diff --git a/src/styles/Material/Theme.qml b/src/styles/Material/Theme.qml
--- a/src/styles/Material/Theme.qml
+++ b/src/styles/Material/Theme.qml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     onTextColorChanged: theme.Material.foreground = textColor
     property color disabledTextColor: "#9931363b"
 
-    property color highlightColor: theme.Material.accent
+    property color highlightColor
     onHighlightColorChanged: theme.Material.accent = highlightColor
     //FIXME: something better?
     property color highlightedTextColor: theme.Material.background
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@
 
     property font defaultFont: fontMetrics.font
 
+    Component.onCompleted: {
+        highlightColor = theme.Material.accent;
+    }
+
     property list<QtObject> children: [
         TextMetrics {
             id: fontMetrics