diff --git a/React/CoreModules/RCTAppearance.mm b/React/CoreModules/RCTAppearance.mm
index 820063db4eaa2d..1d762b67cc5fca 100644
--- a/React/CoreModules/RCTAppearance.mm
+++ b/React/CoreModules/RCTAppearance.mm
@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@ - (dispatch_queue_t)methodQueue
 
 RCT_EXPORT_SYNCHRONOUS_TYPED_METHOD(NSString *, getColorScheme)
 {
-  _currentColorScheme = RCTColorSchemePreference(nil);
+  if (_currentColorScheme == nil) {
+    _currentColorScheme = RCTColorSchemePreference(nil);
+  }
   return _currentColorScheme;
 }
 
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivity.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivity.java
index 3eb5aa740881d3..d5290d968c75bd 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivity.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivity.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 package com.facebook.react;
 
 import android.content.Intent;
+import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.view.KeyEvent;
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
@@ -121,6 +122,12 @@ public void onWindowFocusChanged(boolean hasFocus) {
     mDelegate.onWindowFocusChanged(hasFocus);
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
+    super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
+    mDelegate.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
+  }
+
   protected final ReactNativeHost getReactNativeHost() {
     return mDelegate.getReactNativeHost();
   }
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivityDelegate.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivityDelegate.java
index c6766d138f59d4..fc9090001ce845 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivityDelegate.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactActivityDelegate.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 import android.app.Activity;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
+import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.os.Build;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.view.KeyEvent;
@@ -154,6 +155,12 @@ public void onWindowFocusChanged(boolean hasFocus) {
     }
   }
 
+  public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
+    if (getReactNativeHost().hasInstance()) {
+      getReactInstanceManager().onConfigurationChanged(getContext(), newConfig);
+    }
+  }
+
   @TargetApi(Build.VERSION_CODES.M)
   public void requestPermissions(
       String[] permissions, int requestCode, PermissionListener listener) {
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/appearance/AppearanceModule.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/appearance/AppearanceModule.java
index 99b7c5311becc6..ab47e66c526b7d 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/appearance/AppearanceModule.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/appearance/AppearanceModule.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 package com.facebook.react.modules.appearance;
 
+import android.app.Activity;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
@@ -74,7 +75,15 @@ public String getName() {
 
   @Override
   public String getColorScheme() {
-    mColorScheme = colorSchemeForCurrentConfiguration(getReactApplicationContext());
+    // Attempt to use the Activity context first in order to get the most up to date
+    // scheme. This covers the scenario when AppCompatDelegate.setDefaultNightMode()
+    // is called directly (which can occur in Brownfield apps for example).
+    Activity activity = getCurrentActivity();
+
+    mColorScheme =
+        colorSchemeForCurrentConfiguration(
+            activity != null ? activity : getReactApplicationContext());
+
     return mColorScheme;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/rn-tester/android/app/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uiapp/RNTesterActivity.java b/packages/rn-tester/android/app/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uiapp/RNTesterActivity.java
index 4cbb384cded703..9d7964a5f22447 100644
--- a/packages/rn-tester/android/app/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uiapp/RNTesterActivity.java
+++ b/packages/rn-tester/android/app/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uiapp/RNTesterActivity.java
@@ -7,12 +7,10 @@
 
 package com.facebook.react.uiapp;
 
-import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
 import com.facebook.react.ReactActivity;
 import com.facebook.react.ReactActivityDelegate;
-import com.facebook.react.ReactInstanceManager;
 import com.facebook.react.ReactRootView;
 
 public class RNTesterActivity extends ReactActivity {
@@ -64,14 +62,4 @@ protected ReactActivityDelegate createReactActivityDelegate() {
   protected String getMainComponentName() {
     return "RNTesterApp";
   }
-
-  @Override
-  public void onConfigurationChanged(Configuration newConfig) {
-    super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
-    ReactInstanceManager instanceManager = getReactInstanceManager();
-
-    if (instanceManager != null) {
-      instanceManager.onConfigurationChanged(this, newConfig);
-    }
-  }
 }