diff --git a/news/changelog-1.7.md b/news/changelog-1.7.md
index 1bd9b313460..a92f31857a5 100644
--- a/news/changelog-1.7.md
+++ b/news/changelog-1.7.md
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ All changes included in 1.7:
 - ([#11835](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/11835)): Take markdown structure into account when detecting minimum heading level.
 - ([#11964](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/11964)): Using panel layout without a crossref label now correctly do not add an empty `#block[]` that was leading to an unnecessary space in output.
 
+## `revealjs` format
+
+- ([#12147](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/12147)): `serif` and `simple` themes defaults back to have their heading color (`$presentation-heading-color`) to be the same as the body color (`$body-color`) as in Quarto 1.5.
+
 ## Interactive Shiny Document
 
 - ([#12059](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/12059)): `quarto preview` now correctly run on Windows an interactive Quarto doc with Jupyter engine and py-shiny, when using a `*.py` file as resource.
diff --git a/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-simple.patch b/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-simple.patch
index 7a76407c923..c66acdead03 100644
--- a/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-simple.patch
+++ b/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-simple.patch
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ index f0472d7b9..3b1e3cbdc 100644
 +$font-family-sans-serif: "Lato", sans-serif !default;
 +$body-color: #000 !default;
 +$presentation-heading-font: "News Cycle", sans-serif !default;
-+$presentation-heading-color: #000 !default;
++$presentation-heading-color: $body-color !default;
 +$presentation-heading-text-shadow: none !default;
 +$presentation-heading-text-transform: none !default;
 +$body-bg: #fff !default;
diff --git a/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-sky.patch b/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-sky.patch
index 8cd3267b9df..9f388f08432 100644
--- a/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-sky.patch
+++ b/package/src/common/patches/revealjs-theme-0001-sky.patch
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ index 62a52b782..2debff7bc 100644
 +$font-family-sans-serif: "Open Sans", sans-serif !default;
 +$body-color: #333 !default;
 +$presentation-heading-font: "Quicksand", sans-serif !default;
-+$presentation-heading-color: #333 !default;
++$presentation-heading-color: $body-color !default;
 +$presentation-heading-letter-spacing: -0.08em !default;
 +$presentation-heading-text-shadow: none !default;
 +$body-bg: #f7fbfc !default;
diff --git a/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/simple.scss b/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/simple.scss
index 3b1e3cbdc35..738528455c6 100644
--- a/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/simple.scss
+++ b/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/simple.scss
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 $font-family-sans-serif: "Lato", sans-serif !default;
 $body-color: #000 !default;
 $presentation-heading-font: "News Cycle", sans-serif !default;
-$presentation-heading-color: #000 !default;
+$presentation-heading-color: $body-color !default;
 $presentation-heading-text-shadow: none !default;
 $presentation-heading-text-transform: none !default;
 $body-bg: #fff !default;
diff --git a/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/sky.scss b/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/sky.scss
index 4821a919dad..5e369cfadac 100644
--- a/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/sky.scss
+++ b/src/resources/formats/revealjs/themes/sky.scss
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 $font-family-sans-serif: "Open Sans", sans-serif !default;
 $body-color: #333 !default;
 $presentation-heading-font: "Quicksand", sans-serif !default;
-$presentation-heading-color: #333 !default;
+$presentation-heading-color: $body-color !default;
 $presentation-heading-letter-spacing: -0.08em !default;
 $presentation-heading-text-shadow: none !default;
 $body-bg: #f7fbfc !default;
diff --git a/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/.gitignore b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..075b2542afb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/.quarto/
diff --git a/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/_quarto.yml b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/_quarto.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b8bae5830fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/_quarto.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+project:
+  type: default
diff --git a/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/custom.scss b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/custom.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f952edcdad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/custom.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+/*-- scss:defaults --*/
+
+$body-color: #000080;
diff --git a/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/serif.qmd b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/serif.qmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..39ddb1f23aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/serif.qmd
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+title: "Quarto Title Test"
+format: revealjs
+theme: [simple, custom.scss]
+---
+
+## slide 1
+
+Text for slide 1
+
+## side 2
+
+Text for slide 2
diff --git a/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/simple.qmd b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/simple.qmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..39ddb1f23aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/playwright/revealjs/heading-color/simple.qmd
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+title: "Quarto Title Test"
+format: revealjs
+theme: [simple, custom.scss]
+---
+
+## slide 1
+
+Text for slide 1
+
+## side 2
+
+Text for slide 2
diff --git a/tests/integration/playwright/tests/revealjs-themes.spec.ts b/tests/integration/playwright/tests/revealjs-themes.spec.ts
index d8fb52056af..9da3b74792e 100644
--- a/tests/integration/playwright/tests/revealjs-themes.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/integration/playwright/tests/revealjs-themes.spec.ts
@@ -78,4 +78,19 @@ test('Callout title color in dracula theme is correctly tweaked to use same as b
   const calloutTitleLoc = page.getByText('Title of the callout', { exact: true });
   const calloutContentLoc = page.getByText('Content', { exact: true });
   await checkColorIdentical(calloutTitleLoc, calloutContentLoc, 'color');
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
+
+test('Headings color in simple and serif theme are correctly defaulting to $body-bg', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto('./revealjs/heading-color/simple.html#/slide-1');
+  await checkColorIdentical(
+    page.getByText('Text for slide 1', { exact: true }), 
+    page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'slide' }), 
+    'color'
+  );
+  await page.goto('./revealjs/heading-color/serif.html#/slide-1');
+  await checkColorIdentical(
+    page.getByText('Text for slide 1', { exact: true }), 
+    page.getByRole('heading', { name: 'slide' }), 
+    'color'
+  );
+});