diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 88fea4f..123f147 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,17 @@
 All notable changes to the equisdots theme-sync engine are documented here.
 Dates use YYYY-MM-DD.
 
+## [2026-10-25]
+
+### Fixed
+- VS Code target: process an installed Code / Code - Insiders variant even when
+  its `User/settings.json` does not exist yet (fresh profile). The file is
+  created with the generated theme instead of the target silently doing
+  nothing. This was why VSCode stayed unthemed on a fresh niri profile while
+  working where the file already existed.
+- `scripts/check.sh`: temp-home fixture that asserts the missing settings file
+  is created and contains the managed theme block.
+
 ## [2026-09-30]
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 71eee3f..d1d10f3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Defaults target the equisdots desktop layout:
 | `kitty` | `~/.config/kitty/themes/<slug>.conf` + include and active border in `kitty.conf` |
 | `starship` | per-palette themes + fixed `~/.config/starship.toml` + `STARSHIP_CONFIG` in `.zshrc`/`.bashrc` |
 | `xtop` | `~/.config/xtop/themes/<slug>.jsonc` + active theme (`xtop --ct`) |
-| `vscode` | `workbench.colorTheme` / `workbench.iconTheme` for palettes bundled in the xscriptor-themes extension; any other palette (community/, user-created) gets an intelligent live tint via generated `colorCustomizations` + token/semantic colors, in Code / Code - Insiders |
+| `vscode` | `workbench.colorTheme` / `workbench.iconTheme` for palettes bundled in the xscriptor-themes extension; any other palette (community/, user-created) gets an intelligent live tint via generated `colorCustomizations` + token/semantic colors, in Code / Code - Insiders. Creates `User/settings.json` when the editor is installed but the file is missing (fresh profile). |
 | `nvim` | `lua/themes/palettes.lua` + active-theme bootstrap |
 | `browsers` | Brave/Beta prefs (`color_scheme2`, accent) + Firefox `user.js` |
 | `opencode` | `~/.config/opencode/themes/<slug>.json` + active theme in `tui.json` |
diff --git a/scripts/check.sh b/scripts/check.sh
index a051d1a..b9e58b3 100755
--- a/scripts/check.sh
+++ b/scripts/check.sh
@@ -74,6 +74,39 @@ PY
         echo "vscode mapping FAIL"
         fail=1
     fi
+
+    # vscode fresh-profile: an installed variant with no settings.json must be
+    # created and themed instead of silently skipped.
+    tmp_home="$(mktemp -d)"
+    mkdir -p "$tmp_home/.config/Code - Insiders/User"
+    if ! PYTHONPATH="$PWD" python3 - "$PALETTES" "$tmp_home" <<'PY'
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from themesync.core import Env, load_palettes
+from themesync.targets import vscode
+
+home = Path(sys.argv[2])
+pals = load_palettes(Path(sys.argv[1]))
+pal = pals[0]
+env = Env(home=home, palettes_dir=Path(sys.argv[1]),
+          settings_path=home / ".config/hypr/settings.json",
+          slug=pal.get("slug"), palettes=pals, palette=pal)
+vscode.apply(env)
+path = home / ".config/Code - Insiders/User/settings.json"
+if not path.is_file():
+    print("vscode create: settings.json missing")
+    sys.exit(1)
+text = path.read_text()
+if '"workbench.colorTheme"' not in text or "equisdots theme-sync" not in text:
+    print("vscode create: theme block missing")
+    sys.exit(1)
+print("vscode create: OK")
+PY
+    then
+        echo "vscode create FAIL"
+        fail=1
+    fi
+    rm -rf "$tmp_home"
 else
     echo "note: no palette source found, CLI smoke test skipped" >&2
 fi
diff --git a/themesync/targets/vscode.py b/themesync/targets/vscode.py
index 6efe122..ab23cf1 100644
--- a/themesync/targets/vscode.py
+++ b/themesync/targets/vscode.py
@@ -57,10 +57,22 @@
 
 
 def available(env) -> bool:
-    # Always: if no variant is installed, apply() does nothing.
+    # Always: apply() decides per variant whether the editor is installed.
     return True
 
 
+def _variant_present(env, rel: str, vendor: str) -> bool:
+    """Is this editor variant installed (settings file, user dir or binary)?"""
+    path = Path(env.home) / rel
+    if path.is_file() or path.parent.is_dir():
+        return True
+    ext = Path(env.home) / EXT_DIRS.get(vendor, "")
+    if ext.is_dir():
+        return True
+    binary = "code-insiders" if vendor == "Code - Insiders" else "code"
+    return env.binary(binary) is not None
+
+
 # ── native theme discovery (dynamic; no palette list) ─────────────────────────
 
 def _native(env, slug: str, vendor: str):
@@ -172,11 +184,12 @@ def apply(env) -> list:
     out = []
     for rel in VARIANTS:
         path = env.home / rel
-        if not path.is_file():
-            continue
         vendor = Path(rel).parent.parent.name  # "Code" / "Code - Insiders"
-        original = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace")
-        text = _strip_block(original)
+        if not _variant_present(env, rel, vendor):
+            continue
+        created = not path.is_file()
+        original = "" if created else path.read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace")
+        text = "{\n}\n" if not original.strip() else _strip_block(original)
 
         display = _native(env, env.slug, vendor)
         icon = _icon(env, env.slug, vendor)
@@ -214,7 +227,8 @@ def apply(env) -> list:
                 "; skipped user keys: %s" % ", ".join(skipped) if skipped else "",
             )
 
-        if text != original:
+        if created or text != original:
             env.write(path, text)
-        out.append("vscode (%s) → %s" % (vendor, note))
+        suffix = " [created]" if created else ""
+        out.append("vscode (%s) → %s%s" % (vendor, note, suffix))
     return out