diff --git a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.lock b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
index 3ebc0e49..f04ab7a8 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
+++ b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.lock
@@ -2847,7 +2847,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "openchamber-desktop"
-version = "1.0.2"
+version = "1.0.3"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "axum",
@@ -2875,6 +2875,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tauri-plugin-fs",
  "tauri-plugin-log",
  "tauri-plugin-notification",
+ "tauri-plugin-process",
  "tauri-plugin-shell",
  "tauri-plugin-updater",
  "tokio",
@@ -4721,6 +4722,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "url",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "tauri-plugin-process"
+version = "2.3.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d55511a7bf6cd70c8767b02c97bf8134fa434daf3926cfc1be0a0f94132d165a"
+dependencies = [
+ "tauri",
+ "tauri-plugin",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tauri-plugin-shell"
 version = "2.3.3"
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
index 79322af4..a1b2437a 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ uuid = { version = "1.18.1", features = ["v4"] }
 tokio-util = { version = "0.7", features = ["io"] }
 tauri-plugin-notification = "2.3.3"
 tauri-plugin-updater = "2"
+tauri-plugin-process = "2"
 
 [build-dependencies]
 tauri-build = { version = "2.5.3", features = [] }
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
index 63edb380..8469c243 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
+++ b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@
     "updater:default",
     "updater:allow-check",
     "updater:allow-download-and-install",
-    "process:allow-relaunch"
+    "process:allow-restart"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/src/main.rs b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/src/main.rs
index 9172e40b..651e5aa0 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/src/main.rs
+++ b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/src/main.rs
@@ -79,23 +79,11 @@ pub(crate) struct DesktopRuntime {
 }
 
 impl DesktopRuntime {
-    async fn initialize() -> Result<Self> {
+    fn initialize_sync() -> Result<Self> {
         let settings = Arc::new(SettingsStore::new()?);
-
-        // Read lastDirectory from settings before starting OpenCode
-        let initial_dir = settings.last_directory().await.ok().flatten();
-
+        let initial_dir = tauri::async_runtime::block_on(settings.last_directory()).ok().flatten();
         let opencode = Arc::new(OpenCodeManager::new_with_directory(initial_dir.clone()));
 
-        // Try to start OpenCode if CLI is available
-        if opencode.is_cli_available() {
-            if let Err(e) = opencode.ensure_running().await {
-                warn!("[desktop] Failed to start OpenCode: {}", e);
-            }
-        } else {
-            info!("[desktop] OpenCode CLI not available - running in limited mode");
-        }
-
         let client = Client::builder().build()?;
 
         let (shutdown_tx, shutdown_rx) = broadcast::channel(2);
@@ -119,6 +107,16 @@ impl DesktopRuntime {
         })
     }
 
+    async fn start_opencode(&self) {
+        if self.opencode.is_cli_available() {
+            if let Err(e) = self.opencode.ensure_running().await {
+                warn!("[desktop] Failed to start OpenCode: {}", e);
+            }
+        } else {
+            info!("[desktop] OpenCode CLI not available - running in limited mode");
+        }
+    }
+
     async fn shutdown(&self) {
         let _ = self.shutdown_tx.send(());
         let _ = self.opencode.shutdown().await;
@@ -257,18 +255,17 @@ fn main() {
         .plugin(fs_plugin())
         .plugin(notification_plugin())
         .plugin(tauri_plugin_updater::Builder::new().build())
+        .plugin(tauri_plugin_process::init())
         .plugin(log_builder.build())
         .setup(|app| {
             #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
             prevent_app_nap();
 
-            let runtime = tauri::async_runtime::block_on(DesktopRuntime::initialize())?;
-            app.manage(runtime.clone());
+            app.manage(TerminalState::new());
 
-            // Background assistant completion notifications (SSE) independent of the webview lifecycle
-            let app_handle = app.app_handle();
-            spawn_assistant_notifications(app_handle.clone(), runtime.clone());
-            spawn_session_activity_tracker(app_handle.clone(), runtime.clone());
+            let stored_state = tauri::async_runtime::block_on(load_window_state()).unwrap_or(None);
+            let manager = WindowStateManager::new(stored_state.clone().unwrap_or_default());
+            app.manage(manager.clone());
 
             if let Some(window) = app.get_webview_window("main") {
                 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
@@ -281,30 +278,32 @@ fn main() {
                         info!("[desktop:vibrancy] Applied macOS Sidebar vibrancy to main window");
                     }
                 }
-            }
-            
-            app.manage(TerminalState::new());
 
-            let stored_state = tauri::async_runtime::block_on(load_window_state()).unwrap_or(None);
-            let manager = WindowStateManager::new(stored_state.clone().unwrap_or_default());
-            app.manage(manager.clone());
-
-            if let Some(saved) = stored_state {
-                if let Some(window) = app.get_webview_window("main") {
-                    let _ = window_state::apply_window_state(&window, &saved);
+                if let Some(saved) = &stored_state {
+                    let _ = window_state::apply_window_state(&window, saved);
                 }
+
+                let _ = window.show();
             }
 
-            // Restore bookmarks on startup (macOS security-scoped access)
-            // We'll do this synchronously within the setup to avoid lifetime issues
-            tauri::async_runtime::block_on(async {
-                if let Err(e) =
-                    restore_bookmarks_on_startup(app.state::<DesktopRuntime>().clone()).await
-                {
+            let runtime = DesktopRuntime::initialize_sync()?;
+            app.manage(runtime.clone());
+
+            let app_handle = app.app_handle().clone();
+            let runtime_clone = runtime.clone();
+            tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
+                runtime_clone.start_opencode().await;
+
+                if let Err(e) = restore_bookmarks_on_startup(app_handle.state::<DesktopRuntime>().clone()).await {
                     warn!("Failed to restore bookmarks on startup: {}", e);
                 }
+
+                let _ = app_handle.emit("openchamber:runtime-ready", ());
             });
 
+            spawn_assistant_notifications(app.app_handle().clone(), runtime.clone());
+            spawn_session_activity_tracker(app.app_handle().clone(), runtime.clone());
+
             Ok(())
         })
         .invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index 04b2c254..38008ac2 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/packages/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
           "x": 17,
           "y": 26
         },
-        "visible": true,
+        "visible": false,
         "backgroundThrottling": "disabled"
       }
     ],
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/main.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/main.tsx
index c27e1344..c2d7e55c 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/main.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/main.tsx
@@ -237,6 +237,15 @@ if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
   });
 }
 
+const runtimeReady = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+  listen('openchamber:runtime-ready', () => {
+    console.info('[main] Runtime ready event received');
+    resolve();
+  });
+});
+
+await runtimeReady;
+
 try {
   await import('@openchamber/ui/main');
 } catch (error) {