diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/backendPort.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/backendPort.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..57a066eb58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/backendPort.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { resolveDesktopBackendPort } from "./backendPort";
+
+describe("resolveDesktopBackendPort", () => {
+  it("returns the starting port when it is available", async () => {
+    const canListenOnHost = vi.fn(async (port: number) => port === 3773);
+
+    await expect(
+      resolveDesktopBackendPort({
+        host: "127.0.0.1",
+        startPort: 3773,
+        canListenOnHost,
+      }),
+    ).resolves.toBe(3773);
+
+    expect(canListenOnHost).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(canListenOnHost).toHaveBeenCalledWith(3773, "127.0.0.1");
+  });
+
+  it("increments sequentially until it finds an available port", async () => {
+    const canListenOnHost = vi.fn(async (port: number) => port === 3775);
+
+    await expect(
+      resolveDesktopBackendPort({
+        host: "127.0.0.1",
+        startPort: 3773,
+        canListenOnHost,
+      }),
+    ).resolves.toBe(3775);
+
+    expect(canListenOnHost.mock.calls).toEqual([
+      [3773, "127.0.0.1"],
+      [3774, "127.0.0.1"],
+      [3775, "127.0.0.1"],
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("fails when the scan range is exhausted", async () => {
+    const canListenOnHost = vi.fn(async () => false);
+
+    await expect(
+      resolveDesktopBackendPort({
+        host: "127.0.0.1",
+        startPort: 65534,
+        maxPort: 65535,
+        canListenOnHost,
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("No desktop backend port is available on 127.0.0.1 between 65534 and 65535");
+
+    expect(canListenOnHost.mock.calls).toEqual([
+      [65534, "127.0.0.1"],
+      [65535, "127.0.0.1"],
+    ]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/backendPort.ts b/apps/desktop/src/backendPort.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e70272c397
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/backendPort.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
+import { NetService } from "@t3tools/shared/Net";
+
+export const DEFAULT_DESKTOP_BACKEND_PORT = 3773;
+const MAX_TCP_PORT = 65_535;
+
+export interface ResolveDesktopBackendPortOptions {
+  readonly host: string;
+  readonly startPort?: number;
+  readonly maxPort?: number;
+  readonly canListenOnHost?: (port: number, host: string) => Promise<boolean>;
+}
+
+const defaultCanListenOnHost = async (port: number, host: string): Promise<boolean> =>
+  Effect.service(NetService).pipe(
+    Effect.flatMap((net) => net.canListenOnHost(port, host)),
+    Effect.provide(NetService.layer),
+    Effect.runPromise,
+  );
+
+const isValidPort = (port: number): boolean =>
+  Number.isInteger(port) && port >= 1 && port <= MAX_TCP_PORT;
+
+export async function resolveDesktopBackendPort({
+  host,
+  startPort = DEFAULT_DESKTOP_BACKEND_PORT,
+  maxPort = MAX_TCP_PORT,
+  canListenOnHost = defaultCanListenOnHost,
+}: ResolveDesktopBackendPortOptions): Promise<number> {
+  if (!isValidPort(startPort)) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid desktop backend start port: ${startPort}`);
+  }
+
+  if (!isValidPort(maxPort)) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid desktop backend max port: ${maxPort}`);
+  }
+
+  if (maxPort < startPort) {
+    throw new Error(`Desktop backend max port ${maxPort} is below start port ${startPort}`);
+  }
+
+  // Keep desktop startup predictable across app restarts by probing upward from
+  // the same preferred port instead of picking a fresh ephemeral port.
+  for (let port = startPort; port <= maxPort; port += 1) {
+    if (await canListenOnHost(port, host)) {
+      return port;
+    }
+  }
+
+  throw new Error(
+    `No desktop backend port is available on ${host} between ${startPort} and ${maxPort}`,
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
index 0c3268f492..310b973458 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import {
   shell,
 } from "electron";
 import type { MenuItemConstructorOptions } from "electron";
-import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
 import type {
   ClientSettings,
   DesktopTheme,
@@ -32,9 +31,9 @@ import type {
 import { autoUpdater } from "electron-updater";
 
 import type { ContextMenuItem } from "@t3tools/contracts";
-import { NetService } from "@t3tools/shared/Net";
 import { RotatingFileSink } from "@t3tools/shared/logging";
 import { parsePersistedServerObservabilitySettings } from "@t3tools/shared/serverSettings";
+import { DEFAULT_DESKTOP_BACKEND_PORT, resolveDesktopBackendPort } from "./backendPort";
 import {
   DEFAULT_DESKTOP_SETTINGS,
   readDesktopSettings,
@@ -1771,14 +1770,13 @@ async function bootstrap(): Promise<void> {
 
   backendPort =
     configuredBackendPort ??
-    (await Effect.service(NetService).pipe(
-      Effect.flatMap((net) => net.reserveLoopbackPort(DESKTOP_LOOPBACK_HOST)),
-      Effect.provide(NetService.layer),
-      Effect.runPromise,
-    ));
+    (await resolveDesktopBackendPort({
+      host: DESKTOP_LOOPBACK_HOST,
+      startPort: DEFAULT_DESKTOP_BACKEND_PORT,
+    }));
   writeDesktopLogHeader(
     configuredBackendPort === undefined
-      ? `reserved backend port via NetService port=${backendPort}`
+      ? `selected backend port via sequential scan startPort=${DEFAULT_DESKTOP_BACKEND_PORT} port=${backendPort}`
       : `using configured backend port port=${backendPort}`,
   );
   backendBootstrapToken = Crypto.randomBytes(24).toString("hex");