diff --git a/desktop/package.json b/desktop/package.json
index cc2be698..68dd56b1 100644
--- a/desktop/package.json
+++ b/desktop/package.json
@@ -55,6 +55,15 @@
       {
         "from": "build/dist/cowagent-backend",
         "to": "backend/cowagent-backend"
+      },
+      {
+        "from": "resources",
+        "to": ".",
+        "filter": [
+          "icon.png",
+          "trayTemplate.png",
+          "trayTemplate@2x.png"
+        ]
       }
     ],
     "mac": {
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/index.ts b/desktop/src/main/index.ts
index acafb341..54d3d9c4 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/index.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/main/index.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@ function getIconPath(ext: string = 'png'): string | undefined {
   return undefined
 }
 
+// Resolve the optional monochrome macOS menu-bar template icon. Returns
+// undefined when the asset isn't present, so the tray falls back gracefully.
+function getTrayTemplatePath(): string | undefined {
+  const file = 'trayTemplate.png'
+  const p = isDev
+    ? path.resolve(__dirname, '../../resources', file)
+    : path.join(process.resourcesPath, file)
+  return fs.existsSync(p) ? p : undefined
+}
+
 const isMac = process.platform === 'darwin'
 const isWin = process.platform === 'win32'
 
@@ -258,6 +268,9 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
   createTray({
     getWindow: () => mainWindow,
     iconPath: getIconPath('png'),
+    // Monochrome menu-bar icon for macOS; falls back to the colored icon when
+    // the template asset is absent (see createTray).
+    templateIconPath: getTrayTemplatePath(),
     onQuit: () => {
       isQuitting = true
       app.quit()
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/tray.ts b/desktop/src/main/tray.ts
index 3039754d..a043e767 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/tray.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/main/tray.ts
@@ -4,23 +4,33 @@ let tray: Tray | null = null
 
 interface TrayDeps {
   getWindow: () => BrowserWindow | null
+  // Colored icon used on Windows/Linux trays.
   iconPath?: string
+  // Monochrome (black + alpha) template icon for the macOS menu bar; renders
+  // correctly in both light and dark menu bars when set as a template image.
+  templateIconPath?: string
   // Called when the user picks "Quit" so the app can fully exit.
   onQuit: () => void
 }
 
 // Build a system tray icon with a minimal menu. The tray lets users restore the
 // window after closing it to the background and start a new chat quickly.
-export function createTray({ getWindow, iconPath, onQuit }: TrayDeps): Tray | null {
+export function createTray({ getWindow, iconPath, templateIconPath, onQuit }: TrayDeps): Tray | null {
   if (tray) return tray
-  if (!iconPath) return null
 
-  let image = nativeImage.createFromPath(iconPath)
+  const isMac = process.platform === 'darwin'
+  // Prefer the monochrome template icon on macOS (menu-bar convention).
+  const sourcePath = isMac && templateIconPath ? templateIconPath : iconPath
+  if (!sourcePath) return null
+
+  let image = nativeImage.createFromPath(sourcePath)
   if (image.isEmpty()) return null
   // Tray icons render small; resize to avoid an oversized image on some platforms.
   image = image.resize({ width: 18, height: 18 })
-  // macOS renders template images correctly in both light/dark menubars.
-  if (process.platform === 'darwin') image.setTemplateImage(false)
+  // A template image must be pure black + alpha; macOS then auto-inverts it for
+  // light/dark menu bars. Only mark it as such when we actually loaded the
+  // dedicated template asset (a colored icon as template would render as a blob).
+  if (isMac && templateIconPath) image.setTemplateImage(true)
 
   tray = new Tray(image)
   tray.setToolTip(app.name)
diff --git a/desktop/src/main/updater.ts b/desktop/src/main/updater.ts
index 12dde5a3..aec52736 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/updater.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/main/updater.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import { app, BrowserWindow } from 'electron'
-import pkg from 'electron-updater'
-
-// electron-updater ships as CommonJS; grab autoUpdater from the default export.
-const { autoUpdater } = pkg
+// electron-updater is CommonJS: its members live on module.exports, with no
+// meaningful default export. Under module=commonjs + esModuleInterop, a named
+// import compiles to `electron_updater_1.autoUpdater` and resolves correctly,
+// whereas `import pkg from 'electron-updater'` yields undefined.
+import { autoUpdater } from 'electron-updater'
 
 // Status payloads pushed to the renderer over the 'update-status' channel.
 // The renderer drives the NavRail badge + update panel from these.