diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 10816f76..bacfa4a9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## [2.2.3]
+### 🛠 Fixed 🛠
+- Fixed sidebar background painting when wallpaper tinting is disabled: the macOS sidebar now stays transparent unless a decoration color is provided (previously showed a black strip). Addresses #587.
+
 ## [2.2.2]
 ### 🛠 Fixed 🛠
 - Fixed setState called after dispose issue in MacosPulldownButton.
diff --git a/lib/src/layout/window.dart b/lib/src/layout/window.dart
index 5e0f447c..30a84026 100644
--- a/lib/src/layout/window.dart
+++ b/lib/src/layout/window.dart
@@ -195,18 +195,15 @@ class _MacosWindowState extends State<MacosWindow> {
     }
     final MacosThemeData theme = MacosTheme.of(context);
     late Color backgroundColor = widget.backgroundColor ?? theme.canvasColor;
-    late Color sidebarBackgroundColor;
+    late Color? sidebarBackgroundColor;
     late Color endSidebarBackgroundColor;
     Color dividerColor = theme.dividerColor;
 
     final isMac = !kIsWeb && defaultTargetPlatform == TargetPlatform.macOS;
 
     // Respect the sidebar color override from parent if one is given
-    if (sidebar?.decoration?.color != null) {
-      sidebarBackgroundColor = sidebar!.decoration!.color!;
-    } else {
-      sidebarBackgroundColor = MacosColors.transparent;
-    }
+    sidebarBackgroundColor =
+        sidebar?.decoration?.color ?? (kIsWeb ? theme.canvasColor : null);
 
     // Set the application window's brightness on macOS
     MacOSBrightnessOverrideHandler.ensureMatchingBrightness(theme.brightness);
@@ -264,7 +261,11 @@ class _MacosWindowState extends State<MacosWindow> {
                 child: AnimatedContainer(
                   duration: const Duration(milliseconds: 300),
                   curve: Curves.easeInOut,
-                  color: sidebarBackgroundColor,
+                  // The sidebar background is painted exactly once by the inner
+                  // ColoredBox (web) / DecoratedBox (macOS) below. Painting it
+                  // here too would blend a semi-transparent
+                  // Sidebar.decoration.color twice, making it darker than
+                  // requested.
                   constraints: BoxConstraints(
                     minWidth: sidebar.minWidth,
                     maxWidth: sidebar.maxWidth!,
@@ -273,7 +274,7 @@ class _MacosWindowState extends State<MacosWindow> {
                   ).normalize(),
                   child: kIsWeb
                       ? ColoredBox(
-                          color: theme.canvasColor,
+                          color: sidebarBackgroundColor ?? theme.canvasColor,
                           child: Column(
                             children: [
                               // If an app is running on macOS, apply
@@ -326,10 +327,12 @@ class _MacosWindowState extends State<MacosWindow> {
                       : TransparentMacOSSidebar(
                           state: sidebarState,
                           child: DecoratedBox(
-                            decoration: const BoxDecoration(
-                              color: Color.fromRGBO(0, 0, 0, 1.0),
-                              backgroundBlendMode: BlendMode.clear,
-                            ),
+                            decoration:
+                                (sidebar.decoration ?? const BoxDecoration())
+                                    .copyWith(
+                                      // Only paint if the caller set a color; null preserves native transparency.
+                                      color: sidebarBackgroundColor,
+                                    ),
                             child: Column(
                               children: [
                                 // If an app is running on macOS, apply
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index 886bb6b4..c6355f3f 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name: macos_ui
 description: Flutter widgets and themes implementing the current macOS design language.
-version: 2.2.2
+version: 2.2.3
 homepage: "https://macosui.dev"
 repository: "https://github.com/GroovinChip/macos_ui"
 
diff --git a/test/layout/window_test.dart b/test/layout/window_test.dart
index 1d9bb9ec..eb9fc42c 100644
--- a/test/layout/window_test.dart
+++ b/test/layout/window_test.dart
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
 import 'package:macos_ui/macos_ui.dart';
+import 'package:macos_window_utils/widgets/transparent_macos_sidebar.dart';
 
 void main() {
   group('MacosWindow', () {
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ void main() {
         bool dragClosed = true,
         double? dragClosedBuffer,
         double? snapToStartBuffer,
+        BoxDecoration? decoration,
       }) {
         return Sidebar(
           builder: (context, scrollController) => const Text('Hello there'),
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ void main() {
           dragClosed: dragClosed,
           dragClosedBuffer: dragClosedBuffer,
           snapToStartBuffer: snapToStartBuffer,
+          decoration: decoration,
         );
       }
 
@@ -54,6 +57,50 @@ void main() {
         expect(tester.widget<AnimatedPositioned>(backgroundFinder).left, 0);
       }
 
+      // The sidebar background is painted by the DecoratedBox inside the
+      // TransparentMacOSSidebar. Grabbing its decoration lets us assert what
+      // color (if any) is painted for the sidebar.
+      BoxDecoration sidebarDecoration(WidgetTester tester) {
+        final decoratedBox = tester.widget<DecoratedBox>(
+          find
+              .descendant(
+                of: find.byType(TransparentMacOSSidebar),
+                matching: find.byType(DecoratedBox),
+              )
+              .first,
+        );
+        return decoratedBox.decoration as BoxDecoration;
+      }
+
+      group('background', () {
+        testWidgets(
+          'stays transparent when no decoration color is provided, so the '
+          'native sidebar material shows through',
+          (tester) async {
+            await tester.pumpWidget(viewBuilder(sidebarBuilder()));
+
+            expect(sidebarDecoration(tester).color, isNull);
+
+            await tester.pump(Duration.zero);
+          },
+        );
+
+        testWidgets('is painted with the provided Sidebar.decoration color', (
+          tester,
+        ) async {
+          const color = MacosColors.systemBlueColor;
+          await tester.pumpWidget(
+            viewBuilder(
+              sidebarBuilder(decoration: const BoxDecoration(color: color)),
+            ),
+          );
+
+          expect(sidebarDecoration(tester).color, color);
+
+          await tester.pump(Duration.zero);
+        });
+      });
+
       testWidgets('initial width equals startWidth', (tester) async {
         final sidebar = sidebarBuilder();
         final view = viewBuilder(sidebar);