diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 0aabca1..fc58994 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -22,12 +22,6 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
-
-      # TEMPORARY: Terminal.Gui submodule's nuget.config breaks restore — remove until PR #4234 is merged
-      - name: Remove submodule NuGet config
-        run: rm -f src/Terminal.Gui/nuget.config
 
       - name: Setup .NET 10
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
@@ -35,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
           dotnet-version: '10.0.x'
 
       - name: Check formatting
-        run: dotnet format src/EchoHub.slnx --verify-no-changes --verbosity diagnostic --exclude src/Terminal.Gui/
+        run: dotnet format src/EchoHub.slnx --verify-no-changes --verbosity diagnostic
 
   build-and-test:
     name: Build & Test
@@ -44,11 +38,6 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          submodules: recursive
-
-      # TEMPORARY: Terminal.Gui submodule's nuget.config breaks restore — remove until PR #4234 is merged
-      - name: Remove submodule NuGet config
-        run: rm -f src/Terminal.Gui/nuget.config
 
       - name: Check for src/ changes
         id: changes
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index cbc2dde..5156116 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -16,12 +16,6 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
-
-      # TEMPORARY: Terminal.Gui submodule's nuget.config breaks restore — remove until PR #4234 is merged
-      - name: Remove submodule NuGet config
-        run: rm -f src/Terminal.Gui/nuget.config
 
       - name: Setup .NET 10
         uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index f8c7889..b5e8ab9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -16,11 +16,6 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-          submodules: recursive
-
-      # TEMPORARY: Terminal.Gui submodule's nuget.config breaks restore — remove until PR #4234 is merged
-      - name: Remove submodule NuGet config
-        run: rm -f src/Terminal.Gui/nuget.config
 
       - name: Check for src/ changes
         id: changes
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index 4803285..0000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "src/Terminal.Gui"]
-	path = src/Terminal.Gui
-	url = https://github.com/HueByte/Terminal.Gui.git
diff --git a/docs/changelog/toc.yml b/docs/changelog/toc.yml
index 1079748..7f71eca 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/toc.yml
+++ b/docs/changelog/toc.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 - name: Overview
   href: index.md
+- name: v0.2.7
+  href: v0.2.7.md
+- name: v0.2.6
+  href: v0.2.6.md
 - name: v0.2.5
   href: v0.2.5.md
 - name: v0.2.4
diff --git a/docs/changelog/v0.2.6.md b/docs/changelog/v0.2.6.md
index 49a9919..0b547fd 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/v0.2.6.md
+++ b/docs/changelog/v0.2.6.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 - Moved `AsyncRunner` from project root to `Services/` with updated namespace
 - Renamed `ColorHelper` → `HexColorHelper` to avoid namespace collision with Terminal.Gui's `ColorHelper` NuGet dependency
 - Moved `hue_icon.ico` to `Client/Assets/`, removed duplicate from Server (Server now references shared icon via relative path)
+- Add hex color parsing helper and implement custom list sources for channels and users
+- Add dialogs for connection, channel creation, profile editing, and status management
 
 ## Infrastructure
 
diff --git a/docs/changelog/v0.2.7.md b/docs/changelog/v0.2.7.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..929c70c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/v0.2.7.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# v0.2.7
+
+## Bug Fixes
+
+- Fix user list empty on initial connect — `FetchAndUpdateOnlineUsers` was called before `InvokeUI` set the current channel, causing an early return
+
+## Infrastructure
+
+- Switch Terminal.Gui from local fork submodule back to NuGet package (`2.0.0-develop.5039`) — transparent color PR merged upstream
+- Remove Terminal.Gui submodule, `.gitmodules`, and root `nuget.config` workaround
+- Remove `rm -f` submodule nuget.config steps and `submodules: recursive` from all 3 CI workflows (ci, docs, release)
+- Remove `--exclude src/Terminal.Gui/` from format check
diff --git a/nuget.config b/nuget.config
deleted file mode 100644
index 4e800bf..0000000
--- a/nuget.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-<configuration>
-  <packageSources>
-    <clear />
-    <add key="nuget.org" value="https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json" protocolVersion="3" />
-  </packageSources>
-  <packageSourceMapping>
-    <packageSource key="nuget.org">
-      <package pattern="*" />
-    </packageSource>
-  </packageSourceMapping>
-</configuration>
diff --git a/src/Directory.Build.props b/src/Directory.Build.props
index 87650ee..31d2558 100644
--- a/src/Directory.Build.props
+++ b/src/Directory.Build.props
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <Project>
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <Version>0.2.6</Version>
+    <Version>0.2.7</Version>
     <GenerateDocumentationFile>true</GenerateDocumentationFile>
     <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);CS1591</NoWarn>
   </PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs b/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs
index 19650ff..417a0be 100644
--- a/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs
+++ b/src/EchoHub.Client/AppOrchestrator.cs
@@ -524,9 +524,8 @@ public sealed class AppOrchestrator : IDisposable
                 if (result.DefaultHistory.Count > 0)
                     _messageManager.LoadHistory(HubConstants.DefaultChannel, result.DefaultHistory);
                 _mainWindow.FocusInput();
+                FetchAndUpdateOnlineUsers();
             });
-
-            FetchAndUpdateOnlineUsers();
             SaveServerToConfig(dialogResult);
         }, "Connection failed", "Connect");
     }
diff --git a/src/EchoHub.Client/EchoHub.Client.csproj b/src/EchoHub.Client/EchoHub.Client.csproj
index c5279c2..e455ebb 100644
--- a/src/EchoHub.Client/EchoHub.Client.csproj
+++ b/src/EchoHub.Client/EchoHub.Client.csproj
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
     <PackageReference Include="Serilog" Version="4.3.1" />
     <PackageReference Include="Serilog.Settings.Configuration" Version="10.0.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="Serilog.Sinks.File" Version="7.0.0" />
-    <!-- Using local fork until transparent color support is merged upstream (gui-cs/Terminal.Gui#4234) -->
-    <ProjectReference Include="..\Terminal.Gui\Terminal.Gui\Terminal.Gui.csproj" />
+    <PackageReference Include="Terminal.Gui" Version="2.0.0-develop.5039" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/src/Terminal.Gui b/src/Terminal.Gui
deleted file mode 160000
index 0061d03..0000000
--- a/src/Terminal.Gui
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 0061d03558264e0005d8c5ba53845e629ea2f8da