diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.test.ts b/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.test.ts
index f3d0e9f3..f7f83021 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.test.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.test.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@ describe('parseExecPathFromDesktopFile', () => {
   it('returns null on empty input', () => {
     expect(parseExecPathFromDesktopFile('')).toBeNull();
   });
+
+  it('returns null on an empty quoted Exec= path', () => {
+    expect(parseExecPathFromDesktopFile('Exec=""\n')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('handles CRLF line endings', () => {
+    const content = '[Desktop Entry]\r\nExec=/opt/Backspace/backspace --hidden\r\n';
+    expect(parseExecPathFromDesktopFile(content)).toBe('/opt/Backspace/backspace');
+  });
 });
 
 describe('shouldReapplyAppImage', () => {
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.ts b/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.ts
index 808cfcab..0aaeec6f 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/autoLaunch.ts
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ export function parseExecPathFromDesktopFile(content: string): string | null {
     const line = raw.trim();
     if (!line || line.startsWith('#')) continue;
     if (!line.startsWith('Exec=')) continue;
-    const value = line.slice('Exec='.length).trimStart();
+    const value = line.slice('Exec='.length);
     if (!value) continue;
     if (value.startsWith('"')) {
       const end = value.indexOf('"', 1);
       if (end === -1) return null;
-      return value.slice(1, end);
+      const extracted = value.slice(1, end);
+      return extracted === '' ? null : extracted;
     }
     const sp = value.indexOf(' ');
     return sp === -1 ? value : value.slice(0, sp);