diff --git a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
index 392940e8534..ce67ccbb7eb 100644
--- a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ import {
   resolveDesktopProductName,
   resolveDesktopUpdateChannel,
   resolveDesktopWebAssetBrand,
-  renderLinuxHeadlessLauncher,
   resolveLinuxTargets,
   resolveResourceMonitorRustTargets,
   resourceMonitorExecutableName,
@@ -570,7 +569,6 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("build-desktop-artifact", (it) => {
         false,
         undefined,
         undefined,
-        "/tmp/t3",
       );
       const appImageOnly = yield* createBuildConfig(
         "linux",
@@ -587,10 +585,9 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("build-desktop-artifact", (it) => {
         "deb",
         "rpm",
       ]);
-      // Both fpm-backed formats are configured from the one run, each with its
-      // own dependency list and the headless launcher.
-      assert.deepStrictEqual((all.deb as Record<string, unknown>).fpm, ["/tmp/t3=/usr/bin/t3"]);
-      assert.deepStrictEqual((all.rpm as Record<string, unknown>).fpm, ["/tmp/t3=/usr/bin/t3"]);
+      // Both fpm-backed formats are configured from the one run.
+      assert.property(all, "deb");
+      assert.property(all, "rpm");
 
       // An AppImage-only build stays free of package-format sections.
       assert.notProperty(appImageOnly, "deb");
@@ -608,7 +605,6 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("build-desktop-artifact", (it) => {
         false,
         undefined,
         undefined,
-        "/tmp/t3",
       );
 
       const linux = config.linux as Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -633,11 +629,10 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("build-desktop-artifact", (it) => {
         "libsecret-1-0",
         "libasound2t64 | libasound2",
       ]);
-      assert.deepStrictEqual(deb.fpm, ["/tmp/t3=/usr/bin/t3"]);
     }).pipe(Effect.provide(ConfigProvider.layer(ConfigProvider.fromEnv({ env: {} })))),
   );
 
-  it.effect("includes runtime dependencies and the headless launcher in RPM packages", () =>
+  it.effect("includes runtime dependencies in RPM packages", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const config = yield* createBuildConfig(
         "linux",
@@ -647,7 +642,6 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("build-desktop-artifact", (it) => {
         false,
         undefined,
         undefined,
-        "/tmp/t3",
       );
 
       const rpm = config.rpm as Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -664,24 +658,9 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("build-desktop-artifact", (it) => {
         "libsecret",
         "mesa-libgbm",
       ]);
-      assert.deepStrictEqual(rpm.fpm, ["/tmp/t3=/usr/bin/t3"]);
     }).pipe(Effect.provide(ConfigProvider.layer(ConfigProvider.fromEnv({ env: {} })))),
   );
 
-  it("renders a headless launcher for production and nightly packages", () => {
-    assert.equal(
-      renderLinuxHeadlessLauncher("1.2.3"),
-      [
-        "#!/bin/sh",
-        "set -eu",
-        "export ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1",
-        `exec '/opt/T3 Code (Alpha)/t3code' '/opt/T3 Code (Alpha)/resources/app.asar.unpacked/apps/server/dist/bin.mjs' "$@"`,
-        "",
-      ].join("\n"),
-    );
-    assert.match(renderLinuxHeadlessLauncher("1.2.3-nightly.20260720.1"), /T3 Code \(Nightly\)/);
-  });
-
   it("stages the resource monitor as an external executable resource", () => {
     assert.deepStrictEqual(DESKTOP_EXTRA_RESOURCES, [
       {
diff --git a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts
index f00d5fbc468..848ccdab849 100644
--- a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts
+++ b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts
@@ -1551,10 +1551,6 @@ export function resolveDesktopProductName(version: string): string {
     : (desktopPackageJson.productName ?? "T3 Code");
 }
 
-function quotePosixShellArgument(value: string): string {
-  return `'${value.replaceAll("'", `'\\''`)}'`;
-}
-
 /**
  * Splits a comma-separated Linux target string, for example "AppImage,deb,rpm",
  * so one electron-builder run emits every package from the same staged app.
@@ -1572,20 +1568,6 @@ export function resolveLinuxTargets(target: string): ReadonlyArray<string> {
     .filter((entry) => entry.length > 0);
 }
 
-export function renderLinuxHeadlessLauncher(version: string): string {
-  const installDir = `/opt/${resolveDesktopProductName(version)}`;
-  const desktopExecutable = `${installDir}/t3code`;
-  const serverEntry = `${installDir}/resources/app.asar.unpacked/apps/server/dist/bin.mjs`;
-
-  return [
-    "#!/bin/sh",
-    "set -eu",
-    "export ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE=1",
-    `exec ${quotePosixShellArgument(desktopExecutable)} ${quotePosixShellArgument(serverEntry)} "$@"`,
-    "",
-  ].join("\n");
-}
-
 export const createBuildConfig = Effect.fn("createBuildConfig")(function* (
   platform: typeof BuildPlatform.Type,
   target: string,
@@ -1599,7 +1581,6 @@ export const createBuildConfig = Effect.fn("createBuildConfig")(function* (
         readonly provisioningProfilePath: string;
       }
     | undefined,
-  linuxHeadlessLauncherPath?: string,
 ) {
   const buildConfig: Record<string, unknown> = {
     appId: DESKTOP_APP_ID,
@@ -1679,14 +1660,12 @@ export const createBuildConfig = Effect.fn("createBuildConfig")(function* (
     if (linuxTargets.includes("deb")) {
       buildConfig.deb = {
         depends: [...DEB_DEPENDENCIES],
-        ...(linuxHeadlessLauncherPath ? { fpm: [`${linuxHeadlessLauncherPath}=/usr/bin/t3`] } : {}),
       };
     }
 
     if (linuxTargets.includes("rpm")) {
       buildConfig.rpm = {
         depends: [...RPM_DEPENDENCIES],
-        ...(linuxHeadlessLauncherPath ? { fpm: [`${linuxHeadlessLauncherPath}=/usr/bin/t3`] } : {}),
       };
     }
   }
@@ -1972,17 +1951,6 @@ const buildDesktopArtifact = Effect.fn("buildDesktopArtifact")(function* (
     yield* fs.writeFileString(macEntitlementsPath, renderMacPasskeyEntitlements(macPasskeySigning));
   }
 
-  const linuxPackageTargets = resolveLinuxTargets(options.target);
-  const linuxHeadlessLauncherPath =
-    options.platform === "linux" &&
-    (linuxPackageTargets.includes("deb") || linuxPackageTargets.includes("rpm"))
-      ? path.join(stageRoot, "t3")
-      : undefined;
-  if (linuxHeadlessLauncherPath) {
-    yield* fs.writeFileString(linuxHeadlessLauncherPath, renderLinuxHeadlessLauncher(appVersion));
-    yield* fs.chmod(linuxHeadlessLauncherPath, 0o755);
-  }
-
   const stageDependencies = {
     ...resolvedServerDependencies,
     ...resolvedDesktopRuntimeDependencies,
@@ -2033,7 +2001,6 @@ const buildDesktopArtifact = Effect.fn("buildDesktopArtifact")(function* (
             provisioningProfilePath: macPasskeySigning.provisioningProfilePath,
           }
         : undefined,
-      linuxHeadlessLauncherPath,
     ),
     dependencies: stageDependencies,
     devDependencies: {