diff --git a/apps/effectcraft/src/crash_report.rs b/apps/effectcraft/src/crash_report.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1dd25c571
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/effectcraft/src/crash_report.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,490 @@
+//! A small, separate process reports an unexpected desktop exit (#3357).
+//!
+//! Allocation failure can abort without a panic hook. The GUI therefore owns a pipe to a
+//! helper which never loads a project, font database or GPU. Only an explicit marker after
+//! normal teardown suppresses the report. EOF alone identifies an unexpected exit, not its
+//! cause. System-wide exhaustion can still prevent the helper or its native dialog working.
+
+use std::ffi::{OsStr, OsString};
+use std::fs::{File, OpenOptions};
+use std::io::{self, Read, Seek, SeekFrom, Write};
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::process::{Child, ChildStdin, Command, Stdio};
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant, SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
+
+const FLAG: &str = "--internal-crash-reporter";
+const CLEAN: &[u8] = b"EFFECTCRAFT_CLEAN_EXIT_V1\n";
+const LOG_BYTES: usize = 64 * 1024;
+const HEADER_BYTES: usize = 128;
+
+/// Owned only by the GUI, never handed to another child. Dropping it without `finish` closes
+/// the pipe and reports an unexpected exit; there is intentionally no clean-exit Drop hook.
+pub struct Reporter {
+    pipe: ChildStdin,
+    child: Child,
+}
+
+impl Reporter {
+    /// Call only after application teardown, including handled startup/device-loss errors.
+    pub fn finish(mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        let sent = self.pipe.write_all(CLEAN).and_then(|()| self.pipe.flush());
+        drop(self.pipe);
+        // Do not let a suspended/broken helper hang shutdown. Reap it before the GUI
+        // exits where possible, so Windows updates do not race an old executable.
+        let cleanup = finish_child(&mut self.child, Duration::from_secs(2));
+        match (sent, cleanup) {
+            (Err(sent), Err(cleanup)) => Err(io::Error::other(format!("clean marker failed: {sent}; cleanup failed: {cleanup}"))),
+            (Err(error), _) | (_, Err(error)) => Err(error),
+            (Ok(()), Ok(())) => Ok(()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn finish_child(child: &mut Child, grace: Duration) -> io::Result<()> {
+    let start = Instant::now();
+    while start.elapsed() < grace {
+        if let Some(status) = child.try_wait()? {
+            return if status.success() { Ok(()) } else { Err(io::Error::other(format!("crash reporter exited with {status}"))) };
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(20));
+    }
+    child.kill()?;
+    // Even after termination, do not introduce an unbounded wait on a stuck OS process.
+    let start = Instant::now();
+    while start.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(1) {
+        if child.try_wait()?.is_some() {
+            return Err(io::Error::other("crash reporter did not finish promptly and was terminated"));
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(20));
+    }
+    Err(io::Error::other("crash reporter termination could not be confirmed"))
+}
+
+/// Each process/run has its own report, including simultaneous launches.
+pub fn run_id() -> String {
+    let nanos = SystemTime::now().duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH).unwrap_or_default().as_nanos();
+    format!("{}-{nanos}", std::process::id())
+}
+
+pub fn session_marker(id: &str) -> String {
+    format!("crash-report session {id}")
+}
+
+/// Start before heavy work. A missing helper is a warning, never a reason to refuse the app.
+pub fn start(id: &str, log: Option<&Path>, reports: &Path, interactive: bool) -> io::Result<Reporter> {
+    let exe = std::env::current_exe()?;
+    let args = [
+        OsString::from(FLAG),
+        OsString::from(id),
+        log.map_or_else(OsString::new, |p| p.as_os_str().to_owned()),
+        reports.as_os_str().to_owned(),
+        OsString::from(if interactive { "1" } else { "0" }),
+    ];
+    spawn(&exe, &args)
+}
+
+fn spawn(exe: &Path, args: &[OsString]) -> io::Result<Reporter> {
+    let mut child = Command::new(exe).args(args).stdin(Stdio::piped()).stdout(Stdio::null()).spawn()?;
+    match child.stdin.take() {
+        Some(pipe) => Ok(Reporter { pipe, child }),
+        None => {
+            let _ = child.kill();
+            let _ = child.wait();
+            Err(io::Error::other("crash reporter has no control pipe"))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Handle the internal mode before logging, argument parsing, updates or GUI initialization.
+/// The callback is a native dialog on this helper's main thread, not on the failed GUI's.
+pub fn maybe_run(args: &[OsString], show: impl FnOnce(&str)) -> bool {
+    if args.first().map(OsString::as_os_str) != Some(OsStr::new(FLAG)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    let parsed = match args {
+        [_, id, log, reports, interactive] => id
+            .to_str()
+            .filter(|id| valid_id(id))
+            .zip(match interactive.to_str() {
+                Some("0") => Some(false),
+                Some("1") => Some(true),
+                _ => None,
+            })
+            .map(|(id, interactive)| (id, (!log.is_empty()).then(|| Path::new(log)), Path::new(reports), interactive)),
+        _ => None,
+    };
+    let Some((id, log, reports, interactive)) = parsed else {
+        eprintln!("EffectCraft crash reporter: invalid internal arguments");
+        return true;
+    };
+    // Keep the exact file open while the GUI is alive: a later rotation must not substitute
+    // another instance's log. If rotation won the startup race, the session marker rejects it.
+    let mut log = SessionLog::open(log, id);
+    match clean_exit(&mut io::stdin().lock()) {
+        Ok(true) => {}
+        result => {
+            let failure = result.err().map(|e| e.to_string());
+            let saved = write_report(reports, id, &mut log, failure.as_deref());
+            let description = description(&saved);
+            eprintln!("{description}");
+            if interactive {
+                show(&description);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    true
+}
+
+fn valid_id(id: &str) -> bool {
+    !id.is_empty() && id.len() <= 80 && id.bytes().all(|c| c.is_ascii_digit() || c == b'-')
+}
+
+/// Fixed-size comparison: arbitrary/truncated input never grows a buffer or counts as clean.
+fn clean_exit(input: &mut impl Read) -> io::Result<bool> {
+    let mut marker = [0u8; CLEAN.len()];
+    let mut filled = 0;
+    while filled < marker.len() {
+        let remaining = marker.get_mut(filled..).ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("invalid control marker offset"))?;
+        match input.read(remaining) {
+            Ok(0) => return Ok(false),
+            Ok(n) => filled += n,
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::Interrupted => {}
+            Err(e) => return Err(e),
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(marker == CLEAN)
+}
+
+enum SessionLog {
+    Captured(File),
+    Unavailable(String),
+}
+
+impl SessionLog {
+    fn open(path: Option<&Path>, id: &str) -> Self {
+        let opened = (|| {
+            let path = path.ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("no session log was opened"))?;
+            let mut file = File::open(path)?;
+            let mut header = [0u8; HEADER_BYTES];
+            let marker = format!("{}\n", session_marker(id));
+            let prefix = header.get_mut(..marker.len()).ok_or_else(|| io::Error::other("session marker too long"))?;
+            file.read_exact(prefix)?;
+            if prefix != marker.as_bytes() {
+                return Err(io::Error::other("matching session marker unavailable; the log may have rotated"));
+            }
+            Ok(file)
+        })();
+        match opened {
+            Ok(file) => Self::Captured(file),
+            Err(e) => Self::Unavailable(e.to_string()),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn write_tail(&mut self, report: &mut File) -> io::Result<()> {
+        match self {
+            Self::Unavailable(reason) => writeln!(report, "Recent log unavailable: {reason}"),
+            Self::Captured(file) => {
+                let size = file.metadata()?.len();
+                file.seek(SeekFrom::Start(size.saturating_sub(LOG_BYTES as u64)))?;
+                writeln!(report, "\nRecorded session log tail (last {LOG_BYTES} bytes at most; logging filters/size caps may omit later events):")?;
+                io::copy(&mut file.take(LOG_BYTES as u64), report)?;
+                Ok(())
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn write_report(reports: &Path, id: &str, log: &mut SessionLog, pipe_error: Option<&str>) -> io::Result<PathBuf> {
+    if !valid_id(id) {
+        return Err(io::Error::other("invalid report identity"));
+    }
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(reports)?;
+    let path = reports.join(format!("crash-{id}.txt"));
+    let mut report = OpenOptions::new().write(true).create_new(true).open(&path)?;
+    writeln!(
+        report,
+        "EffectCraft unexpected-exit diagnostic\nVersion: {}\nPlatform: {} / {}\nSession: {id}",
+        env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
+        std::env::consts::OS,
+        std::env::consts::ARCH
+    )?;
+    writeln!(
+        report,
+        "The GUI's control pipe ended without its clean-exit marker.\nThe exit status and exact cause are not available to this reporter.\nMemory exhaustion, a native crash or external termination are possible.\nThis report was saved locally; it was not sent anywhere."
+    )?;
+    if let Some(error) = pipe_error {
+        writeln!(report, "Control pipe error: {error}")?;
+    }
+    if let Err(error) = log.write_tail(&mut report) {
+        writeln!(report, "\nCould not read the recent session log: {error}")?;
+    }
+    report.flush()?;
+    Ok(path)
+}
+
+fn description(saved: &io::Result<PathBuf>) -> String {
+    let diagnostic = match saved {
+        Ok(path) => format!("A diagnostic report was saved to:\n{}", path.display()),
+        Err(error) => format!("A diagnostic report could not be saved: {error}"),
+    };
+    format!(
+        "EffectCraft stopped unexpectedly.\n\n{diagnostic}\n\nThe exact cause is unknown. Reopen EffectCraft to check for an existing auto-save. Changes since the last auto-save may be lost.\n\nNo report has been sent anywhere."
+    )
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
+    use std::thread;
+    use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+
+    static NEXT: AtomicUsize = AtomicUsize::new(0);
+    const ROLE: &str = "EFFECTCRAFT_CRASH_REPORT_TEST_ROLE";
+
+    fn folder() -> PathBuf {
+        let p = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("ec-crash-report-{}-{}", run_id(), NEXT.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed)));
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&p).unwrap();
+        p
+    }
+
+    fn test_name(name: &str) -> String {
+        // Also usable as a standalone std-only rustc test while the app's build cache is busy.
+        let prefix = module_path!().split_once("::").map_or("", |(_, rest)| rest);
+        format!("{prefix}::{name}")
+    }
+
+    fn helper(dir: &Path, id: &str) -> Reporter {
+        helper_mode(dir, id, false)
+    }
+
+    fn helper_mode(dir: &Path, id: &str, interactive: bool) -> Reporter {
+        let mut child = Command::new(std::env::current_exe().unwrap())
+            .args(["--exact", &test_name("reporter_process"), "--ignored", "--nocapture"])
+            .env(ROLE, "reporter")
+            .env("EC_REPORT_DIR", dir)
+            .env("EC_REPORT_ID", id)
+            .env("EC_REPORT_INTERACTIVE", if interactive { "1" } else { "0" })
+            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(Stdio::null())
+            .spawn()
+            .unwrap();
+        Reporter { pipe: child.stdin.take().unwrap(), child }
+    }
+
+    fn wait_file(path: &Path) {
+        let until = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(10);
+        while !path.is_file() && Instant::now() < until {
+            thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(20));
+        }
+        assert!(path.is_file(), "report did not arrive: {}", path.display());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn bounded_protocol_rejects_eof_and_partial_or_wrong_markers() {
+        let mut clean = CLEAN;
+        assert!(clean_exit(&mut clean).unwrap());
+        for mut input in [b"".as_slice(), &CLEAN[..CLEAN.len() - 1], b"clean", b"EFFECTCRAFT_CLEAN_EXIT_V0\n"] {
+            assert!(!clean_exit(&mut input).unwrap());
+        }
+        assert!(!clean_exit(&mut &vec![b'x'; 100_000][..]).unwrap());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn report_is_bounded_and_keeps_its_session_after_log_rotation() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        let original = dir.join("effectcraft.log");
+        let id = "123-456";
+        std::fs::write(&original, format!("{}\n", session_marker(id))).unwrap();
+        let mut log = SessionLog::open(Some(&original), id);
+        std::fs::rename(&original, dir.join("effectcraft.1.log")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(&original, "OTHER SESSION MUST NOT APPEAR").unwrap();
+        let mut old = OpenOptions::new().append(true).open(dir.join("effectcraft.1.log")).unwrap();
+        old.write_all(&vec![b'a'; LOG_BYTES * 2]).unwrap();
+        old.write_all(b"\nGPU context retired\n").unwrap();
+        let report = write_report(&dir, id, &mut log, None).unwrap();
+        let text = std::fs::read_to_string(report).unwrap();
+        assert!(text.len() < LOG_BYTES + 2048);
+        assert!(text.contains("GPU context retired"));
+        assert!(!text.contains("OTHER SESSION"));
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn wrong_session_and_missing_logs_are_reported_without_reading_other_content() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        let path = dir.join("log");
+        std::fs::write(&path, "private other session").unwrap();
+        for (id, source) in [("1-1", Some(path.as_path())), ("1-2", None)] {
+            let report = write_report(&dir, id, &mut SessionLog::open(source, id), None).unwrap();
+            let text = std::fs::read_to_string(report).unwrap();
+            assert!(text.contains("Recent log unavailable"));
+            assert!(!text.contains("private other session"));
+        }
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn session_identity_requires_the_exact_first_line() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        let path = dir.join("log");
+        for header in ["crash-report session 1-20\n", "unrelated\ncrash-report session 1-2\n"] {
+            std::fs::write(&path, header).unwrap();
+            assert!(matches!(SessionLog::open(Some(&path), "1-2"), SessionLog::Unavailable(_)));
+        }
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn report_write_failure_is_described_and_existing_report_is_not_overwritten() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        let mut log = SessionLog::Unavailable("no log".into());
+        let first = write_report(&dir, "2-1", &mut log, None).unwrap();
+        let before = std::fs::read(&first).unwrap();
+        let result = write_report(&dir, "2-1", &mut log, None);
+        assert!(result.is_err());
+        assert!(description(&result).contains("could not be saved"));
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read(first).unwrap(), before);
+        assert!(write_report(&dir, "../escape", &mut log, None).is_err());
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normal_and_handled_shutdown_send_clean_marker_without_a_report() {
+        for id in ["3-1", "3-2"] {
+            let dir = folder();
+            let r = helper(&dir, id);
+            r.finish().unwrap();
+            // A completion file proves the helper consumed the marker, not merely that it
+            // hadn't yet produced a report.
+            wait_file(&dir.join(format!("ready-{id}")));
+            assert!(!dir.join(format!("crash-{id}.txt")).exists());
+            std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_aborting_parent_leaves_one_diagnostic_report() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        let status = Command::new(std::env::current_exe().unwrap())
+            .args(["--exact", &test_name("aborting_parent"), "--ignored", "--nocapture"])
+            .env(ROLE, "abort")
+            .env("EC_REPORT_DIR", &dir)
+            .stdout(Stdio::null())
+            .status()
+            .unwrap();
+        assert!(!status.success());
+        wait_file(&dir.join("ready-4-1"));
+        let text = std::fs::read_to_string(dir.join("crash-4-1.txt")).unwrap();
+        assert!(text.contains("exact cause are not available"));
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_unrelated_child_does_not_keep_the_control_pipe_open() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        let r = helper(&dir, "5-1");
+        let mut unrelated = Command::new(std::env::current_exe().unwrap())
+            .args(["--exact", &test_name("lingering_child"), "--ignored", "--nocapture"])
+            .env(ROLE, "linger")
+            .stdout(Stdio::null())
+            .spawn()
+            .unwrap();
+        drop(r);
+        wait_file(&dir.join("ready-5-1"));
+        assert!(unrelated.try_wait().unwrap().is_none());
+        unrelated.kill().unwrap();
+        unrelated.wait().unwrap();
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_unresponsive_helper_cannot_hang_clean_shutdown() {
+        let mut child = Command::new(std::env::current_exe().unwrap())
+            .args(["--exact", &test_name("lingering_child"), "--ignored", "--nocapture"])
+            .env(ROLE, "linger")
+            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(Stdio::null())
+            .spawn()
+            .unwrap();
+        let pipe = child.stdin.take().unwrap();
+        let started = Instant::now();
+        let result = Reporter { pipe, child }.finish();
+        assert!(result.unwrap_err().to_string().contains("was terminated"));
+        assert!(started.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(5));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn simultaneous_sessions_write_separate_reports() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        let a = helper(&dir, "6-1");
+        let b = helper(&dir, "6-2");
+        drop(a);
+        drop(b);
+        wait_file(&dir.join("ready-6-1"));
+        wait_file(&dir.join("ready-6-2"));
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn interactive_failure_calls_dialog_once_after_saving_the_report() {
+        let dir = folder();
+        drop(helper_mode(&dir, "7-1", true));
+        wait_file(&dir.join("ready-7-1"));
+        let text = std::fs::read_to_string(dir.join("dialog-7-1")).unwrap();
+        assert!(text.contains("crash-7-1.txt"));
+        assert!(text.contains("No report has been sent"));
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn internal_mode_rejects_invalid_arguments_without_launching_the_app() {
+        assert!(!maybe_run(&[], |_| panic!("no dialog")));
+        assert!(!maybe_run(&[OsString::from("--version")], |_| panic!("no dialog")));
+        assert!(maybe_run(&[OsString::from(FLAG)], |_| panic!("no dialog")));
+        let args = [FLAG, "../escape", "", "", "1"].map(OsString::from);
+        assert!(maybe_run(&args, |_| panic!("no dialog")));
+        let args = [FLAG, "1-1", "", "", "invalid"].map(OsString::from);
+        assert!(maybe_run(&args, |_| panic!("no dialog")));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn missing_helper_is_an_error_not_a_panic() {
+        assert!(spawn(Path::new("/nonexistent-effectcraft-crash-helper"), &[]).is_err());
+    }
+
+    // Roles are ignored by ordinary test runs. Explicit subprocess invocations exercise
+    // real EOF/abort behavior without allocating a huge image or killing the test runner.
+    #[test]
+    #[ignore]
+    fn reporter_process() {
+        assert_eq!(std::env::var(ROLE).unwrap(), "reporter");
+        let dir = PathBuf::from(std::env::var_os("EC_REPORT_DIR").unwrap());
+        let id = std::env::var("EC_REPORT_ID").unwrap();
+        let interactive = std::env::var("EC_REPORT_INTERACTIVE").unwrap();
+        let args = [OsString::from(FLAG), OsString::from(&id), OsString::new(), dir.as_os_str().to_owned(), OsString::from(&interactive)];
+        assert!(maybe_run(&args, |description| {
+            assert_eq!(interactive, "1", "non-interactive reporter must not show a dialog");
+            assert!(dir.join(format!("crash-{id}.txt")).exists());
+            let mut shown = OpenOptions::new().write(true).create_new(true).open(dir.join(format!("dialog-{id}"))).unwrap();
+            shown.write_all(description.as_bytes()).unwrap();
+        }));
+        std::fs::write(dir.join(format!("ready-{id}")), b"done").unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[ignore]
+    fn aborting_parent() {
+        assert_eq!(std::env::var(ROLE).unwrap(), "abort");
+        let dir = PathBuf::from(std::env::var_os("EC_REPORT_DIR").unwrap());
+        let _reporter = helper(&dir, "4-1");
+        std::process::abort();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[ignore]
+    fn lingering_child() {
+        assert_eq!(std::env::var(ROLE).unwrap(), "linger");
+        thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(30));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs b/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs
index 5350addbe..ce4bcdd84 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ mod appimage;
 mod apple_events;
 mod audio_out;
 mod control_server;
+mod crash_report;
 mod launch_guard;
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 mod native_menu;
@@ -180,6 +181,25 @@ fn start_helpers_if_opted_in(session: &mut effectcraft_engine::Session) {
 /// Builds the session, loads settings, plugins, the requested project/media and the optional control server, then
 /// reports startup failure through `startup_failed`. Returns the event loop's result.
 fn main() -> eframe::Result {
+    let args: Vec<_> = std::env::args_os().skip(1).collect();
+    if crash_report::maybe_run(&args, |description| {
+        rfd::MessageDialog::new().set_level(rfd::MessageLevel::Error).set_title("EffectCraft stopped unexpectedly").set_description(description).show();
+    }) {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+    let mut reporter = None;
+    let result = run_desktop(&mut reporter);
+    // run_desktop has dropped the app and handled any startup error with its existing dialog.
+    // An unwinding panic or abort never reaches this marker.
+    if let Some(reporter) = reporter
+        && let Err(error) = reporter.finish()
+    {
+        log::warn!("could not mark crash reporter clean: {error}");
+    }
+    result
+}
+
+fn run_desktop(reporter: &mut Option<crash_report::Reporter>) -> eframe::Result {
     // Windows: the update helper is a copy of this program started with `--finish-update`.
     #[cfg(windows)]
     if let Some(result) = craft_update::self_update::finish(&effectcraft_ui_egui::UPDATE_APP, &std::env::args_os().skip(1).collect::<Vec<_>>()) {
@@ -205,12 +225,19 @@ fn main() -> eframe::Result {
     // The session log lives in the settings folder (`Logs/effectcraft.log`, the previous two runs
     // kept): a launch from the Dock or a menu has no terminal. Opened after the arguments, so
     // `--version` leaves no file behind; records logged until now are written to it first.
+    let run_id = crash_report::run_id();
     if let Some(dir) = effectcraft_host::config_dir() {
-        match effectcraft_engine::logging::attach_session_log(&effectcraft_engine::logging::log_dir(Some(&dir))) {
+        let header = format!("{}\n", crash_report::session_marker(&run_id));
+        match effectcraft_engine::logging::attach_session_log_with_header(&effectcraft_engine::logging::log_dir(Some(&dir)), &header) {
             Ok(path) => log::info!("effectcraft {}, log file {}", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"), path.display()),
             Err(e) => log::warn!("no log file: {e}"),
         }
     }
+    let logs = effectcraft_engine::logging::log_dir(effectcraft_host::config_dir().as_deref());
+    match crash_report::start(&run_id, effectcraft_engine::logging::session_file().as_deref(), &logs.join("Crash Reports"), control_port.is_none()) {
+        Ok(started) => *reporter = Some(started),
+        Err(error) => log::warn!("crash reporter could not start: {error}"),
+    }
     // The font menus list the installed fonts: read their names while the window opens.
     effectcraft_engine::text::fonts::scan_system_in_background();
     // Wayland shows the window's icon from its desktop entry: an AppImage brings its own.
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/system/logging.rs b/crates/engine/src/system/logging.rs
index 857a3e90d..198aa3b46 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/system/logging.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/system/logging.rs
@@ -221,9 +221,18 @@ fn rotate(dir: &Path) -> std::io::Result<(PathBuf, File)> {
 /// Rotate the session logs in `dir` (the `Logs` folder, see [`log_dir`]) and write records to
 /// a fresh `effectcraft.log` there, first the ones logged so far; returns its path.
 pub fn attach_session_log(dir: &Path) -> Result<PathBuf, String> {
+    attach_session_log_with_header(dir, "")
+}
+
+/// Open a session log with a bounded, unfiltered identity header before buffered records.
+/// A crash reporter can then recognize this run even with logging disabled or verbose startup.
+pub fn attach_session_log_with_header(dir: &Path, header: &str) -> Result<PathBuf, String> {
+    if header.len() > 1024 {
+        return Err("session log header exceeds 1024 bytes".into());
+    }
     let (path, file) = rotate(dir).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", dir.display()))?;
     let mut sink = SESSION.lock().unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner);
-    sink.attach(file);
+    sink.attach_with_header(file, header);
     sink.path = Some(path.clone());
     Ok(path)
 }
@@ -264,8 +273,14 @@ impl Sink {
     }
 
     /// Start writing to `file`, first the lines kept so far.
+    #[cfg(test)]
     fn attach(&mut self, file: File) {
+        self.attach_with_header(file, "");
+    }
+
+    fn attach_with_header(&mut self, file: File, header: &str) {
         self.file = Some(file);
+        self.append(header);
         for line in std::mem::take(&mut self.pending) {
             self.append(&line);
         }
@@ -333,6 +348,22 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use std::sync::atomic::AtomicUsize;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn identity_header_precedes_buffered_records_independent_of_log_filter() {
+        let dir = temp_dir("identity-header");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).unwrap();
+        let path = dir.join("session");
+        let mut sink = Sink::new(MAX_FILE_BYTES);
+        sink.write(&"earlier startup record".repeat(1000));
+        sink.attach_with_header(File::create(&path).unwrap(), "crash-report session 1-2\n");
+        let text = std::fs::read_to_string(&path).unwrap();
+        assert!(text.starts_with("crash-report session 1-2\n"));
+        assert!(text.contains("earlier startup record"));
+        assert!(attach_session_log_with_header(&dir, &"x".repeat(1025)).is_err());
+        drop(sink);
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
+
     /// `RUST_LOG` picks what start-up prints to stderr (#234).
     #[test]
     fn rust_log_filters_by_level_and_target() {
diff --git a/docs/testing.md b/docs/testing.md
index e84a9a23b..6c3d91626 100644
--- a/docs/testing.md
+++ b/docs/testing.md
@@ -112,3 +112,24 @@ and line instead of being discarded. `--fail-over PCT` requires the same run key
 successful latest runs, and at least one comparable resource metric per run. Failed latest runs,
 missing coverage, empty results and wall-time-only measurements cannot pass the gate. Omit
 `--fail-over` for an exploratory partial comparison; failed latest runs remain visible.
+
+## Unexpected desktop exit diagnostics
+
+The desktop starts a separate, lightweight reporter before loading fonts, projects or the GPU.
+A normal exit (including a handled startup error) sends a clean marker only after desktop
+teardown. An abort or other unexpected process termination closes the pipe without that marker.
+The helper saves a local report under the session log folder's `Crash Reports` directory and
+shows a native error dialog. Control-server launches save the report without a modal dialog.
+Reports contain version/platform and at most the last 64 KiB of the matching session's log.
+Logging filters and the session file size cap can omit later events from that tail.
+They are never uploaded automatically. Review logs for private project paths before sharing.
+
+Run `cargo test -p effectcraft crash_report::tests` for bounded protocol, normal shutdown,
+actual subprocess abort, unrelated child handles, concurrent sessions, missing log/helper,
+log rotation and report-write failure coverage. The three ignored tests are subprocess entry
+points launched by these tests, not manual tests.
+
+This is diagnosis, not memory recovery: a pipe closing does not prove an out-of-memory failure
+or provide the process's exit code. System-wide exhaustion, killing the whole process tree,
+or an unavailable native dialog service can also prevent the helper from reporting. Existing
+auto-save recovery remains responsible for restoring previously saved work.