diff --git a/src/components/miners/MinerLeaderboard.tsx b/src/components/miners/MinerLeaderboard.tsx
index f4d2aab..28e84bf 100644
--- a/src/components/miners/MinerLeaderboard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/miners/MinerLeaderboard.tsx
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ const MinerLeaderboard: React.FC<{
                   hover
                   sx={{
                     cursor: 'pointer',
-                    '&:hover td': { backgroundColor: 'surface.elevated' },
+                    '&:hover td': { backgroundColor: 'action.hover' },
                     '&:focus-visible': {
                       outline: `2px solid ${theme.palette.primary.main}`,
                       outlineOffset: -2,
diff --git a/src/theme.ts b/src/theme.ts
index ae99111..bee658c 100644
--- a/src/theme.ts
+++ b/src/theme.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createTheme, Theme } from '@mui/material/styles';
+import { alpha, createTheme, Theme } from '@mui/material/styles';
 
 // Font constants (shared across all themes)
 export const FONTS = {
@@ -144,6 +144,14 @@ export function createAppTheme(mode: ThemeMode): Theme {
         secondary: p.textSecondary,
       },
       divider: p.border,
+      // MUI's default light-mode hover (4% black) is too faint over our white
+      // card surfaces, so bump it to 6%. Dark mode keeps the 8% white default.
+      action: {
+        hover:
+          mode === 'light'
+            ? alpha(BRAND.woodsmoke, 0.06)
+            : alpha(BRAND.white, 0.08),
+      },
       border: {
         subtle: p.border,
         light: p.borderLight,