diff --git a/frontend/src/desktop/contexts/AppConfigContext.tsx b/frontend/src/desktop/contexts/AppConfigContext.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..304762c5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/desktop/contexts/AppConfigContext.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import {
+  AppConfigProvider as CoreAppConfigProvider,
+  useAppConfig as useCoreAppConfig,
+} from '@core/contexts/AppConfigContext';
+import type { ConnectionMode } from '@app/services/connectionModeService';
+import { connectionModeService } from '@app/services/connectionModeService';
+
+export type { AppConfig, AppConfigProviderProps, AppConfigRetryOptions } from '@core/contexts/AppConfigContext';
+export const AppConfigProvider = CoreAppConfigProvider;
+
+/**
+ * Desktop override that forces login-enabled behavior while in SaaS mode.
+ * The bundled backend always reports enableLogin=false, but SaaS desktop
+ * still requires the proprietary login flow. Override the config so UI
+ * routes continue to show the login experience.
+ */
+export function useAppConfig() {
+  const value = useCoreAppConfig();
+  const [mode, setMode] = useState<ConnectionMode>('saas');
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let unsubscribe: (() => void) | null = null;
+
+    const init = async () => {
+      try {
+        const current = await connectionModeService.getCurrentConfig();
+        setMode(current.mode);
+        unsubscribe = connectionModeService.subscribeToModeChanges((config) => {
+          setMode(config.mode);
+        });
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error('[Desktop AppConfig] Failed to load connection mode:', error);
+      }
+    };
+
+    void init();
+    return () => {
+      if (unsubscribe) {
+        unsubscribe();
+      }
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const effectiveConfig = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!value.config) {
+      return value.config;
+    }
+
+    if (mode === 'saas') {
+      return {
+        ...value.config,
+        enableLogin: true,
+      };
+    }
+
+    return value.config;
+  }, [mode, value.config]);
+
+  return {
+    ...value,
+    config: effectiveConfig,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/desktop/hooks/useBackendProbe.ts b/frontend/src/desktop/hooks/useBackendProbe.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e4d497b85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/desktop/hooks/useBackendProbe.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,187 @@
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { fetch } from '@tauri-apps/plugin-http';
+import { connectionModeService } from '@app/services/connectionModeService';
+import { tauriBackendService, type BackendStatus as ServiceBackendStatus } from '@app/services/tauriBackendService';
+
+type ConnectionMode = 'saas' | 'selfhosted';
+
+type ProbeStatus = 'up' | 'starting' | 'down';
+
+interface BackendProbeState {
+  status: ProbeStatus;
+  loginDisabled: boolean;
+  loading: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Desktop-specific backend probe.
+ *
+ * In SaaS mode we trust the embedded backend's health status exposed by tauriBackendService,
+ * avoiding redundant HTTP polling that was preventing the Login/Landing screens from advancing.
+ * In self-hosted mode we still hit the remote server directly to detect login-disabled state.
+ */
+export function useBackendProbe() {
+  const initialStatus = useMemo(() => mapServiceStatus(tauriBackendService.getBackendStatus()), []);
+  const [state, setState] = useState<BackendProbeState>({
+    status: initialStatus,
+    loginDisabled: false,
+    loading: true,
+  });
+  const modeRef = useRef<ConnectionMode>('saas');
+
+  // Track connection mode so the probe knows when to fall back to remote HTTP checks.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let unsubscribe: (() => void) | null = null;
+    connectionModeService.getCurrentConfig()
+      .then((config) => {
+        modeRef.current = config.mode;
+        unsubscribe = connectionModeService.subscribeToModeChanges((nextConfig) => {
+          modeRef.current = nextConfig.mode;
+        });
+      })
+      .catch((error) => {
+        console.error('[Desktop useBackendProbe] Failed to load connection mode:', error);
+      });
+
+    return () => {
+      if (unsubscribe) {
+        unsubscribe();
+      }
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  // React to backend health updates coming from the shared tauriBackendService.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const unsubscribe = tauriBackendService.subscribeToStatus((serviceStatus) => {
+      setState((prev) => ({
+        ...prev,
+        status: mapServiceStatus(serviceStatus),
+        loading: false,
+      }));
+    });
+    return () => {
+      unsubscribe();
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const probe = useCallback(async () => {
+    const mode = modeRef.current;
+    const serviceStatus = tauriBackendService.getBackendStatus();
+
+    if (mode === 'saas') {
+      // SaaS desktop always relies on the embedded backend. Kick off a health check if needed.
+      if (serviceStatus !== 'healthy') {
+        void tauriBackendService.checkBackendHealth();
+      }
+      const nextState: BackendProbeState = {
+        status: mapServiceStatus(serviceStatus),
+        loginDisabled: false,
+        loading: false,
+      };
+      setState(nextState);
+      return nextState;
+    }
+
+    const baseUrl = await resolveRemoteBaseUrl();
+    if (!baseUrl) {
+      const pending: BackendProbeState = {
+        status: 'starting',
+        loginDisabled: false,
+        loading: false,
+      };
+      setState(pending);
+      return pending;
+    }
+
+    const statusUrl = `${baseUrl}/api/v1/info/status`;
+    const loginUrl = `${baseUrl}/api/v1/proprietary/ui-data/login`;
+
+    const next: BackendProbeState = {
+      status: 'starting',
+      loginDisabled: false,
+      loading: false,
+    };
+
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(statusUrl, { method: 'GET', connectTimeout: 5000 });
+      if (res.ok) {
+        const data = await res.json().catch(() => null);
+        if (data && data.status === 'UP') {
+          next.status = 'up';
+          setState(next);
+          return next;
+        }
+        next.status = 'starting';
+      } else if (res.status === 404 || res.status === 503) {
+        next.status = 'starting';
+      } else {
+        next.status = 'down';
+      }
+    } catch {
+      next.status = 'down';
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(loginUrl, { method: 'GET', connectTimeout: 5000 });
+      if (res.ok) {
+        next.status = 'up';
+        const data = await res.json().catch(() => null);
+        if (data && data.enableLogin === false) {
+          next.loginDisabled = true;
+        }
+      } else if (res.status === 404) {
+        next.status = 'up';
+        next.loginDisabled = true;
+      } else if (res.status === 503) {
+        next.status = 'starting';
+      } else {
+        next.status = 'down';
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // keep inferred state
+    }
+
+    setState(next);
+    return next;
+  }, []);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    void probe();
+  }, [probe]);
+
+  return {
+    ...state,
+    probe,
+  };
+}
+
+async function resolveRemoteBaseUrl(): Promise<string | null> {
+  try {
+    const config = await connectionModeService.getCurrentConfig();
+    if (config.mode !== 'selfhosted') {
+      return null;
+    }
+    const serverUrl = config.server_config?.url;
+    if (!serverUrl) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return stripTrailingSlash(serverUrl);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('[Desktop useBackendProbe] Failed to resolve remote backend URL:', error);
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function stripTrailingSlash(value: string): string {
+  return value.replace(/\/$/, '');
+}
+
+function mapServiceStatus(status: ServiceBackendStatus): ProbeStatus {
+  if (status === 'healthy') {
+    return 'up';
+  }
+  if (status === 'unhealthy') {
+    return 'down';
+  }
+  return 'starting';
+}