diff --git a/docs/theme-creation.md b/docs/theme-creation.md
index 2ed064b9..3ff4c1fb 100644
--- a/docs/theme-creation.md
+++ b/docs/theme-creation.md
@@ -217,6 +217,14 @@ Home `navigation` modes:
 - `splitAxis`: front left/right move through launcher actions; side up/down move through recent-book actions. Bottom button hints show Left/Right.
 - `carousel`: front left/right move through recent-book actions; side up/down move through launcher actions. Use this when left/right should stay inside a cover carousel and up/down should enter or leave the launcher menu.
 
+Home `initialAction` can optionally choose the default selected action when entering home normally:
+
+```json
+"initialAction": "reader:recent"
+```
+
+Supported values match launcher `action` values. Explicit firmware navigation, such as returning to Settings from a settings submenu, still overrides this default.
+
 ### Layouts vs widgets
 
 Layouts only create named rectangles. They do not choose whether a screen is a list, cover grid, carousel, or any other presentation.
diff --git a/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp b/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp
index af9baa25..d27ada33 100644
--- a/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp
+++ b/src/activities/home/HomeActivity.cpp
@@ -145,7 +145,9 @@ void HomeActivity::onEnter() {
           metrics.homeRecentBooksCount);
 
   const auto& actions = refreshHomeActions();
+  const ThemeHomeScreenSpec* homeSpec = UITheme::getInstance().getHomeScreenSpec();
   selectorIndex = 0;
+  bool hasWantedAction = initialMenuItem != HomeMenuItem::NONE;
   const auto wantedAction = [this]() {
     switch (initialMenuItem) {
       case HomeMenuItem::RECENTS:
@@ -162,15 +164,23 @@ void HomeActivity::onEnter() {
         return ThemeHomeAction::FileBrowser;
     }
   }();
-  if (initialMenuItem != HomeMenuItem::NONE) {
+  ThemeHomeAction selectedEntryAction = wantedAction;
+  if (!hasWantedAction && homeSpec != nullptr && homeSpec->hasInitialAction) {
+    hasWantedAction = true;
+    selectedEntryAction = homeSpec->initialAction;
+  }
+  if (hasWantedAction) {
     for (int i = 0; i < static_cast<int>(actions.size()); ++i) {
-      if (actions[i].action == wantedAction) {
+      if (actions[i].action == selectedEntryAction) {
         selectorIndex = i;
         break;
       }
     }
   }
-  coverSelectorIndex = recentBooks.empty() ? 0 : std::min(selectorIndex, static_cast<int>(recentBooks.size()) - 1);
+  coverSelectorIndex = !recentBooks.empty() && selectorIndex < static_cast<int>(actions.size()) &&
+                               actions[selectorIndex].action == ThemeHomeAction::RecentBook
+                           ? actions[selectorIndex].value
+                           : 0;
 
   // Trigger first update
   requestUpdate();
diff --git a/src/components/themes/SdCardThemeRegistry.cpp b/src/components/themes/SdCardThemeRegistry.cpp
index 1c9a389d..23d0b1d8 100644
--- a/src/components/themes/SdCardThemeRegistry.cpp
+++ b/src/components/themes/SdCardThemeRegistry.cpp
@@ -688,6 +688,11 @@ void parseHomeScreenSpec(JsonObjectConst obj, ThemeHomeScreenSpec& out) {
 
   out.enabled = true;
   out.navigation = parseHomeNavigationMode(obj["navigation"].as<const char*>(), out.navigation);
+  const char* initialAction = obj["initialAction"].as<const char*>();
+  if (initialAction != nullptr) {
+    out.hasInitialAction = true;
+    out.initialAction = parseHomeAction(initialAction);
+  }
   out.layout = ThemeLayoutNode{};
   out.layout.id = "root";
   out.layout.sizeType = ThemeLayoutSizeType::Flex;
diff --git a/src/components/themes/ThemeLayout.h b/src/components/themes/ThemeLayout.h
index edf91c70..b404b260 100644
--- a/src/components/themes/ThemeLayout.h
+++ b/src/components/themes/ThemeLayout.h
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ struct ThemeHomeWidgetSpec {
 struct ThemeHomeScreenSpec {
   bool enabled = false;
   ThemeHomeNavigationMode navigation = ThemeHomeNavigationMode::Linear;
+  bool hasInitialAction = false;
+  ThemeHomeAction initialAction = ThemeHomeAction::FileBrowser;
   ThemeLayoutNode layout;
   std::vector<ThemeHomeWidgetSpec> widgets;
 };