diff --git a/qt/aqt/__init__.py b/qt/aqt/__init__.py
index a6cdd9b20..2d62a0f17 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/__init__.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/__init__.py
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ class AnkiApp(QApplication):
 
     def __init__(self, argv: list[str]) -> None:
         QApplication.__init__(self, argv)
+        self.installEventFilter(self)
         self._argv = argv
 
     def secondInstance(self) -> bool:
@@ -339,6 +340,25 @@ class AnkiApp(QApplication):
             return True
         return QApplication.event(self, evt)
 
+    # Global cursor: pointer for Qt buttons
+    ##################################################
+
+    def eventFilter(self, src, evt):
+        if evt.type() == QEvent.Type.HoverEnter:
+            if type(src) == QPushButton:
+                # TODO: apply drop-shadow with setGraphicsEffect(QGraphicsDropShadowEffect)
+                # issue: can't access attributes of QClassProxy (Qt5-compat)
+                self.setOverrideCursor(QCursor(Qt.CursorShape.PointingHandCursor))
+            else:
+                self.restoreOverrideCursor()
+            return False
+
+        elif evt.type() == QEvent.Type.HoverLeave or evt.type() == QCloseEvent:
+            self.restoreOverrideCursor()
+            return False
+
+        return False
+
 
 def parseArgs(argv: list[str]) -> tuple[argparse.Namespace, list[str]]:
     "Returns (opts, args)."
diff --git a/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/searchbar.py b/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/searchbar.py
index d8f11f6ee..b73d90f12 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/searchbar.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/searchbar.py
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import aqt
 import aqt.browser
 import aqt.gui_hooks
-from aqt import colors
 from aqt.qt import *
-from aqt.theme import theme_manager
 
 
 class SidebarSearchBar(QLineEdit):
@@ -20,29 +18,10 @@ class SidebarSearchBar(QLineEdit):
         self.timer.setInterval(600)
         self.timer.setSingleShot(True)
         self.setFrame(False)
-        self.setup_style()
 
         qconnect(self.timer.timeout, self.onSearch)
         qconnect(self.textChanged, self.onTextChanged)
 
-        aqt.gui_hooks.theme_did_change.append(self.setup_style)
-
-    def setup_style(self) -> None:
-        styles = [
-            "padding: 2px",
-            f"border: 1px solid {theme_manager.color(colors.BORDER)}",
-            "border-radius: 5px",
-        ]
-
-        self.setStyleSheet(
-            "QLineEdit { %s }" % ";".join(styles)
-            + f"""
-QLineEdit:focus {{
-    border: 1px solid {theme_manager.color(colors.FOCUS_BORDER)};
-}}
-            """
-        )
-
     def onTextChanged(self, text: str) -> None:
         if not self.timer.isActive():
             self.timer.start()
@@ -57,6 +36,3 @@ QLineEdit:focus {{
             self.onSearch()
         else:
             QLineEdit.keyPressEvent(self, evt)
-
-    def cleanup(self) -> None:
-        aqt.gui_hooks.theme_did_change.remove(self.setup_style)
diff --git a/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py b/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py
index d173d65e0..cbdaca784 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ class SidebarTreeView(QTreeView):
 
     def cleanup(self) -> None:
         self.toolbar.cleanup()
-        self.searchBar.cleanup()
         gui_hooks.flag_label_did_change.remove(self.refresh)
         gui_hooks.theme_did_change.remove(self._setup_style)
 
diff --git a/qt/aqt/data/qt/icons/BUILD.bazel b/qt/aqt/data/qt/icons/BUILD.bazel
index bf5c44ba4..b3f131a17 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/data/qt/icons/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/qt/aqt/data/qt/icons/BUILD.bazel
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ copy_mdi_icons(
         # tags
         "tag-outline.svg",
         "tag-off-outline.svg",
+
+        # QComboBox arrow
+        "chevron-down.svg",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/qt/aqt/theme.py b/qt/aqt/theme.py
index 6a943e042..23d6a403d 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/theme.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/theme.py
@@ -187,6 +187,126 @@ class ThemeManager:
 
     def _apply_style(self, app: QApplication) -> None:
         buf = ""
+        if not is_mac:
+            buf += f"""
+QComboBox,
+QLineEdit {{
+    border: 1px solid {self.color(colors.BORDER)};
+    border-radius: 5px;
+    padding: 2px;
+}}
+QComboBox:focus,
+QLineEdit:focus {{
+    border: 1px solid {self.color(colors.FOCUS_BORDER)};
+}}
+QComboBox:on {{
+    border-bottom: none;
+    border-bottom-right-radius: 0;
+    border-bottom-left-radius: 0;
+}}
+QComboBox::drop-down {{
+    border: 0px; /* This resets the arrow styles */
+    subcontrol-origin: padding;
+    padding: 4px;
+    subcontrol-position: top right;
+    width: 18px;
+}}
+QComboBox::down-arrow {{
+    image: url(icons:chevron-down.svg);
+}}
+QPushButton {{
+    padding: 2px;
+    border-radius: 5px;
+    border: 1px solid #cfcbcb;
+    background: #fff;
+}}
+QPushButton:hover {{
+    background: #f9f8f8;
+    border-color: #afabac;
+}}
+QToolTip {{
+    border-radius: 5px;
+    border: 1px solid {self.color(colors.BORDER)};
+}}
+QFrame {{
+    border: none;
+    background: none;
+}}
+QLabel {{
+    background: transparent;
+    border-color: transparent;
+}}
+QToolTip {{
+    background: {self.color(colors.TOOLTIP_BG)};
+}}
+QTabWidget {{
+  border-radius: 5px;
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+}}
+
+QTabWidget::pane {{
+  border: 1px solid {self.color(colors.BORDER)};
+  border-top-left-radius: 0px;
+  border-top-right-radius: 5px;
+  border-bottom-right-radius: 5px;
+  border-bottom-left-radius: 5px;
+  background: {self.color(colors.FRAME_BG)};
+}}
+
+QTabBar::tab {{
+  background: none;
+  border: 1px solid {self.color(colors.BORDER)};
+  border-radius: 0px;
+  padding: 5px 10px;
+  margin-bottom: 0px;
+}}
+QTabBar::tab:selected {{
+  background: {self.color(colors.FRAME_BG)};
+  margin-bottom: -1px;
+  border-top-left-radius: 5px;
+  border-top-right-radius: 5px; 
+}}
+
+
+QTabWidget::tab-bar {{
+    top: 1px;
+}}
+
+
+QTabBar::tab:!selected:hover {{
+    background: {self.color(colors.FRAME_BG)};
+}}
+
+QTabBar::tab:!selected {{
+    margin-top: 5px;
+    background: {self.color(colors.WINDOW_BG)};
+}}
+
+
+QTabBar::tab {{
+    min-width: 8ex;
+    margin-right: -1px;
+    padding: 5px 10px 5px 10px;
+}}
+
+QTabBar::tab:selected {{
+    border-bottom-color: none;
+}}
+
+QTabBar::tab:bottom:selected {{
+    border-top-color: none;
+}}
+
+QTabBar::tab:first,
+QTabBar::tab:only-one {{
+    border-top-left-radius: 5px;
+}}
+QTabBar::tab:last,
+QTabBar::tab:only-one {{
+    border-top-right-radius: 5px;
+}}
+     """
 
         if is_win and platform.release() == "10":
             # day mode is missing a bottom border; background must be