diff --git a/DECISION_JOURNAL.md b/DECISION_JOURNAL.md
index 355ee91..47b17c6 100644
--- a/DECISION_JOURNAL.md
+++ b/DECISION_JOURNAL.md
@@ -8,6 +8,12 @@
 
 ## Log
 
+### 2026-06-10 19:21 UTC
+- CodeXWeb claimed PR #43 review follow-up comment `4670504519` with claim comment `4673644135`.
+- Scope: keep the PR's mounted + initial data settled design, but make the initial prompt search failure path also release the hidden launcher window so users can see the existing error state.
+- Validation passed in remote sandbox: `npm ci --include=dev --no-audit --no-fund`, `npm run test:unit` (15 passed), `npm run check` (0 errors, 0 warnings), `npm run build`, and `git diff --check`.
+- Additional validation attempt: `npm run tauri build` was blocked by the remote sandbox lacking `cargo` (`cargo metadata` not found); no Tauri/Rust source was changed in this follow-up.
+
 ### 2026-01-22 21:49
 - Checked required project guidance files in this worktree:
   - CLAUDE.md: missing
diff --git a/prompt-launcher/src/lib/launcherReadyGate.js b/prompt-launcher/src/lib/launcherReadyGate.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42b75b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prompt-launcher/src/lib/launcherReadyGate.js
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/**
+ * Creates a small gate that keeps the backend window hidden until the launcher
+ * has mounted and the initial prompt search has had a chance to update UI state.
+ *
+ * @param {() => Promise<unknown>} notifyBackendReady
+ * @param {(callback: () => void) => void} [schedule]
+ * @param {(error: unknown) => void} [onError]
+ */
+export function createLauncherReadyGate(
+  notifyBackendReady,
+  schedule = (callback) => setTimeout(callback, 0),
+  onError = () => {}
+) {
+  let mounted = false;
+  let scheduled = false;
+  let notified = false;
+
+  return {
+    markMounted() {
+      mounted = true;
+    },
+
+    scheduleAfterInitialData() {
+      if (!mounted || scheduled || notified) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      scheduled = true;
+      schedule(() => {
+        void notifyBackendReady()
+          .then(() => {
+            notified = true;
+          })
+          .catch((error) => {
+            scheduled = false;
+            onError(error);
+          });
+      });
+    }
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Treat the first prompt search as settled whether it succeeds or fails so the
+ * launcher can show either results or the existing error state.
+ *
+ * @template T
+ * @param {Promise<T>} initialDataPromise
+ * @param {{ scheduleAfterInitialData: () => void }} gate
+ * @returns {Promise<T>}
+ */
+export async function notifyWhenInitialDataSettles(initialDataPromise, gate) {
+  try {
+    return await initialDataPromise;
+  } finally {
+    gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/prompt-launcher/src/lib/launcherReadyGate.test.js b/prompt-launcher/src/lib/launcherReadyGate.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..377460c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prompt-launcher/src/lib/launcherReadyGate.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import {
+  createLauncherReadyGate,
+  notifyWhenInitialDataSettles
+} from "./launcherReadyGate.js";
+
+const flushAsyncHandlers = () => new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+
+test("does not notify the backend before the frontend is mounted", async () => {
+  /** @type {string[]} */
+  const calls = [];
+  /** @type {Array<() => void>} */
+  const scheduled = [];
+  const gate = createLauncherReadyGate(
+    async () => calls.push("frontend_ready"),
+    (callback) => scheduled.push(callback)
+  );
+
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  assert.equal(scheduled.length, 0);
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, []);
+
+  gate.markMounted();
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  assert.equal(scheduled.length, 1);
+
+  scheduled[0]();
+  await flushAsyncHandlers();
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, ["frontend_ready"]);
+});
+
+test("coalesces repeated ready requests into one backend notification", async () => {
+  /** @type {string[]} */
+  const calls = [];
+  /** @type {Array<() => void>} */
+  const scheduled = [];
+  const gate = createLauncherReadyGate(
+    async () => calls.push("frontend_ready"),
+    (callback) => scheduled.push(callback)
+  );
+
+  gate.markMounted();
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+
+  assert.equal(scheduled.length, 1);
+  scheduled[0]();
+  await flushAsyncHandlers();
+
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  assert.equal(scheduled.length, 1);
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, ["frontend_ready"]);
+});
+
+test("allows retry when the backend notification fails", async () => {
+  /** @type {unknown[]} */
+  const errors = [];
+  /** @type {Array<() => void>} */
+  const scheduled = [];
+  let attempts = 0;
+  const gate = createLauncherReadyGate(
+    async () => {
+      attempts += 1;
+      if (attempts === 1) {
+        throw new Error("temporary failure");
+      }
+    },
+    (callback) => scheduled.push(callback),
+    (error) => errors.push(error)
+  );
+
+  gate.markMounted();
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  scheduled[0]();
+  await flushAsyncHandlers();
+
+  assert.equal(attempts, 1);
+  assert.equal(errors.length, 1);
+
+  gate.scheduleAfterInitialData();
+  assert.equal(scheduled.length, 2);
+  scheduled[1]();
+  await flushAsyncHandlers();
+
+  assert.equal(attempts, 2);
+  assert.equal(errors.length, 1);
+});
+
+test("schedules readiness after initial data loading fails", async () => {
+  const searchError = new Error("search_prompts failed");
+  let scheduled = false;
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    notifyWhenInitialDataSettles(Promise.reject(searchError), {
+      scheduleAfterInitialData: () => {
+        scheduled = true;
+      }
+    }),
+    searchError
+  );
+
+  assert.equal(scheduled, true);
+});
diff --git a/prompt-launcher/src/lib/tauriClient.ts b/prompt-launcher/src/lib/tauriClient.ts
index b976946..23d62ac 100644
--- a/prompt-launcher/src/lib/tauriClient.ts
+++ b/prompt-launcher/src/lib/tauriClient.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,29 @@
 import { invoke } from "@tauri-apps/api/core";
+import {
+  createLauncherReadyGate,
+  notifyWhenInitialDataSettles
+} from "./launcherReadyGate.js";
 import type { AppConfig, PromptEntry, RecentState } from "./types";
 
+const launcherReadyGate = createLauncherReadyGate(
+  () => invoke("frontend_ready"),
+  (callback) => setTimeout(callback, 0),
+  (error) => console.warn("[frontend_ready] Failed to notify backend", error)
+);
+
 export const tauriClient = {
   getConfig: () => invoke<AppConfig>("get_config"),
   listPrompts: () => invoke<PromptEntry[]>("list_prompts"),
-  searchPrompts: (query: string, limit: number, favoritesOnly: boolean) =>
-    invoke<PromptEntry[]>("search_prompts", { query, limit, favoritesOnly }),
+  searchPrompts: async (query: string, limit: number, favoritesOnly: boolean) => {
+    return notifyWhenInitialDataSettles(
+      invoke<PromptEntry[]>("search_prompts", {
+        query,
+        limit,
+        favoritesOnly
+      }),
+      launcherReadyGate
+    );
+  },
   setPromptsDir: (path: string) =>
     invoke<PromptEntry[]>("set_prompts_dir", { path }),
   createPromptFile: (name: string) =>
@@ -38,5 +56,7 @@ export const tauriClient = {
   captureActiveWindow: () => invoke("capture_active_window"),
   focusLastWindow: (autoPaste: boolean) =>
     invoke("focus_last_window", { autoPaste }),
-  frontendReady: () => invoke("frontend_ready")
-};
+  frontendReady: async () => {
+    launcherReadyGate.markMounted();
+  }
+};
\ No newline at end of file