diff --git a/src/agent/chatgpt-bridge.ts b/src/agent/chatgpt-bridge.ts
index 7bf1b8c..5412549 100644
--- a/src/agent/chatgpt-bridge.ts
+++ b/src/agent/chatgpt-bridge.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ interface BridgeState {
 const key = Symbol.for("lh.chatgpt.bridge");
 const unavailable = (): ChatGPTStatus => ({ available: false, pending: false, allowBackgroundUse: true, activeId: null, accounts: [], error: null });
 const validStamp = (s: Stamp) => s && [s.epoch, s.authorityRevision, s.revision].every((v) => Number.isSafeInteger(v) && v >= 0);
+/** Next dev also uses parent/child IPC. IPC alone is not our desktop
+ * transport: require the same launch markers set by Electron startServer.
+ * These identify the transport, not a substitute for admission/lease checks. */
+function desktopIPCConnected(): boolean {
+ return process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER === "1" && (process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET?.length ?? 0) >= 64 && typeof process.send === "function" && process.connected === true;
+}
 function bridge(): BridgeState {
  const global = globalThis as typeof globalThis & { [key]?: BridgeState };
  if (!global[key]) {
@@ -21,7 +27,7 @@ function bridge(): BridgeState {
   global[key] = state;
   process.on("message", (raw: unknown) => {
    const m = raw as { channel?: string; kind?: string; id?: string; op?: string; ok?: boolean; value?: unknown; stamp: Stamp; status: ChatGPTStatus; invalidate?: string; error?: string };
-   if (m?.channel !== "lh:chatgpt") return;
+   if (!desktopIPCConnected() || m?.channel !== "lh:chatgpt") return;
    if (m.kind === "state" && validStamp(m.stamp) && m.stamp.revision >= state.stamp.revision) {
     acceptStatus(state, { ...m.stamp, status: m.status });
     if (m.invalidate === "all") { state.catalogRequest++; clearCatalog(state); }
@@ -57,7 +63,7 @@ function acceptStatus(state: BridgeState, value: StatusValue) {
 /** Runtime-only inherited IPC. No HTTP credential route or renderer method. */
 export function chatGPTRequest<T>(op: "status" | "models" | "lease", fields: Record<string, unknown> = {}): Promise<T> {
  const state = bridge();
- if (!process.send || !process.connected) return Promise.reject(new Error("ChatGPT sign-in is available only in the desktop app with a private server connection."));
+ if (!desktopIPCConnected()) return Promise.reject(new Error("ChatGPT sign-in is available only in the desktop app with a private server connection."));
  return new Promise<T>((resolve, reject) => {
   const id = `${process.pid}:${++state.counter}`;
   const timer = setTimeout(() => { state.pending.delete(id); reject(new Error("The ChatGPT desktop connection timed out.")); }, 45000);
@@ -68,7 +74,7 @@ export function chatGPTRequest<T>(op: "status" | "models" | "lease", fields: Rec
  });
 }
 export function chatGPTStatus(): ChatGPTStatus { return bridge().status; }
-export function chatGPTConnected(): boolean { const s = chatGPTStatus(); return s.available && s.accounts.some((a) => a.id === s.activeId && a.connected && a.planEnabled === true); }
+export function chatGPTConnected(): boolean { const s = chatGPTStatus(); return desktopIPCConnected() && s.available && s.accounts.some((a) => a.id === s.activeId && a.connected && a.planEnabled === true); }
 export function chatGPTBackgroundAllowed(): boolean { const s = chatGPTStatus(); return chatGPTConnected() && s.allowBackgroundUse === true; }
 export function onChatGPTChange(listener: () => void): () => void { bridge().listeners.add(listener); return () => { bridge().listeners.delete(listener); }; }
 export function chatGPTModels(): Model<"openai-responses">[] { return bridge().models; }
@@ -80,7 +86,7 @@ export function chatGPTScope(selectedModelId: string): AdmissionScope {
 }
 export function chatGPTScopeCurrent(scope: AdmissionScope): boolean {
  const s = bridge();
- return !!process.connected && chatGPTConnected() && scope.accountId === s.catalogAccount && scope.accountId === s.status.activeId && scope.epoch === s.stamp.epoch && scope.authorityRevision === s.stamp.authorityRevision && !!chatGPTModel(scope.selectedModelId);
+ return desktopIPCConnected() && chatGPTConnected() && scope.accountId === s.catalogAccount && scope.accountId === s.status.activeId && scope.epoch === s.stamp.epoch && scope.authorityRevision === s.stamp.authorityRevision && !!chatGPTModel(scope.selectedModelId);
 }
 export async function chatGPTLease(scope: AdmissionScope, background: boolean): Promise<LeaseValue> {
  if (!chatGPTScopeCurrent(scope)) throw new Error("ChatGPT catalog authority changed");
@@ -102,7 +108,7 @@ export async function chatGPTDenial(scope: AdmissionScope | undefined, controlle
 /** Preserve account order; unknown capabilities/windows are never fabricated. */
 export async function refreshChatGPTModels(supported: Model<"openai-responses">[]): Promise<void> {
  const state = bridge();
- if (!process.send || !process.connected) { clearCatalog(state); return; }
+ if (!desktopIPCConnected()) { clearCatalog(state); return; }
  const sequence = ++state.catalogRequest;
  try {
   const value = await chatGPTRequest<ModelsValue>("models");
diff --git a/tests/chatgpt-background.test.ts b/tests/chatgpt-background.test.ts
index 9cbc2f1..7bdf602 100644
--- a/tests/chatgpt-background.test.ts
+++ b/tests/chatgpt-background.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { test, after } from "node:test";
+import { test, before, after } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
@@ -21,7 +21,20 @@ let revision = 1;
 function connection(background: boolean) {
 	ipc({ channel: "lh:chatgpt", kind: "state", stamp: { epoch: 1, authorityRevision: 1, revision: revision++ }, invalidate: background ? "none" : "background", status: { available: true, pending: false, allowBackgroundUse: background, activeId: "scratch-account", accounts: [{ id: "scratch-account", connected: true, planEnabled: true, background: !background }], error: null } });
 }
-after(() => { fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }); });
+const originalSend = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "send"), originalConnected = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "connected");
+const desktopMarker = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER, desktopSecret = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET;
+before(() => {
+	process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = "1"; process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = "d".repeat(64);
+	Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", { configurable: true, value: true });
+	Object.defineProperty(process, "send", { configurable: true, value: (_message: unknown, callback?: (error: Error) => void) => { callback?.(new Error("unexpected fixture desktop request")); return false; } });
+});
+after(() => {
+	fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	if (originalSend) Object.defineProperty(process, "send", originalSend); else delete process.send;
+	if (originalConnected) Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", originalConnected); else delete (process as { connected?: boolean }).connected;
+	if (desktopMarker === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = desktopMarker;
+	if (desktopSecret === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = desktopSecret;
+});
 
 for (const revokedAfterQueue of [false, true]) {
 	test(`mixed learner+automatic batch: foreground runs, automatic result stays owned/deferred without consent (${revokedAfterQueue ? "revoked after handoff" : "initially off"})`, { timeout: 5000 }, async () => {
diff --git a/tests/chatgpt-catalog.test.ts b/tests/chatgpt-catalog.test.ts
index 975588e..5ff5dad 100644
--- a/tests/chatgpt-catalog.test.ts
+++ b/tests/chatgpt-catalog.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import { piModels } from "../src/agent/models.ts";
 import { refreshChatGPTModels, chatGPTModels, chatGPTStatus, chatGPTScope, chatGPTScopeCurrent, chatGPTLease, chatGPTAbortController } from "../src/agent/chatgpt-bridge.ts";
 const send = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "send"), connected = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "connected");
+const desktopMarker = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER, desktopSecret = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET;
 const pending: any[] = [];
 const model = piModels().getModels("openai").find((m) => m.api === "openai-responses")!;
 const ipc = (m: unknown) => (process.emit as (name: string, value: unknown) => boolean)("message", m);
@@ -10,10 +11,13 @@ const status = (account: string, background = true) => ({ available: true, pendi
 const value = (name: string, revision: number, account = "A", authorityRevision = 1) => ({ epoch: account === "A" ? 1 : 2, authorityRevision, revision, status: status(account), accountId: account, models: [{ id: model.id, name }] });
 function reply(request: any, v: unknown) { ipc({ channel: "lh:chatgpt", id: request.id, op: request.op, ok: true, value: v }); }
 before(() => {
+ process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = "1"; process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = "d".repeat(64);
  Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", { configurable: true, value: true });
  Object.defineProperty(process, "send", { configurable: true, value: (m: unknown, cb?: () => void) => { pending.push(m); cb?.(); return true; } });
 });
 after(() => {
+ if (desktopMarker === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = desktopMarker;
+ if (desktopSecret === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = desktopSecret;
  if (send) Object.defineProperty(process, "send", send); else delete process.send;
  if (connected) Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", connected); else delete (process as { connected?: boolean }).connected;
 });
diff --git a/tests/chatgpt-dev-ipc.test.ts b/tests/chatgpt-dev-ipc.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fcb0e44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/chatgpt-dev-ipc.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import test, { after } from "node:test";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+const scratch = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "lh-dev-ipc-"));
+process.env.LH_DATA_DIR = scratch;
+process.env.LH_AUTH_FILE = path.join(scratch, "auth.json");
+fs.writeFileSync(process.env.LH_AUTH_FILE, "{}", { mode: 0o600 });
+process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY = "sk-fixture-not-used-for-generation";
+const { GET } = await import("../app/api/models/route.ts");
+const { chatGPTRequest, chatGPTConnected, chatGPTModels } = await import("../src/agent/chatgpt-bridge.ts");
+after(() => fs.rmSync(scratch, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+
+test("Next-style connected IPC is not desktop transport and never delays keyed API catalogs", async () => {
+	const send = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "send");
+	const connected = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "connected");
+	const marker = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER, secret = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET;
+	const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+	let sends = 0;
+	try {
+		globalThis.fetch = async () => { throw new Error("provider/network calls forbidden in catalog fixture"); };
+		Object.defineProperty(process, "send", { configurable: true, value: (_message: unknown, callback?: (error: Error) => void) => { sends++; callback?.(new Error("not a desktop parent")); return false; } });
+		Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", { configurable: true, value: true });
+		for (const [mode, capability] of [[undefined, undefined], ["1", undefined], [undefined, "d".repeat(64)], ["1", "short"]]) {
+			if (mode === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = mode;
+			if (capability === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = capability;
+			// A framework parent cannot establish ChatGPT state by sharing only IPC.
+			(process.emit as (name: string, value: unknown) => boolean)("message", { channel: "lh:chatgpt", kind: "state", stamp: { epoch: 1, authorityRevision: 1, revision: 1 }, status: { available: true, activeId: "fixture", accounts: [{ id: "fixture", connected: true, planEnabled: true }] } });
+			const response = await GET();
+			assert.equal(response.status, 200);
+			const catalog = await response.json();
+			assert.ok(catalog.models.some((m: { provider: string }) => m.provider === "openai"));
+			assert.equal(catalog.providers.find((p: { id: string }) => p.id === "openai").keyPresent, true);
+			assert.equal(catalog.providers.find((p: { id: string }) => p.id === "chatgpt").keyPresent, false);
+			assert.equal(chatGPTConnected(), false);
+			assert.deepEqual(chatGPTModels(), []);
+			await assert.rejects(chatGPTRequest("status"), /available only in the desktop app/);
+			assert.equal(sends, 0, "no desktop request/timer may be started over framework IPC");
+		}
+		process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = "1"; process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = "d".repeat(64);
+		Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", { configurable: true, value: false });
+		await GET();
+		await assert.rejects(chatGPTRequest("status"), /available only in the desktop app/);
+		assert.equal(sends, 0, "desktop markers without connected IPC do not suffice");
+	} finally {
+		globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+		if (send) Object.defineProperty(process, "send", send); else delete process.send;
+		if (connected) Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", connected); else delete (process as { connected?: boolean }).connected;
+		if (marker === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = marker;
+		if (secret === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = secret;
+	}
+});
diff --git a/tests/chatgpt-request-cycle.test.ts b/tests/chatgpt-request-cycle.test.ts
index a78421b..412c35d 100644
--- a/tests/chatgpt-request-cycle.test.ts
+++ b/tests/chatgpt-request-cycle.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { newUserMessage, newNextMessage, newThinkingMessage, newAnswerResult, re
 const originalSend = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "send");
 const originalConnected = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "connected");
 const realFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+const desktopMarker = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER, desktopSecret = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET;
 const model = piModels().getModel("openai", "gpt-5") as Model<"openai-responses">;
 let epoch = 1, revision = 1, background = true;
 let cut: "lease" | "payload" | "full" | "afterFetch" | "none" = "none";
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ function revoke(full = false) {
  ipc({ channel: "lh:chatgpt", kind: "state", stamp: { epoch, authorityRevision: epoch, revision: ++revision }, status: status(), invalidate: full ? "all" : "background" });
 }
 before(() => {
+ process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = "1"; process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = "d".repeat(64);
  Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", { configurable: true, value: true });
  Object.defineProperty(process, "send", { configurable: true, value: (m: any, callback?: () => void) => {
   if (m.op === "lease") {
@@ -59,6 +61,8 @@ before(() => {
  };
 });
 after(() => {
+ if (desktopMarker === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = desktopMarker;
+ if (desktopSecret === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = desktopSecret;
  globalThis.fetch = realFetch;
  fs.rmSync(scratch, { recursive: true, force: true });
  if (originalSend) Object.defineProperty(process, "send", originalSend); else delete process.send;
diff --git a/tests/chatgpt-stream.test.ts b/tests/chatgpt-stream.test.ts
index 5563831..07cf180 100644
--- a/tests/chatgpt-stream.test.ts
+++ b/tests/chatgpt-stream.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { chatGPTHistory, chatGPTPayload } from "../src/agent/chatgpt-stream.ts";
 const originalSend = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "send");
 const originalConnected = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "connected");
 const realFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+const desktopMarker = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER, desktopSecret = process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET;
 const originalKey = process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
 let leaseError: string | null = null;
 let requests: { authorization: string | null; body: Record<string, any>; url: string }[] = [];
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ const ipc = (value: unknown) => (process.emit as (name: string, value: unknown)
 const model = piModels().getModel("openai", "gpt-5") as Model<"openai-responses">;
 const status = { available: true, pending: false, allowBackgroundUse: false, activeId: "scratch-account", accounts: [{ id: "scratch-account", email: "dummy@example.invalid", registration: "oaiapp_scratch", connected: true, planEnabled: true, background: false }], error: null };
 before(async () => {
+	process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = "1"; process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = "d".repeat(64);
 	assert(model);
 	process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY = "sk-scratch-must-never-be-used";
 	Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", { configurable: true, value: true });
@@ -36,6 +38,8 @@ before(async () => {
 	};
 });
 after(() => {
+	if (desktopMarker === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_SERVER = desktopMarker;
+	if (desktopSecret === undefined) delete process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET; else process.env.LH_DESKTOP_API_SECRET = desktopSecret;
 	globalThis.fetch = realFetch;
 	if (originalSend) Object.defineProperty(process, "send", originalSend); else delete process.send;
 	if (originalConnected) Object.defineProperty(process, "connected", originalConnected); else delete (process as { connected?: boolean }).connected;