diff --git a/lib/pangea/common/widgets/shimmer_background.dart b/lib/pangea/common/widgets/shimmer_background.dart
index 5530affe3..0fbc5104e 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/common/widgets/shimmer_background.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/common/widgets/shimmer_background.dart
@@ -7,12 +7,14 @@ import 'package:fluffychat/config/app_config.dart';
 class ShimmerBackground extends StatelessWidget {
   final Widget child;
   final Color shimmerColor;
+  final Color? baseColor;
   final bool enabled;
 
   const ShimmerBackground({
     super.key,
     required this.child,
     this.shimmerColor = AppConfig.goldLight,
+    this.baseColor,
     this.enabled = true,
   });
 
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ class ShimmerBackground extends StatelessWidget {
               child: ClipRRect(
                 borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(AppConfig.borderRadius),
                 child: Shimmer.fromColors(
-                  baseColor: shimmerColor.withValues(alpha: 0.1),
+                  baseColor: baseColor ?? shimmerColor.withValues(alpha: 0.1),
                   highlightColor: shimmerColor.withValues(alpha: 0.6),
                   direction: ShimmerDirection.ltr,
                   child: Container(
diff --git a/lib/pangea/lemmas/lemma_highlight_emoji_row.dart b/lib/pangea/lemmas/lemma_highlight_emoji_row.dart
index 060751991..1265706a5 100644
--- a/lib/pangea/lemmas/lemma_highlight_emoji_row.dart
+++ b/lib/pangea/lemmas/lemma_highlight_emoji_row.dart
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ class EmojiChoiceItemState extends State<EmojiChoiceItem> {
               shimmerColor: (Theme.of(context).brightness == Brightness.dark)
                   ? Colors.white
                   : Theme.of(context).colorScheme.primary,
+              baseColor: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.surface,
               child: CompositedTransformTarget(
                 link: MatrixState.pAnyState
                     .layerLinkAndKey(widget.transformTargetId)