diff --git a/desktop/main.js b/desktop/main.js
index caaafbc..14a1e0f 100644
--- a/desktop/main.js
+++ b/desktop/main.js
@@ -75,28 +75,47 @@ function avatarToTempPng(src) {
   });
 }
 
+// Keep STRONG references to live notifications. Electron/Windows garbage-collects a Notification
+// with no reference, which closed the toast within ~1s and made clicks do nothing.
+const activeNotifs = new Set();
+
 // Resolves {open} when the toast is clicked (renderer then opens that chat), else null.
 ipcMain.handle('reply-notification', async (_e, payload = {}) => {
   if (!Notification.isSupported()) return null;
-  const img = await avatarToTempPng(payload.avatar);
+  // Do NOT block the toast on the avatar download (that made desktop notifications lag ~15s vs the
+  // browser's instant one). Race it against a short cap: use the DP only if it's ready fast.
+  const img = await Promise.race([
+    avatarToTempPng(payload.avatar),
+    new Promise((r) => setTimeout(() => r(null), 600)),
+  ]);
   return await new Promise((resolve) => {
-  let done = false;
-  const finish = (v) => { if (!done) { done = true; if (img) { try { fs.unlinkSync(img); } catch (_) {} } resolve(v); } };
-  try {
-    const n = new Notification({
-      title: payload.title || 'Biz Connect',
-      body: payload.body || '',
-      icon: img ? nativeImage.createFromPath(img) : undefined,
-      silent: false,
-    });
-    n.on('click', () => {
-      if (win) { if (win.isMinimized()) win.restore(); win.show(); win.focus(); } // raise the app
-      finish({ kind: payload.kind, id: payload.id, open: true });
-    });
-    n.on('close', () => finish(null));
-    n.show();
-    setTimeout(() => finish(null), 30000); // don't leave the promise pending forever
-  } catch (_) { finish(null); }
+    let done = false;
+    let n;
+    const finish = (v) => {
+      if (done) return; done = true;
+      if (n) { activeNotifs.delete(n); }
+      if (img) { try { fs.unlinkSync(img); } catch (_) {} }
+      resolve(v);
+    };
+    try {
+      n = new Notification({
+        title: payload.title || 'Biz Connect',
+        body: payload.body || '',
+        icon: img ? nativeImage.createFromPath(img) : undefined,
+        silent: false,
+        // A call invite stays on screen until clicked/ended; a chat toast uses the default timeout.
+        timeoutType: payload.persistent ? 'never' : 'default',
+      });
+      activeNotifs.add(n); // strong ref → toast isn't collected; click stays live
+      n.on('click', () => {
+        if (win) { if (win.isMinimized()) win.restore(); win.show(); win.focus(); } // raise the app
+        finish({ kind: payload.kind, id: payload.id, open: true });
+      });
+      n.on('close', () => finish(null)); // user/system dismissed it → no action (don't force-close)
+      n.show();
+      // Safety timeout so the promise never leaks. Calls get the full ring window; chats shorter.
+      setTimeout(() => { try { if (n) n.close(); } catch (_) {} finish(null); }, payload.persistent ? 45000 : 25000);
+    } catch (_) { finish(null); }
   });
 });
 
@@ -195,13 +214,14 @@ const GRANTED = new Set([
 
 function configureSession() {
   const ses = session.fromPartition('persist:bizconnect');
-  // getDisplayMedia needs an explicit source. Default to the primary display + loopback audio.
-  // A production build can swap this for a source-picker window.
+  // getDisplayMedia: prefer the OS's native screen/window PICKER (Windows 11 / macOS) so the user
+  // chooses what to share (and can pick a single window, avoiding the whole-screen mirror). If the
+  // system picker isn't available, this handler falls back to auto-selecting the primary display.
   ses.setDisplayMediaRequestHandler((request, callback) => {
     desktopCapturer.getSources({ types: ['screen', 'window'] }).then((sources) => {
       callback(sources.length ? { video: sources[0], audio: 'loopback' } : {});
     }).catch(() => callback({}));
-  }, { useSystemPicker: false });
+  }, { useSystemPicker: true });
   // Async grant (getUserMedia, notifications, …)
   ses.setPermissionRequestHandler((_wc, permission, callback) => callback(GRANTED.has(permission)));
   // Sync check (some getUserMedia paths query this before requesting)
diff --git a/desktop/package.json b/desktop/package.json
index 6b12b58..bdee320 100644
--- a/desktop/package.json
+++ b/desktop/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "biz-connect-desktop",
-  "version": "0.1.5",
+  "version": "0.1.6",
   "description": "Biz Connect technician desktop client — loads the Connect web UI with native screen capture",
   "author": {
     "name": "BizGaze",
diff --git a/server/public/home.html b/server/public/home.html
index d7f36ed..0e901c2 100644
--- a/server/public/home.html
+++ b/server/public/home.html
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@
 <body>
 <script src="/icons.js?v=5"></script>
 <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@twemoji/api@15.1.0/dist/twemoji.min.js" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
-<script>window.__BUILD='2026-07-08-batch57';console.log('%cBiz Connect','color:#1F3B73;font-weight:bold','build '+window.__BUILD);
+<script>window.__BUILD='2026-07-08-batch58';console.log('%cBiz Connect','color:#1F3B73;font-weight:bold','build '+window.__BUILD);
 // Render modern (Twemoji) emojis in place of the OS's flat ones. No-op if the CDN didn't load
 // (emojis stay as plain Unicode). (#5)
 function twemojify(el){ try{ if(el && window.twemoji) window.twemoji.parse(el, { folder:'svg', ext:'.svg' }); }catch(_){} }</script>
@@ -1764,7 +1764,7 @@ function showCallInvite(room, byName, ret, sub){
     +'<button class="ci-join">'+ic('video',16)+' Join</button>'
     +'<button class="ci-decline" title="Decline">'+ic('callEnd',16)+' Decline</button>';
   document.body.appendChild(el);
-  try{ notify('📞 '+who, (sub?('Group call · '+sub):'is calling you'), ret&&ret.kind, ret&&ret.id); }catch(_){} // OS notification too
+  try{ notify('📞 '+who, (sub?('Group call · '+sub):'is calling you'), ret&&ret.kind, ret&&ret.id, {persistent:true}); }catch(_){} // OS notification too (stays until clicked/ended)
   let closed=false;
   const close=()=>{ if(closed) return; closed=true; try{ el.remove(); }catch(_){} stopRing(); };
   el.querySelector('.ci-join').onclick=()=>{ close(); meetReturn=ret||null; switchTab('meeting'); enterMeeting(room); };
@@ -2344,13 +2344,14 @@ function onNotifClear(d){
   // Drop matching activity-center entries so the bell badge stays in sync.
   try{ if(Array.isArray(NOTIFS)){ const before=NOTIFS.length; NOTIFS=NOTIFS.filter(x=>!(x.link&&x.link.kind===d.kind&&x.link.id===d.id)); if(NOTIFS.length!==before){ saveNotifs&&saveNotifs(); updateBellBadge&&updateBellBadge(); } } }catch(_){}
 }
-function notify(title, body, kind, id){
+function notify(title, body, kind, id, opts){
+  const persistent=!!(opts&&opts.persistent);
   try{
     // Desktop app: native toast with the sender/group DP. Pass the DP URL directly — the shell
     // downloads it for the icon (drawing an external DP to a canvas here tainted it → initials).
     if(window.bizConnectNative && window.bizConnectNative.replyNotify){
       const _av=(rowFor(kind,id)||{}).avatar||null;
-      Promise.resolve(window.bizConnectNative.replyNotify({title, body, kind, id, avatar:_av}))
+      Promise.resolve(window.bizConnectNative.replyNotify({title, body, kind, id, avatar:_av, persistent}))
         .then(r=>{ if(!r) return;
           if(r.text) sendReplyTo(kind, id, r.text);       // replied from the toast
           else if(r.open) openFromNotif(kind, id);         // clicked the toast