diff --git a/panel/template/base.py b/panel/template/base.py
index 14f7250a7df..8d72d1a73ad 100644
--- a/panel/template/base.py
+++ b/panel/template/base.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 from ..theme.base import (
     THEMES, DefaultTheme, Design, Theme,
 )
+from ..theme.native import Native
 from ..util import isurl
 from ..viewable import (
     MimeRenderMixin, Renderable, ServableMixin, Viewable,
@@ -119,6 +120,12 @@ def __init__(
         }
         self._render_items: dict[str, tuple[Renderable, list[str]]]  = {}
         self._render_variables: dict[str, Any] = {}
+        if (
+            'design' not in params
+            and self.param.design.default in (None, Design, Native)
+            and config.design is not None
+        ):
+            params['design'] = config.design
         super().__init__(**{
             p: v for p, v in params.items() if p not in _base_config.param or p == 'name'
         })
diff --git a/panel/tests/template/test_base.py b/panel/tests/template/test_base.py
index a2435c94daa..4296459ea65 100644
--- a/panel/tests/template/test_base.py
+++ b/panel/tests/template/test_base.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from panel.io.notifications import NotificationArea
 from panel.io.state import set_curdoc, state
 from panel.template import VanillaTemplate
+from panel.theme import Material
 from panel.widgets import Button
 
 
@@ -34,6 +35,13 @@ def test_notification_explicit(document):
         assert state.notifications is tmpl.notifications
 
 
+def test_template_inherits_configured_design():
+    with config.set(design=Material):
+        tmpl = VanillaTemplate()
+
+    assert tmpl.design is Material
+
+
 def test_template_pass_config_params_constructor(document):
     custom_config = {
         'raw_css': ['html { background-color: purple; }'],