diff --git a/src/lib/utils/connections.ts b/src/lib/utils/connections.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7c7bc0408d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/utils/connections.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+/**
+ * Shared helpers for managing system-level connections.
+ * Used by both the admin settings UI and the desktop event handler
+ * to ensure consistent add/remove logic.
+ */
+
+import { getOpenAIConfig, updateOpenAIConfig } from '$lib/apis/openai';
+import {
+	getTerminalServerConnections,
+	setTerminalServerConnections
+} from '$lib/apis/configs';
+
+// ─── OpenAI Connections ─────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Add an OpenAI-compatible API connection at the system level.
+ * Mirrors the logic in admin/Settings/Connections.svelte.
+ */
+export const addOpenAIConnection = async (
+	token: string,
+	connection: { url: string; key?: string; config?: object }
+) => {
+	const current = await getOpenAIConfig(token);
+	const urls = current?.OPENAI_API_BASE_URLS ?? [];
+	const keys = current?.OPENAI_API_KEYS ?? [];
+	const configs = current?.OPENAI_API_CONFIGS ?? {};
+
+	const normalizedUrl = connection.url.replace(/\/$/, '');
+
+	// Don't add duplicates
+	if (urls.map((u: string) => u.replace(/\/$/, '')).includes(normalizedUrl)) {
+		return current;
+	}
+
+	urls.push(normalizedUrl);
+	keys.push(connection.key ?? '');
+	if (connection.config) {
+		configs[(urls.length - 1).toString()] = connection.config;
+	}
+
+	return await updateOpenAIConfig(token, {
+		ENABLE_OPENAI_API: current?.ENABLE_OPENAI_API ?? true,
+		OPENAI_API_BASE_URLS: urls,
+		OPENAI_API_KEYS: keys,
+		OPENAI_API_CONFIGS: configs
+	});
+};
+
+/**
+ * Remove an OpenAI-compatible API connection by URL at the system level.
+ * Re-indexes OPENAI_API_CONFIGS to match the admin delete pattern.
+ */
+export const removeOpenAIConnection = async (token: string, url: string) => {
+	const current = await getOpenAIConfig(token);
+	const urls: string[] = current?.OPENAI_API_BASE_URLS ?? [];
+	const keys: string[] = current?.OPENAI_API_KEYS ?? [];
+	const configs: Record<string, any> = current?.OPENAI_API_CONFIGS ?? {};
+
+	const normalizedUrl = url.replace(/\/$/, '');
+	const idx = urls.findIndex((u: string) => u.replace(/\/$/, '') === normalizedUrl);
+	if (idx === -1) return current;
+
+	const newUrls = urls.filter((_: string, i: number) => i !== idx);
+	const newKeys = keys.filter((_: string, i: number) => i !== idx);
+
+	// Re-index configs (mirrors admin/Settings/Connections.svelte onDelete)
+	const newConfigs: Record<string, any> = {};
+	newUrls.forEach((_: string, newIdx: number) => {
+		newConfigs[newIdx] = configs[newIdx < idx ? newIdx : newIdx + 1];
+	});
+
+	return await updateOpenAIConfig(token, {
+		ENABLE_OPENAI_API: current?.ENABLE_OPENAI_API ?? true,
+		OPENAI_API_BASE_URLS: newUrls,
+		OPENAI_API_KEYS: newKeys,
+		OPENAI_API_CONFIGS: newConfigs
+	});
+};
+
+// ─── Terminal Server Connections ────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Add a terminal server connection at the system level.
+ * Mirrors the logic in admin/Settings/Integrations.svelte.
+ */
+export const addTerminalConnection = async (
+	token: string,
+	connection: { url: string; key?: string; name?: string; auth_type?: string }
+) => {
+	const current = await getTerminalServerConnections(token);
+	const servers = current?.TERMINAL_SERVER_CONNECTIONS ?? [];
+
+	// Don't add duplicates
+	if (servers.find((s: any) => s.url === connection.url)) {
+		return current;
+	}
+
+	servers.push({
+		url: connection.url,
+		key: connection.key ?? '',
+		auth_type: connection.auth_type ?? 'bearer',
+		name: connection.name ?? 'Open Terminal',
+		enabled: true
+	});
+
+	return await setTerminalServerConnections(token, {
+		TERMINAL_SERVER_CONNECTIONS: servers
+	});
+};
+
+/**
+ * Remove a terminal server connection by URL at the system level.
+ */
+export const removeTerminalConnection = async (token: string, url: string) => {
+	const current = await getTerminalServerConnections(token);
+	const servers = current?.TERMINAL_SERVER_CONNECTIONS ?? [];
+
+	const filtered = servers.filter((s: any) => s.url !== url);
+	if (filtered.length === servers.length) return current; // nothing to remove
+
+	return await setTerminalServerConnections(token, {
+		TERMINAL_SERVER_CONNECTIONS: filtered
+	});
+};
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index 36fd7b22d5..12962cbcbb 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@
 	import { getSessionUser, userSignOut } from '$lib/apis/auths';
 	import { getAllTags, getChatList } from '$lib/apis/chats';
 	import { chatCompletion } from '$lib/apis/openai';
+	import {
+		addOpenAIConnection,
+		removeOpenAIConnection,
+		addTerminalConnection,
+		removeTerminalConnection
+	} from '$lib/utils/connections';
 
 	import { WEBUI_API_BASE_URL, WEBUI_BASE_URL, WEBUI_HOSTNAME } from '$lib/constants';
 	import { bestMatchingLanguage, displayFileHandler } from '$lib/utils';
@@ -692,6 +698,45 @@
 		}
 	};
 
+	const desktopEventHandler = async (event) => {
+		// Events that don't require auth
+		if (event.type === 'page:reload') {
+			location.reload();
+			return;
+		}
+
+		const token = localStorage.token;
+		if (!token) return;
+
+		// Only admins can modify system-level connections
+		if ($user?.role !== 'admin') return;
+
+		try {
+			if (event.type === 'connections:terminal') {
+				if (event.data.action === 'add') {
+					await addTerminalConnection(token, {
+						url: event.data.url,
+						key: event.data.key,
+						name: 'Local Open Terminal'
+					});
+				} else if (event.data.action === 'remove') {
+					await removeTerminalConnection(token, event.data.url);
+				}
+			} else if (event.type === 'connections:openai') {
+				if (event.data.action === 'add') {
+					await addOpenAIConnection(token, {
+						url: event.data.url,
+						key: event.data.key
+					});
+				} else if (event.data.action === 'remove') {
+					await removeOpenAIConnection(token, event.data.url);
+				}
+			}
+		} catch (e) {
+			console.error('Desktop connection update failed:', e);
+		}
+	};
+
 	const windowMessageEventHandler = async (event) => {
 		if (
 			!['https://openwebui.com', 'https://www.openwebui.com', 'http://localhost:9999'].includes(
@@ -767,6 +812,11 @@
 					appData.set(data);
 				}
 			}
+
+			// Listen for desktop service lifecycle events (scalable protocol)
+			if (window.electronAPI.onEvent) {
+				window.electronAPI.onEvent(desktopEventHandler);
+			}
 		}
 
 		// Listen for messages on the BroadcastChannel