diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 6911e683..263817f5 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3393,6 +3393,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "regex",
  "serde",
  "toml",
+ "toml_edit",
  "tracing",
  "yazi-codegen",
  "yazi-fs",
diff --git a/yazi-config/Cargo.toml b/yazi-config/Cargo.toml
index 682b37d3..613cd068 100644
--- a/yazi-config/Cargo.toml
+++ b/yazi-config/Cargo.toml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ ratatui   = { workspace = true }
 regex     = { workspace = true }
 serde     = { workspace = true }
 toml      = { workspace = true }
+toml_edit = "0.22.26"
 tracing   = { workspace = true }
 
 [target.'cfg(target_os = "macos")'.dependencies]
diff --git a/yazi-config/preset/keymap-default.toml b/yazi-config/preset/keymap-default.toml
index 124f3e9f..397b2ec1 100644
--- a/yazi-config/preset/keymap-default.toml
+++ b/yazi-config/preset/keymap-default.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # If you encounter any issues, please make an issue at https://github.com/yazi-rs/schemas.
 "$schema" = "https://yazi-rs.github.io/schemas/keymap.json"
 
-[manager]
+[mgr]
 
 keymap = [
 	{ on = "<Esc>", run = "escape",             desc = "Exit visual mode, clear selection, or cancel search" },
diff --git a/yazi-config/preset/theme-dark.toml b/yazi-config/preset/theme-dark.toml
index 33b03599..126f962b 100644
--- a/yazi-config/preset/theme-dark.toml
+++ b/yazi-config/preset/theme-dark.toml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ light = ""
 
 # : Manager {{{
 
-[manager]
+[mgr]
 cwd = { fg = "cyan" }
 
 # Hovered
diff --git a/yazi-config/preset/theme-light.toml b/yazi-config/preset/theme-light.toml
index 6509173a..eae8bb9a 100644
--- a/yazi-config/preset/theme-light.toml
+++ b/yazi-config/preset/theme-light.toml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ light = ""
 
 # : Manager {{{
 
-[manager]
+[mgr]
 cwd = { fg = "cyan" }
 
 # Hovered
diff --git a/yazi-config/preset/yazi-default.toml b/yazi-config/preset/yazi-default.toml
index 024ea0d0..9a7e24c2 100644
--- a/yazi-config/preset/yazi-default.toml
+++ b/yazi-config/preset/yazi-default.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # If you encounter any issues, please make an issue at https://github.com/yazi-rs/schemas.
 "$schema" = "https://yazi-rs.github.io/schemas/yazi.json"
 
-[manager]
+[mgr]
 ratio          = [ 1, 4, 3 ]
 sort_by        = "alphabetical"
 sort_sensitive = false
diff --git a/yazi-config/src/keymap/keymap.rs b/yazi-config/src/keymap/keymap.rs
index ce34689f..8158c634 100644
--- a/yazi-config/src/keymap/keymap.rs
+++ b/yazi-config/src/keymap/keymap.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use super::{Chord, KeymapRules};
 
 #[derive(Deserialize, DeserializeOver1)]
 pub struct Keymap {
-	#[serde(rename = "manager")]
 	pub mgr:     KeymapRules,
 	pub tasks:   KeymapRules,
 	pub spot:    KeymapRules,
diff --git a/yazi-config/src/lib.rs b/yazi-config/src/lib.rs
index f5ccbdb7..3f3b915b 100644
--- a/yazi-config/src/lib.rs
+++ b/yazi-config/src/lib.rs
@@ -28,12 +28,8 @@ fn try_init(merge: bool) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
 	if merge {
 		let dir = yazi_fs::Xdg::config_dir();
-		yazi = yazi.deserialize_over(toml::Deserializer::new(
-			&std::fs::read_to_string(dir.join("yazi.toml")).unwrap_or_default(),
-		))?;
-		keymap = keymap.deserialize_over(toml::Deserializer::new(
-			&std::fs::read_to_string(dir.join("keymap.toml")).unwrap_or_default(),
-		))?;
+		yazi = yazi.deserialize_over(toml::Deserializer::new(&migrate(dir.join("yazi.toml"))))?;
+		keymap = keymap.deserialize_over(toml::Deserializer::new(&migrate(dir.join("keymap.toml"))))?;
 	}
 
 	YAZI.init(yazi.reshape()?);
@@ -53,9 +49,9 @@ fn try_init_flavor(light: bool, merge: bool) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 	let mut theme = Preset::theme(light)?;
 
 	if merge {
-		let shadow = theme::Theme::deserialize_shadow(toml::Deserializer::new(
-			&std::fs::read_to_string(yazi_fs::Xdg::config_dir().join("theme.toml")).unwrap_or_default(),
-		))?;
+		let shadow = theme::Theme::deserialize_shadow(toml::Deserializer::new(&migrate(
+			yazi_fs::Xdg::config_dir().join("theme.toml"),
+		)))?;
 
 		let flavor = shadow.flavor.as_ref().map(theme::Flavor::from).unwrap_or_default().read(light)?;
 		theme = theme.deserialize_over(toml::Deserializer::new(&flavor))?;
@@ -87,3 +83,45 @@ fn wait_for_key(e: anyhow::Error) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 	TTY.reader().read_exact(&mut [0])?;
 	Ok(())
 }
+
+// TODO: remove this in the future
+fn migrate(p: std::path::PathBuf) -> String {
+	let Ok(old) = std::fs::read_to_string(&p) else {
+		return String::new();
+	};
+	let Ok(mut doc) = old.parse::<toml_edit::DocumentMut>() else {
+		return old;
+	};
+	if doc.get("mgr").is_some() {
+		return old;
+	}
+	let Some(manager) = doc.remove("manager") else {
+		return old;
+	};
+
+	doc.insert("mgr", manager);
+	let new = doc.to_string();
+
+	let mut backup = p.clone();
+	backup.set_file_name(format!(
+		"{}-{}",
+		p.file_name().unwrap().to_str().unwrap(),
+		yazi_shared::timestamp_us()
+	));
+
+	if let Err(e) = std::fs::copy(&p, backup) {
+		_ = TTY.writer().write_all(
+			format!("WARNING: `[manager]` has been deprecated in favor of the new `[mgr]`, see #2803 for more details: https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi/pull/2803\n
+Trying to migrate your config automatically failed, please edit the file manually, error while backuping {p:?}: \n{e:?}\n").as_bytes(),
+		);
+		return new;
+	}
+
+	if let Err(e) = std::fs::write(&p, &new) {
+		_ = TTY.writer().write_all(
+			format!("WARNING: `[manager]` has been deprecated in favor of the new `[mgr]`, see #2803 for more details: https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi/pull/2803\n
+Trying to migrate your config automatically failed, please edit the file manually, error while writing {p:?}: \n{e:?}\n").as_bytes(),
+		);
+	}
+	new
+}
diff --git a/yazi-config/src/theme/theme.rs b/yazi-config/src/theme/theme.rs
index 5c5fa419..a32427e6 100644
--- a/yazi-config/src/theme/theme.rs
+++ b/yazi-config/src/theme/theme.rs
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ use super::{Filetype, Flavor, Icon};
 #[derive(Deserialize, DeserializeOver1, Serialize)]
 pub struct Theme {
 	pub flavor:  Flavor,
-	#[serde(rename = "manager")]
-	pub mgr:     Mgr, // TODO: Remove `serde(rename)`
+	pub mgr:     Mgr,
 	pub tabs:    Tabs,
 	pub mode:    Mode,
 	pub status:  Status,
diff --git a/yazi-config/src/yazi.rs b/yazi-config/src/yazi.rs
index 9c889371..931f18d7 100644
--- a/yazi-config/src/yazi.rs
+++ b/yazi-config/src/yazi.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ use crate::{mgr, open, opener, plugin, popup, preview, tasks, which};
 
 #[derive(Deserialize, DeserializeOver1)]
 pub struct Yazi {
-	#[serde(rename = "manager")]
-	pub mgr:     mgr::Mgr, // TODO: remove serde(rename)
+	pub mgr:     mgr::Mgr,
 	pub preview: preview::Preview,
 	pub opener:  opener::Opener,
 	pub open:    open::Open,