diff --git a/src/app/globals.css b/src/app/globals.css
index f27f489..dc6b946 100644
--- a/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/src/app/globals.css
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
   /* Keep in sync with BRAND_GRADIENT in components/logo.tsx — same colors, same stops, same angle. */
   --gradient-sunset: linear-gradient(135deg, var(--violet) 0%, var(--magenta) 55%, var(--amber) 100%);
+  /* The darker stops keep white action text at or above 4.5:1 across the gradient. */
+  --gradient-action: linear-gradient(135deg, #5b45a5 0%, #a43b72 55%, #8a6200 100%);
   --gradient-glow: radial-gradient(60% 60% at 50% 0%, rgba(167, 139, 250, 0.35), transparent 70%);
 }
 
@@ -56,6 +58,10 @@ body {
   background-image: var(--gradient-sunset);
 }
 
+.bg-gradient-action {
+  background-image: var(--gradient-action);
+}
+
 .border-gradient {
   position: relative;
   border: 1px solid transparent;
diff --git a/src/app/page.tsx b/src/app/page.tsx
index 4b13da3..4704412 100644
--- a/src/app/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/page.tsx
@@ -260,11 +260,11 @@ export default function Home() {
       </section>
 
       <section className="px-6 pb-20">
-        <div className="mx-auto max-w-5xl overflow-hidden rounded-3xl bg-gradient-sunset px-8 py-20 text-center text-white">
+        <div className="mx-auto max-w-5xl overflow-hidden rounded-3xl bg-gradient-sunset px-8 py-20 text-center text-black">
           <h2 className="font-heading text-[9vw] leading-[1.05] font-bold sm:text-[4.5vw]">
             Ready to issue your first ticket?
           </h2>
-          <p className="mx-auto mt-4 max-w-xl text-base text-white/85 sm:text-lg">
+          <p className="mx-auto mt-4 max-w-xl text-base text-neutral-900 sm:text-lg">
             For events, travel, entertainment, and transportation — one platform, open source top
             to bottom.
           </p>
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ export default function Home() {
             </a>
             <a
               href="/about"
-              className="rounded-full border border-white/40 px-6 py-3 font-semibold text-white hover:bg-white/10"
+              className="rounded-full border border-neutral-900/40 px-6 py-3 font-semibold text-neutral-900 hover:bg-black/10"
             >
               Learn more
             </a>
diff --git a/src/components/audience-toggle.tsx b/src/components/audience-toggle.tsx
index 6f50ee9..8d38548 100644
--- a/src/components/audience-toggle.tsx
+++ b/src/components/audience-toggle.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export function AudienceToggle() {
     <div>
       <div className="relative inline-flex rounded-full border border-border bg-surface p-1">
         <div
-          className={`absolute top-1 bottom-1 left-1 w-[168px] rounded-full bg-gradient-sunset transition-transform duration-300 ease-out ${
+          className={`absolute top-1 bottom-1 left-1 w-[168px] rounded-full bg-gradient-action transition-transform duration-300 ease-out ${
             active === 'organizers' ? 'translate-x-[168px]' : 'translate-x-0'
           }`}
         />
diff --git a/src/components/button.test.ts b/src/components/button.test.ts
index d2798c2..82dd619 100644
--- a/src/components/button.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/button.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { createElement } from 'react';
 import { renderToStaticMarkup } from 'react-dom/server';
 import { Button, buttonClassName } from './button';
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ function render(props: Parameters<typeof Button>[0]): HTMLButtonElement {
 describe('buttonClassName', () => {
   it('defaults to the primary md style', () => {
     const cls = buttonClassName();
-    expect(cls).toContain('bg-gradient-sunset');
+    expect(cls).toContain('bg-gradient-action');
     expect(cls).toContain('rounded-md px-4 py-2');
   });
 
@@ -28,6 +29,44 @@ describe('buttonClassName', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('action gradient contrast', () => {
+  it('keeps white text at WCAG AA contrast across the CSS gradient', () => {
+    const css = readFileSync('src/app/globals.css', 'utf8');
+    const declaration = css.match(/--gradient-action:\s*linear-gradient\([^;]+\);/i)?.[0];
+    expect(declaration).toBeDefined();
+
+    const stops = [...declaration!.matchAll(/(#[\da-f]{6})\s+([\d.]+)%/gi)].map((match) => ({
+      position: Number(match[2]) / 100,
+      color: [1, 3, 5].map((offset) => Number.parseInt(match[1].slice(offset, offset + 2), 16)),
+    }));
+    expect(stops.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
+    expect(stops[0].position).toBe(0);
+    expect(stops.at(-1)?.position).toBe(1);
+
+    const linearise = (channel: number) => {
+      const srgb = channel / 255;
+      return srgb <= 0.04045 ? srgb / 12.92 : ((srgb + 0.055) / 1.055) ** 2.4;
+    };
+    const luminance = (color: number[]) =>
+      0.2126 * linearise(color[0]) + 0.7152 * linearise(color[1]) + 0.0722 * linearise(color[2]);
+
+    let minimumContrast = Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
+    for (let index = 0; index < stops.length - 1; index += 1) {
+      const start = stops[index];
+      const end = stops[index + 1];
+      for (let sample = 0; sample <= 1000; sample += 1) {
+        const progress = sample / 1000;
+        const color = start.color.map((channel, component) =>
+          channel + (end.color[component] - channel) * progress,
+        );
+        minimumContrast = Math.min(minimumContrast, 1.05 / (luminance(color) + 0.05));
+      }
+    }
+
+    expect(minimumContrast).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(4.5);
+  });
+});
+
 describe('Button', () => {
   it('defaults to type="button" and is not busy', () => {
     const btn = render({ children: 'Go' });
diff --git a/src/components/button.tsx b/src/components/button.tsx
index d142875..74d59eb 100644
--- a/src/components/button.tsx
+++ b/src/components/button.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ export type ButtonVariant = 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'danger';
 export type ButtonSize = 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg';
 
 const VARIANT_CLASSES: Record<ButtonVariant, string> = {
-  primary: 'bg-gradient-sunset text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20 hover:opacity-90',
+  primary: 'bg-gradient-action text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20 hover:opacity-90',
   secondary: 'border border-border hover:bg-surface',
   danger: 'border border-red-900/50 text-red-300 hover:bg-red-950/30',
 };
diff --git a/src/components/navbar.tsx b/src/components/navbar.tsx
index 0e207ac..fc1fbf2 100644
--- a/src/components/navbar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/navbar.tsx
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export function Navbar() {
               </Link>
               <Link
                 href="/register"
-                className="rounded-full bg-gradient-sunset px-4 py-1.5 font-medium text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20 hover:opacity-90"
+                className="rounded-full bg-gradient-action px-4 py-1.5 font-medium text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20 hover:opacity-90"
               >
                 Get started
               </Link>
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export function Navbar() {
                 </Link>
                 <Link
                   href="/register"
-                  className="rounded-full bg-gradient-sunset px-4 py-3 text-center text-sm font-medium text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20"
+                  className="rounded-full bg-gradient-action px-4 py-3 text-center text-sm font-medium text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20"
                 >
                   Get started
                 </Link>
diff --git a/src/components/pill-button.tsx b/src/components/pill-button.tsx
index 4bbd359..237b506 100644
--- a/src/components/pill-button.tsx
+++ b/src/components/pill-button.tsx
@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ export function PillButton({
       href={href}
       className={`group relative inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden rounded-full border px-6 py-3 font-semibold ${
         variant === 'solid'
-          ? 'border-transparent bg-gradient-sunset text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20'
+          ? 'border-transparent bg-gradient-action text-white shadow-lg shadow-violet/20'
           : 'border-border-bright text-foreground'
       }`}
     >
       {variant === 'outline' && (
-        <span className="absolute inset-0 -translate-x-full bg-gradient-sunset transition-transform duration-300 ease-out group-hover:translate-x-0" />
+        <span className="absolute inset-0 -translate-x-full bg-gradient-action transition-transform duration-300 ease-out group-hover:translate-x-0" />
       )}
       <span className="relative flex items-center gap-2 transition-colors duration-300 group-hover:text-white">
         {children}