diff --git a/crates/maestro-daemon/src/main.rs b/crates/maestro-daemon/src/main.rs
index a37a934..e0c108d 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-daemon/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-daemon/src/main.rs
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ async fn run(config_override: Option<PathBuf>) -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     let sidecar = SidecarStore::new(config.sidecar_dir());
     let worktree_mgr = WorktreeManager::new(config.worktree_root.clone());
     let tmux = Tmux::new();
+    // The pane process's TERM comes from tmux's `default-terminal`, which on
+    // most distros is `screen` (8 colors). Promote it so attach clients see
+    // 256-color output. NAP-252.
+    if let Err(e) = tmux.set_option_global("default-terminal", "tmux-256color") {
+        tracing::warn!(error = ?e, "failed to set tmux default-terminal — sessions may lack color");
+    }
     let manager = SessionManager::new_with_replay(
         config.daemon_id.clone(),
         tmux,
diff --git a/crates/maestro-daemon/src/tmux.rs b/crates/maestro-daemon/src/tmux.rs
index 929d24b..bf47ba8 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-daemon/src/tmux.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-daemon/src/tmux.rs
@@ -77,17 +77,31 @@ impl Tmux {
         c
     }
 
-    /// `tmux new-session -d -s maestro-<id> -c <cwd> <command>`.
+    /// `tmux new-session -d -e TERM=xterm-256color -e COLORTERM=truecolor -s maestro-<id> -c <cwd> <command>`.
     ///
     /// `command` is passed as a single shell-line argument to tmux, which
-    /// invokes it via `$SHELL -c`.
+    /// invokes it via `$SHELL -c`. The `-e TERM=…`/`COLORTERM=…` flags ensure
+    /// the spawned shell sees sensible color env vars even when `maestrod`
+    /// runs from a stripped systemd unit. Pair with [`Self::set_option_global`]
+    /// of `default-terminal` for true 256-color output in the pane.
     pub fn new_session(&self, id: Uuid, cwd: &Path, command: &str) -> Result<(), TmuxError> {
         let name = session_name(id);
         let out = self
             .cmd()
-            .args(["new-session", "-d", "-s", &name, "-c"])
-            .arg(cwd)
-            .arg(command)
+            .args(new_session_args(&name, cwd, command))
+            .output()?;
+        check(out)
+    }
+
+    /// `tmux start-server \; set-option -g <name> <value>`. Used on daemon
+    /// startup to set `default-terminal` to `tmux-256color` so the pane's
+    /// `TERM` is a 256-color terminfo entry (the distro default `screen` caps
+    /// at 8). The chained `start-server` makes the call work before any
+    /// session exists.
+    pub fn set_option_global(&self, name: &str, value: &str) -> Result<(), TmuxError> {
+        let out = self
+            .cmd()
+            .args(["start-server", ";", "set-option", "-g", name, value])
             .output()?;
         check(out)
     }
@@ -205,6 +219,25 @@ pub fn session_name(id: Uuid) -> String {
     format!("{SESSION_PREFIX}{id}")
 }
 
+/// Args passed to `tmux` for `new_session`, excluding the binary itself and
+/// any socket/tmpdir flags injected by [`Tmux::cmd`]. Split out so the argv
+/// can be asserted without invoking tmux.
+fn new_session_args(name: &str, cwd: &Path, command: &str) -> Vec<OsString> {
+    vec![
+        OsString::from("new-session"),
+        OsString::from("-d"),
+        OsString::from("-e"),
+        OsString::from("TERM=xterm-256color"),
+        OsString::from("-e"),
+        OsString::from("COLORTERM=truecolor"),
+        OsString::from("-s"),
+        OsString::from(name),
+        OsString::from("-c"),
+        cwd.as_os_str().to_os_string(),
+        OsString::from(command),
+    ]
+}
+
 fn check(out: Output) -> Result<(), TmuxError> {
     if out.status.success() {
         Ok(())
@@ -215,3 +248,30 @@ fn check(out: Output) -> Result<(), TmuxError> {
         })
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn new_session_args_pass_256color_env() {
+        let args = new_session_args("maestro-abc", Path::new("/tmp/proj"), "sleep 30");
+        let strs: Vec<&str> = args.iter().map(|s| s.to_str().unwrap()).collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            strs,
+            vec![
+                "new-session",
+                "-d",
+                "-e",
+                "TERM=xterm-256color",
+                "-e",
+                "COLORTERM=truecolor",
+                "-s",
+                "maestro-abc",
+                "-c",
+                "/tmp/proj",
+                "sleep 30",
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/tmux.rs b/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/tmux.rs
index 9184755..a6264e1 100644
--- a/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/tmux.rs
+++ b/crates/maestro-daemon/tests/tmux.rs
@@ -115,6 +115,49 @@ fn resize_window_succeeds() {
     fx.tmux.kill_session(id).expect("kill_session");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn new_session_sets_256color_env_and_default_terminal() {
+    let fx = TmuxFixture::new();
+    let cwd = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let sink = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let sink_path = sink.path().join("env.log");
+    let id = Uuid::new_v4();
+
+    fx.tmux
+        .set_option_global("default-terminal", "tmux-256color")
+        .expect("set default-terminal");
+
+    fx.tmux
+        .new_session(id, cwd.path(), "bash --noprofile --norc")
+        .expect("new_session");
+
+    wait_for(Duration::from_secs(3), || {
+        fx.tmux.list_sessions().unwrap().contains(&id)
+    });
+
+    let sink_command = format!("cat >> {}", shell_quote(&sink_path.display().to_string()));
+    fx.tmux.pipe_pane(id, &sink_command).expect("pipe_pane");
+
+    fx.tmux
+        .send_keys(
+            id,
+            b"printf 'TERM=%s\\nCOLORTERM=%s\\nCOLORS=%s\\n' \"$TERM\" \"$COLORTERM\" \"$(tput colors)\"\n",
+        )
+        .expect("send_keys");
+
+    wait_for(Duration::from_secs(5), || {
+        std::fs::read_to_string(&sink_path)
+            .map(|s| {
+                s.contains("TERM=tmux-256color")
+                    && s.contains("COLORTERM=truecolor")
+                    && s.contains("COLORS=256")
+            })
+            .unwrap_or(false)
+    });
+
+    fx.tmux.kill_session(id).expect("kill_session");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn list_sessions_returns_empty_when_no_server() {
     let fx = TmuxFixture::new();