diff --git a/src/components/ha-sidebar.js b/src/components/ha-sidebar.js
index 4ce9d666db..ad4368c755 100644
--- a/src/components/ha-sidebar.js
+++ b/src/components/ha-sidebar.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class HaSidebar extends LocalizeMixin(PolymerElement) {
       }
 
       paper-listbox {
-        padding-bottom: 0;
+        padding: 0;
       }
 
       paper-listbox > a {
@@ -59,15 +59,37 @@ class HaSidebar extends LocalizeMixin(PolymerElement) {
         };
       }
 
+      paper-icon-item {
+        margin: 8px;
+        padding-left: 9px;
+        border-radius: 4px;
+        --paper-item-min-height: 40px;
+      }
+
+      .iron-selected paper-icon-item:before {
+        border-radius: 4px;
+        position: absolute;
+        top: 0;
+        right: 0;
+        bottom: 0;
+        left: 0;
+        pointer-events: none;
+        content: "";
+        background-color: var(--sidebar-selected-icon-color);
+        opacity: 0.12;
+        transition: opacity 15ms linear;
+        will-change: opacity;
+      }
+
+      .iron-selected paper-icon-item[pressed]:before {
+        opacity: 0.37;
+      }
+
       paper-icon-item span {
         @apply --sidebar-text;
       }
 
       a.iron-selected {
-        --paper-icon-item: {
-          background-color: var(--sidebar-selected-background-color, var(--paper-grey-200));
-        };
-
         --paper-item-icon: {
           color: var(--sidebar-selected-icon-color);
         };
diff --git a/src/resources/ha-style.js b/src/resources/ha-style.js
index 868e6b8981..f92c6003a1 100644
--- a/src/resources/ha-style.js
+++ b/src/resources/ha-style.js
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ documentContainer.innerHTML = `<custom-style>
       --sidebar-text-color: var(--primary-text-color);
       --sidebar-background-color: var(--paper-listbox-background-color); /* backward compatible with existing themes */
       --sidebar-icon-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
-      --sidebar-selected-text-color: var(--primary-text-color);
-      /* --sidebar-selected-background-color: rgba(30,30,30,0.1); */
+      --sidebar-selected-text-color: var(--primary-color);
       --sidebar-selected-icon-color: var(--primary-color);
 
       /* controls */