diff --git a/scss/_navbar.scss b/scss/_navbar.scss
index 76ac085c1..71619382c 100644
--- a/scss/_navbar.scss
+++ b/scss/_navbar.scss
@@ -266,7 +266,8 @@
   @include deprecate("`.navbar-light`", "v5.2.0", "v6.0.0", true);
 }
 
-.navbar-dark {
+.navbar-dark,
+.navbar[data-bs-theme="dark"] {
   // scss-docs-start navbar-dark-css-vars
   --#{$prefix}navbar-color: #{$navbar-dark-color};
   --#{$prefix}navbar-hover-color: #{$navbar-dark-hover-color};
diff --git a/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md b/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md
index 277ef0429..9b9f86a4d 100644
--- a/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md
+++ b/site/content/docs/5.3/components/navbar.md
@@ -328,10 +328,10 @@ Mix and match with other components and utilities as needed.
 **New in v5.2.0  —** Navbar theming is now powered by CSS variables and `.navbar-light` has been deprecated. CSS variables are applied to `.navbar`, defaulting to the "light" appearance, and can be overridden with `.navbar-dark`.
 {{< /callout >}}
 
-Navbar themes are easier than ever thanks to Bootstrap's combination of Sass and CSS variables. The default is our "light navbar" for use with light background colors, but you can also apply `data-bs-theme="dark"` to the `.navbar` parent for dark background colors. Then, customize with `.bg-*` utilities.
+Navbar themes are easier than ever thanks to Bootstrap's combination of Sass and CSS variables. The default is our "light navbar" for use with light background colors, but you can also apply `data-bs-theme="dark"` to the `.navbar` parent for dark background colors. Then, customize with `.bg-*` and additional utilities.
 
 <div class="bd-example">
-  <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg bg-body-secondary" data-bs-theme="dark">
+  <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg bg-dark border-bottom border-bottom-dark" data-bs-theme="dark">
     <div class="container-fluid">
       <a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Navbar</a>
       <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target="#navbarColor01" aria-controls="navbarColor01" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ Navbar themes are easier than ever thanks to Bootstrap's combination of Sass and
 </div>
 
 ```html
-<nav class="navbar bg-dark" data-bs-theme="dark">
+<nav class="navbar bg-dark border-bottom border-bottom-dark" data-bs-theme="dark">
   <!-- Navbar content -->
 </nav>