diff --git a/crates/pptx/src/read/dml.rs b/crates/pptx/src/read/dml.rs
--- a/crates/pptx/src/read/dml.rs
+++ b/crates/pptx/src/read/dml.rs
@@ -545,8 +545,15 @@ pub fn rpr(imp: &mut Imp, part: &Part, r: &El) -> RunProps {
 /// `a:lstStyle`, `p:titleStyle`, `a:defaultTextStyle`… → list style.
 pub fn list_style(imp: &mut Imp, part: &Part, ls: &El) -> ListStyle {
     let mut out = ListStyle::default();
+    let mut def = None;
     for e in ls.elements() {
         let n = e.local();
+        if n == "defPPr" {
+            // Defaults for every level (`a:defPPr`, as `p:defaultTextStyle` carries them).
+            let (_, para, run) = ppr(imp, part, e);
+            def = Some(LevelStyle { para, run: run.unwrap_or_default() });
+            continue;
+        }
         let Some(l) = n.strip_prefix("lvl").and_then(|r| r.strip_suffix("pPr")).and_then(|d| d.parse::<u8>().ok()) else { continue };
         if !(1..=9).contains(&l) {
             continue;
@@ -554,6 +561,19 @@ pub fn list_style(imp: &mut Imp, part: &Part, ls: &El) -> ListStyle {
         let (_, para, run) = ppr(imp, part, e);
         out.set(l - 1, LevelStyle { para, run: run.unwrap_or_default() });
     }
+    // A level's own `a:lvlNpPr` wins over the defaults; the defaults reach levels without one.
+    // Dropping them loses the colours of text that takes its formatting from `p:defaultTextStyle`
+    // (the text draws in the plain default colour instead; #810).
+    if let Some(d) = &def {
+        for l in 0..9u8 {
+            if let Some(lvl) = out.levels.get_mut(l as usize).and_then(|x| x.as_mut()) {
+                lvl.para.inherit(&d.para);
+                lvl.run.inherit(&d.run);
+            } else {
+                out.set(l, LevelStyle { para: d.para.clone(), run: d.run.clone() });
+            }
+        }
+    }
     out
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/pptx/tests/default_text_style.rs b/crates/pptx/tests/default_text_style.rs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/pptx/tests/default_text_style.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+//! `a:defPPr` colours in `p:defaultTextStyle` as PowerPoint writes them, kept on open (#810).
+
+use std::io::{Cursor, Read, Write};
+
+use deckcraft_model::defaults;
+use deckcraft_model::style::{ColorRef, Fill};
+use deckcraft_model::text::TextBody;
+
+/// Imports a one-slide deck whose text box runs set no colour of their own, with
+/// `ppt/presentation.xml`'s `p:defaultTextStyle` replaced by `dts`, and returns every run's
+/// resolved fill (what the renderer draws).
+fn resolved_fills(dts: &str) -> Vec<Option<Fill>> {
+    let mut p = defaults::new_presentation(None);
+    let sid = p.slides[0].id;
+    let new_id = deckcraft_model::ShapeId(p.alloc_id().expect("id"));
+    let s = p.slide_mut(sid).expect("slide");
+    // A plain text box: no placeholder and no styles of its own, so its runs take the
+    // presentation's default text style.
+    s.shapes.push(deckcraft_model::Shape {
+        id: new_id,
+        xfrm: Some(deckcraft_geom::Xfrm::new(100.0, 100.0, 400.0, 100.0)),
+        text: Some(TextBody::from_text("plain")),
+        ..Default::default()
+    });
+    let bytes = deckcraft_pptx::export(&p).expect("export");
+    let mut z = zip::ZipArchive::new(Cursor::new(&bytes)).expect("zip");
+    let mut out = zip::ZipWriter::new(Cursor::new(Vec::new()));
+    let o = zip::write::SimpleFileOptions::default();
+    for i in 0..z.len() {
+        let mut f = z.by_index(i).expect("entry");
+        let mut d = vec![];
+        f.read_to_end(&mut d).expect("read");
+        if f.name() == "ppt/presentation.xml" {
+            let s = String::from_utf8(d).expect("utf8");
+            let t = s.find("<p:defaultTextStyle").expect("defaultTextStyle");
+            let end = "</p:defaultTextStyle>";
+            let b = t + s[t..].find(end).expect("end") + end.len();
+            d = format!("{}{dts}{}", &s[..t], &s[b..]).into_bytes();
+        }
+        out.start_file(f.name(), o).expect("start");
+        out.write_all(&d).expect("write");
+    }
+    let bytes = out.finish().expect("finish").into_inner();
+    let q = deckcraft_pptx::import(&bytes).expect("import");
+    let slide = &q.slides[0];
+    let ctx = deckcraft_model::resolve::Ctx::for_slide(&q, slide).expect("ctx");
+    let mut fills = vec![];
+    for sh in slide.shapes.iter().filter_map(|s| s.text.as_ref().map(|t| (s, t))) {
+        for para in sh.1.paragraphs.iter() {
+            for run in para.runs.iter() {
+                fills.push(deckcraft_model::resolve::run(&ctx, sh.0, para, &run.props).fill);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    fills
+}
+
+const NS: &str =
+    r#"xmlns:a="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/drawingml/2006/main" xmlns:p="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/presentationml/2006/main""#;
+
+/// The colours of text that takes its formatting from `p:defaultTextStyle` were dropped, so it
+/// drew in the plain default colour instead of the colour the deck chose (#810).
+#[test]
+fn default_text_style_colours_are_kept() {
+    let white = Some(Fill::solid(ColorRef::rgb(deckcraft_color::Rgba::WHITE)));
+    let dts = format!(
+        r#"<p:defaultTextStyle {NS}><a:defPPr><a:defRPr><a:solidFill><a:srgbClr val="FFFFFF"/></a:solidFill></a:defRPr></a:defPPr></p:defaultTextStyle>"#
+    );
+    assert_eq!(resolved_fills(&dts), vec![white.clone()], "`a:defPPr` colours reach text without its own");
+
+    // A level's own `a:lvlNpPr` still wins over the defaults.
+    let dts = format!(
+        r#"<p:defaultTextStyle {NS}><a:defPPr><a:defRPr><a:solidFill><a:srgbClr val="FFFFFF"/></a:solidFill></a:defRPr></a:defPPr><a:lvl1pPr><a:defRPr><a:solidFill><a:srgbClr val="FFFF00"/></a:solidFill></a:defRPr></a:lvl1pPr></p:defaultTextStyle>"#
+    );
+    assert_eq!(resolved_fills(&dts), vec![Some(Fill::solid(ColorRef::rgb(deckcraft_color::Rgba::rgb(255, 255, 0))))], "the level entry wins");
+}