diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index 636aeed1b92..01724348ba6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Enforce runtime Electron-import ratchet
         run: pnpm run check:runtime-electron-ratchet
 
+      # Why both: the ratchet proves nothing reachable from the runtime imports electron,
+      # which is a property of the import graph. This proves the Node artifact it enables
+      # actually boots, pairs, creates a worktree and round-trips a real PTY.
+      - name: Boot orcad and round-trip a terminal
+        run: pnpm run smoke:orcad-terminal
+
       - name: Verify bundled skill guides
         run: pnpm run verify:bundled-skill-guides
 
diff --git a/config/runtime-electron-baseline.txt b/config/runtime-electron-baseline.txt
index d3af9f74c23..f392f70ecc9 100644
--- a/config/runtime-electron-baseline.txt
+++ b/config/runtime-electron-baseline.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # Modules reachable from the Orca runtime that import `electron`.
 # Generated by config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.mjs.
-# This list may only SHRINK. Adding an entry means the runtime got less
-# portable; migrate the module behind a host port instead (src/main/host/).
+# This list is EMPTY and must stay that way: the runtime boots on plain Node
+# (see `pnpm run build:orcad`). Any entry means the runtime got less portable;
+# migrate the module behind a host port instead (src/main/host/).
 
-src/main/ipc/filesystem-watcher.ts
-src/main/speech/model-manager.ts
diff --git a/config/scripts/build-orcad.mjs b/config/scripts/build-orcad.mjs
index c679e2351ba..989efd2d8e7 100644
--- a/config/scripts/build-orcad.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/build-orcad.mjs
@@ -14,21 +14,19 @@ import process from 'node:process'
 
 const ROOT = join(import.meta.dirname, '..', '..')
 const OUT_DIR = join(ROOT, 'out', 'orcad')
-const ENTRY = join(ROOT, 'src', 'main', 'orcad', 'orcad-entry.ts')
+const ENTRY = join(ROOT, 'src/main/orcad/main.ts')
 
 // Native addons must exist on the host; they cannot be bundled.
 // `electron` is external so a residual import fails loudly at require() time rather
 // than silently bundling the npm package's installer shim, which is what happened the
 // first time and made the bundle look clean while it was not.
-const EXTERNAL = [
-  'electron',
-  'node-pty',
-  '@parcel/watcher',
-  'better-sqlite3',
-  'keytar',
-  'fsevents',
-  'cpu-features'
-]
+// Why only these: measured, not guessed. `node-pty` is a hard `require.resolve` — orcad
+// exits at startup without it. `@parcel/watcher` is a guarded dynamic import, so the
+// server boots without it but every watch install fails. `fsevents` is macOS-only and
+// optional upstream. better-sqlite3 / keytar / cpu-features were externalized here
+// defensively and appear nowhere in the graph; listing them implied a shipping burden
+// that does not exist.
+const EXTERNAL = ['electron', 'node-pty', '@parcel/watcher', 'fsevents']
 
 /** Why: the UMD build's relative dynamic requires do not bundle. Same fix build-relay.mjs uses. */
 const jsoncParserEsm = {
diff --git a/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.mjs b/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.mjs
index 5fe3fb18c1a..c50d5df8f46 100644
--- a/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.mjs
@@ -112,8 +112,9 @@ function renderBaseline(files) {
   return [
     '# Modules reachable from the Orca runtime that import `electron`.',
     '# Generated by config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.mjs.',
-    '# This list may only SHRINK. Adding an entry means the runtime got less',
-    '# portable; migrate the module behind a host port instead (src/main/host/).',
+    '# This list is EMPTY and must stay that way: the runtime boots on plain Node',
+    '# (see `pnpm run build:orcad`). Any entry means the runtime got less portable;',
+    '# migrate the module behind a host port instead (src/main/host/).',
     '',
     ...files
   ].join('\n')
diff --git a/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.test.mjs b/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.test.mjs
index ba75875c20f..e993ca32fc5 100644
--- a/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.test.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.test.mjs
@@ -45,9 +45,12 @@ describe('the checked-in baseline', () => {
     expect(diffAgainstBaseline(current, baseline)).toEqual({ added: [], removed: [] })
   }, 120_000)
 
-  it('only lists modules under src/, so a node_modules path cannot pad the count', () => {
+  // Why an exact-empty assertion now: the reachable set reached zero, so "may only
+  // shrink" has no room left and any entry at all is a regression. This is strictly
+  // stronger than the old under-src/ check, which only stopped a node_modules path from
+  // padding a non-empty count.
+  it('stays empty, so nothing reachable from the runtime imports electron', () => {
     const baseline = readBaseline(readFileSync('config/runtime-electron-baseline.txt', 'utf8'))
-    expect(baseline.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
-    expect(baseline.filter((entry) => !entry.startsWith('src/'))).toEqual([])
+    expect(baseline).toEqual([])
   })
 })
diff --git a/config/scripts/runtime-serve-terminal-smoke.mjs b/config/scripts/runtime-serve-terminal-smoke.mjs
index a9e0dca7ced..21b6cea6b0b 100644
--- a/config/scripts/runtime-serve-terminal-smoke.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/runtime-serve-terminal-smoke.mjs
@@ -20,14 +20,15 @@
  *   - the server exits when asked.
  */
 import { spawn, spawnSync } from 'node:child_process'
-import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { existsSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
-import { join, resolve } from 'node:path'
+import { dirname, join, resolve } from 'node:path'
 import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto'
 import process from 'node:process'
 
 const projectDir = resolve(import.meta.dirname, '../..')
 const serveEntry = join(projectDir, 'out', 'main', 'index.js')
+const ORCAD_ENTRY = join(projectDir, 'out', 'orcad', 'orcad.js')
 const READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000
 const OUTPUT_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000
 const SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT_MS = 15_000
@@ -43,14 +44,30 @@ function fail(message) {
   process.exitCode = 1
 }
 
+/**
+ * Prefer the CLI built from this checkout over whatever `orca` is on PATH: it is the
+ * version under test, and a CI runner has no installed Orca app to fall back on.
+ */
+function resolveCli() {
+  const built = join(projectDir, 'out', 'cli', 'index.js')
+  return existsSync(built)
+    ? { command: process.execPath, prefix: [built] }
+    : { command: 'orca', prefix: [] }
+}
+
 /** The `orca` CLI, driven with an explicit pairing code so it targets this server only. */
 function orca(pairingCode, args) {
-  const result = spawnSync('orca', [...args, '--pairing-code', pairingCode, '--json'], {
-    encoding: 'utf8',
-    // Why not shell:true — argument encoding is handled by spawnSync; a shell would
-    // re-split the pairing code, which is base64url and can contain '='.
-    shell: false
-  })
+  const cli = resolveCli()
+  const result = spawnSync(
+    cli.command,
+    [...cli.prefix, ...args, '--pairing-code', pairingCode, '--json'],
+    {
+      encoding: 'utf8',
+      // Why not shell:true — argument encoding is handled by spawnSync; a shell would
+      // re-split the pairing code, which is base64url and can contain '='.
+      shell: false
+    }
+  )
   if (result.error) {
     throw new Error(`orca ${args[0]} failed to spawn: ${result.error.message}`)
   }
@@ -70,10 +87,17 @@ function orca(pairingCode, args) {
 function waitForReady(child) {
   return new Promise((resolvePromise, rejectPromise) => {
     let buffered = ''
+    let serverErr = ''
     const timer = setTimeout(
       () => rejectPromise(new Error(`no ready payload within ${READY_TIMEOUT_MS}ms`)),
       READY_TIMEOUT_MS
     )
+    // Why read stderr at all: an unread pipe can fill and block the child, and without it
+    // a boot failure surfaces only as "exited with 1", which says nothing actionable.
+    child.stderr.setEncoding('utf8')
+    child.stderr.on('data', (chunk) => {
+      serverErr += chunk
+    })
     child.stdout.setEncoding('utf8')
     child.stdout.on('data', (chunk) => {
       buffered += chunk
@@ -95,7 +119,13 @@ function waitForReady(child) {
     })
     child.on('exit', (code) => {
       clearTimeout(timer)
-      rejectPromise(new Error(`server exited with ${code} before signalling ready`))
+      rejectPromise(
+        new Error(
+          `server exited with ${code} before signalling ready${
+            serverErr.trim() ? `:\n${serverErr.trim()}` : ' (no stderr)'
+          }`
+        )
+      )
     })
   })
 }
@@ -125,50 +155,127 @@ async function waitForNonce(pairingCode, terminalHandle, nonce) {
   return false
 }
 
+/**
+ * The two hosts this acceptance drives.
+ *
+ * Everything after boot — pairing, worktree list, terminal create, the nonce round trip —
+ * is identical for both. That is the point: the Node artifact has to satisfy the same
+ * contract as the Electron server, proven by the same code rather than a parallel test
+ * that could drift into asserting less.
+ */
+function resolveLaunch(userDataDir) {
+  // Why a flag and not just an env var: package scripts have to set this on Windows too,
+  // and `FOO=bar cmd` is not portable there.
+  const flagIndex = process.argv.indexOf('--target')
+  const target =
+    flagIndex !== -1 ? process.argv[flagIndex + 1] : (process.env.ORCA_SMOKE_TARGET ?? 'electron')
+  if (target === 'orcad') {
+    return {
+      label: `orcad (${ORCAD_ENTRY})`,
+      command: process.execPath,
+      args: [ORCAD_ENTRY, '--port', String(PORT), '--json'],
+      env: { ORCA_USER_DATA: userDataDir }
+    }
+  }
+  if (target !== 'electron') {
+    throw new Error(
+      `--target (or ORCA_SMOKE_TARGET) must be 'electron' or 'orcad', got '${target}'`
+    )
+  }
+  const serveArgs = [
+    serveEntry,
+    '--serve',
+    '--serve-port',
+    String(PORT),
+    '--serve-json',
+    `--user-data-dir=${userDataDir}`
+  ]
+  const override = process.env.ORCA_SMOKE_ELECTRON
+  return {
+    label: `electron (${serveEntry})`,
+    command: override ?? 'npx',
+    args: override ? serveArgs : ['electron', ...serveArgs],
+    env: {}
+  }
+}
+
+/** A throwaway git repo with one commit, so `repo add` has something real to register. */
+function seedGitRepo() {
+  const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-smoke-repo-'))
+  writeFileSync(join(dir, 'README.md'), '# orca smoke\n')
+  const git = (...args) => {
+    const result = spawnSync('git', args, { cwd: dir, encoding: 'utf8' })
+    if (result.status !== 0) {
+      throw new Error(`git ${args.join(' ')} failed: ${result.stderr || result.stdout}`)
+    }
+  }
+  git('init', '-b', 'main')
+  git('config', 'user.email', 'smoke@orca.test')
+  git('config', 'user.name', 'Orca Smoke')
+  git('add', '-A')
+  git('commit', '-m', 'seed')
+  return dir
+}
+
 async function main() {
   const userDataDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-serve-smoke-'))
-  log(`booting ${serveEntry} on port ${PORT} with userData ${userDataDir}`)
+  const launch = resolveLaunch(userDataDir)
+  log(`booting ${launch.label} on port ${PORT} with userData ${userDataDir}`)
 
-  const child = spawn(
-    process.env.ORCA_SMOKE_ELECTRON ?? 'npx',
-    process.env.ORCA_SMOKE_ELECTRON
-      ? [
-          serveEntry,
-          '--serve',
-          '--serve-port',
-          String(PORT),
-          '--serve-json',
-          `--user-data-dir=${userDataDir}`
-        ]
-      : [
-          'electron',
-          serveEntry,
-          '--serve',
-          '--serve-port',
-          String(PORT),
-          '--serve-json',
-          `--user-data-dir=${userDataDir}`
-        ],
-    { stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'] }
-  )
+  // Why tracked out here: the worktree lands in the real workspaces root, not the temp
+  // profile, so the finally block has to remove it explicitly or every run leaks one.
+  let seeded = null
+  let pairing = null
+
+  const child = spawn(launch.command, launch.args, {
+    stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+    env: { ...process.env, ...launch.env }
+  })
 
   try {
     const ready = await waitForReady(child)
     log(`ready: ${ready.advertisedEndpoint}`)
     const pairingCode = pairingCodeFrom(ready)
+    pairing = pairingCode
 
-    const worktrees = orca(pairingCode, ['worktree', 'list'])?.worktrees ?? []
-    if (worktrees.length === 0) {
-      throw new Error('paired client saw no worktrees; cannot create a terminal')
+    // Why seed instead of using whatever the profile already holds: a hermetic repo makes
+    // this runnable on a clean CI box, keeps the assertion deterministic, and exercises
+    // repo.add + worktree.create rather than assuming someone else registered a worktree.
+    const repoPath = seedGitRepo()
+    seeded = { repoPath }
+    log(`seeded repo at ${repoPath}`)
+    const repo = orca(pairingCode, ['repo', 'add', '--path', repoPath])?.repo
+    if (!repo?.id) {
+      throw new Error('repo.add returned no repo id')
     }
-    log(`paired client sees ${worktrees.length} worktree(s)`)
 
-    const terminal = orca(pairingCode, [
-      'terminal',
+    const worktreeName = `smoke-${randomBytes(4).toString('hex')}`
+    const created = orca(pairingCode, [
+      'worktree',
       'create',
-      '--worktree',
-      worktrees[0].id
-    ])?.terminal
+      '--repo',
+      `id:${repo.id}`,
+      '--name',
+      worktreeName,
+      '--setup',
+      'skip'
+    ])?.worktree
+    if (!created?.id) {
+      throw new Error('worktree.create returned no worktree id')
+    }
+    seeded.worktreeId = created.id
+    log(`created worktree ${created.id}`)
+
+    // Why `show` and not membership in `list`: list is capped, and the Electron target
+    // reads a shared dev profile that can already hold more worktrees than the cap. The
+    // point is that the server persisted and can resolve THIS worktree.
+    const shown = orca(pairingCode, ['worktree', 'show', '--worktree', created.id])?.worktree
+    if (shown?.id !== created.id) {
+      throw new Error('worktree.create succeeded but worktree.show cannot resolve it')
+    }
+    log(`server resolves ${shown.id}`)
+
+    const terminal = orca(pairingCode, ['terminal', 'create', '--worktree', created.id])?.terminal
     if (!terminal?.handle) {
       throw new Error('terminal.create returned no handle')
     }
@@ -196,16 +303,55 @@ async function main() {
   } catch (error) {
     fail(error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error))
   } finally {
-    child.kill('SIGTERM')
-    const exited = await Promise.race([
-      new Promise((r) => child.on('exit', () => r(true))),
-      new Promise((r) => setTimeout(() => r(false), SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT_MS))
-    ])
-    if (!exited) {
-      child.kill('SIGKILL')
-      fail(`server did not exit within ${SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT_MS}ms of SIGTERM`)
+    // Why before SIGTERM: worktree removal is a server operation, so it needs the server.
+    if (seeded?.worktreeId && pairing) {
+      const cleanupCli = resolveCli()
+      const removed = spawnSync(
+        cleanupCli.command,
+        [
+          ...cleanupCli.prefix,
+          'worktree',
+          'rm',
+          '--worktree',
+          seeded.worktreeId,
+          '--pairing-code',
+          pairing,
+          '--force',
+          '--json'
+        ],
+        { encoding: 'utf8' }
+      )
+      // Why the parent too: `worktree rm` removes the worktree directory, leaving the
+      // empty `<workspaces>/<repo-name>/` container behind. Every run would leak one.
+      const worktreePath = seeded.worktreeId.split('::')[1]
+      if (removed.status === 0 && worktreePath) {
+        rmSync(dirname(worktreePath), { recursive: true, force: true })
+      }
+      if (removed.status !== 0) {
+        log(
+          `WARN: could not remove seeded worktree ${seeded.worktreeId}: ` +
+            `${(removed.stderr?.trim() || removed.stdout?.trim() || '').replace(/\s+/g, ' ')} (exit ${removed.status})`
+        )
+      }
+    }
+    // Why the exitCode guard: a server that died during boot has already exited, and
+    // waiting for a second 'exit' that will never fire reported a bogus shutdown failure
+    // stacked on top of the real error.
+    if (child.exitCode === null && child.signalCode === null) {
+      child.kill('SIGTERM')
+      const exited = await Promise.race([
+        new Promise((r) => child.on('exit', () => r(true))),
+        new Promise((r) => setTimeout(() => r(false), SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT_MS))
+      ])
+      if (!exited) {
+        child.kill('SIGKILL')
+        fail(`server did not exit within ${SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT_MS}ms of SIGTERM`)
+      }
     }
     rmSync(userDataDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    if (seeded?.repoPath) {
+      rmSync(seeded.repoPath, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    }
   }
 
   if (!process.exitCode) {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5c20829e8b0..a026bdb7824 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
     "check:reliability-gates": "node config/scripts/check-reliability-gates.mjs",
     "check:max-lines-ratchet": "node config/scripts/check-max-lines-ratchet.mjs",
     "check:runtime-electron-ratchet": "node config/scripts/check-runtime-electron-ratchet.mjs",
+    "build:orcad": "node config/scripts/build-orcad.mjs",
+    "smoke:orcad-terminal": "node config/scripts/ensure-native-runtime.mjs --runtime=node && pnpm run build:cli && pnpm run build:orcad && node config/scripts/runtime-serve-terminal-smoke.mjs --target orcad",
     "smoke:serve-terminal": "node config/scripts/runtime-serve-terminal-smoke.mjs",
     "check:feature-wall-assets": "node config/scripts/check-feature-wall-assets.mjs",
     "generate:bundled-skill-guides": "node config/scripts/generate-bundled-skill-guides.mjs --write",
diff --git a/src/main/automations/service.test.ts b/src/main/automations/service.test.ts
index 27f96400258..0b546d5a46e 100644
--- a/src/main/automations/service.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/automations/service.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import type { Repo } from '../../shared/repo-types'
 import { toRuntimeExecutionHostId } from '../../shared/execution-host'
 import { AutomationService } from './service'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ vi.mock('electron', () => ({
 
 async function createStore() {
   vi.resetModules()
+  // Why: userData resolves through AppEnvironment; point it at this file's temp dir.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('../persistence')
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
diff --git a/src/main/host/electron-speech-services.ts b/src/main/host/electron-speech-services.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..52ccf9099c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/host/electron-speech-services.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { ModelManager } from '../speech/model-manager'
+import { SttService } from '../speech/stt-service'
+import type { SpeechServiceFactories } from '../speech/speech-runtime-service'
+
+/** The desktop speech factories. Importing this file is what pulls Electron's net in. */
+export const electronSpeechServiceFactories: SpeechServiceFactories = {
+  createModelManager: (customModelsDir) => new ModelManager(customModelsDir),
+  createSttService: (models) => new SttService(models)
+}
diff --git a/src/main/index.ts b/src/main/index.ts
index fc141e98988..42abcd75590 100644
--- a/src/main/index.ts
+++ b/src/main/index.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ import { electronRuntimeBrowserCommandsFactory } from './host/electron-browser-c
 import { setRuntimeBrowserCommandsFactory } from './runtime/runtime-browser-commands-factory'
 import { electronHttpClient } from './host/electron-http-client'
 import { setMainHttpClient } from './network/http-client'
+import { electronSpeechServiceFactories } from './host/electron-speech-services'
+import { setSpeechServiceFactories } from './speech/speech-runtime-service'
+import { setWorktreeWatcherRemoval } from './ipc/worktree-watcher-removal'
 import { setSecretStore } from '../shared/secret-store'
 import { ElectronSecretStore } from './host/electron-secret-store'
 import { initSessionParseCachePersistence } from './ai-vault/session-parse-cache-persistence'
@@ -67,7 +70,7 @@ import {
   isCodexPaneHomeRouteProvenAwayFromSharedHome,
   reconcileCodexPaneAccountsWithLivePtys
 } from './codex/codex-pane-account-registry'
-import { closeAllWatchers } from './ipc/filesystem-watcher'
+import { closeAllWatchers, desktopWorktreeWatcherRemoval } from './ipc/filesystem-watcher'
 import { disposeWorktreeBaseDirectoryWatchers } from './ipc/worktree-base-directory-watcher'
 import { stopFolderRepoGitUpgradeWatch } from './ipc/folder-repo-git-upgrade'
 import { registerCoreHandlers } from './ipc/register-core-handlers'
@@ -902,6 +905,10 @@ if (hasSingleInstanceLock) {
   // falls back to the platform default, which is a real behavioural difference (proxy
   // read from the environment, Node's user agent) rather than a transparent swap.
   setMainHttpClient(electronHttpClient)
+  // Why here: constructing the speech services is what pulls Electron's streaming net
+  // request in. A host without them rejects speech calls rather than pretending.
+  setSpeechServiceFactories(electronSpeechServiceFactories)
+  setWorktreeWatcherRemoval(desktopWorktreeWatcherRemoval)
   // Why: couple to dev-parent only for electron-vite desktop runs; `orca serve`'s parent (CLI shim/background shell) isn't the intended server lifetime.
   const shouldCoupleToDevParent = is.dev && !isServeMode
   installDevParentDisconnectQuit(shouldCoupleToDevParent)
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/filesystem-watcher.ts b/src/main/ipc/filesystem-watcher.ts
index 0a337967386..71830efc7c2 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/filesystem-watcher.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/filesystem-watcher.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import {
 } from './watcher-removal-drain'
 // Why: suppress high-churn dirs at the watcher level (separate from the File Explorer display filter, which only hides rows).
 import { WATCHER_IGNORE_DIRS, buildParcelWatcherIgnoreOptions } from './filesystem-watcher-ignore'
+import type { WorktreeWatcherRemoval } from './worktree-watcher-removal'
 
 // ── Per-root watcher state ───────────────────────────────────────────
 // WatchedRoot/WatcherSubscription live in filesystem-watcher-wsl.ts so native and WSL watchers share one shape.
@@ -1959,3 +1960,16 @@ export async function closeAllWatchers(): Promise<void> {
   }
   remoteWatchers.clear()
 }
+
+/** The desktop binding for {@link WorktreeWatcherRemoval}. Installed during startup. */
+export const desktopWorktreeWatcherRemoval: WorktreeWatcherRemoval = {
+  closeLocal: (worktreePath, deadline) =>
+    deadline
+      ? closeLocalWatcherForWorktreePath(worktreePath, deadline)
+      : closeLocalWatcherForWorktreePath(worktreePath),
+  restoreLocal: restoreLocalWatcherAfterFailedRemoval,
+  forgetLocal: forgetLocalWatcherRemovalSnapshot,
+  closeRemote: closeRemoteWatcherForWorktreePath,
+  restoreRemote: restoreRemoteWatcherAfterFailedRemoval,
+  forgetRemote: forgetRemoteWatcherRemovalSnapshot
+}
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/orca-profile-auth-handlers.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/orca-profile-auth-handlers.test.ts
index 73726dd2b52..e16d949dc1a 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/orca-profile-auth-handlers.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/orca-profile-auth-handlers.test.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ const {
 vi.mock('electron', () => ({
   app: {
     exit: vi.fn(),
-    getPath: () => '/tmp/orca-user-data',
     relaunch: vi.fn()
   },
   ipcMain: {
@@ -56,9 +55,13 @@ vi.mock('../orca-profiles/profile-cloud-service', () => ({
 }))
 
 import { registerOrcaProfileHandlers } from './orca-profiles'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 describe('registerOrcaProfileHandlers auth channels', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
+    // Why the port and per-test: userData resolves through AppEnvironment now, and
+    // the global setup's beforeEach reinstates its own fake before this runs.
+    installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => '/tmp/orca-user-data' })
     handlers.clear()
     createCloudLinkedOrcaProfileMock.mockReset()
     connectCurrentOrcaProfileMock.mockReset()
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/orca-profiles.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/orca-profiles.test.ts
index fe69ce2e138..215b559327d 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/orca-profiles.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/orca-profiles.test.ts
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ vi.mock('electron', () => ({
   app: {
     exit: appExitMock,
     quit: appQuitMock,
-    relaunch: appRelaunchMock,
-    getPath: () => '/tmp/orca-user-data'
+    relaunch: appRelaunchMock
   },
   ipcMain: {
     handle: vi.fn((channel: string, handler: (_event: unknown, args?: unknown) => unknown) => {
@@ -68,9 +67,13 @@ vi.mock('../orca-profiles/profile-project-transfer', () => ({
 }))
 
 import { registerOrcaProfileHandlers } from './orca-profiles'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 describe('registerOrcaProfileHandlers', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
+    // Why the port and per-test: userData resolves through AppEnvironment now, and
+    // the global setup's beforeEach reinstates its own fake before this runs.
+    installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => '/tmp/orca-user-data' })
     vi.useFakeTimers()
     handlers.clear()
     appExitMock.mockReset()
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/worktree-watcher-removal.ts b/src/main/ipc/worktree-watcher-removal.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b5de15592cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ipc/worktree-watcher-removal.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import type { WatcherRemovalDeadline } from './watcher-removal-drain'
+
+/**
+ * Removal-time coordination for the renderer-facing filesystem watchers.
+ *
+ * Worktree removal has to close any watcher holding the directory open, then either
+ * restore it (removal failed) or drop the snapshot (removal succeeded). The desktop
+ * implementation lives in `./filesystem-watcher`, where that bookkeeping is inseparable
+ * from the `WebContents` map it suspends and replays.
+ *
+ * Why the default is inert rather than a throw: every entry in those maps arrives through
+ * an `ipcMain` handler carrying a renderer `sender`. A host with no renderer never
+ * installs one, so there is nothing to close, restore, or forget — the no-op is what the
+ * desktop code itself would do against empty maps, not a silent stub hiding lost work.
+ */
+export type WorktreeWatcherRemoval = {
+  closeLocal(worktreePath: string, deadline?: WatcherRemovalDeadline): Promise<void>
+  restoreLocal(worktreePath: string): Promise<void>
+  forgetLocal(worktreePath: string): void
+  closeRemote(connectionId: string, worktreePath: string): Promise<void>
+  restoreRemote(connectionId: string, worktreePath: string): Promise<void>
+  forgetRemote(connectionId: string, worktreePath: string): void
+}
+
+const inert: WorktreeWatcherRemoval = {
+  closeLocal: async () => {},
+  restoreLocal: async () => {},
+  forgetLocal: () => {},
+  closeRemote: async () => {},
+  restoreRemote: async () => {},
+  forgetRemote: () => {}
+}
+
+let current: WorktreeWatcherRemoval = inert
+
+export function setWorktreeWatcherRemoval(next: WorktreeWatcherRemoval | null): void {
+  current = next ?? inert
+}
+
+export function getWorktreeWatcherRemoval(): WorktreeWatcherRemoval {
+  return current
+}
diff --git a/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-index-store.test.ts b/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-index-store.test.ts
index 128dc56cea3..06f2efe0903 100644
--- a/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-index-store.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-index-store.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 import { existsSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync, mkdirSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
@@ -12,11 +13,10 @@ import {
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 
-vi.mock('electron', () => ({
-  app: {
-    getPath: () => testState.dir
-  }
-}))
+// Why the port and not vi.mock('electron'): profile path resolution reads AppEnvironment
+// now, so an electron mock would be inert and every case would share the global fake's
+// one temp dir instead of its own.
+installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
 
 async function loadProfileIndexStore() {
   vi.resetModules()
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ function readJson(path: string): unknown {
 describe('profile index store', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     testState.dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-profile-test-'))
+    // Why re-install per test: the global setup's beforeEach reinstates its own fake.
+    installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   })
 
   afterEach(() => {
diff --git a/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-storage-paths.ts b/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-storage-paths.ts
index 5f8dc0df241..81dc990b0e1 100644
--- a/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-storage-paths.ts
+++ b/src/main/orca-profiles/profile-storage-paths.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { app } from 'electron'
+import { getAppEnvironment } from '../../shared/app-environment'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 
 const LEGACY_DATA_FILE_NAME = 'orca-data.json'
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ export const LEGACY_BACKUP_COUNT = 5
 let profileUserDataPath: string | null = null
 
 export function initOrcaProfilePaths(): void {
-  profileUserDataPath = app.getPath('userData')
+  profileUserDataPath = getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData')
 }
 
 export function getProfileUserDataPath(): string {
   if (!profileUserDataPath) {
-    profileUserDataPath = app.getPath('userData')
+    profileUserDataPath = getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData')
   }
   return profileUserDataPath
 }
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/main.ts b/src/main/orcad/main.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e76ed873cb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/orcad/main.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+/** Executable entry for `orcad`. See `./orcad-entry.ts`. */
+import process from 'node:process'
+import { main } from './orcad-entry'
+
+main().catch((error: unknown) => {
+  console.error('orcad: failed to start:', error)
+  process.exit(1)
+})
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-entry.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-entry.ts
index 9080288cd53..621e89be5dc 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-entry.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-entry.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { join } from 'node:path'
 import process from 'node:process'
 import { setAppEnvironment, type AppEnvironment } from '../../shared/app-environment'
 import { setSecretStore, type SecretStore } from '../../shared/secret-store'
+import type { ServeReadiness } from '../server/serve-readiness'
 
 /** XDG-ish data root. `$ORCA_USER_DATA` wins so a smoke test can isolate state. */
 function resolveUserDataPath(): string {
@@ -83,16 +84,56 @@ export function installOrcadHostAdapters(): void {
   setSecretStore(createNodeSecretStore())
 }
 
-/** Boot the runtime and serve RPC. Returns once the transport is listening. */
-export async function startOrcad(options: { port?: number } = {}): Promise<void> {
+export type OrcadOptions = {
+  port?: number
+  json?: boolean
+  noPairing?: boolean
+  pairingAddress?: string
+}
+
+export type OrcadHandle = {
+  readiness: ServeReadiness
+  stop(): Promise<void>
+}
+
+/**
+ * Boot the runtime and serve RPC. Resolves once the transport is listening and the
+ * readiness payload has been published, mirroring the desktop `--serve` contract byte
+ * for byte so the same harnesses can drive either host.
+ */
+export async function startOrcad(options: OrcadOptions = {}): Promise<OrcadHandle> {
   installOrcadHostAdapters()
 
   const { OrcaRuntimeService } = await import('../runtime/orca-runtime')
   const { OrcaRuntimeRpcServer } = await import('../runtime/runtime-rpc')
-  const { registerPtyHandlers } = await import('../ipc/pty')
+  const { registerHeadlessPtyRuntime, getLocalPtyProvider, getSshPtyProvider } =
+    await import('../ipc/pty')
   const { getAppEnvironment } = await import('../../shared/app-environment')
+  const { resolveAdvertisedPairingEndpoint } = await import('../runtime/pairing-endpoint')
+  const { ServeReadinessPublisher } = await import('../server/serve-readiness')
+  const { Store } = await import('../persistence/loading-store/store')
+  const { ensureActiveOrcaProfile, initOrcaProfilePaths } =
+    await import('../orca-profiles/profile-index-store')
+  const { initSshHostKeyStoreFile } = await import('../ssh/ssh-host-key-store')
 
-  const runtime = new OrcaRuntimeService(null, undefined, {
+  const userDataPath = getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData')
+  initOrcaProfilePaths()
+  const profile = ensureActiveOrcaProfile(userDataPath)
+  // Why a real Store: without one every persistence-backed RPC throws `runtime_unavailable`
+  // and the read paths that use `this.store?.x ?? []` quietly answer "empty" instead —
+  // a server that pairs and lists nothing looks healthy and is not.
+  const store = new Store({ dataFile: profile.dataFile })
+  // Why: every SSH connect consults this sidecar. Left unbound it reports nothing trusted,
+  // which is safe but silently discards accept records on every launch.
+  initSshHostKeyStoreFile(profile.dataFile)
+
+  const runtime = new OrcaRuntimeService(store, undefined, {
+    // Why lazy: a daemon swap replaces the provider after construction, so an eager
+    // reference would freeze the pre-daemon one.
+    getLocalProvider: () => getLocalPtyProvider(),
+    // Why: destructive worktree removal refuses to run without a provider to stop
+    // processes through — correctly, since it cannot otherwise verify the tree is idle.
+    getSshProvider: (connectionId) => getSshPtyProvider(connectionId),
     // Why false: this host does not run the terminal daemon, so persistent local PTYs
     // cannot be recovered. The constructor defaults this to true, which would claim a
     // capability orcad does not have.
@@ -103,16 +144,125 @@ export async function startOrcad(options: { port?: number } = {}): Promise<void>
     getDesktopWindowStatus: () => 'blocked'
   })
 
-  // Why null: no renderer. This installs the RuntimePtyController that terminal.create
-  // spawns through — the whole reason this module had to stop importing electron.
-  registerPtyHandlers(null, runtime)
+  // Why the headless entry point rather than registerPtyHandlers(null, …): this is the
+  // same call `--serve` makes, and it threads the store through. Without the store the
+  // handlers install fine and every terminal.create then fails at persistence time.
+  //
+  // Codex-home and Claude-auth preparation are left unset: both are desktop account
+  // flows. A launch that needs one fails with its own message rather than silently
+  // spawning an unauthenticated agent.
+  registerHeadlessPtyRuntime(runtime, undefined, () => store.getSettings(), undefined, store)
+
+  // Why: same post-registration reconciliation `--serve` performs. Skipping it leaves
+  // restored orchestration rows claiming an authority this host never took over.
+  await runtime.refreshRestoredOrchestrationAuthority()
+  await runtime.reconcileLegacyWorkerTerminals()
 
   const rpc = new OrcaRuntimeRpcServer({
     runtime,
-    userDataPath: getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData'),
+    userDataPath,
     enableWebSocket: true,
     exposeNetworkByDefault: true,
     ...(options.port !== undefined ? { wsPort: options.port, preferPinnedWsPort: true } : {})
-  } as never)
+  })
   await rpc.start()
+
+  const boundEndpoint = rpc.getWebSocketEndpoint()
+  const advertised = boundEndpoint
+    ? resolveAdvertisedPairingEndpoint(boundEndpoint, options.pairingAddress)
+    : null
+  const offer = options.noPairing
+    ? ({
+        available: false,
+        reason: 'disabled_by_operator',
+        guidance: 'Restart without --no-pairing to create a client pairing offer.'
+      } as const)
+    : rpc.createPairingOffer({
+        address: options.pairingAddress,
+        name: `CLI ${new Date().toLocaleDateString()}`,
+        scope: 'runtime'
+      })
+
+  const readiness: ServeReadiness = {
+    runtimeId: runtime.getRuntimeId(),
+    boundEndpoint,
+    advertisedEndpoint: advertised?.ok ? advertised.endpoint : null,
+    // Why 'settled': the WSL CLI reconciliation barrier is a desktop-launch concern.
+    // orcad never runs it, so there is no pending repair a client could race.
+    managedWslCliReconciliation: 'settled',
+    pairing: offer.available
+      ? {
+          available: true,
+          url: offer.pairingUrl,
+          endpoint: offer.endpoint,
+          deviceId: offer.deviceId,
+          webClientUrl: offer.webClientUrl,
+          scope: 'runtime',
+          qr: null
+        }
+      : offer
+  }
+
+  await new ServeReadinessPublisher().publish(readiness, {
+    mode: options.json ? 'json' : 'human'
+  })
+
+  return {
+    readiness,
+    stop: async () => {
+      await rpc.stop()
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function parseArgs(argv: string[]): OrcadOptions {
+  const options: OrcadOptions = {}
+  for (let i = 0; i < argv.length; i += 1) {
+    const arg = argv[i]
+    if (arg === '--port') {
+      const raw = argv[i + 1]
+      const port = Number(raw)
+      if (!Number.isInteger(port) || port < 0 || port > 65535) {
+        throw new Error(`--port expects an integer 0-65535, got ${raw ?? "''"}`)
+      }
+      options.port = port
+      i += 1
+    } else if (arg === '--json') {
+      options.json = true
+    } else if (arg === '--no-pairing') {
+      options.noPairing = true
+    } else if (arg === '--pairing-address') {
+      const value = argv[i + 1]
+      if (!value) {
+        throw new Error('--pairing-address expects a value')
+      }
+      options.pairingAddress = value
+      i += 1
+    } else {
+      throw new Error(`Unknown argument: ${arg}`)
+    }
+  }
+  return options
+}
+
+export async function main(argv: string[] = process.argv.slice(2)): Promise<void> {
+  const handle = await startOrcad(parseArgs(argv))
+  let stopping = false
+  const shutdown = (signal: NodeJS.Signals): void => {
+    if (stopping) {
+      return
+    }
+    stopping = true
+    handle
+      .stop()
+      .then(() => process.exit(0))
+      // Why not rethrow: we are already tearing down on a signal, and an exit code is
+      // the only thing a supervisor can act on.
+      .catch((error) => {
+        console.error(`orcad: shutdown after ${signal} failed:`, error)
+        process.exit(1)
+      })
+  }
+  process.on('SIGINT', () => shutdown('SIGINT'))
+  process.on('SIGTERM', () => shutdown('SIGTERM'))
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-async-write-syscalls.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-async-write-syscalls.test.ts
index 2d6d581599e..3a4c1f11e87 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-async-write-syscalls.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-async-write-syscalls.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import type * as NodeFsPromises from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import type { SshRemotePtyLeaseState } from '../shared/ssh-types'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 
@@ -177,6 +178,9 @@ async function createStore(dir: string): Promise<TestStore> {
   testState.dir = dir
   vi.resetModules()
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store() as unknown as TestStore
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-duplicate-repo-id-host-scope.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-duplicate-repo-id-host-scope.test.ts
index f1a63e876ea..0da93c3a979 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-duplicate-repo-id-host-scope.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-duplicate-repo-id-host-scope.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import type { Project, ProjectHostSetup } from '../shared/project-types'
 import type { Repo } from '../shared/repo-types'
 import { getDefaultPersistedState } from '../shared/constants'
 import { toRuntimeExecutionHostId } from '../shared/execution-host'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 
@@ -52,6 +53,9 @@ async function createStoreFromState(state: Record<string, unknown>) {
   )
   vi.resetModules()
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-fail-closed.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-fail-closed.test.ts
index 9d407ab505b..c69233bb760 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-fail-closed.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-fail-closed.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 type FailureMode = 'availability-throws' | 'encryption-throws' | 'unavailable'
 
@@ -56,6 +57,9 @@ async function createStore() {
     describeUnavailable: () => null
   })
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-write-race.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-write-race.test.ts
index 89849d22dde..e21cc02fd56 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-write-race.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-protected-secret-write-race.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs'
 import type * as NodeFsPromises from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 const cipherState = { available: true }
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ async function createStore() {
     describeUnavailable: () => null
   })
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-proxy-secret-recovery.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-proxy-secret-recovery.test.ts
index faa6f65822e..fb9c74c68be 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-proxy-secret-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-proxy-secret-recovery.test.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync, mkdtempSync, writeFileSync
 import { dirname, join } from 'node:path'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ async function createStore() {
     describeUnavailable: () => null
   })
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-single-serialize.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-single-serialize.test.ts
index 06512f9a089..00becc26d4b 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-single-serialize.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-single-serialize.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { readFileSync, rmSync, mkdtempSync, statSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 
@@ -58,6 +59,9 @@ async function createStore() {
     describeUnavailable: () => null
   })
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-test-harness.ts b/src/main/persistence-test-harness.ts
index 94b2c62d238..89f5f03a88f 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-test-harness.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-test-harness.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { mkdirSync, readFileSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { vi } from 'vitest'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 import type { Project, ProjectHostSetup } from '../shared/project-types'
 import type { Repo } from '../shared/repo-types'
 import type { TerminalTab } from '../shared/terminal-tab-types'
@@ -13,6 +14,10 @@ export const testState = { dir: '' }
 /** Reset modules and dynamically import Store so the data-file path picks up the current testState.dir */
 export async function createStore() {
   vi.resetModules()
+  // Why here and not a per-file vi.mock('electron'): the data-file path resolves through
+  // AppEnvironment now, and it must point at this test's dir rather than the global
+  // fake's shared one. Re-installed after resetModules so the fresh graph sees it.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-ui-state.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-ui-state.test.ts
index 7bb676ffe34..1ff2cda74ee 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-ui-state.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-ui-state.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   readDataFile,
   makeRepo
 } from './persistence-test-harness'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 // Stub the ~/.ssh/config parser so the SSH-import test drives the real Store with deterministic hosts, not the operator's actual ~/.ssh/config.
 const { loadUserSshConfigMock, sshConfigHostsToTargetsMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -50,6 +51,9 @@ async function createStore() {
     describeUnavailable: () => null
   })
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-workspace-session-scrollback.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-workspace-session-scrollback.test.ts
index 1c98d9525a3..f57a2a1b603 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-workspace-session-scrollback.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-workspace-session-scrollback.test.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   makeSessionWithTerminalBuffers,
   makeSessionWithBrowserHistory
 } from './persistence-session-fixtures'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 // Stub the ~/.ssh/config parser so the SSH-import test drives the real Store with deterministic hosts, not the operator's actual ~/.ssh/config.
 const { loadUserSshConfigMock, sshConfigHostsToTargetsMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -188,6 +189,9 @@ describe('Store', () => {
     mkdirSync(profileDataDirectory, { recursive: true })
 
     vi.resetModules()
+    // Why: the legacy snapshot dir hangs off userData, which resolves through
+    // AppEnvironment — without this it points at the global fake's shared dir.
+    installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
     const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
     initDataPath()
     const store = new Store({ dataFile: profileDataFile })
@@ -218,6 +222,9 @@ describe('Store', () => {
     writeFileSync(join(legacySnapshotDir, `${ref}.bin`), 'legacy-scrollback', 'utf-8')
 
     vi.resetModules()
+    // Why: the legacy snapshot dir hangs off userData, which resolves through
+    // AppEnvironment — without this it points at the global fake's shared dir.
+    installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
     const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
     initDataPath()
     const store = new Store({ dataFile: profileDataFile })
diff --git a/src/main/persistence-worktree-name-retirement.test.ts b/src/main/persistence-worktree-name-retirement.test.ts
index dcfb35a5954..2f89775ce87 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence-worktree-name-retirement.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence-worktree-name-retirement.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { createRetiredNameLookup } from '../shared/worktree/retired-name-registr
 import type { SshTarget } from '../shared/ssh-types'
 import { MAX_RETIREMENT_NAMESPACES } from './worktree-retirement-namespace'
 import { getRuntimeOwnedSshTargetId } from './ssh/ssh-connection-store'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 const testState = { dir: '' }
 
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ function sshTarget(id: string, overrides: Partial<SshTarget> = {}): SshTarget {
 async function reloadStore() {
   vi.resetModules()
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why here: userData resolves through AppEnvironment, and this must point at this
+  // file's temp dir rather than the global fake's shared one, after resetModules.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store()
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/user-data-path.ts b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/user-data-path.ts
index db62f706b7b..6dd4b50b1c8 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/user-data-path.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/user-data-path.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { app } from 'electron'
+import { getAppEnvironment } from '../../../shared/app-environment'
 import { copyFileSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { dirname, join, resolve } from 'node:path'
 import type { PersistedState } from '../../../shared/persisted-state-types'
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ let _dataFile: string | null = null
 let _userDataDir: string | null = null
 
 export function initDataPath(): void {
-  const userDataDir = app.getPath('userData')
+  const userDataDir = getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData')
   _userDataDir = userDataDir
   _dataFile = join(userDataDir, 'orca-data.json')
 }
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export function initDataPath(): void {
 export function getDataFile(): string {
   if (!_dataFile) {
     // Safety fallback — should not be hit in normal startup.
-    const userDataDir = app.getPath('userData')
+    const userDataDir = getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData')
     _userDataDir = userDataDir
     _dataFile = join(userDataDir, 'orca-data.json')
   }
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ export function readGithubCacheSnapshot(dataFile: string): PersistedState['githu
 }
 
 /**
- * Return the userData directory captured at initDataPath() time, before app.setName() can change how app.getPath('userData') resolves.
+ * Return the userData directory captured at initDataPath() time, before app.setName() can change how getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData') resolves.
  *
  * Subsystems sharing storage with orca-data.json read this instead of resolving late, which on case-sensitive FS can lose paired devices.
  */
 export function getCanonicalUserDataPath(): string {
   if (!_userDataDir) {
     // Safety fallback — should not be hit in normal startup.
-    _userDataDir = app.getPath('userData')
+    _userDataDir = getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData')
   }
   return _userDataDir
 }
diff --git a/src/main/quit-path-durable-write-blocking.test.ts b/src/main/quit-path-durable-write-blocking.test.ts
index 35ebe7460c3..58e055c5297 100644
--- a/src/main/quit-path-durable-write-blocking.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/quit-path-durable-write-blocking.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type * as NodeFs from 'node:fs'
 import type * as NodeFsPromises from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 // Why these tests exist: will-quit used to run stats.flush() and store.flush() synchronously,
 // before preventDefault(). On a stalled network profile mount those fsync/rename syscalls park
@@ -115,6 +116,8 @@ async function createStore(dir: string): Promise<TestStore> {
   testState.dir = dir
   vi.resetModules()
   const { Store, initDataPath } = await import('./persistence')
+  // Why: userData resolves through AppEnvironment; point it at this file's temp dir.
+  installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => testState.dir })
   initDataPath()
   return new Store() as unknown as TestStore
 }
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/mobile-pairing-userdata-path.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/mobile-pairing-userdata-path.test.ts
index be13c1ebbc3..441b5a57eb2 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/mobile-pairing-userdata-path.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/mobile-pairing-userdata-path.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 // Import from the production source of truth so a filename rename can't silently
 // pass these tests against stale names.
 import { DEVICE_REGISTRY_FILENAME, E2EE_KEYPAIR_FILENAME } from './mobile-pairing-files'
+import { installFakeAppEnvironment } from '../../../config/scripts/vitest-host-ports-setup'
 
 // Mutable userData the electron mock resolves. We flip it mid-test to simulate
 // app.setName('Orca') changing how app.getPath('userData') resolves (e.g. from
@@ -15,8 +16,12 @@ import { DEVICE_REGISTRY_FILENAME, E2EE_KEYPAIR_FILENAME } from './mobile-pairin
 // of whether the test host's filesystem is case-sensitive.
 const appState = { userData: '' }
 
+// Why the port for getPath: userData now resolves through AppEnvironment, so an
+// electron mock would be inert here. safeStorage is still mocked because the modules
+// under test seal through it directly.
+installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => appState.userData })
+
 vi.mock('electron', () => ({
-  app: { getPath: () => appState.userData },
   safeStorage: {
     isEncryptionAvailable: () => false,
     encryptString: (plaintext: string) => Buffer.from(plaintext, 'utf-8'),
@@ -38,6 +43,8 @@ describe('mobile pairing userData path stability', () => {
     lateDir = join(root, 'userdata-late')
     mkdirSync(canonicalDir, { recursive: true })
     mkdirSync(lateDir, { recursive: true })
+    // Why re-install: the global setup's beforeEach reinstates its own fake.
+    installFakeAppEnvironment({ getPath: () => appState.userData })
     vi.resetModules()
   })
 
@@ -55,8 +62,9 @@ describe('mobile pairing userData path stability', () => {
     appState.userData = lateDir
 
     expect(getCanonicalUserDataPath()).toBe(canonicalDir)
-    const { app } = await import('electron')
-    expect(getCanonicalUserDataPath()).not.toBe(app.getPath('userData'))
+    // Why the port: this is the "resolve late" path the captured value must differ from.
+    const { getAppEnvironment } = await import('../../shared/app-environment')
+    expect(getCanonicalUserDataPath()).not.toBe(getAppEnvironment().getPath('userData'))
   })
 
   it('writes DeviceRegistry + E2EE keypair under the canonical path, not the late one', async () => {
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
index d1eaee981a0..3c7e27b062c 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ import {
   setTerminalViewAttributes
 } from './terminal-view-attribute-store'
 import { clearConfiguredWorktreeSharedDirectoriesCacheForTests } from '../git/worktree-shared-directories'
+import { setWorktreeWatcherRemoval } from '../ipc/worktree-watcher-removal'
 
 const ORIGINAL_PLATFORM = process.platform
 const ORIGINAL_PLATFORM_DESCRIPTOR = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, 'platform')
@@ -219,14 +220,17 @@ const forgetRemoteWatcherRemovalSnapshotMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn())
 const scanLocalRepoWorktreesForResolutionMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn())
 
 vi.mock('electron', () => electronMocks)
-vi.mock('../ipc/filesystem-watcher', () => ({
-  closeLocalWatcherForWorktreePath: closeLocalWatcherForWorktreePathMock,
-  closeRemoteWatcherForWorktreePath: closeRemoteWatcherForWorktreePathMock,
-  restoreLocalWatcherAfterFailedRemoval: restoreLocalWatcherAfterFailedRemovalMock,
-  restoreRemoteWatcherAfterFailedRemoval: restoreRemoteWatcherAfterFailedRemovalMock,
-  forgetLocalWatcherRemovalSnapshot: forgetLocalWatcherRemovalSnapshotMock,
-  forgetRemoteWatcherRemovalSnapshot: forgetRemoteWatcherRemovalSnapshotMock
-}))
+// Why install the port instead of mocking ../ipc/filesystem-watcher: the runtime calls
+// WorktreeWatcherRemoval now, so a module mock would be inert and every assertion below
+// would silently pass against the inert default. Same mocks, same expectations.
+setWorktreeWatcherRemoval({
+  closeLocal: closeLocalWatcherForWorktreePathMock,
+  closeRemote: closeRemoteWatcherForWorktreePathMock,
+  restoreLocal: restoreLocalWatcherAfterFailedRemovalMock,
+  restoreRemote: restoreRemoteWatcherAfterFailedRemovalMock,
+  forgetLocal: forgetLocalWatcherRemovalSnapshotMock,
+  forgetRemote: forgetRemoteWatcherRemovalSnapshotMock
+})
 
 const {
   MOCK_GIT_WORKTREES,
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
index 03ba37f0d98..8ddbfa4fdf8 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
@@ -1136,14 +1136,7 @@ import {
 } from '../worktree-removal-repo-owner'
 import { prefetchWorktreeCreateBase } from '../worktree-create-base-prefetch'
 import { prepareLocalWorktreeRootForRepo } from '../worktree-root-preparation'
-import {
-  closeLocalWatcherForWorktreePath,
-  closeRemoteWatcherForWorktreePath,
-  forgetLocalWatcherRemovalSnapshot,
-  forgetRemoteWatcherRemovalSnapshot,
-  restoreLocalWatcherAfterFailedRemoval,
-  restoreRemoteWatcherAfterFailedRemoval
-} from '../ipc/filesystem-watcher'
+import { getWorktreeWatcherRemoval } from '../ipc/worktree-watcher-removal'
 import { acquireWatcherRemovalGate } from '../ipc/watcher-removal-gate'
 import {
   createWatcherRemovalDeadline,
@@ -10234,11 +10227,11 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
     const results = await Promise.allSettled([
       connectionId
         ? drainBeforeWatcherRemoval(
-            closeRemoteWatcherForWorktreePath(connectionId, worktreePath),
+            getWorktreeWatcherRemoval().closeRemote(connectionId, worktreePath),
             deadline,
             `remote watcher close for ${worktreePath}`
           )
-        : closeLocalWatcherForWorktreePath(worktreePath, deadline),
+        : getWorktreeWatcherRemoval().closeLocal(worktreePath, deadline),
       drainBeforeWatcherRemoval(
         this.fileCommands.closeFileExplorerWatchersForPath(worktreePath, connectionId),
         deadline,
@@ -10260,16 +10253,16 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
   ): Promise<void> => {
     await Promise.all([
       connectionId
-        ? restoreRemoteWatcherAfterFailedRemoval(connectionId, worktreePath)
-        : restoreLocalWatcherAfterFailedRemoval(worktreePath),
+        ? getWorktreeWatcherRemoval().restoreRemote(connectionId, worktreePath)
+        : getWorktreeWatcherRemoval().restoreLocal(worktreePath),
       this.fileCommands.restoreFileExplorerWatchersAfterFailedRemoval(worktreePath, connectionId)
     ])
   }
   forgetFileWatchersAfterRemoval = (worktreePath: string, connectionId?: string): void => {
     if (connectionId) {
-      forgetRemoteWatcherRemovalSnapshot(connectionId, worktreePath)
+      getWorktreeWatcherRemoval().forgetRemote(connectionId, worktreePath)
     } else {
-      forgetLocalWatcherRemovalSnapshot(worktreePath)
+      getWorktreeWatcherRemoval().forgetLocal(worktreePath)
     }
     this.fileCommands.forgetFileExplorerWatchersAfterRemoval(worktreePath, connectionId)
   }
diff --git a/src/main/speech/speech-runtime-service.ts b/src/main/speech/speech-runtime-service.ts
index 97f963ae57b..f5a65a939dc 100644
--- a/src/main/speech/speech-runtime-service.ts
+++ b/src/main/speech/speech-runtime-service.ts
@@ -1,28 +1,60 @@
-import { ModelManager } from './model-manager'
-import { SttService } from './stt-service'
+import type { ModelManager } from './model-manager'
+import type { SttService } from './stt-service'
 import type { VoiceSettings } from '../../shared/speech-types'
 
+/**
+ * Lazy accessors for the speech services.
+ *
+ * Why the construction is injected: `ModelManager` downloads models through Electron's
+ * streaming `net.request` — byte-range resume, progress events, a manual idle timeout —
+ * and `SttService` resolves paths inside the packaged app. Importing either for its
+ * *type* is free; constructing one is what pulls Electron in.
+ *
+ * The desktop installs the factories. A host without them rejects per call rather than
+ * returning a stub that silently does nothing: speech is a desktop feature, and a
+ * headless host saying so is more useful than one that appears to transcribe.
+ */
+
 type SpeechSettingsStore = {
   getSettings(): {
     voice?: VoiceSettings
   }
 }
 
+export type SpeechServiceFactories = {
+  createModelManager(customModelsDir: string | undefined): ModelManager
+  createSttService(models: ModelManager): SttService
+}
+
+let factories: SpeechServiceFactories | null = null
 let modelManager: ModelManager | null = null
 let sttService: SttService | null = null
 
+export function setSpeechServiceFactories(next: SpeechServiceFactories | null): void {
+  factories = next
+  modelManager = null
+  sttService = null
+}
+
+function requireFactories(): SpeechServiceFactories {
+  if (!factories) {
+    throw new Error('speech_unavailable: this host has no speech services')
+  }
+  return factories
+}
+
 export function getSpeechModelManager(store: SpeechSettingsStore): ModelManager {
   if (!modelManager) {
     const settings = store.getSettings()
     const customDir = settings.voice?.modelsDir || undefined
-    modelManager = new ModelManager(customDir || undefined)
+    modelManager = requireFactories().createModelManager(customDir || undefined)
   }
   return modelManager
 }
 
 export function getSpeechSttService(store: SpeechSettingsStore): SttService {
   if (!sttService) {
-    sttService = new SttService(getSpeechModelManager(store))
+    sttService = requireFactories().createSttService(getSpeechModelManager(store))
   }
   return sttService
 }