diff --git a/src/main/index.ts b/src/main/index.ts
index 304e052..446f8ee 100644
--- a/src/main/index.ts
+++ b/src/main/index.ts
@@ -11,24 +11,73 @@ function settingsPath(): string {
   return join(app.getPath('userData'), 'settings.json')
 }
 
-function loadDisabledMirrors(): number[] {
+interface Settings {
+  disabledMirrors: number[]
+  startMinimized: boolean
+}
+
+function loadSettings(): Settings {
   try {
     const raw = fs.readFileSync(settingsPath(), 'utf8')
     const data = JSON.parse(raw)
-    return Array.isArray(data?.disabledMirrors) ? data.disabledMirrors : []
+    return {
+      disabledMirrors: Array.isArray(data?.disabledMirrors) ? data.disabledMirrors : [],
+      startMinimized: data?.startMinimized === true
+    }
   } catch {
-    return []
+    return { disabledMirrors: [], startMinimized: false }
   }
 }
 
-function saveDisabledMirrors(indices: number[]): void {
-  fs.writeFileSync(settingsPath(), JSON.stringify({ disabledMirrors: indices }), 'utf8')
+function saveSettings(settings: Settings): void {
+  fs.writeFileSync(settingsPath(), JSON.stringify(settings), 'utf8')
+}
+
+const LINUX_AUTOSTART_DESKTOP_FILE = join(
+  app.getPath('home'),
+  '.config',
+  'autostart',
+  'cafe.kirameki.discord-rpc-relay.desktop'
+)
+
+function getLinuxAutostart(): boolean {
+  return fs.existsSync(LINUX_AUTOSTART_DESKTOP_FILE)
+}
+
+function setLinuxAutostart(enabled: boolean, startMinimized: boolean): boolean {
+  if (!enabled) {
+    fs.rmSync(LINUX_AUTOSTART_DESKTOP_FILE, { force: true })
+    return false
+  }
+
+  const exe = process.env.APPIMAGE ?? app.getPath('exe')
+  const exec = startMinimized ? `"${exe}" --hidden` : `"${exe}"`
+  const desktopEntry = [
+    '[Desktop Entry]',
+    'Type=Application',
+    'Name=Discord RPC Relay',
+    `Exec=${exec}`,
+    'Terminal=false',
+    'X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true'
+  ].join('\n')
+
+  fs.mkdirSync(join(app.getPath('home'), '.config', 'autostart'), { recursive: true })
+  fs.writeFileSync(LINUX_AUTOSTART_DESKTOP_FILE, desktopEntry + '\n', 'utf8')
+  return true
 }
 
 let mainWindow: BrowserWindow | null = null
 let tray: Tray | null = null
 let quitting = false
 
+function shouldStartHidden(): boolean {
+  if (process.argv.includes('--hidden')) return true
+  if (process.platform === 'darwin') {
+    return app.getLoginItemSettings().wasOpenedAtLogin && loadSettings().startMinimized
+  }
+  return false
+}
+
 function createWindow(): void {
   if (mainWindow) {
     mainWindow.show()
@@ -50,7 +99,9 @@ function createWindow(): void {
   })
 
   mainWindow.on('ready-to-show', () => {
-    mainWindow?.show()
+    if (!shouldStartHidden()) {
+      mainWindow?.show()
+    }
   })
 
   mainWindow.on('close', (e) => {
@@ -135,7 +186,8 @@ app.whenReady().then(() => {
     optimizer.watchWindowShortcuts(window)
   })
 
-  relay.setDisabledMirrors(loadDisabledMirrors())
+  const settings = loadSettings()
+  relay.setDisabledMirrors(settings.disabledMirrors)
 
   ipcMain.handle('relay:get-version', () => ({
     version: app.getVersion(),
@@ -144,14 +196,38 @@ app.whenReady().then(() => {
   ipcMain.handle('relay:get-status', () => relay.getStatus())
   ipcMain.handle('relay:start', () => relay.start())
   ipcMain.handle('relay:stop', () => relay.stop())
-  ipcMain.handle('relay:get-autostart', () => app.getLoginItemSettings().openAtLogin)
-  ipcMain.handle('relay:set-autostart', (_e, enabled: boolean) => {
-    app.setLoginItemSettings({ openAtLogin: enabled })
+  ipcMain.handle('relay:get-autostart', () => {
+    if (process.platform === 'linux') return getLinuxAutostart()
     return app.getLoginItemSettings().openAtLogin
   })
+  ipcMain.handle('relay:set-autostart', (_e, enabled: boolean) => {
+    const current = loadSettings()
+    if (process.platform === 'linux') {
+      return setLinuxAutostart(enabled, current.startMinimized)
+    }
+    app.setLoginItemSettings({
+      openAtLogin: enabled,
+      args: current.startMinimized ? ['--hidden'] : []
+    })
+    return app.getLoginItemSettings().openAtLogin
+  })
+  ipcMain.handle('relay:get-start-minimized', () => loadSettings().startMinimized)
+  ipcMain.handle('relay:set-start-minimized', (_e, enabled: boolean) => {
+    const current = loadSettings()
+    saveSettings({ ...current, startMinimized: enabled })
+
+    if (process.platform === 'linux') {
+      if (getLinuxAutostart()) setLinuxAutostart(true, enabled)
+    } else if (app.getLoginItemSettings().openAtLogin) {
+      app.setLoginItemSettings({ openAtLogin: true, args: enabled ? ['--hidden'] : [] })
+    }
+
+    return enabled
+  })
   ipcMain.handle('relay:set-mirror-enabled', (_e, index: number, enabled: boolean) => {
     const status = relay.setMirrorEnabled(index, enabled)
-    saveDisabledMirrors(relay.getDisabledMirrors())
+    const current = loadSettings()
+    saveSettings({ ...current, disabledMirrors: relay.getDisabledMirrors() })
     return status
   })
 
diff --git a/src/preload/index.ts b/src/preload/index.ts
index 061e20b..7a8e995 100644
--- a/src/preload/index.ts
+++ b/src/preload/index.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ const api = {
   getAutostart: (): Promise<boolean> => ipcRenderer.invoke('relay:get-autostart'),
   setAutostart: (enabled: boolean): Promise<boolean> =>
     ipcRenderer.invoke('relay:set-autostart', enabled),
+  getStartMinimized: (): Promise<boolean> => ipcRenderer.invoke('relay:get-start-minimized'),
+  setStartMinimized: (enabled: boolean): Promise<boolean> =>
+    ipcRenderer.invoke('relay:set-start-minimized', enabled),
   setMirrorEnabled: (index: number, enabled: boolean): Promise<RelayStatus> =>
     ipcRenderer.invoke('relay:set-mirror-enabled', index, enabled),
   onStatus: (callback: (status: RelayStatus) => void): (() => void) => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
index 5a62662..56c7de7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
-import { ChevronLeft, Settings } from 'lucide-react'
+import { ChevronLeft, Info, Settings } from 'lucide-react'
 import type { RelayStatus } from '../../main/relay'
 import { InstanceRow } from './components/InstanceRow'
 import { Toggle } from './components/Toggle'
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ export function App(): React.JSX.Element {
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<RelayStatus>(EMPTY_STATUS)
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false)
   const [autostart, setAutostart] = useState(false)
+  const [startMinimized, setStartMinimized] = useState(false)
   const [view, setView] = useState<'main' | 'settings'>('main')
   const [appVersion, setAppVersion] = useState<{ version: string; commit: string } | null>(null)
 
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ export function App(): React.JSX.Element {
     void (async () => {
       setStatus(await window.api.getStatus())
       setAutostart(await window.api.getAutostart())
+      setStartMinimized(await window.api.getStartMinimized())
       setAppVersion(await window.api.getVersion())
     })()
 
@@ -138,6 +140,10 @@ export function App(): React.JSX.Element {
     setAutostart(await window.api.setAutostart(enabled))
   }
 
+  const onToggleStartMinimized = async (enabled: boolean): Promise<void> => {
+    setStartMinimized(await window.api.setStartMinimized(enabled))
+  }
+
   if (status.unsupported) {
     return (
       <div className="flex flex-col h-screen items-center justify-center p-5 gap-3 text-center">
@@ -170,6 +176,25 @@ export function App(): React.JSX.Element {
           <Toggle checked={autostart} onChange={onToggleAutostart} />
         </section>
 
+        <section className="rounded-xl bg-zinc-800/60 border border-zinc-700 p-4 flex items-center justify-between">
+          <div className="flex flex-col">
+            <span className="text-sm">Start minimized</span>
+            <span className="text-xs text-zinc-500">Open to the tray instead of a window</span>
+          </div>
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            {!autostart && (
+              <Info className="w-4 h-4 text-zinc-400 hover:text-zinc-100 cursor-help transition-colors shrink-0">
+                <title>Only applies when &quot;Start on login&quot; is enabled.</title>
+              </Info>
+            )}
+            <Toggle
+              checked={startMinimized}
+              onChange={onToggleStartMinimized}
+              disabled={!autostart}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </section>
+
         {appVersion && (
           <p className="text-xs text-zinc-500 mt-auto">
             Version {appVersion.version} ({appVersion.commit})