diff --git a/src/main/index.ts b/src/main/index.ts
index 094aa60..a851a4c 100644
--- a/src/main/index.ts
+++ b/src/main/index.ts
@@ -150,15 +150,19 @@ function updateTrayMenu(status: RelayStatus): void {
 
   const menu = Menu.buildFromTemplate([
     {
-      label: status.running ? 'Relay: Running' : 'Relay: Stopped',
+      label: status.running
+        ? 'Relay: Running'
+        : status.waiting
+          ? 'Relay: Waiting for Discord…'
+          : 'Relay: Stopped',
       enabled: false
     },
     { type: 'separator' },
     {
-      label: status.running ? 'Stop Relay' : 'Start Relay',
+      label: status.running || status.waiting ? 'Stop Relay' : 'Start Relay',
       click: async () => {
         try {
-          if (status.running) {
+          if (status.running || status.waiting) {
             await relay.stop()
           } else {
             await relay.start()
diff --git a/src/main/relay.ts b/src/main/relay.ts
index 60c248c..c684057 100644
--- a/src/main/relay.ts
+++ b/src/main/relay.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { platform, type ClaimedSocket, type ProcessInfo } from './platform'
 
 const MAX_SOCKETS = 10
 const DISCOVERY_INTERVAL_MS = 3000
+const WAITING_RETRY_INTERVAL_MS = 3000
 
 interface AppAsset {
   id: string
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ export interface LastActivity {
 
 export interface RelayStatus {
   running: boolean
+  waiting: boolean
   unsupported: boolean
   instances: RelayInstance[]
   connectedClients: ConnectedClient[]
@@ -120,8 +122,10 @@ export class RpcRelay extends EventEmitter {
   private connectedClients = new Map<number, ConnectedClient>()
   private nextClientId = 1
   private discoveryTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null
+  private waitingTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null = null
   private lastActivity: LastActivity | null = null
   private running = false
+  private waiting = false
   private lastError: string | null = null
   private restarting = false
   private mirrors = new Map<number, MirrorConnection>()
@@ -138,6 +142,7 @@ export class RpcRelay extends EventEmitter {
 
     return {
       running: this.running,
+      waiting: this.waiting,
       unsupported: !platform.isSupported,
       instances,
       connectedClients: [...this.connectedClients.values()],
@@ -181,11 +186,13 @@ export class RpcRelay extends EventEmitter {
     this.claimed = platform.discoverAndClaim()
 
     if (this.claimed.length === 0) {
-      this.lastError = 'No running Discord clients found (no discord-ipc-N sockets)'
-      this.emitStatus()
-      throw new Error(this.lastError)
+      this.waitForDiscord()
+      return
     }
 
+    this.waiting = false
+    this.stopWaitingTimer()
+
     const fake = platform.fakeSocketPath()
     platform.removeFakeSocket(fake)
 
@@ -211,7 +218,13 @@ export class RpcRelay extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   async stop(): Promise<void> {
-    if (!this.running) return
+    this.stopWaitingTimer()
+    this.waiting = false
+
+    if (!this.running) {
+      this.emitStatus()
+      return
+    }
     this.running = false
     this.stopDiscoveryTimer()
 
@@ -236,6 +249,28 @@ export class RpcRelay extends EventEmitter {
     return this.claimed[0]?.index
   }
 
+  private waitForDiscord(): void {
+    this.waiting = true
+    this.lastError = null
+    this.emitStatus()
+
+    if (this.waitingTimer) return
+    this.waitingTimer = setInterval(() => {
+      if (!this.waiting) return
+      void this.start().catch((err) => {
+        this.lastError = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)
+        this.emitStatus()
+      })
+    }, WAITING_RETRY_INTERVAL_MS)
+  }
+
+  private stopWaitingTimer(): void {
+    if (this.waitingTimer) {
+      clearInterval(this.waitingTimer)
+      this.waitingTimer = null
+    }
+  }
+
   private startDiscoveryTimer(): void {
     this.stopDiscoveryTimer()
     this.discoveryTimer = setInterval(() => this.discoverNewInstances(), DISCOVERY_INTERVAL_MS)
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
index 56c7de7..4ecf08c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/App.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { Button, LinkButton } from './components/Button'
 
 const EMPTY_STATUS: RelayStatus = {
   running: false,
+  waiting: false,
   unsupported: false,
   instances: [],
   connectedClients: [],
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ export function App(): React.JSX.Element {
   const toggleRelay = async (): Promise<void> => {
     setLoading(true)
     try {
-      if (status.running) {
+      if (status.running || status.waiting) {
         await window.api.stop()
       } else {
         await window.api.start()
@@ -227,11 +228,23 @@ export function App(): React.JSX.Element {
       <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">Relay</span>
-          <span className={`text-xs ${status.running ? 'text-emerald-400' : 'text-zinc-500'}`}>
-            {status.running ? 'Running' : 'Stopped'}
+          <span
+            className={`text-xs ${
+              status.running
+                ? 'text-emerald-400'
+                : status.waiting
+                  ? 'text-amber-400'
+                  : 'text-zinc-500'
+            }`}
+          >
+            {status.running ? 'Running' : status.waiting ? 'Waiting for Discord…' : 'Stopped'}
           </span>
         </div>
-        <Toggle checked={status.running} onChange={() => toggleRelay()} disabled={loading} />
+        <Toggle
+          checked={status.running || status.waiting}
+          onChange={() => toggleRelay()}
+          disabled={loading}
+        />
       </section>
 
       <section className="rounded-xl bg-zinc-800/60 border border-zinc-700 p-4 flex flex-col gap-2">