diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
index a467282452..8b39593939 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
@@ -1466,3 +1466,11 @@ def windows_is_system_dark_mode_enabled():
     if s.status() == QSettings.NoError:
         return s.value("AppsUseLightTheme") == 0
     return False
+
+
+def make_view_use_window_background(view):
+    p = view.palette()
+    p.setColor(p.Base, p.color(p.Window))
+    p.setColor(p.AlternateBase, p.color(p.Window))
+    view.setPalette(p)
+    return view
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/file_list.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/file_list.py
index 126f482678..f675225d96 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/file_list.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/file_list.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.replace import (
 )
 from calibre.gui2 import (
     choose_dir, choose_files, choose_save_file, elided_text, error_dialog,
-    question_dialog
+    make_view_use_window_background, question_dialog
 )
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book import (
     CONTAINER_DND_MIMETYPE, current_container, editors, tprefs
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ class FileList(QTreeWidget):
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         QTreeWidget.__init__(self, parent)
+        make_view_use_window_background(self)
         self.categories = {}
         self.ordered_selected_indexes = False
         pi = plugins['progress_indicator'][0]
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/toc.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/toc.py
index ef116f2de5..e1506cbde2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/toc.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/toc.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from PyQt5.Qt import (
 
 from calibre.constants import plugins
 from calibre.ebooks.oeb.polish.toc import commit_toc, get_toc
-from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
+from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog, make_view_use_window_background
 from calibre.gui2.toc.main import TOCView, ItemEdit
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book import current_container, TOP, actions, tprefs
 from polyglot.builtins import unicode_type, range
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class TOCViewer(QWidget):
         self.setLayout(l)
         l.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
 
-        self.view = QTreeWidget(self)
+        self.view = make_view_use_window_background(QTreeWidget(self))
         self.delegate = Delegate(self.view)
         self.view.setItemDelegate(self.delegate)
         self.view.setHeaderHidden(True)