diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx
index c9e9dc3a..3d6c37ea 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/App.tsx
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ export default function App() {
     return `${cmd} ${args.join(' ')}`.trim();
   }
 
+  useEffect(() => window.electron.reactReady(), []);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     const handleAddExtension = (_: any, link: string) => {
       const command = extractCommand(link);
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/main.ts b/ui/desktop/src/main.ts
index 850276c4..3d4de348 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/main.ts
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/main.ts
@@ -38,31 +38,25 @@ if (started) app.quit();
 app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('goose');
 
 // Triggered when the user opens "goose://..." links
+let firstOpenWindow: BrowserWindow;
+let pendingDeepLink = null; // Store deep link if sent before React is ready
 app.on('open-url', async (event, url) => {
-  event.preventDefault();
+  pendingDeepLink = url;
 
   // Get existing window or create new one
-  let targetWindow: BrowserWindow;
   const existingWindows = BrowserWindow.getAllWindows();
 
   if (existingWindows.length > 0) {
-    targetWindow = existingWindows[0];
-    if (targetWindow.isMinimized()) targetWindow.restore();
-    targetWindow.focus();
+    firstOpenWindow = existingWindows[0];
+    if (firstOpenWindow.isMinimized()) firstOpenWindow.restore();
+    firstOpenWindow.focus();
   } else {
     const recentDirs = loadRecentDirs();
     const openDir = recentDirs.length > 0 ? recentDirs[0] : null;
-    targetWindow = await createChat(app, undefined, openDir);
+    firstOpenWindow = await createChat(app, undefined, openDir);
   }
 
-  // Wait for window to be ready before sending the extension URL
-  if (!targetWindow.webContents.isLoading()) {
-    targetWindow.webContents.send('add-extension', url);
-  } else {
-    targetWindow.webContents.once('did-finish-load', () => {
-      targetWindow.webContents.send('add-extension', url);
-    });
-  }
+  firstOpenWindow.webContents.send('add-extension', pendingDeepLink);
 });
 
 declare var MAIN_WINDOW_VITE_DEV_SERVER_URL: string;
@@ -332,6 +326,13 @@ process.on('unhandledRejection', (error) => {
   handleFatalError(error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error)));
 });
 
+ipcMain.on('react-ready', (event) => {
+  if (pendingDeepLink) {
+    firstOpenWindow.webContents.send('add-extension', pendingDeepLink);
+    pendingDeepLink = null;
+  }
+});
+
 // Add file/directory selection handler
 ipcMain.handle('select-file-or-directory', async () => {
   const result = await dialog.showOpenDialog({
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/preload.ts b/ui/desktop/src/preload.ts
index a6fe3e3d..a046cf71 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/preload.ts
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/preload.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ const config = JSON.parse(process.argv.find((arg) => arg.startsWith('{')) || '{}
 
 // Define the API types in a single place
 type ElectronAPI = {
+  reactReady: () => void;
   getConfig: () => Record<string, any>;
   hideWindow: () => void;
   directoryChooser: (replace: string) => void;
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ type AppConfigAPI = {
 };
 
 const electronAPI: ElectronAPI = {
+  reactReady: () => ipcRenderer.send('react-ready'),
   getConfig: () => config,
   hideWindow: () => ipcRenderer.send('hide-window'),
   directoryChooser: (replace: string) => ipcRenderer.send('directory-chooser', replace),