diff --git a/src/components/component_preview/component_preview.vue b/src/components/component_preview/component_preview.vue
index 3643703a..944e3a97 100644
--- a/src/components/component_preview/component_preview.vue
+++ b/src/components/component_preview/component_preview.vue
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
     class="ComponentPreview"
     :class="{ '-shadow-controls': shadowControl }"
   >
+    <!-- eslint-disable vue/no-v-html vue/no-v-text-v-html-on-component -->
+    <component
+      :is="'style'"
+      v-html="previewCss"
+    />
+    <!-- eslint-enable vue/no-v-html vue/no-v-text-v-html-on-component -->
     <label
       v-show="shadowControl"
       class="header"
@@ -11,7 +17,7 @@
       {{ $t('settings.style.shadows.offset') }}
     </label>
     <input
-      v-show="shadowControl"
+      v-show="shadowControl && !hideControls"
       :value="shadow?.y"
       :disabled="disabled"
       :class="{ disabled }"
@@ -20,7 +26,7 @@
       @input="e => updateProperty('y', e.target.value)"
     >
     <input
-      v-show="shadowControl"
+      v-show="shadowControl && !hideControls"
       :value="shadow?.y"
       :disabled="disabled"
       :class="{ disabled }"
@@ -41,9 +47,14 @@
       >
         {{ $t('settings.style.themes3.editor.test_string') }}
       </div>
+      <div v-if="invalid" class="invalid-container">
+        <div class="alert error invalid-label">
+          {{ $t('settings.style.themes3.editor.invalid') }}
+        </div>
+      </div>
     </div>
     <input
-      v-show="shadowControl"
+      v-show="shadowControl && !hideControls"
       :value="shadow?.x"
       :disabled="disabled"
       :class="{ disabled }"
@@ -52,7 +63,7 @@
       @input="e => updateProperty('x', e.target.value)"
     >
     <input
-      v-show="shadowControl"
+      v-show="shadowControl && !hideControls"
       :value="shadow?.x"
       :disabled="disabled"
       :class="{ disabled }"
@@ -85,7 +96,9 @@ export default {
     'shadowControl',
     'previewClass',
     'previewStyle',
-    'disabled'
+    'previewCss',
+    'disabled',
+    'invalid'
   ],
   emits: ['update:shadow'],
   data () {
@@ -93,9 +106,14 @@ export default {
       lightGrid: false
     }
   },
+  computed: {
+    hideControls () {
+      return typeof this.shadow === 'string'
+    }
+  },
   methods: {
     updateProperty (axis, value) {
-      this.$emit('update:shadow', { axis, value })
+      this.$emit('update:shadow', { axis, value: Number(value) })
     }
   }
 }
@@ -121,6 +139,22 @@ export default {
     line-height: 2;
   }
 
+  .invalid-container {
+    position: absolute;
+    top: 0;
+    bottom: 0;
+    left: 0;
+    right: 0;
+    display: grid;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-items: center;
+    background-color: rgba(100 0 0 / 50%);
+
+    .alert {
+      padding: 0.5em 1em;
+    }
+  }
+
   .input-light-grid {
     grid-area: options;
     justify-self: center;
@@ -170,6 +204,7 @@ export default {
       --__grid-color2-disabled: rgba(255 255 255 / 20%);
     }
 
+    position: relative;
     grid-area: preview;
     aspect-ratio: 1;
     display: flex;
diff --git a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue
index af5e9ea2..3fa70cb6 100644
--- a/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue
+++ b/src/components/settings_modal/tabs/style_tab/style_tab.vue
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@
             :shadow-control="isShadowTabOpen"
             :preview-class="previewClass"
             :preview-style="editorHintStyle"
+            :preview-css="previewCss"
             :disabled="!editedSubShadow && typeof editedShadow !== 'string'"
             :shadow="editedSubShadow"
             @update:shadow="({ axis, value }) => updateSubShadow(axis, value)"
@@ -285,7 +286,7 @@
               :disabled="!isShadowPresent"
               :no-preview="true"
               :compact="true"
-              :compute-color="computeColor"
+              :static-vars="selectedPalette"
               @subShadowSelected="onSubShadow"
             />
           </div>
@@ -409,7 +410,7 @@
           <ShadowControl
             v-if="selectedVirtualDirectiveValType === 'shadow'"
             v-model="draftVirtualDirective"
-            :compute-color="computeColor"
+            :static-vars="selectedPalette"
             :compact="true"
           />
           <ColorInput
diff --git a/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.js b/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.js
index 0ffba183..22642340 100644
--- a/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.js
+++ b/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.js
@@ -5,9 +5,13 @@ import SelectMotion from 'src/components/select/select_motion.vue'
 import Checkbox from 'src/components/checkbox/checkbox.vue'
 import Popover from 'src/components/popover/popover.vue'
 import ComponentPreview from 'src/components/component_preview/component_preview.vue'
-import { getCssShadow, getCssShadowFilter } from '../../services/theme_data/theme_data.service.js'
+import { rgb2hex } from 'src/services/color_convert/color_convert.js'
+import { serializeShadow } from 'src/services/theme_data/iss_serializer.js'
+import { deserializeShadow } from 'src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js'
+import { getCssShadow, getCssShadowFilter } from 'src/services/theme_data/css_utils.js'
+import { findShadow, findColor } from 'src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js'
 import { library } from '@fortawesome/fontawesome-svg-core'
-import { throttle } from 'lodash'
+import { throttle, flattenDeep } from 'lodash'
 import {
   faTimes,
   faChevronDown,
@@ -46,13 +50,14 @@ export default {
     'separateInset',
     'noPreview',
     'disabled',
-    'computeColor',
+    'staticVars',
     'compact'
   ],
   emits: ['update:modelValue', 'subShadowSelected'],
   data () {
     return {
-      selectedId: 0
+      selectedId: 0,
+      invalid: false
     }
   },
   components: {
@@ -97,7 +102,7 @@ export default {
       }
     },
     present () {
-      return this.selected != null && !this.usingFallback
+      return this.selected != null && this.modelValue != null
     },
     shadowsAreNull () {
       return this.modelValue == null
@@ -105,31 +110,38 @@ export default {
     currentFallback () {
       return this.fallback?.[this.selectedId]
     },
-    usingFallback () {
-      return this.modelValue == null
-    },
-    getFallback () {
-      if (typeof this.computeColor === 'function' && this.selected?.color) {
-        return this.computeColor(this.selected.color)
+    getColorFallback () {
+      if (this.staticVars && this.selected?.color) {
+        const computedColor = findColor(this.selected.color, { dynamicVars: {}, staticVars: this.staticVars }, true)
+        if (computedColor) return rgb2hex(computedColor)
+        return null
       } else {
         return this.currentFallback?.color
       }
     },
     style () {
       try {
+        let result
+        const serialized = this.cValue.map(x => serializeShadow(x)).join(',')
+        deserializeShadow(serialized) // validate
+        const expandedShadow = flattenDeep(findShadow(this.cValue, { dynamicVars: {}, staticVars: this.staticVars }))
+        const fixedShadows = expandedShadow.map(x => ({ ...x, color: console.log(x) || rgb2hex(x.color) }))
+
         if (this.separateInset) {
-          return {
-            filter: getCssShadowFilter(this.cValue),
-            boxShadow: getCssShadow(this.cValue, true)
+          result = {
+            filter: getCssShadowFilter(fixedShadows),
+            boxShadow: getCssShadow(fixedShadows, true)
+          }
+        } else {
+          result = {
+            boxShadow: getCssShadow(fixedShadows)
           }
         }
-        return {
-          boxShadow: getCssShadow(this.cValue)
-        }
+        this.invalid = false
+        return result
       } catch (e) {
-        return {
-          border: '1px solid red'
-        }
+        console.error('Invalid shadow', e)
+        this.invalid = true
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.vue b/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.vue
index 1bbdbe2f..056eae0f 100644
--- a/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.vue
+++ b/src/components/shadow_control/shadow_control.vue
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@
   >
     <ComponentPreview
       v-if="!noPreview"
+      :invalid="invalid"
       class="shadow-preview"
       :shadow-control="true"
       :shadow="selected"
+      :preview-style="style"
       :disabled="disabled || !present"
       @update:shadow="({ axis, value }) => updateProperty(axis, value)"
     />
@@ -165,7 +167,7 @@
           :model-value="selected?.color"
           :disabled="disabled || !present"
           :label="$t('settings.style.common.color')"
-          :fallback="getFallback"
+          :fallback="getColorFallback"
           :show-optional-tickbox="false"
           name="shadow"
           @update:modelValue="e => updateProperty('color', e)"
diff --git a/src/i18n/en.json b/src/i18n/en.json
index 212b2591..10d4fdb5 100644
--- a/src/i18n/en.json
+++ b/src/i18n/en.json
@@ -793,8 +793,10 @@
           "text_color": "Text color",
           "icon_color": "Icon color",
           "link_color": "Link color",
+          "border_color": "Border color",
           "include_in_rule": "Add to rule",
           "test_string": "TEST",
+          "invalid": "Invalid",
           "refresh_preview": "Refresh preview",
           "apply_preview": "Apply",
           "text_auto": {
diff --git a/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js b/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js
index 2244540b..a007bea2 100644
--- a/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js
+++ b/src/services/theme_data/iss_deserializer.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export const deserializeShadow = string => {
     if (string.startsWith('$') || string.startsWith('--')) {
       return string
     } else {
-      throw new Error(`Invalid shadow definition: ${string}`)
+      throw new Error(`Invalid shadow definition: '${string}'`)
     }
   } else {
     const numeric = new Set(['x', 'y', 'blur', 'spread', 'alpha'])
diff --git a/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js b/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
index 48ff6ec8..b0596881 100644
--- a/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
+++ b/src/services/theme_data/theme_data_3.service.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ const components = {
   ChatMessage: null
 }
 
-const findShadow = (shadows, { dynamicVars, staticVars }) => {
+export const findShadow = (shadows, { dynamicVars, staticVars }) => {
   return (shadows || []).map(shadow => {
     let targetShadow
     if (typeof shadow === 'string') {