diff --git a/dsh-plugin-desktop/src/crash-evidence.ts b/dsh-plugin-desktop/src/crash-evidence.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7dff2dd023
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dsh-plugin-desktop/src/crash-evidence.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, unlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { dirname } from 'node:path'
+
+/** Identity persisted while one desktop process is active. */
+export interface DesktopRunRecord {
+  readonly startedAt: string
+  readonly pid: number
+  readonly version: string
+}
+
+export interface UnreadableDesktopRun {
+  readonly unreadable: true
+}
+
+/** Active run marker and evidence recovered from the previous launch. */
+export interface DesktopRun {
+  readonly previousRun: DesktopRunRecord | UnreadableDesktopRun | undefined
+  /** Remove this process's active marker before a controlled exit. */
+  markClean(): void
+}
+
+function readPreviousRun(statePath: string): DesktopRunRecord | UnreadableDesktopRun | undefined {
+  if (!existsSync(statePath)) return undefined
+  try {
+    const value: unknown = JSON.parse(readFileSync(statePath, 'utf8'))
+    if (typeof value !== 'object' || value === null) return { unreadable: true }
+    const record = value as Partial<DesktopRunRecord>
+    if (typeof record.startedAt !== 'string'
+      || typeof record.pid !== 'number'
+      || typeof record.version !== 'string') return { unreadable: true }
+    return { startedAt: record.startedAt, pid: record.pid, version: record.version }
+  } catch (cause) {
+    if (cause instanceof SyntaxError) return { unreadable: true }
+    throw cause
+  }
+}
+
+/** Persist this launch and return a marker left behind by an unclean exit. */
+export function beginDesktopRun(statePath: string, currentRun: DesktopRunRecord): DesktopRun {
+  const previousRun = readPreviousRun(statePath)
+  mkdirSync(dirname(statePath), { recursive: true })
+  writeFileSync(statePath, `${JSON.stringify(currentRun)}\n`, 'utf8')
+  let clean = false
+  return {
+    previousRun,
+    markClean() {
+      if (clean) return
+      clean = true
+      unlinkSync(statePath)
+    },
+  }
+}
diff --git a/dsh-plugin-desktop/tests/crash-evidence.spec.ts b/dsh-plugin-desktop/tests/crash-evidence.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f18c3a6eb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dsh-plugin-desktop/tests/crash-evidence.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { beginDesktopRun } from '../src/crash-evidence.ts'
+
+describe('desktop crash evidence', () => {
+  it('reports the previous run when it did not shut down cleanly', () => {
+    const statePath = join(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'dsh-run-')), 'active-run.json')
+    beginDesktopRun(statePath, {
+      startedAt: '2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z',
+      pid: 41,
+      version: '2.0.1',
+    })
+
+    const next = beginDesktopRun(statePath, {
+      startedAt: '2026-08-18T00:01:00.000Z',
+      pid: 42,
+      version: '2.0.1',
+    })
+
+    expect(next.previousRun).toEqual({
+      startedAt: '2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z',
+      pid: 41,
+      version: '2.0.1',
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('does not report a run that marked its shutdown clean', () => {
+    const statePath = join(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'dsh-run-')), 'active-run.json')
+    const run = beginDesktopRun(statePath, {
+      startedAt: '2026-08-18T00:00:00.000Z',
+      pid: 41,
+      version: '2.0.1',
+    })
+
+    expect(() => {
+      run.markClean()
+      run.markClean()
+    }).not.toThrow()
+
+    const next = beginDesktopRun(statePath, {
+      startedAt: '2026-08-18T00:01:00.000Z',
+      pid: 42,
+      version: '2.0.1',
+    })
+    expect(next.previousRun).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('reports an unreadable previous marker without blocking the next run', () => {
+    const statePath = join(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'dsh-run-')), 'active-run.json')
+    writeFileSync(statePath, '{partial', 'utf8')
+
+    const run = beginDesktopRun(statePath, {
+      startedAt: '2026-08-18T00:01:00.000Z',
+      pid: 42,
+      version: '2.0.1',
+    })
+
+    expect(run.previousRun).toEqual({ unreadable: true })
+    expect(() => run.markClean()).not.toThrow()
+  })
+})