diff --git a/changelog.d/10862-textsetcolor-label.md b/changelog.d/10862-textsetcolor-label.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5ef45a6d1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/10862-textsetcolor-label.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed macOS `textSetColor` having no visible effect on a `Text()` label. `perry-ui-macos`'s `install_label_cell` restored the factory label's text with `setAttributedStringValue:`, baking the default `labelColor` into the field. An `NSTextField` that holds an attributed string ignores `setTextColor:` — the string's baked color attribute wins — so `perry_ui_text_set_color` was silently overridden and every label rendered in `labelColor`. The text is now restored as a plain `stringValue` with `labelColor` set explicitly, so `setTextColor:` is honored while the default appearance is unchanged. Covered by a `perry-ui-macos` regression that reads back the label's foreground color after `setTextColor:`.
diff --git a/crates/perry-ui-macos/Cargo.toml b/crates/perry-ui-macos/Cargo.toml
index 31fce17283..d7528f407d 100644
--- a/crates/perry-ui-macos/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/perry-ui-macos/Cargo.toml
@@ -90,3 +90,8 @@ harness = false
 name = "native_widget_max_width"
 path = "tests/native_widget_max_width.rs"
 harness = false
+
+[[test]]
+name = "native_text_color"
+path = "tests/native_text_color.rs"
+harness = false
diff --git a/crates/perry-ui-macos/src/widgets/padding.rs b/crates/perry-ui-macos/src/widgets/padding.rs
index e4e88ae435..f53179f255 100644
--- a/crates/perry-ui-macos/src/widgets/padding.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-ui-macos/src/widgets/padding.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 use objc2::rc::Retained;
 use objc2::runtime::{AnyClass, AnyObject};
 use objc2::{define_class, msg_send, DefinedClass, MainThreadOnly};
-use objc2_app_kit::{NSEvent, NSSecureTextFieldCell, NSText, NSTextField, NSTextFieldCell, NSView};
+use objc2_app_kit::{
+    NSColor, NSEvent, NSSecureTextFieldCell, NSText, NSTextField, NSTextFieldCell, NSView,
+};
 use objc2_core_foundation::CGRect;
 use objc2_foundation::{MainThreadMarker, NSEdgeInsets, NSObjectProtocol};
 use std::cell::Cell;
@@ -206,7 +208,13 @@ pub(crate) fn install_secure_text_field_cell(field: &NSTextField, mtm: MainThrea
 /// Install at label creation, before callers apply attributed text or styles.
 /// Keep the factory label's text, font and line-breaking defaults.
 pub(crate) fn install_label_cell(field: &NSTextField, mtm: MainThreadMarker) {
-    let value = field.attributedStringValue();
+    // Restore the text as a plain stringValue, never the factory label's
+    // attributedStringValue. An NSTextField holding an attributed string
+    // ignores setTextColor: — the string's baked-in color attribute wins — so
+    // an attributedStringValue here silently defeats textSetColor (#10856).
+    // The font is restored separately below, and labelColor is set explicitly
+    // to keep the label's default appearance.
+    let text = field.stringValue();
     let font = field.font();
     let original = field.cell().expect("label has a cell");
     install_text_field_cell(field, mtm);
@@ -216,7 +224,8 @@ pub(crate) fn install_label_cell(field: &NSTextField, mtm: MainThreadMarker) {
     field.setSelectable(false);
     field.setDrawsBackground(false);
     field.setFont(font.as_deref());
-    field.setAttributedStringValue(&value);
+    field.setStringValue(&text);
+    field.setTextColor(Some(&NSColor::labelColor()));
     if let Some(cell) = field.cell() {
         cell.setWraps(original.wraps());
         cell.setScrollable(original.isScrollable());
diff --git a/crates/perry-ui-macos/tests/native_text_color.rs b/crates/perry-ui-macos/tests/native_text_color.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0a539d16e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/perry-ui-macos/tests/native_text_color.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// #10856 — textSetColor must color a Text() label. install_label_cell used to
+// restore the text with setAttributedStringValue:, baking the default
+// labelColor into the field; an NSTextField holding an attributed string
+// ignores setTextColor:, so the color was silently overridden. This drives the
+// real create + set_color path (the same entry points textSetColor lowers to)
+// and asserts the label's rendered foreground color is the requested red.
+//
+// AppKit requires the main thread, so this is a harness = false binary whose
+// main() is the process main thread — the pattern the other native_widget_*
+// tests use. The default #[test] harness runs on a worker thread and cannot.
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+fn main() {
+    use objc2::msg_send;
+    use objc2::rc::Retained;
+    use objc2_app_kit::{NSColorSpace, NSTextField};
+    use objc2_foundation::{MainThreadMarker, NSString};
+    use perry_ui_macos::widgets;
+
+    if std::env::args().any(|arg| arg == "--list") {
+        println!("native_text_color: test");
+        return;
+    }
+    let _mtm = MainThreadMarker::new().expect("native text-color test runs on the main thread");
+
+    let text = "hi";
+    let string = perry_runtime::string::js_string_from_bytes(text.as_ptr(), text.len() as u32);
+    let handle = widgets::text::create(string.cast());
+    widgets::text::set_color(handle, 1.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+
+    let view = widgets::get_widget(handle).expect("Text widget is registered");
+    let field = unsafe { &*(Retained::as_ptr(&view) as *const NSTextField) };
+
+    // A plain-string field renders in its textColor; attributedStringValue
+    // synthesizes that color at index 0. The old bug left a baked labelColor
+    // here instead of the red just set.
+    let attributed = field.attributedStringValue();
+    let key = NSString::from_str("NSColor");
+    let color: Option<Retained<objc2_app_kit::NSColor>> = unsafe {
+        msg_send![
+            &*attributed,
+            attribute: &*key,
+            atIndex: 0usize,
+            effectiveRange: std::ptr::null_mut::<objc2_foundation::NSRange>()
+        ]
+    };
+    let color = color.expect("label carries a foreground color at index 0");
+    let srgb = color
+        .colorUsingColorSpace(&NSColorSpace::sRGBColorSpace())
+        .expect("foreground color converts to sRGB");
+    let (r, g, b) = (
+        srgb.redComponent(),
+        srgb.greenComponent(),
+        srgb.blueComponent(),
+    );
+    assert!(
+        r > 0.9 && g < 0.1 && b < 0.1,
+        "label rendered ({r:.3}, {g:.3}, {b:.3}), not red — setTextColor was overridden (#10856)"
+    );
+    println!("PASS native text-color: textSetColor colors a Text label");
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+fn main() {}