diff --git a/frontend/e2e/routes.ts b/frontend/e2e/routes.ts
index a6ef2c01..b177c2f2 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/routes.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/routes.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ export const ROUTE_MANIFEST: RouteManifestEntry[] = [
             { rule: 'aria-progressbar-name', tabs: ['Tasks'], target: /\.bg-primary\\\/20/ },
             { rule: 'button-name', tabs: ['Files'], target: /tooltip-trigger.*size-8\[data-slot="button"\]/ },
             { rule: 'target-size', tabs: ['Files'], target: /text-blue-400|button\[aria-label="Select / },
-            { rule: 'color-contrast', tabs: ['Screenshots'], target: /\.text-primary > \.font-semibold\.truncate/ },
             // The same file-manager row metadata waived on /resources — the Files tab embeds it.
             { rule: 'color-contrast', tabs: ['Files'], target: /text-muted-foreground\\?\/80/ },
             {
diff --git a/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/contrast.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/contrast.spec.ts
index 723d4306..40b9d0e7 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/contrast.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/specs/cross/contrast.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 
 import type { BadgeVariant } from '@/components/ui/badge';
+import type { ButtonVariant } from '@/components/ui/button';
 
 import { badgeVariants } from '@/components/ui/badge';
 import { buttonVariants } from '@/components/ui/button';
@@ -32,7 +33,16 @@ const declaredEditorTokens = (): string[] => {
     return [...new Set(css.match(/--editor-[\w-]+/g) ?? [])].map((token) => token.slice(2));
 };
 
-// Keyed off the union so a newly added variant fails to compile until it is probed.
+// Keyed off the unions so a newly added variant fails to compile until it is probed.
+const BUTTON_VARIANTS = Object.keys({
+    default: true,
+    destructive: true,
+    ghost: true,
+    link: true,
+    outline: true,
+    secondary: true,
+} satisfies Record<ButtonVariant, true>) as ButtonVariant[];
+
 const BADGE_VARIANTS = Object.keys({
     blue: true,
     default: true,
@@ -91,19 +101,26 @@ for (const theme of THEMES) {
             }
         });
 
-        test('the destructive button clears AA at rest and on hover', async ({ page }) => {
+        test('every button variant clears AA at rest and on hover', async ({ page }) => {
             await page.goto('/flows');
             await expect(page.getByRole('row', { name: /E2E Alpha/ })).toBeVisible();
             await expect(page.locator('html')).toHaveClass(theme === 'dark' ? /dark/ : /light/);
 
-            await mountContrastProbes(page, { destructive: buttonVariants({ variant: 'destructive' }) });
+            await mountContrastProbes(
+                page,
+                Object.fromEntries(BUTTON_VARIANTS.map((variant) => [variant, buttonVariants({ variant })])),
+            );
 
-            expect.soft(await measureContrast(page, 'destructive'), 'button at rest').toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(AA_NORMAL);
+            for (const variant of BUTTON_VARIANTS) {
+                expect
+                    .soft(await measureContrast(page, variant), `button ${variant} at rest`)
+                    .toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(AA_NORMAL);
 
-            await page.locator('[data-contrast="destructive"]').hover();
-            expect
-                .soft(await measureContrast(page, 'destructive'), 'button on hover')
-                .toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(AA_NORMAL);
+                await page.locator(`[data-contrast="${variant}"]`).hover();
+                expect
+                    .soft(await measureContrast(page, variant), `button ${variant} on hover`)
+                    .toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(AA_NORMAL);
+            }
         });
 
         test('editor highlight tokens clear AA on the editor surface', async ({ page }) => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/shared/file-manager/file-manager.tsx b/frontend/src/components/shared/file-manager/file-manager.tsx
index 895174f5..e576a066 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/shared/file-manager/file-manager.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/shared/file-manager/file-manager.tsx
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ export function FileManager({
         return (
             <Button
                 aria-label={sortHeaderAriaLabel(column, direction)}
-                className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-primary -mx-2 flex h-auto justify-start gap-1.5 px-2 py-1 text-xs font-medium no-underline hover:no-underline"
+                className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-link -mx-2 flex h-auto justify-start gap-1.5 px-2 py-1 text-xs font-medium no-underline hover:no-underline"
                 onClick={() => toggleSort(column)}
                 variant="link"
             >
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/button.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/button.tsx
index 5aeb0dff..edc0e60a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/button.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/button.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const buttonVariants = cva(
                 destructive:
                     'bg-destructive text-destructive-foreground shadow-xs hover:bg-destructive/90 dark:bg-destructive/80 dark:hover:bg-destructive/70',
                 ghost: 'hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground',
-                link: 'text-primary underline-offset-4 hover:underline',
+                link: 'text-link underline-offset-4 hover:underline',
                 outline: 'border border-input bg-background shadow-xs hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground',
                 secondary: 'bg-secondary text-secondary-foreground shadow-xs hover:bg-secondary/80',
             },
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ export interface ButtonProps extends React.ComponentProps<'button'>, VariantProp
     asChild?: boolean;
 }
 
+export type ButtonVariant = NonNullable<VariantProps<typeof buttonVariants>['variant']>;
+
 function Button({ asChild = false, className, size, type, variant, ...props }: ButtonProps) {
     const Comp = asChild ? Slot : 'button';
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/data-table.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/data-table.tsx
index db738b48..56e4e0e9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/data-table.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/data-table.tsx
@@ -939,7 +939,7 @@ function DataTableColumnHeader<TData, TValue = unknown>({ column, title }: DataT
 
     return (
         <Button
-            className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-primary flex items-center gap-2 p-0 no-underline hover:no-underline"
+            className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-link flex items-center gap-2 p-0 no-underline hover:no-underline"
             onClick={() => cycleColumnSort(column)}
             variant="link"
         >
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/empty.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/empty.tsx
index 67d75537..a714a549 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/empty.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/empty.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ function EmptyDescription({ className, ...props }: React.ComponentProps<'p'>) {
     return (
         <div
             className={cn(
-                'text-muted-foreground [&>a:hover]:text-primary text-sm/relaxed [&>a]:underline [&>a]:underline-offset-4',
+                'text-muted-foreground [&>a:hover]:text-link text-sm/relaxed [&>a]:underline [&>a]:underline-offset-4',
                 className,
             )}
             data-slot="empty-description"
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/flows/files/flow-files.tsx b/frontend/src/features/flows/files/flow-files.tsx
index eccb6eab..136a9d12 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/flows/files/flow-files.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/flows/files/flow-files.tsx
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ function FlowFiles() {
 
             {isDragging && (
                 <div className="bg-primary/10 border-primary pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-30 flex items-center justify-center rounded-lg border-2 border-dashed">
-                    <div className="text-primary flex flex-col items-center gap-2">
+                    <div className="text-link flex flex-col items-center gap-2">
                         <FolderUp className="size-8" />
                         <span className="text-sm font-medium">Drop files to upload</span>
                     </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/resources/resources.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/resources/resources.tsx
index 1e407337..c91a2fa0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/resources/resources.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/resources/resources.tsx
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ function Resources() {
 
                 {isDragging && hasResources && (
                     <div className="bg-primary/10 border-primary pointer-events-none absolute inset-2 z-30 flex items-center justify-center rounded-lg border-2 border-dashed">
-                        <div className="text-primary flex flex-col items-center gap-2">
+                        <div className="text-link flex flex-col items-center gap-2">
                             <FolderUp className="size-8" />
                             <span className="text-sm font-medium">Drop files to upload</span>
                         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompts.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompts.tsx
index 80c63e0c..1d5907e8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompts.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompts.tsx
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ function SettingsPrompts() {
 
                 return (
                     <Button
-                        className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-primary flex items-center gap-2 p-0 no-underline hover:no-underline"
+                        className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-link flex items-center gap-2 p-0 no-underline hover:no-underline"
                         onClick={() => handleColumnSort(column)}
                         variant="link"
                     >
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ function SettingsPrompts() {
 
                 return (
                     <Button
-                        className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-primary flex items-center gap-2 p-0 hover:no-underline"
+                        className="text-muted-foreground hover:text-link flex items-center gap-2 p-0 hover:no-underline"
                         onClick={() => handleColumnSort(column)}
                         variant="link"
                     >
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/index.css b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
index af302f9b..c7b73e74 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@
     --color-popover-foreground: var(--popover-foreground);
     --color-primary: var(--primary);
     --color-primary-foreground: var(--primary-foreground);
+    --color-link: var(--link);
     --color-secondary: var(--secondary);
     --color-secondary-foreground: var(--secondary-foreground);
     --color-muted: var(--muted);
@@ -306,6 +307,9 @@
         --sidebar-accent-foreground: oklch(0.32 0 0);
         --sidebar-border: oklch(0.93 0.01 240);
         --sidebar-ring: oklch(0.25 0.14 245);
+        /* Link TEXT. --primary is a fill (paired with white --primary-foreground) and cannot double as
+           text: on dark it measures 3.12:1 on --card, and no lightness clears AA in both roles at once. */
+        --link: oklch(0.25 0.14 245);
         /* Editor highlight TEXT, tuned for readable contrast on the editor surface (unlike --primary, a fill
            color that fails WCAG AA as text on dark). Four distinct hues so adjacent tokens don't blur:
            link = theme blue 245; variable = green 155 (matches the panel's "used" badge); tag = violet 300;
@@ -371,6 +375,7 @@
         --sidebar-accent-foreground: oklch(0.92 0.02 245);
         --sidebar-border: oklch(0.3 0.04 245);
         --sidebar-ring: oklch(0.5 0.16 245);
+        --link: oklch(0.68 0.13 245);
         --editor-accent: oklch(0.68 0.13 245);
         --editor-variable: oklch(0.72 0.12 155);
         --editor-tag: oklch(0.68 0.13 300);