diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/check-packaging-contract.ts b/apps/desktop/src/check-packaging-contract.ts
index 1b22242c..1d64ad1a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/check-packaging-contract.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/check-packaging-contract.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ assert.match(loggerSource, /OPENPETS_LOG_LEVEL/, "desktop logger must support ve
 assert.match(loggerSource, /normalizeLogLevel\(process\.env\.OPENPETS_LOG_LEVEL\) \?\? "debug"/, "desktop production logger must default to debug for user-sendable diagnostics.");
 assert.match(loggerSource, /redacted-token/, "desktop logger must redact token-looking values.");
 assert.match(mainSource, /initializeLogger\(\)/, "desktop startup must initialize logging before subsystem startup.");
+assert.match(mainSource, /process\.platform === "linux"[\s\S]*?appendSwitch\("ozone-platform", "x11"\)/, "Linux desktop pets must prefer X11/Xwayland because GNOME Wayland blocks always-on-top and programmatic window dragging.");
+assert.match(mainSource, /hasSwitch\("ozone-platform"\)/, "Linux X11 preference must let users override Electron's Ozone backend explicitly.");
 assert.match(traySource, /Open Logs Folder/, "desktop tray must expose user-sendable logs for bug reports.");
 assert.match(localIpcSourceForLogging, /request received/, "desktop IPC must log request methods for diagnostics.");
 assert.match(localIpcPathsSource, /OPENPETS_IPC_BIND[\s\S]*?OPENPETS_IPC_ENDPOINT[\s\S]*?validateBindHost[\s\S]*?validateAdvertisedHost/, "WSL NAT IPC must separate bind and advertised endpoints with validation.");
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
index 03ec43a3..e5006f19 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ import { installInternalUiHandlers, installInternalUiProtocol, openTaskWindow }
 app.commandLine.appendSwitch("use-mock-keychain");
 app.commandLine.appendSwitch("password-store", "basic");
 
+// GNOME Wayland does not allow Electron apps to reliably control window
+// z-order or absolute position, which breaks the desktop-pet contract: staying
+// above normal windows and dragging to a user-chosen screen position. Prefer
+// X11/Xwayland on Linux unless the user explicitly chooses another Ozone
+// backend at launch.
+if (process.platform === "linux" && !app.commandLine.hasSwitch("ozone-platform")) {
+  app.commandLine.appendSwitch("ozone-platform", "x11");
+}
+
 const gotSingleInstanceLock = app.requestSingleInstanceLock();
 
 if (!gotSingleInstanceLock) {
@@ -25,7 +34,7 @@ if (!gotSingleInstanceLock) {
   app.whenReady().then(async () => {
     initializeLogger();
     app.setName("OpenPets");
-    info("app", "startup begin", { version: app.getVersion(), platform: process.platform, arch: process.arch, packaged: app.isPackaged, pid: process.pid });
+    info("app", "startup begin", { version: app.getVersion(), platform: process.platform, arch: process.arch, packaged: app.isPackaged, pid: process.pid, ozonePlatform: app.commandLine.getSwitchValue("ozone-platform") || null });
 
     if (process.platform === "darwin") {
       app.dock?.hide();