diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/DesktopApp.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/DesktopApp.ts
index d515819dd4cf..9697f1aec099 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/DesktopApp.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/DesktopApp.ts
@@ -224,10 +224,12 @@ const bootstrap = Effect.gen(function* () {
     return yield* new DesktopDevelopmentBackendPortRequiredError();
   }
 
-  // A backend started while another server holds this home's lock can only exit with code 78.
+  // A backend started while another server holds this home's lock can only exit
+  // with code 78, but a previous server keeps the lock through its shutdown
+  // drain, so give a draining owner a short grace to release first.
   if (
     !(settings.wslOnly && settings.wslBackendEnabled) &&
-    (yield* DesktopHomeOwner.isHomeOwnershipLocked())
+    !(yield* DesktopHomeOwner.awaitHomeOwnershipRelease())
   ) {
     const owner = yield* DesktopHomeOwner.readLiveHomeOwner();
     yield* logBootstrapWarning("bootstrap found another server owning the T3 home", {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.test.ts
index 4415020374a1..2c5cc4c4690f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.test.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,14 @@ import * as NodeSqlite from "node:sqlite";
 
 import * as NodeServices from "@effect/platform-node/NodeServices";
 import { assert, describe, it } from "@effect/vitest";
+import * as Duration from "effect/Duration";
 import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
+import * as Fiber from "effect/Fiber";
 import * as FileSystem from "effect/FileSystem";
 import * as Layer from "effect/Layer";
 import * as Option from "effect/Option";
 import * as Path from "effect/Path";
+import * as TestClock from "effect/testing/TestClock";
 
 import * as DesktopConfig from "../app/DesktopConfig.ts";
 import * as DesktopEnvironment from "../app/DesktopEnvironment.ts";
@@ -108,3 +111,37 @@ describe("DesktopHomeOwner.isHomeOwnershipLocked", () => {
     ),
   );
 });
+
+describe("DesktopHomeOwner.awaitHomeOwnershipRelease", () => {
+  it.effect("resolves as soon as a draining owner releases the lock", () =>
+    withTempHome((userdata) =>
+      Effect.gen(function* () {
+        assert.isTrue(yield* DesktopHomeOwner.awaitHomeOwnershipRelease());
+
+        const lock = new NodeSqlite.DatabaseSync(`${userdata}/server-owner.sqlite`);
+        lock.exec("BEGIN EXCLUSIVE;");
+        const awaiting = yield* Effect.forkChild(DesktopHomeOwner.awaitHomeOwnershipRelease());
+        yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.seconds(5));
+        assert.isUndefined(awaiting.pollUnsafe());
+
+        // A previous server releases the lock when its shutdown drain finishes.
+        lock.close();
+        yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.seconds(1));
+        assert.isTrue(yield* Fiber.join(awaiting));
+      }),
+    ),
+  );
+
+  it.effect("reports a home still owned after the release grace", () =>
+    withTempHome((userdata) =>
+      Effect.gen(function* () {
+        const lock = new NodeSqlite.DatabaseSync(`${userdata}/server-owner.sqlite`);
+        lock.exec("BEGIN EXCLUSIVE;");
+        const awaiting = yield* Effect.forkChild(DesktopHomeOwner.awaitHomeOwnershipRelease());
+        yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.minutes(1));
+        assert.isFalse(yield* Fiber.join(awaiting));
+        lock.close();
+      }),
+    ),
+  );
+});
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.ts b/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.ts
index 3faa7bbb096f..db07a9252229 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/backend/DesktopHomeOwner.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // @effect-diagnostics nodeBuiltinImport:off - Probes the server's native SQLite ownership lock.
 import * as NodeSqlite from "node:sqlite";
 
+import * as Duration from "effect/Duration";
 import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
 import * as FileSystem from "effect/FileSystem";
 import * as Option from "effect/Option";
@@ -58,6 +59,31 @@ export const isHomeOwnershipLocked = Effect.fn("DesktopHomeOwner.isHomeOwnership
   },
 );
 
+const HOME_OWNERSHIP_RELEASE_GRACE = Duration.seconds(15);
+const HOME_OWNERSHIP_RELEASE_POLL_INTERVAL = Duration.millis(250);
+
+/**
+ * Whether the ownership lock frees within a grace window. The previous owner
+ * holds the lock through its shutdown drain, so a launch that checks during
+ * the drain must wait rather than read the home as permanently owned.
+ */
+export const awaitHomeOwnershipRelease = Effect.fn("DesktopHomeOwner.awaitHomeOwnershipRelease")(
+  function* (options?: { readonly grace?: Duration.Input; readonly interval?: Duration.Input }) {
+    const released = Effect.gen(function* () {
+      while (yield* isHomeOwnershipLocked()) {
+        yield* Effect.sleep(options?.interval ?? HOME_OWNERSHIP_RELEASE_POLL_INTERVAL);
+      }
+      return true;
+    });
+    return yield* released.pipe(
+      Effect.timeoutOrElse({
+        duration: options?.grace ?? HOME_OWNERSHIP_RELEASE_GRACE,
+        orElse: () => Effect.succeed(false),
+      }),
+    );
+  },
+);
+
 /** The live server recorded as owning the desktop's T3 home. Only call once the ownership lock is known held: a live PID alone may be reused. */
 export const readLiveHomeOwner = Effect.fn("DesktopHomeOwner.readLiveHomeOwner")(function* () {
   const fs = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;