diff --git a/gitnexus-desktop/electron-builder.yml b/gitnexus-desktop/electron-builder.yml
index 61fa41057..29029f3a8 100644
--- a/gitnexus-desktop/electron-builder.yml
+++ b/gitnexus-desktop/electron-builder.yml
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ extraResources:
       - '**/*'
   - from: '${env.GITNEXUS_DESKTOP_GITNEXUS_PACKAGE_JSON}'
     to: gitnexus/package.json
+  - from: '${env.GITNEXUS_DESKTOP_NODE_BINARY}'
+    to: runtime/node.exe
+    filter:
+      - '**/*'
+    platform:
+      - win
 asar: false
 npmRebuild: false
 win:
diff --git a/gitnexus-desktop/scripts/package.mjs b/gitnexus-desktop/scripts/package.mjs
index b261a73fe..6205511e2 100644
--- a/gitnexus-desktop/scripts/package.mjs
+++ b/gitnexus-desktop/scripts/package.mjs
@@ -155,6 +155,12 @@ const builderEnvironment = {
   GITNEXUS_DESKTOP_GITNEXUS_SKILLS: toBuilderRelativePath(path.join(gitnexusRoot, 'skills')),
   GITNEXUS_DESKTOP_GITNEXUS_VENDOR: toBuilderRelativePath(path.join(gitnexusRoot, 'vendor')),
   GITNEXUS_DESKTOP_WEB_DIST: toBuilderRelativePath(path.join(gitnexusWebRoot, 'dist')),
+  // On Windows, lbugjs.node PE-imports node.exe by name, which fails under Electron's binary.
+  // electron-builder copies this into resources/runtime/node.exe so it lands in both
+  // win-unpacked (smoke test) and the NSIS installer (end-user install).
+  // The extraResources entry in electron-builder.yml is platform: [win] so this value is
+  // ignored on macOS/Linux (empty string prevents electron-builder from touching it there).
+  GITNEXUS_DESKTOP_NODE_BINARY: process.platform === 'win32' ? process.execPath : '',
 };
 
 const builderCliArgs = [
diff --git a/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts b/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts
index 6d4d8714f..e0720aad5 100644
--- a/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts
+++ b/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ const GITNEXUS_WEB_DEV_ROOT = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../gitnexus-web');
 const GITNEXUS_WEB_DEV_ROOT_FALLBACK = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../gitnexus-web');
 const GITNEXUS_PACKAGED_RUNTIME_DIR = path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'gitnexus');
 const GITNEXUS_WEB_PACKAGED_DIR = path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'gitnexus-web');
+// On Windows, native modules (e.g. lbugjs.node) PE-import node.exe by name.
+// Electron's binary is not node.exe, so LoadLibrary fails with an access violation.
+// Bundling a real node.exe and using it as the subprocess host avoids the crash.
+const GITNEXUS_PACKAGED_NODE_BINARY = path.join(process.resourcesPath, 'runtime', 'node.exe');
 const GITNEXUS_WEB_EXPECTED_MARKERS = ['<title>GitNexus</title>', '<div id="root"></div>'];
 const GITNEXUS_SERVER_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
 const GITNEXUS_WEB_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 60_000;
@@ -240,6 +244,10 @@ const getGitNexusWebViteCliEntry = (): string => {
 
 const getNodeCommand = (): string => {
   if (app.isPackaged) {
+    if (process.platform === 'win32' && existsSync(GITNEXUS_PACKAGED_NODE_BINARY)) {
+      return GITNEXUS_PACKAGED_NODE_BINARY;
+    }
+
     return process.execPath;
   }
 
@@ -257,8 +265,14 @@ const getNodeProcessEnvironment = (overrides: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = {}): NodeJS.Pr
   };
 
   if (app.isPackaged) {
-    // Packaged mode reuses Electron's embedded Node runtime via process.execPath.
-    environment.ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE = '1';
+    // Only set ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE when falling back to the Electron binary as the node host.
+    // When using the bundled node.exe, the host is already a real node process — no flag needed.
+    const usingBundledNode =
+      process.platform === 'win32' && existsSync(GITNEXUS_PACKAGED_NODE_BINARY);
+
+    if (!usingBundledNode) {
+      environment.ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE = '1';
+    }
   }
 
   return environment;
@@ -657,6 +671,12 @@ const registerWindowIpcHandlers = (): void => {
 const showStartupError = (error: unknown): void => {
   console.error('[gitnexus-desktop] Startup failed.', error);
 
+  // In CI smoke tests, dialog.showErrorBox() blocks synchronously forever (no display).
+  // Log the error above and let process.exit() handle the failure signal instead.
+  if (IS_DESKTOP_SMOKE_TEST) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (isAddressInUseError(error)) {
     dialog.showErrorBox(
       'GitNexus Desktop Startup Failed',