diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.scss b/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.scss
index 33d14b4bd7..4427cf6aa8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.scss
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
   background-color: transparent;
 
   &.activated {
-    color: $toolbar-ios-text-color;
+    color: $toolbar-ios-background-color;
     background-color: $toolbar-ios-button-color;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.vars.scss b/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.vars.scss
index 7e83aadc30..6f3ca8d158 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.vars.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.ios.vars.scss
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ $toolbar-ios-button-color:                          ion-color($colors-ios, prima
 $toolbar-ios-button-background-color:               $toolbar-ios-background-color !default;
 
 /// @prop - Background color of the toolbar button when activated
-$toolbar-ios-button-background-color-activated:     ion-color($colors-ios, primary, tint, ios);
+$toolbar-ios-button-background-color-activated:     $toolbar-ios-color-active !default;
 
 /// @prop - Border radius of the toolbar button
 $toolbar-ios-button-border-radius:                  4px !default;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.md.vars.scss b/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.md.vars.scss
index 9274bdf141..ab5dee8d7b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.md.vars.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/toolbar/toolbar.md.vars.scss
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ $toolbar-md-button-color:                         $toolbar-md-text-color !defaul
 $toolbar-md-button-background-color:              $toolbar-md-background-color !default;
 
 /// @prop - Background color of the toolbar button when activated
-$toolbar-md-button-background-color-activated:    ion-color($colors-md, primary, tint, md);
+$toolbar-md-button-background-color-activated:    $toolbar-md-color-active !default;
 
 /// @prop - Border radius of the toolbar button
 $toolbar-md-button-border-radius:                 2px !default;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.md.scss b/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.md.scss
index 8c099a1ea5..f636ea51b6 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.md.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.md.scss
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ $toolbar-md-height:                     56px !default;
 $toolbar-md-padding:                    4px !default;
 $toolbar-md-background-color:           css-var($toolbar-background-color, toolbar-md-background-color) !default;
 $toolbar-md-border-color:               css-var($border-md-color, toolbar-md-border-color) !default;
-$toolbar-md-color-active:               css-var($toolbar-color-active, toolbar-md-color-active) !default;
+$toolbar-md-color-active:               css-var(#4a4a4a, toolbar-md-color-active) !default;
 $toolbar-md-color-inactive:             css-var($toolbar-color-inactive, toolbar-md-color-inactive) !default;
 $toolbar-md-text-color:                 css-var(#424242, toolbar-md-text-color) !default;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.scss b/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.scss
index ffabf81af9..6027644a1a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.scss
+++ b/packages/core/src/themes/ionic.theme.default.scss
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ $tabbar-text-color:                     css-var(#8c8c8c, tabbar-text-color) !def
 // --------------------------------------------------
 $toolbar-background-color:              css-var(#f8f8f8, toolbar-background-color) !default;
 $toolbar-border-color:                  css-var($border-color, toolbar-border-color) !default;
-$toolbar-color-active:                  css-var(#488aff, toolbar-color-active) !default;
+$toolbar-color-active:                  css-var(#4a4a4a, toolbar-color-active) !default;
 $toolbar-color-inactive:                css-var(#8c8c8c, toolbar-color-inactive) !default;
 $toolbar-text-color:                    css-var($text-color, toolbar-text-color) !default;