diff --git a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/dark_vs.json b/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/dark_vs.json
index 8d3e36525b0..061d360e3f0 100644
--- a/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/dark_vs.json
+++ b/extensions/theme-defaults/themes/dark_vs.json
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
 		"statusBarItem.remoteBackground": "#16825D",
 		"sideBarSectionHeader.background": "#0000",
 		"sideBarSectionHeader.border": "#ccc3",
-		"tab.lastPinnedBorder": "#ccc3",
-		"notebook.selectedCellBackground": "#383B3D50",
+		"tab.lastPinnedBorder": "#ccc3"
 	},
 	"tokenColors": [
 		{
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
index eed7129c4ae..f32df4a8180 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/notebook/browser/notebookEditorWidget.ts
@@ -2330,8 +2330,8 @@ export const focusedCellBackground = registerColor('notebook.focusedCellBackgrou
 }, nls.localize('focusedCellBackground', "The background color of a cell when the cell is focused."));
 
 export const selectedCellBackground = registerColor('notebook.selectedCellBackground', {
-	dark: Color.fromHex('#383B3D').transparent(0.5),
-	light: Color.fromHex('#c8ddf1').transparent(0.5),
+	dark: listInactiveSelectionBackground,
+	light: listInactiveSelectionBackground,
 	hc: null
 }, nls.localize('selectedCellBackground', "The background color of a cell when the cell is selected."));