diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index abb9743e802..b79ee54f344 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ We refer to [GitHub issues](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues) by using `#
 - After assigning an entry to a group, the item count is now properly colored to reflect the new membership of the entry. [#3112](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/3112)
 - The group panel is now properly updated when switching between libraries (or when closing/opening one). [#3142](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/3142)
 - We fixed an error where the number of matched entries shown in the group pane was not updated correctly. [#4441](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/4441)
+- We fixed an error where the default color of a new group was white instead of dark gray. [#4868](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/4868)
 - We fixed an error mentioning "javafx.controls/com.sun.javafx.scene.control" that was thrown when interacting with the toolbar.
 - We fixed an error where a cleared search was restored after switching libraries. [#4846](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/4846) 
 - We fixed an exception which occured when trying to open a non existing file from the "Recent files"-menu [#5334](https://github.com/JabRef/jabref/issues/5334)
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupDialog.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupDialog.java
index 5847d72b766..68a5027d8dd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupDialog.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupDialog.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 import org.jabref.JabRefGUI;
 import org.jabref.gui.BasePanel;
 import org.jabref.gui.DialogService;
+import org.jabref.gui.icon.IconTheme;
 import org.jabref.gui.search.rules.describer.SearchDescribers;
 import org.jabref.gui.util.BaseDialog;
 import org.jabref.gui.util.FileDialogConfiguration;
@@ -370,11 +371,12 @@ groupName, getContext(),
         // configure for current type
         if (editedGroup == null) {
             // creating new group -> defaults!
+            colorField.setValue(IconTheme.getDefaultGroupColor());
             explicitRadioButton.setSelected(true);
             setContext(GroupHierarchyType.INDEPENDENT);
         } else {
             nameField.setText(editedGroup.getName());
-            editedGroup.getColor().ifPresent(colorField::setValue);
+            colorField.setValue(editedGroup.getColor().orElse(IconTheme.getDefaultGroupColor()));
             descriptionField.setText(editedGroup.getDescription().orElse(""));
             iconField.setText(editedGroup.getIconName().orElse(""));
             setContext(editedGroup.getHierarchicalContext());
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupNodeViewModel.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupNodeViewModel.java
index 2eece37b6aa..864abe24598 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupNodeViewModel.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/groups/GroupNodeViewModel.java
@@ -196,12 +196,8 @@ public JabRefIcon getIcon() {
     }
 
     private JabRefIcon createDefaultIcon() {
-        Optional<Color> color = groupNode.getGroup().getColor();
-        if (color.isPresent()) {
-            return IconTheme.JabRefIcons.DEFAULT_GROUP_ICON_COLORED.withColor(color.get());
-        } else {
-            return IconTheme.JabRefIcons.DEFAULT_GROUP_ICON_COLORED.withColor(Color.web("#8a8a8a"));
-        }
+        Color color = groupNode.getGroup().getColor().orElse(IconTheme.getDefaultGroupColor());
+        return IconTheme.JabRefIcons.DEFAULT_GROUP_ICON_COLORED.withColor(color);
     }
 
     private Optional<JabRefIcon> parseIcon(String iconCode) {
@@ -248,7 +244,7 @@ boolean isMatchedBy(String searchString) {
     }
 
     public Color getColor() {
-        return groupNode.getGroup().getColor().orElse(IconTheme.getDefaultColor());
+        return groupNode.getGroup().getColor().orElse(IconTheme.getDefaultGroupColor());
     }
 
     public String getPath() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/icon/IconTheme.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/icon/IconTheme.java
index 40682452586..3dec2613770 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/icon/IconTheme.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/icon/IconTheme.java
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@
 
 public class IconTheme {
 
-    /**
-     * JabRef's default color
-     */
-    public static final Color DEFAULT_COLOR = JabRefPreferences.getInstance().getColor(JabRefPreferences.ICON_ENABLED_COLOR);
     public static final Color DEFAULT_DISABLED_COLOR = JabRefPreferences.getInstance().getColor(JabRefPreferences.ICON_DISABLED_COLOR);
     public static final javafx.scene.paint.Color SELECTED_COLOR = javafx.scene.paint.Color.web("#50618F");
     private static final String DEFAULT_ICON_PATH = "/images/external/red.png";
@@ -60,8 +56,8 @@ private static InputStream getJabRefMaterialDesignIconsStream() throws IOExcepti
         return IconTheme.class.getResource("/fonts/JabRefMaterialDesign.ttf").openStream();
     }
 
-    public static Color getDefaultColor() {
-        return DEFAULT_COLOR;
+    public static Color getDefaultGroupColor() {
+        return Color.web("#8a8a8a");
     }
 
     public static Image getJabRefImageFX() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/preferences/JabRefPreferences.java b/src/main/java/org/jabref/preferences/JabRefPreferences.java
index e35ca7a1e61..60c7f191283 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/preferences/JabRefPreferences.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/preferences/JabRefPreferences.java
@@ -216,7 +216,6 @@ public class JabRefPreferences implements PreferencesService {
     public static final String ACTIVE_FIELD_EDITOR_BACKGROUND_COLOR = "activeFieldEditorBackgroundColor";
     public static final String INVALID_FIELD_BACKGROUND_COLOR = "invalidFieldBackgroundColor";
     public static final String VALID_FIELD_BACKGROUND_COLOR = "validFieldBackgroundColor";
-    public static final String ICON_ENABLED_COLOR = "iconEnabledColor";
     public static final String ICON_DISABLED_COLOR = "iconDisabledColor";
     public static final String FONT_SIZE = "fontSize";
     public static final String OVERRIDE_DEFAULT_FONT_SIZE = "overrideDefaultFontSize";
@@ -600,7 +599,6 @@ private JabRefPreferences() {
         defaults.put(FIELD_EDITOR_TEXT_COLOR, "0:0:0");
 
         // default icon colors
-        defaults.put(ICON_ENABLED_COLOR, "0:0:0");
         defaults.put(ICON_DISABLED_COLOR, "200:200:200");
 
         defaults.put(URL_COLUMN, Boolean.TRUE);