diff --git a/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte b/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte
index 381d26cd53..768975dacb 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@
 		selectedTerminalId,
 		showFileNavPath,
 		showFileNavDir,
-		chatRequestQueues
+		chatRequestQueues,
+		desktopEvent
 	} from '$lib/stores';
 
 	import { WEBUI_API_BASE_URL } from '$lib/constants';
@@ -1225,7 +1226,19 @@
 			showControls.set(true);
 		}
 
-		if ($page.url.searchParams.get('q')) {
+		// Consume one-shot desktop event (e.g. Spotlight query + attachments)
+		if ($desktopEvent) {
+			const { query, files: eventFiles } = $desktopEvent;
+			desktopEvent.set(null);
+
+			// TODO: handle eventFiles (attach to chat)
+
+			if (query) {
+				messageInput?.setText(query);
+				await tick();
+				submitHandler(query);
+			}
+		} else if ($page.url.searchParams.get('q')) {
 			const q = $page.url.searchParams.get('q') ?? '';
 			messageInput?.setText(q);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/stores/index.ts b/src/lib/stores/index.ts
index 5cd7f0d632..edcea62137 100644
--- a/src/lib/stores/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/stores/index.ts
@@ -111,6 +111,15 @@ export const artifactContents = writable(null);
 export const embed = writable(null);
 
 export const temporaryChatEnabled = writable(false);
+
+// Transient one-shot event from the desktop shell (Spotlight, drag-and-drop, etc.).
+// Set by +layout.svelte, consumed and cleared by Chat.svelte.
+export type DesktopEventFile = { name: string; mimeType: string; dataUrl: string };
+export type DesktopEvent = {
+	query?: string;
+	files?: DesktopEventFile[];
+};
+export const desktopEvent: Writable<DesktopEvent | null> = writable(null);
 export const scrollPaginationEnabled = writable(false);
 export const currentChatPage = writable(1);
 
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index 75da2acd23..0f032c6642 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@
 		showControls,
 		showFileNavPath,
 		showFileNavDir,
-		pyodideWorker
+		pyodideWorker,
+		desktopEvent
 	} from '$lib/stores';
 	import { getFileContentById } from '$lib/apis/files';
 	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
@@ -711,7 +712,8 @@
 			return;
 		}
 		if (event.type === 'query' && event.data?.query) {
-			await goto(`/?q=${encodeURIComponent(event.data.query)}`);
+			desktopEvent.set({ query: event.data.query });
+			await goto('/');
 			return;
 		}
 		if (event.type === 'theme:update' && event.data?.theme) {