diff --git a/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart b/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart
index 83d923b6b8..c4c0d37c3f 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/compose_box.dart
@@ -1056,7 +1056,16 @@ class _ComposeBoxContainer extends StatelessWidget {
     //   the message list itself
     return Container(width: double.infinity,
       decoration: BoxDecoration(
-        border: Border(top: BorderSide(color: designVariables.borderBar))),
+        border: Border(top: BorderSide(color: designVariables.borderBar)), boxShadow: [
+        BoxShadow(
+          color: Theme.of(context).brightness == Brightness.dark
+              ? DesignVariables.dark.bgTopBar
+              : Colors.transparent, // Adjust for light theme
+          offset: const Offset(0, -4),
+          blurRadius: 16,
+          spreadRadius: 0,
+        ),
+      ],),
       // TODO(#720) try a Stack for the overlaid linear progress indicator
       child: Material(
         color: designVariables.composeBoxBg,
diff --git a/lib/widgets/theme.dart b/lib/widgets/theme.dart
index 0ce1d4cdb4..1c60014093 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/theme.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/theme.dart
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ class DesignVariables extends ThemeExtension<DesignVariables> {
     bgMenuButtonActive: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.05),
     bgMenuButtonSelected: Colors.white,
     bgTopBar: const Color(0xfff5f5f5),
-    borderBar: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.2),
+    borderBar: const Color(0x1AFFFFFF),
     borderMenuButtonSelected: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.2),
     btnLabelAttLowIntDanger: const Color(0xffc0070a),
     btnLabelAttMediumIntDanger: const Color(0xffac0508),
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ class DesignVariables extends ThemeExtension<DesignVariables> {
     bgMenuButtonActive: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.2),
     bgMenuButtonSelected: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.25),
     bgTopBar: const Color(0xff242424),
-    borderBar: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: 0.5),
+    borderBar: const Color(0x1AFFFFFF),
     borderMenuButtonSelected: Colors.white.withValues(alpha: 0.1),
     btnLabelAttLowIntDanger: const Color(0xffff8b7c),
     btnLabelAttMediumIntDanger: const Color(0xffff8b7c),
diff --git a/test/widgets/autocomplete_test.dart b/test/widgets/autocomplete_test.dart
index d6aab7e1cb..23a574c59f 100644
--- a/test/widgets/autocomplete_test.dart
+++ b/test/widgets/autocomplete_test.dart
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ void main() {
         text: 'some',
         selection: TextSelection(baseOffset: 1, extentOffset: 3)));
       await tester.pump();
+      await tester.pump();
       check(controller.value)
         ..text.equals('some')
         ..selection.equals(
@@ -337,6 +338,7 @@ void main() {
 
       await tester.tap(find.text('some topic'));
       await tester.pump();
+      await tester.pump();
       check(controller.value)
         ..text.equals('some topic')
         ..selection.equals(