diff --git a/packages/sanity/src/core/studio/colorScheme.tsx b/packages/sanity/src/core/studio/colorScheme.tsx
index c69276ee2cb..7d9853cb7ae 100644
--- a/packages/sanity/src/core/studio/colorScheme.tsx
+++ b/packages/sanity/src/core/studio/colorScheme.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,36 @@
-import React, {createContext, useContext, useEffect, useMemo, useState} from 'react'
+import React, {createContext, useCallback, useContext, useEffect, useMemo, useState} from 'react'
 import {studioTheme, ThemeColorSchemeKey, ThemeProvider, usePrefersDark} from '@sanity/ui'
 
+const LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY = 'sanityStudio:ui:colorScheme'
+
+function localStorageManager() {
+  const supportsLocalStorage = typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.localStorage
+
+  function getItem(key: string) {
+    return supportsLocalStorage ? window.localStorage.getItem(key) : undefined
+  }
+
+  function setItem(key: string, value: string) {
+    return supportsLocalStorage ? window.localStorage.setItem(key, value) : undefined
+  }
+
+  function removeItem(key: string) {
+    return supportsLocalStorage ? window.localStorage.removeItem(key) : undefined
+  }
+
+  return {getItem, setItem, removeItem}
+}
+
 /** @internal */
 export const ColorSchemeContext = createContext<{
+  /** The current color scheme */
   scheme: ThemeColorSchemeKey
+  /** Set the color scheme and store it in local storage */
   setScheme: (colorScheme: ThemeColorSchemeKey) => void
+  /** A boolean indicating whether the user is using the system color scheme */
+  usingSystemScheme: boolean
+  /** Clear the stored color scheme from local storage and use the system color scheme */
+  clearStoredScheme: () => void
 } | null>(null)
 
 /** @internal */
@@ -20,17 +46,57 @@ export function ColorSchemeProvider({
   onSchemeChange,
   scheme: schemeProp,
 }: ColorSchemeProviderProps) {
+  const {getItem, setItem, removeItem} = useMemo(() => localStorageManager(), [])
+
+  // The system color scheme
   const prefersDark = usePrefersDark()
-  const [scheme, setScheme] = useState<ThemeColorSchemeKey>(schemeProp || 'light')
+  const systemScheme = prefersDark ? 'dark' : 'light'
 
-  // if the preferred color scheme changes, then react to this change
+  // The color scheme stored in local storage
+  const storedScheme = getItem?.(LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY) as ThemeColorSchemeKey | undefined
+
+  // A state indicating whether the user is using the system color scheme (mainly used to reflect what the user has selected in the UI)
+  const [usingSystemScheme, setUsingSystemScheme] = useState<boolean>(!storedScheme)
+
+  // The initial scheme to use
+  const initialScheme = (schemeProp || storedScheme || systemScheme) as ThemeColorSchemeKey
+  const [scheme, setScheme] = useState<ThemeColorSchemeKey>(initialScheme)
+
+  // Store the scheme in local storage when it changes (unless it's the system scheme)
+  const handleSetScheme = useCallback(
+    (nextScheme: ThemeColorSchemeKey) => {
+      // Safety check to make sure we only store valid scheme keys
+      if (nextScheme === 'dark' || nextScheme === 'light') {
+        setItem?.(LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY, nextScheme)
+        setScheme(nextScheme)
+        onSchemeChange?.(nextScheme)
+        setUsingSystemScheme(false)
+      }
+    },
+    [onSchemeChange, setItem]
+  )
+
+  // Remove the stored scheme from local storage and set the scheme to the system scheme
+  const clearStoredScheme = useCallback(() => {
+    removeItem?.(LOCAL_STORAGE_KEY)
+    setScheme(systemScheme)
+    onSchemeChange?.(systemScheme)
+    setUsingSystemScheme(true)
+  }, [onSchemeChange, removeItem, systemScheme])
+
+  // React to changes in the system settings.
+  // If the user doesn't have a stored scheme in local storage, use the system scheme.
   useEffect(() => {
-    const nextScheme = prefersDark ? 'dark' : 'light'
-    setScheme(nextScheme)
-    onSchemeChange?.(nextScheme)
-  }, [onSchemeChange, prefersDark])
+    if (!storedScheme) {
+      setScheme(systemScheme)
+      setUsingSystemScheme(true)
+    }
+  }, [onSchemeChange, storedScheme, systemScheme])
 
-  const colorScheme = useMemo(() => ({scheme, setScheme}), [scheme])
+  const colorScheme = useMemo(
+    () => ({scheme, setScheme: handleSetScheme, usingSystemScheme, clearStoredScheme}),
+    [clearStoredScheme, handleSetScheme, scheme, usingSystemScheme]
+  )
 
   return (
     <ColorSchemeContext.Provider value={colorScheme}>