diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fbab451..10a25da 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## Desktop [0.1.5] — 2026-04-20
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Authed users no longer see a blank desktop app on second launch: the window now always shows on startup instead of being suppressed whenever `auto_start` was enabled and a worker secret was saved. The onboarding wizard sets `auto_start: true` on finish, which meant every returning user was silently hitting the tray-only code path in v0.1.4 and could not find a way back into the UI
+- Closing the main window on macOS now hides it to the tray instead of destroying the window, so re-opening via the Dock or tray restores the same session
+- Clicking the Dock icon (or re-launching the app from Finder while a copy is already running) now re-shows and focuses the main window via a new `RunEvent::Reopen` handler, instead of doing nothing
+
+### Changed
+
+- Worker auto-start and window visibility are now decoupled — `auto_start` only controls whether the worker daemon starts automatically on launch; the dashboard window is always visible on startup. Quit remains reachable via the tray menu and Cmd+Q
+
 ## Desktop [0.1.4] — 2026-04-18
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e83061b..ef06a5a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2573,7 +2573,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "modelrelay-desktop"
-version = "0.1.4"
+version = "0.1.5"
 dependencies = [
  "modelrelay-protocol",
  "modelrelay-worker",
diff --git a/crates/modelrelay-desktop/Cargo.toml b/crates/modelrelay-desktop/Cargo.toml
index be63576..3217e55 100644
--- a/crates/modelrelay-desktop/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/modelrelay-desktop/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "modelrelay-desktop"
-version = "0.1.4"
+version = "0.1.5"
 description = "Native desktop tray app for ModelRelay workers"
 edition.workspace = true
 license.workspace = true
diff --git a/crates/modelrelay-desktop/src/main.rs b/crates/modelrelay-desktop/src/main.rs
index e1c2a31..07ba391 100644
--- a/crates/modelrelay-desktop/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/modelrelay-desktop/src/main.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,19 @@
 
 use modelrelay_desktop::{AppSettings, AppStatus, WorkerManager, updater};
 use tauri::{
-    Emitter, Manager,
+    AppHandle, Emitter, Manager, RunEvent, WindowEvent,
     menu::{MenuBuilder, MenuItemBuilder},
     tray::{MouseButton, MouseButtonState, TrayIconBuilder, TrayIconEvent},
 };
 
+fn show_main_window(app: &AppHandle) {
+    if let Some(window) = app.get_webview_window("main") {
+        let _ = window.unminimize();
+        let _ = window.show();
+        let _ = window.set_focus();
+    }
+}
+
 #[tauri::command]
 async fn get_has_saved_settings(manager: tauri::State<'_, WorkerManager>) -> Result<bool, String> {
     let settings = manager.get_settings().await;
@@ -137,7 +145,7 @@ fn main() {
         .with_writer(std::io::stderr)
         .init();
 
-    tauri::Builder::default()
+    let app = tauri::Builder::default()
         .plugin(tauri_plugin_shell::init())
         .plugin(tauri_plugin_dialog::init())
         .plugin(tauri_plugin_process::init())
@@ -152,44 +160,47 @@ fn main() {
             check_for_update,
             install_update,
         ])
+        .on_window_event(|window, event| {
+            // Hide-to-tray on close so the app keeps running and the user can
+            // re-open via the tray or (on macOS) the Dock. Quit is still reachable
+            // via the tray menu and Cmd+Q, which go through RunEvent::ExitRequested.
+            if let WindowEvent::CloseRequested { api, .. } = event {
+                api.prevent_close();
+                let _ = window.hide();
+            }
+        })
         .setup(|app| {
-            // Determine settings file path in the app's data directory
             let app_data_dir = app
                 .path()
                 .app_data_dir()
                 .unwrap_or_else(|_| std::path::PathBuf::from("."));
             let settings_path = app_data_dir.join("settings.json");
 
-            let manager = WorkerManager::new(settings_path);
-
-            // If auto_start is enabled and the user has a saved worker secret, start
-            // the worker immediately and stay silent in the tray. Otherwise show the
-            // main window so first-run users (and returning users without auto_start)
-            // see the onboarding/dashboard UI even if the tray click is misbehaving.
-            let rt = app.handle().clone();
-            let auto_start = {
-                let settings_file = app_data_dir.join("settings.json");
-                std::fs::read_to_string(settings_file)
-                    .ok()
-                    .and_then(|json| serde_json::from_str::<AppSettings>(&json).ok())
-                    .is_some_and(|s| s.auto_start && !s.worker_secret.is_empty())
-            };
+            let manager = WorkerManager::new(settings_path.clone());
+
+            let auto_start_worker = std::fs::read_to_string(&settings_path)
+                .ok()
+                .and_then(|json| serde_json::from_str::<AppSettings>(&json).ok())
+                .is_some_and(|s| s.auto_start && !s.worker_secret.is_empty());
 
             app.manage(manager);
 
-            if auto_start {
-                let handle = rt;
+            if auto_start_worker {
+                let handle = app.handle().clone();
                 tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
                     let manager = handle.state::<WorkerManager>();
                     if let Err(e) = manager.start_worker().await {
                         tracing::error!(error = %e, "auto-start failed");
                     }
                 });
-            } else if let Some(window) = app.get_webview_window("main") {
-                let _ = window.show();
-                let _ = window.set_focus();
             }
 
+            // Always show the window on launch. Auto-start controls the worker,
+            // not window visibility — previously these were conflated, which meant
+            // every wizard-completed user (auto_start defaulted to true) became a
+            // silent-tray user on subsequent launches and appeared to have a dead app.
+            show_main_window(app.handle());
+
             build_tray(app)?;
 
             // Kick off a silent update check shortly after launch. Errors are
@@ -198,6 +209,22 @@ fn main() {
 
             Ok(())
         })
-        .run(tauri::generate_context!())
-        .expect("error while running tauri application");
+        .build(tauri::generate_context!())
+        .expect("error while building tauri application");
+
+    app.run(handle_run_event);
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+fn handle_run_event(app: &AppHandle, event: RunEvent) {
+    // macOS sends Reopen when the user clicks the Dock icon or re-launches the
+    // app from Finder while a copy is already running. Without handling it, the
+    // second launch does nothing visible — exactly the "busted if you're authed"
+    // symptom reported in v0.1.4.
+    if let RunEvent::Reopen { .. } = event {
+        show_main_window(app);
+    }
 }
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+fn handle_run_event(_app: &AppHandle, _event: RunEvent) {}
diff --git a/crates/modelrelay-desktop/tauri.conf.json b/crates/modelrelay-desktop/tauri.conf.json
index 8ee855b..d3ef592 100644
--- a/crates/modelrelay-desktop/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/crates/modelrelay-desktop/tauri.conf.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nickel-org/nickel.rs/master/docs/tauri.conf.json",
   "productName": "ModelRelay",
-  "version": "0.1.4",
+  "version": "0.1.5",
   "identifier": "com.modelrelay.desktop",
   "build": {
     "frontendDist": "./ui"