diff --git a/packages/electron/README.md b/packages/electron/README.md
index c2930bc2..a4db3672 100644
--- a/packages/electron/README.md
+++ b/packages/electron/README.md
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ Use an explicit override when testing a different OpenCode CLI build or when a u
 |----------|-----|
 | `OPENCHAMBER_ELECTRON_DEV=1` | Marks the runtime as desktop development mode |
 | `OPENCHAMBER_ELECTRON_USE_BUNDLED_UI=1` | Uses staged web assets instead of the HMR dev server |
-| `OPENCHAMBER_SKIP_LOCAL_SERVER=1` | Skips the in-process local OpenChamber server and uses the configured default remote instance; packaged/bundled UI remains available for connection recovery |
+| `OPENCHAMBER_SKIP_LOCAL_SERVER=1` | Skips the in-process local OpenChamber server and uses the configured default remote instance; Desktop imports this from the user's login-shell environment, and packaged/bundled UI remains available for connection recovery |
 | `OPENCHAMBER_HMR_UI_PORT` | Preferred Vite UI port for desktop dev, default `5173` |
 | `OPENCHAMBER_HMR_API_PORT` | Preferred API port for desktop dev, default `3901` |
 | `OPENCHAMBER_RUNTIME=desktop` | Set by Electron before starting the web server |
diff --git a/packages/electron/main.mjs b/packages/electron/main.mjs
index fcddf8d2..8deec16a 100644
--- a/packages/electron/main.mjs
+++ b/packages/electron/main.mjs
@@ -183,8 +183,6 @@ const DISCORD_INVITE_URL = 'https://discord.gg/ZYRSdnwwKA';
 const INSTALLED_APPS_CACHE_TTL_SECS = 60 * 60 * 24;
 const INSTALLED_APPS_CACHE_FILE = 'discovered-apps.json';
 const OPENCODE_SHUTDOWN_GRACE_MS = 100;
-const SKIP_LOCAL_SERVER = process.env.OPENCHAMBER_SKIP_LOCAL_SERVER === '1';
-
 const { autoUpdater } = updaterPkg;
 
 const state = {
@@ -1325,6 +1323,11 @@ const inheritUserShellEnv = () => {
   }
 };
 
+const shouldSkipLocalServer = () => {
+  inheritUserShellEnv();
+  return process.env.OPENCHAMBER_SKIP_LOCAL_SERVER === '1';
+};
+
 const spawnLocalServer = async () => {
   inheritUserShellEnv();
 
@@ -2769,7 +2772,8 @@ const resolveInitialUrl = async () => {
   const hmrUiPort = process.env.OPENCHAMBER_HMR_UI_PORT || '5173';
   const hmrApiUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${hmrApiPort}`;
   const hmrUiUrl = `http://127.0.0.1:${hmrUiPort}`;
-  const localUrl = SKIP_LOCAL_SERVER
+  const skipLocalServer = shouldSkipLocalServer();
+  const localUrl = skipLocalServer
     ? null
     : isDev && await waitForHealth(hmrApiUrl, 5_000, 100)
       ? hmrApiUrl
@@ -4925,7 +4929,7 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
     state.requestHeaders = sanitizeRuntimeRequestHeaders(requestHeaders || {});
     // Serverless background startup re-probes the remote when a window is
     // eventually opened instead of trusting reachability from login time.
-    state.startupResolved = !SKIP_LOCAL_SERVER;
+    state.startupResolved = !shouldSkipLocalServer();
     state.initScript = buildInitScript(localOrigin, state.bootOutcome, apiBaseUrl, clientToken, state.requestHeaders);
     log.info('[electron] started in background without window');
     return;