diff --git a/gitnexus-desktop/package.json b/gitnexus-desktop/package.json
index 78e16c102..3b6e99e0f 100644
--- a/gitnexus-desktop/package.json
+++ b/gitnexus-desktop/package.json
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     "node": ">=20.0.0"
   },
   "scripts": {
+    "predev": "node scripts/ensure-gitnexus-runtime.mjs",
     "dev": "electron-vite dev --outDir=dist",
     "start": "electron-vite preview --outDir=dist",
     "bundle": "electron-vite build --outDir=dist",
diff --git a/gitnexus-desktop/scripts/ensure-gitnexus-runtime.mjs b/gitnexus-desktop/scripts/ensure-gitnexus-runtime.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31a74798b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitnexus-desktop/scripts/ensure-gitnexus-runtime.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { existsSync } from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+
+const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
+const workspaceRoot = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', '..');
+const sharedRoot = path.join(workspaceRoot, 'gitnexus-shared');
+const gitnexusRoot = path.join(workspaceRoot, 'gitnexus');
+const gitnexusServerEntry = path.join(gitnexusRoot, 'dist', 'server', 'api.js');
+
+const runNpm = (args, cwd) => {
+  const result = spawnSync('npm', args, {
+    cwd,
+    stdio: 'inherit',
+    shell: process.platform === 'win32',
+  });
+
+  if (result.error) {
+    throw result.error;
+  }
+
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    process.exit(result.status ?? 1);
+  }
+};
+
+if (!existsSync(path.join(sharedRoot, 'node_modules', 'typescript'))) {
+  runNpm(['ci'], sharedRoot);
+}
+
+if (!existsSync(path.join(gitnexusRoot, 'node_modules', 'tsx'))) {
+  runNpm(['ci'], gitnexusRoot);
+}
+
+if (!existsSync(gitnexusServerEntry)) {
+  runNpm(['run', 'build'], gitnexusRoot);
+}
diff --git a/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts b/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts
index 113633b29..ff4abd7d7 100644
--- a/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts
+++ b/gitnexus-desktop/src/main/main.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,76 @@
-import { app, BrowserWindow } from 'electron';
+import { app, BrowserWindow, dialog } from 'electron';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from 'node:url';
 
 const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
 const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
+const GITNEXUS_PORT = 4747;
+const GITNEXUS_HOST = 'localhost';
+const GITNEXUS_SERVER_ENTRY = path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../gitnexus/dist/server/api.js');
+
+type GitNexusServerModule = {
+  createServer: (port: number, host?: string) => Promise<void>;
+};
+
+let serverReadyPromise: Promise<void> | null = null;
+
+const getErrorMessage = (error: unknown): string => {
+  if (error instanceof Error) {
+    return error.message;
+  }
+
+  return String(error);
+};
+
+const isAddressInUseError = (error: unknown): boolean => {
+  return (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException | undefined)?.code === 'EADDRINUSE';
+};
+
+const showStartupError = (error: unknown): void => {
+  if (isAddressInUseError(error)) {
+    dialog.showErrorBox(
+      'GitNexus Desktop Startup Failed',
+      `Port ${GITNEXUS_PORT} is already in use.\n\nStop the other process using port ${GITNEXUS_PORT} and try again.`,
+    );
+    return;
+  }
+
+  dialog.showErrorBox(
+    'GitNexus Desktop Startup Failed',
+    `Failed to start GitNexus Desktop.\n\n${getErrorMessage(error)}`,
+  );
+};
+
+const loadGitNexusServerModule = async (): Promise<GitNexusServerModule> => {
+  try {
+    return (await import(pathToFileURL(GITNEXUS_SERVER_ENTRY).href)) as GitNexusServerModule;
+  } catch (error) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Could not load the GitNexus server runtime at ${GITNEXUS_SERVER_ENTRY}. ${getErrorMessage(error)}`,
+    );
+  }
+};
+
+const ensureGitNexusServerStarted = async (): Promise<void> => {
+  if (!serverReadyPromise) {
+    serverReadyPromise = (async () => {
+      const { createServer } = await loadGitNexusServerModule();
+      await createServer(GITNEXUS_PORT, GITNEXUS_HOST);
+    })().catch((error) => {
+      serverReadyPromise = null;
+      throw error;
+    });
+  }
+
+  await serverReadyPromise;
+};
 
 async function createWindow(): Promise<void> {
   const mainWindow = new BrowserWindow({
     width: 1280,
     height: 800,
     title: 'GitNexus Desktop',
+    show: false,
     webPreferences: {
       preload: path.join(__dirname, '../preload/preload.mjs'),
       contextIsolation: true,
@@ -17,6 +78,12 @@ async function createWindow(): Promise<void> {
     },
   });
 
+  mainWindow.once('ready-to-show', () => {
+    if (!mainWindow.isDestroyed()) {
+      mainWindow.show();
+    }
+  });
+
   const rendererUrl = process.env.ELECTRON_RENDERER_URL;
 
   if (rendererUrl) {
@@ -27,12 +94,22 @@ async function createWindow(): Promise<void> {
   await mainWindow.loadFile(path.join(__dirname, '../renderer/src/renderer/index.html'));
 }
 
-app.whenReady().then(() => {
-  void createWindow();
+app.whenReady().then(async () => {
+  try {
+    await ensureGitNexusServerStarted();
+    await createWindow();
+  } catch (error) {
+    showStartupError(error);
+    app.quit();
+    return;
+  }
 
   app.on('activate', () => {
     if (BrowserWindow.getAllWindows().length === 0) {
-      void createWindow();
+      void createWindow().catch((error) => {
+        showStartupError(error);
+        app.quit();
+      });
     }
   });
 });