diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 4bc27f8..baea678 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ impl AppState {
         })
     }
 
+    pub fn clone_services(&self) -> (SshService, rdp::RdpService, SftpService, ScrollbackRegistry, std::sync::Arc<ErrorWatcher>) {
+        (self.ssh.clone(), self.rdp.clone(), self.sftp.clone(), self.scrollback.clone(), self.error_watcher.clone())
+    }
+
     pub fn is_first_run(&self) -> bool {
         self.settings.get("vault_salt").unwrap_or_default().is_empty()
     }
@@ -104,26 +108,27 @@ pub fn run() {
                 }
             }
 
-            // Start MCP HTTP server for bridge binary communication
+            // Start MCP and error watcher — completely non-fatal.
+            // These are nice-to-have services that must never crash the app.
             {
                 use tauri::Manager;
-                let state = app.state::<AppState>();
-                // Start error watcher background task
-                let watcher_clone = state.error_watcher.clone();
-                let scrollback_for_watcher = state.scrollback.clone();
-                let app_for_watcher = app.handle().clone();
-                mcp::error_watcher::start_error_watcher(watcher_clone, scrollback_for_watcher, app_for_watcher);
+                if let Ok(state) = std::panic::catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
+                    app.state::<AppState>().inner().clone_services()
+                })) {
+                    let (ssh, rdp, sftp, scrollback, watcher) = state;
 
-                let ssh_clone = state.ssh.clone();
-                let rdp_clone = state.rdp.clone();
-                let sftp_clone = state.sftp.clone();
-                let scrollback_clone = state.scrollback.clone();
-                tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
-                    match mcp::server::start_mcp_server(ssh_clone, rdp_clone, sftp_clone, scrollback_clone).await {
-                        Ok(port) => log::info!("MCP server started on localhost:{}", port),
-                        Err(e) => log::error!("Failed to start MCP server: {}", e),
-                    }
-                });
+                    let app_handle = app.handle().clone();
+                    mcp::error_watcher::start_error_watcher(watcher, scrollback.clone(), app_handle);
+
+                    tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
+                        match mcp::server::start_mcp_server(ssh, rdp, sftp, scrollback).await {
+                            Ok(port) => log::info!("MCP server started on localhost:{}", port),
+                            Err(e) => log::error!("Failed to start MCP server: {}", e),
+                        }
+                    });
+                } else {
+                    log::error!("MCP/error watcher startup failed — continuing without MCP");
+                }
             }
 
             Ok(())