diff --git a/apps/desktop/assets/msix-manifest.xml b/apps/desktop/assets/msix-manifest.xml
index 01d3132eac..db334307d1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/assets/msix-manifest.xml
+++ b/apps/desktop/assets/msix-manifest.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
     <Description>${description}</Description>
     <Logo>${logo}</Logo>
     ${packageIntegrity}
+    <!-- Hermes owns durable state in %LOCALAPPDATA% and shares it with the
+         unpackaged CLI/gateway. Do not give MSIX a package-private AppData
+         view or the Store and sideloaded builds will split the user's state. -->
+    <desktop6:FileSystemWriteVirtualization>disabled</desktop6:FileSystemWriteVirtualization>
+    <desktop6:RegistryWriteVirtualization>disabled</desktop6:RegistryWriteVirtualization>
   </Properties>
   <Resources>
     ${resourceLanguages}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron-builder.config.cjs b/apps/desktop/electron-builder.config.cjs
index 67aaabf30e..55a7e65f57 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron-builder.config.cjs
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron-builder.config.cjs
@@ -221,6 +221,10 @@ module.exports = {
     // time, so typecheck/test imports don't touch the filesystem.
     customExtensionsPath: 'build/msix-extensions.xml',
     customManifestPath: store ? 'build/store-msix-manifest.xml' : 'assets/msix-manifest.xml',
+    // Hermes state is deliberately shared with unpackaged CLI/gateway
+    // processes. Pair the manifest's disabled virtualization properties with
+    // the restricted capability that permits unvirtualized AppData/HKCU writes.
+    capabilities: ['unvirtualizedResources'],
     showNameOnTiles: true
   },
   linux: {