diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.test.ts
index f6ed5cb1df7..f3ce3b4b5f4 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.test.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,44 @@ describe("ElectronApp", () => {
     }).pipe(Effect.provide(ElectronApp.layer)),
   );
 
+  it.effect("reports which app metadata property failed", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const cause = new Error("version unavailable");
+      getVersionMock.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+        throw cause;
+      });
+
+      const electronApp = yield* ElectronApp.ElectronApp;
+      const error = yield* electronApp.metadata.pipe(Effect.flip);
+
+      assert.instanceOf(error, ElectronApp.ElectronAppMetadataReadError);
+      assert.strictEqual(error.property, "app-version");
+      assert.strictEqual(error.cause, cause);
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        error.message,
+        'Failed to read Electron app metadata property "app-version".',
+      );
+    }).pipe(Effect.provide(ElectronApp.layer)),
+  );
+
+  it.effect("preserves Electron readiness failures", () =>
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const cause = new Error("ready failed");
+      whenReadyMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(cause);
+
+      const electronApp = yield* ElectronApp.ElectronApp;
+      const error = yield* electronApp.whenReady.pipe(Effect.flip);
+
+      assert.instanceOf(error, ElectronApp.ElectronAppWhenReadyError);
+      assert.strictEqual(error.isPackaged, true);
+      assert.strictEqual(error.cause, cause);
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        error.message,
+        "Failed to wait for the Electron app to become ready (packaged: true).",
+      );
+    }).pipe(Effect.provide(ElectronApp.layer)),
+  );
+
   it.effect("scopes app event listeners", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const listener = vi.fn();
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.ts b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.ts
index 3e894001e10..0af8691f6c4 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/electron/ElectronApp.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import * as Context from "effect/Context";
 import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
 import * as Layer from "effect/Layer";
+import * as Schema from "effect/Schema";
 import * as Scope from "effect/Scope";
 
 import * as Electron from "electron";
@@ -13,12 +14,36 @@ export interface ElectronAppMetadata {
   readonly runningUnderArm64Translation: boolean;
 }
 
+export class ElectronAppMetadataReadError extends Schema.TaggedErrorClass<ElectronAppMetadataReadError>()(
+  "ElectronAppMetadataReadError",
+  {
+    property: Schema.Literals(["app-version", "app-path"]),
+    cause: Schema.Defect(),
+  },
+) {
+  override get message(): string {
+    return `Failed to read Electron app metadata property "${this.property}".`;
+  }
+}
+
+export class ElectronAppWhenReadyError extends Schema.TaggedErrorClass<ElectronAppWhenReadyError>()(
+  "ElectronAppWhenReadyError",
+  {
+    isPackaged: Schema.Boolean,
+    cause: Schema.Defect(),
+  },
+) {
+  override get message(): string {
+    return `Failed to wait for the Electron app to become ready (packaged: ${this.isPackaged}).`;
+  }
+}
+
 export class ElectronApp extends Context.Service<
   ElectronApp,
   {
-    readonly metadata: Effect.Effect<ElectronAppMetadata>;
+    readonly metadata: Effect.Effect<ElectronAppMetadata, ElectronAppMetadataReadError>;
     readonly name: Effect.Effect<string>;
-    readonly whenReady: Effect.Effect<void>;
+    readonly whenReady: Effect.Effect<void, ElectronAppWhenReadyError>;
     readonly quit: Effect.Effect<void>;
     readonly exit: (code: number) => Effect.Effect<void>;
     readonly relaunch: (options: Electron.RelaunchOptions) => Effect.Effect<void>;
@@ -63,15 +88,40 @@ const addScopedAppListener = <Args extends ReadonlyArray<unknown>>(
   ).pipe(Effect.asVoid);
 
 export const make = ElectronApp.of({
-  metadata: Effect.sync(() => ({
-    appVersion: Electron.app.getVersion(),
-    appPath: Electron.app.getAppPath(),
-    isPackaged: Electron.app.isPackaged,
-    resourcesPath: process.resourcesPath,
-    runningUnderArm64Translation: Electron.app.runningUnderARM64Translation === true,
-  })),
+  metadata: Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const appVersion = yield* Effect.try({
+      try: () => Electron.app.getVersion(),
+      catch: (cause) =>
+        new ElectronAppMetadataReadError({
+          property: "app-version",
+          cause,
+        }),
+    });
+    const appPath = yield* Effect.try({
+      try: () => Electron.app.getAppPath(),
+      catch: (cause) =>
+        new ElectronAppMetadataReadError({
+          property: "app-path",
+          cause,
+        }),
+    });
+
+    return {
+      appVersion,
+      appPath,
+      isPackaged: Electron.app.isPackaged,
+      resourcesPath: process.resourcesPath,
+      runningUnderArm64Translation: Electron.app.runningUnderARM64Translation === true,
+    };
+  }),
   name: Effect.sync(() => Electron.app.name),
-  whenReady: Effect.promise(() => Electron.app.whenReady()).pipe(Effect.asVoid),
+  whenReady: Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const isPackaged = Electron.app.isPackaged;
+    yield* Effect.tryPromise({
+      try: () => Electron.app.whenReady(),
+      catch: (cause) => new ElectronAppWhenReadyError({ isPackaged, cause }),
+    });
+  }),
   quit: Effect.sync(() => {
     Electron.app.quit();
   }),