diff --git a/scripts/electron-launcher.js b/scripts/electron-launcher.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2bfe1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/electron-launcher.js
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const path = require('node:path');
+
+function resolveElectronPackageRoot() {
+  try {
+    return path.dirname(require.resolve('electron/package.json'));
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function readElectronPathHint(packageRoot) {
+  const pathFile = path.join(packageRoot, 'path.txt');
+  if (!fs.existsSync(pathFile)) return null;
+
+  const hint = fs.readFileSync(pathFile, 'utf8').trim();
+  return hint || null;
+}
+
+function platformBinaryCandidates(platform) {
+  switch (platform) {
+    case 'win32':
+      return ['electron.exe'];
+    case 'darwin':
+      return ['Electron.app/Contents/MacOS/Electron'];
+    case 'linux':
+    case 'freebsd':
+    case 'openbsd':
+      return ['electron'];
+    default:
+      return ['electron'];
+  }
+}
+
+function buildMissingElectronError({ packageRoot, distDir, candidatePaths }) {
+  const tried = candidatePaths.map((candidate) => `  - ${candidate}`).join('\n');
+  return [
+    'Electron could not be started because the desktop runtime is missing.',
+    '',
+    `Looked under: ${packageRoot}`,
+    `Expected the binary in: ${distDir}`,
+    '',
+    'Try reinstalling dependencies from the repo root:',
+    '',
+    '  npm install',
+    '',
+    'If that does not help, delete node_modules/electron and install again.',
+    '',
+    'Searched:',
+    tried,
+  ].join('\n');
+}
+
+function resolveElectronBinary({
+  packageRoot = resolveElectronPackageRoot(),
+  platform = process.platform,
+  overrideDistPath = process.env.ELECTRON_OVERRIDE_DIST_PATH || null,
+} = {}) {
+  if (!packageRoot && !overrideDistPath) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'Electron could not be started because node_modules/electron is not installed.\n\n' +
+        'Run `npm install` from the repo root, then try `npm start` again.'
+    );
+  }
+
+  const distDir = overrideDistPath || path.join(packageRoot, 'dist');
+  const candidatePaths = [];
+  const pathHint = packageRoot ? readElectronPathHint(packageRoot) : null;
+
+  if (pathHint) {
+    candidatePaths.push(path.join(distDir, pathHint));
+  }
+
+  for (const relativePath of platformBinaryCandidates(platform)) {
+    candidatePaths.push(path.join(distDir, relativePath));
+  }
+
+  const resolved = candidatePaths.find((candidate) => fs.existsSync(candidate));
+  if (!resolved) {
+    throw new Error(buildMissingElectronError({ packageRoot, distDir, candidatePaths }));
+  }
+
+  return resolved;
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  buildMissingElectronError,
+  readElectronPathHint,
+  resolveElectronBinary,
+  resolveElectronPackageRoot,
+  platformBinaryCandidates,
+};
diff --git a/scripts/start-electron.js b/scripts/start-electron.js
index 6dfd261..81a767c 100644
--- a/scripts/start-electron.js
+++ b/scripts/start-electron.js
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 
 const { spawn } = require('node:child_process');
 
-const electronPath = require('electron');
+const { resolveElectronBinary } = require('./electron-launcher');
+
+const electronPath = resolveElectronBinary();
 const env = { ...process.env };
 delete env.ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE;
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/electron-launcher.test.js b/tests/unit/electron-launcher.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2510556
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/electron-launcher.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const test = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const path = require('node:path');
+
+const {
+  buildMissingElectronError,
+  resolveElectronBinary,
+} = require('../../scripts/electron-launcher');
+const { makeTmpDir, rmrf } = require('./helpers');
+
+test('resolves the Electron binary from path.txt when present', (t) => {
+  const root = makeTmpDir('electron-path-hint');
+  t.after(() => rmrf(root));
+
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(root, 'dist'), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, 'path.txt'), 'electron.exe\n');
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, 'dist', 'electron.exe'), 'binary');
+
+  assert.equal(
+    resolveElectronBinary({ packageRoot: root, platform: 'win32' }),
+    path.join(root, 'dist', 'electron.exe')
+  );
+});
+
+test('falls back to the platform binary when path.txt is absent', (t) => {
+  const root = makeTmpDir('electron-platform-fallback');
+  t.after(() => rmrf(root));
+
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(root, 'dist'), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, 'dist', 'electron.exe'), 'binary');
+
+  assert.equal(
+    resolveElectronBinary({ packageRoot: root, platform: 'win32' }),
+    path.join(root, 'dist', 'electron.exe')
+  );
+});
+
+test('reports a helpful error when the runtime is missing', (t) => {
+  const root = makeTmpDir('electron-missing');
+  t.after(() => rmrf(root));
+
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(root, 'dist'), { recursive: true });
+
+  assert.throws(
+    () => resolveElectronBinary({ packageRoot: root, platform: 'win32' }),
+    /npm install/
+  );
+
+  const message = buildMissingElectronError({
+    packageRoot: root,
+    distDir: path.join(root, 'dist'),
+    candidatePaths: [path.join(root, 'dist', 'electron.exe')],
+  });
+  assert.match(message, /Electron could not be started/);
+  assert.match(message, /Expected the binary in:/);
+});