v148 · css · compatibility fix
Remove explicit border color UA stylesheet rule for tables
Chrome 148 removes an erroneous border-color: gray rule that Chrome's UA stylesheet applied to <table> elements — a rule not in the HTML specification. The fix brings Chrome's default table border colour in line with Firefox, Safari, and the spec, where table borders inherit currentColor.
chrome://flags/#enable-experimental-web-platform-features to test before it ships as the default in Chrome 149.
at a glance
| Status in 148 | In developer trial (behind a flag) |
|---|---|
| Ships by default | Chrome 149 |
| Standards position | Firefox: Shipped · Safari: Shipped (already spec-compliant) |
| Spec | HTML Standard §tables-2 (rendering) |
| Blink component | Blink>CSS |
| ChromeStatus | 5077341928816640 — Remove explicit border color UA stylesheet rule for tables |
what changed
Chrome's UA stylesheet previously contained a rule equivalent to:
table {
border-color: gray; /* removed in Chrome 148 */
}The HTML rendering spec does not include this rule. After the fix, table border colours behave the same as any other element: they inherit currentColor from the document, so if a page sets a non-black foreground color on a parent, table borders now follow along automatically — as they do in Firefox and Safari.
Visual impact
| Before (Chrome < 148) | Default table borders were always gray regardless of inherited colour |
|---|---|
| After (Chrome 148+) | Default table borders use currentColor — inheriting the foreground colour from context |
compatibility guidance
If you relied on the gray default for table borders you now need to set an explicit colour:
/* Restore gray default if needed */
table {
border-color: gray;
}
/* Or use currentColor intentionally: */
body { color: navy; }
table { border: 1px solid; } /* now navy — inherits body color */If your table borders were already explicitly styled, nothing changes. This fix only affects tables that relied on the implicit gray UA-stylesheet default.
browser support
| Chrome | 148 — now spec-compliant (currentColor default) |
|---|---|
| Firefox | Already spec-compliant |
| Safari | Already spec-compliant |