompt
-    bashrc_customize_ls
-}
-
-# Change to dark background
-dark() {
-    export BACKGROUND="dark"
-    bashrc_customize_terminal_colors
-    bashrc_customize_prompt
-    bashrc_customize_ls
-}
-
 # Print the solarized palette (for testing)
 solarized() {
     printf "\033[%sm%-7s %-s %2d\033[0m\t" "$base03"  Base03  "$base03"  8
diff --git a/dotfiles/.tmux.conf b/dotfiles/.tmux.conf
index 7bd63ec..1bf4462 100644
--- a/dotfiles/.tmux.conf
+++ b/dotfiles/.tmux.conf
@@ -52,19 +52,35 @@ set-environment -gu SHLVL
 #
 # Colors
 #
-# statusbar colors
-set -g status-fg colour12                       # Base0
-set -g status-bg colour0                        # Base02
+%if #{==:#{BACKGROUND},light}
+    # statusbar colors
+    set -g status-fg colour10
+    set -g status-bg colour15
 
-# window title colors
-setw -g window-status-fg            colour12    # Base0
-setw -g window-status-bg            default     # none
-setw -g window-status-current-fg    colour8     # Base03
-setw -g window-status-current-bg    colour12    # Base0
+    # window title colors
+    setw -g window-status-fg            colour10
+    setw -g window-status-bg            default
+    setw -g window-status-current-fg    colour15
+    setw -g window-status-current-bg    colour10
 
-# pane border
-set -g pane-border-fg               colour6     # Cyan
-set -g pane-active-border-fg        colour1     # Red
+    # pane border
+    set -g pane-border-fg               colour6
+    set -g pane-active-border-fg        colour1
+%else
+    # statusbar colors
+    set -g status-fg colour12
+    set -g status-bg colour0
+
+    # window title colors
+    setw -g window-status-fg            colour12
+    setw -g window-status-bg            default
+    setw -g window-status-current-fg    colour0
+    setw -g window-status-current-bg    colour12
+
+    # pane border
+    set -g pane-border-fg               colour6
+    set -g pane-active-border-fg        colour1
+%endif
 
 # Apply platform specific configurations:
 #   See http://www.economyofeffort.com/2013/07/29/reattach-to-user-namespace-the-fix-for-your-tmux-in-os-x-woes/