diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-quit.test.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-quit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1d0a8614e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-quit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import fs from 'node:fs'
+import os from 'node:os'
+import path from 'node:path'
+
+import { test } from 'vitest'
+
+import { runBootstrap } from './bootstrap-runner'
+
+for (const boundary of ['resolution', 'manifest'] as const) {
+  test.skipIf(process.platform === 'win32')(`quit during ${boundary} cancels bootstrap before stages`, async () => {
+    const home = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'hermes-bootstrap-quit-'))
+    const controller = new AbortController()
+    const marker = path.join(home, 'manifest-started')
+    let manifestPid: number | undefined
+
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(home, 'scripts'))
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(home, 'scripts/install.sh'),
+      `#!/bin/bash\nprintf started > "$HERMES_HOME/manifest-started"\nprintf 'manifest-pid=%s\\n' "$$"\nwhile :; do :; done\n`
+    )
+
+    try {
+      const result = await runBootstrap({
+        installStamp: null,
+        activeRoot: path.join(home, 'agent'),
+        sourceRepoRoot: home,
+        hermesHome: home,
+        abortSignal: controller.signal,
+        onEvent: event => {
+          if (boundary === 'resolution' && event.line?.includes('using local')) {
+            controller.abort()
+          }
+
+          const match = event.line?.match(/^manifest-pid=(\d+)$/)
+
+          if (match) {
+            manifestPid = Number(match[1])
+            controller.abort()
+          }
+        }
+      })
+
+      assert.equal(result.ok, false)
+      assert.equal(result.cancelled, true)
+      assert.equal(fs.existsSync(marker), boundary === 'manifest')
+
+      if (manifestPid) {
+        assert.throws(() => process.kill(manifestPid!, 0))
+      }
+    } finally {
+      controller.abort()
+
+      if (manifestPid) {
+        try {
+          process.kill(manifestPid, 'SIGKILL')
+        } catch {
+          /* already exited */
+        }
+      }
+
+      fs.rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true })
+    }
+  })
+}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-runner.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-runner.ts
index dee008ff5d..ddc273f8dd 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-runner.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/bootstrap-runner.ts
@@ -690,7 +690,17 @@ function buildPosixPinArgs({ installStamp, activeRoot, hermesHome, pinCommit = t
   return args
 }
 
-async function fetchManifest({ scriptPath, installerKind, emit, hermesHome, activeRoot, installStamp, pinCommit }) {
+async function fetchManifest({
+  scriptPath,
+  installerKind,
+  emit,
+  hermesHome,
+  activeRoot,
+  installStamp,
+  pinCommit,
+  abortSignal
+}) {
+  abortSignal?.throwIfAborted()
   const isPosix = installerKind === 'posix'
 
   const args = isPosix
@@ -700,6 +710,7 @@ async function fetchManifest({ scriptPath, installerKind, emit, hermesHome, acti
   const result = await (isPosix ? spawnBash : spawnPowerShell)(scriptPath, args, {
     emit,
     stageName: '__manifest__',
+    abortSignal,
     hermesHome
   })
 
@@ -928,6 +939,8 @@ async function runBootstrap(opts) {
 
     // 1. Resolve the platform installer.
     const scriptInfo = await resolveInstallScript({ installStamp, sourceRepoRoot, hermesHome, emit })
+    abortSignal?.throwIfAborted()
+
     const installerKind = scriptInfo.kind || 'powershell'
 
     // 2. Fetch manifest
@@ -938,9 +951,12 @@ async function runBootstrap(opts) {
       hermesHome,
       activeRoot,
       installStamp,
-      pinCommit
+      pinCommit,
+      abortSignal
     })
 
+    abortSignal?.throwIfAborted()
+
     emit({
       type: 'manifest',
       stages: manifest.stages,
@@ -1007,12 +1023,18 @@ async function runBootstrap(opts) {
 
     return { ok: true, marker }
   } catch (err) {
+    if (abortSignal?.aborted) {
+      emit({ type: 'failed', error: 'bootstrap cancelled by user' })
+
+      return { ok: false, cancelled: true }
+    }
+
     emit({ type: 'failed', error: err.message || String(err) })
 
     return { ok: false, error: err.message || String(err) }
   } finally {
     try {
-      runLog.stream.end()
+      await new Promise<void>(resolve => runLog.stream.end(resolve))
     } catch {
       void 0
     }