diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/28156-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/28156-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..af9c2b142261
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/28156-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+dark_background and fivethirtyeight styles no longer set ``savefig.facecolor`` and ``savefig.edgecolor``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+When using these styles, :rc:`savefig.facecolor` and :rc:`savefig.edgecolor`
+now inherit the global default value of "auto", which means that the actual
+figure colors will be used.  Previously, these rcParams were set to the same
+values as :rc:`figure.facecolor` and :rc:`figure.edgecolor`, i.e. a saved
+figure would always use the theme colors even if the user manually overrode
+them; this is no longer the case.
+
+This change should have no impact for users that do not manually set the figure
+face and edge colors.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle
index c4b7741ae440..61a99f3c0d10 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle
@@ -18,9 +18,6 @@ grid.color: white
 figure.facecolor: black
 figure.edgecolor: black
 
-savefig.facecolor: black
-savefig.edgecolor: black
-
 ### Boxplots
 boxplot.boxprops.color: white
 boxplot.capprops.color: white
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle
index 738db39f5f80..cd56d404c3b5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle
@@ -29,10 +29,7 @@ xtick.minor.size: 0
 ytick.major.size: 0
 ytick.minor.size: 0
 
-font.size:14.0
-
-savefig.edgecolor: f0f0f0
-savefig.facecolor: f0f0f0
+font.size: 14.0
 
 figure.subplot.left: 0.08
 figure.subplot.right: 0.95