diff --git a/scss/_navbar.scss b/scss/_navbar.scss
index 71619382cd22..d914d6f77317 100644
--- a/scss/_navbar.scss
+++ b/scss/_navbar.scss
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@
 }
 
 .navbar-dark,
+[data-bs-theme="dark"] .navbar,
 .navbar[data-bs-theme="dark"] {
   // scss-docs-start navbar-dark-css-vars
   --#{$prefix}navbar-color: #{$navbar-dark-color};
diff --git a/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md b/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md
index 9b9f86a4dca6..5a8d5fef6e12 100644
--- a/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md
+++ b/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ Mix and match with other components and utilities as needed.
 **New in v5.2.0  —** Navbar theming is now powered by CSS variables and `.navbar-light` has been deprecated. CSS variables are applied to `.navbar`, defaulting to the "light" appearance, and can be overridden with `.navbar-dark`.
 {{< /callout >}}
 
-Navbar themes are easier than ever thanks to Bootstrap's combination of Sass and CSS variables. The default is our "light navbar" for use with light background colors, but you can also apply `data-bs-theme="dark"` to the `.navbar` parent for dark background colors. Then, customize with `.bg-*` and additional utilities.
+Navbar themes are easier than ever thanks to Bootstrap's combination of Sass and CSS variables. The default is our "light navbar" for use with light background colors, but you can also apply `data-bs-theme="dark"` to the root element, a parent wrapper, or the component itself for dark background colors. Then, customize with `.bg-*` and additional utilities.
 
 <div class="bd-example">
   <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg bg-dark border-bottom border-bottom-dark" data-bs-theme="dark">