diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 879f00d5..4fa2f594 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -108,9 +108,6 @@ jobs:
           # is the correct state for unsigned builds.
           MAC_CSC_LINK: ${{ secrets.MAC_CSC_LINK }}
           MAC_CSC_KEY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.MAC_CSC_KEY_PASSWORD }}
-          APPLE_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_ID }}
-          APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD }}
-          APPLE_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_TEAM_ID }}
           WIN_CSC_LINK: ${{ secrets.WIN_CSC_LINK }}
           WIN_CSC_KEY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.WIN_CSC_KEY_PASSWORD }}
         run: |
@@ -134,8 +131,50 @@ jobs:
           # `--publish never` still emits the latest*.yml files we parse for sha512.
           # Use the dynamic config (electron-builder.js) so mac.binaries is
           # populated with the embedded backend's Mach-O files for signing.
+          # electron-builder signs but does NOT notarize (notarize:false); the
+          # dedicated step below notarizes + staples with retry.
           npx electron-builder ${{ matrix.eb_flags }} --config electron-builder.js --publish never
 
+      # Whether Mac signing secrets are present. `secrets` can't be used in a
+      # step `if:` directly, and step-level `env` isn't visible to that step's
+      # own `if:`, so surface it as an output for the notarize step to gate on.
+      - name: Check mac signing secrets
+        id: macsign
+        if: matrix.platform == 'mac'
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          MAC_CSC_LINK: ${{ secrets.MAC_CSC_LINK }}
+        run: |
+          if [ -n "$MAC_CSC_LINK" ]; then
+            echo "enabled=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "enabled=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            echo "::notice::MAC_CSC_LINK not set — skipping notarization (unsigned build)."
+          fi
+
+      # Notarize + staple the dmg in a separate, retryable step. electron-builder's
+      # inline notarize aborts the whole build on a single notarytool poll timeout
+      # (NSURLErrorDomain -1001); this step retries so a flaky poll doesn't discard
+      # the signed build. Skipped for Windows and for unsigned builds (no cert).
+      - name: Notarize macOS dmg
+        if: matrix.platform == 'mac' && steps.macsign.outputs.enabled == 'true'
+        working-directory: desktop
+        shell: bash
+        env:
+          APPLE_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_ID }}
+          APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD }}
+          APPLE_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_TEAM_ID }}
+        run: |
+          shopt -s nullglob
+          dmgs=(release/*.dmg)
+          if [ ${#dmgs[@]} -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "::error::no dmg found to notarize"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          for dmg in "${dmgs[@]}"; do
+            bash build/notarize-dmg.sh "$dmg"
+          done
+
       - name: Upload artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 287a69ca..b22aa395 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ desktop/build/*
 !desktop/build/requirements-desktop.txt
 !desktop/build/build-backend.sh
 !desktop/build/entitlements.mac.plist
+!desktop/build/notarize-dmg.sh
 
 # Icon authoring scratch dir: intermediate assets used to produce the final
 # icons. Only the finished icons under desktop/resources/ should be committed.
diff --git a/desktop/build/notarize-dmg.sh b/desktop/build/notarize-dmg.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..3958c66e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/build/notarize-dmg.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Notarize + staple a macOS dmg with retry, so a transient notarytool
+# status-polling timeout (NSURLErrorDomain -1001) doesn't throw away an
+# otherwise-good signed build.
+#
+# electron-builder's inline notarize aborts the whole build on the first poll
+# timeout. Here we retry the submit-and-wait, and before each retry we check
+# whether a previous submission already reached a terminal state (Accepted),
+# so a flaky poll on an already-successful submission still passes.
+#
+# Usage: notarize-dmg.sh <path-to-dmg>
+# Requires env: APPLE_ID, APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD, APPLE_TEAM_ID
+set -euo pipefail
+
+DMG="${1:?usage: notarize-dmg.sh <dmg>}"
+
+: "${APPLE_ID:?APPLE_ID not set}"
+: "${APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD:?APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD not set}"
+: "${APPLE_TEAM_ID:?APPLE_TEAM_ID not set}"
+
+MAX_ATTEMPTS="${NOTARIZE_MAX_ATTEMPTS:-5}"
+
+auth=(
+  --apple-id "$APPLE_ID"
+  --password "$APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD"
+  --team-id "$APPLE_TEAM_ID"
+)
+
+# Check whether the most recent submission for this app is already Accepted.
+# Used to short-circuit retries when the failure was only a status-poll timeout
+# on a submission that Apple actually accepted.
+latest_status_is_accepted() {
+  local out
+  out="$(xcrun notarytool history "${auth[@]}" --output-format json 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  # Grab the status of the first (most recent) history entry.
+  echo "$out" | python3 -c '
+import json, sys
+try:
+    data = json.load(sys.stdin)
+    hist = data.get("history", [])
+    if hist and hist[0].get("status") == "Accepted":
+        sys.exit(0)
+except Exception:
+    pass
+sys.exit(1)
+' 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+echo "==> Notarizing: $DMG"
+
+attempt=1
+while :; do
+  echo "==> notarytool submit (attempt ${attempt}/${MAX_ATTEMPTS})"
+  if xcrun notarytool submit "$DMG" "${auth[@]}" --wait --timeout 30m; then
+    echo "==> Notarization Accepted"
+    break
+  fi
+
+  echo "::warning::notarytool submit failed on attempt ${attempt}"
+
+  # The submit may have been accepted but the status poll timed out; verify.
+  if latest_status_is_accepted; then
+    echo "==> Latest submission already Accepted (poll timed out); continuing"
+    break
+  fi
+
+  if [ "$attempt" -ge "$MAX_ATTEMPTS" ]; then
+    echo "::error::Notarization failed after ${MAX_ATTEMPTS} attempts"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  sleep_s=$(( attempt * 30 ))
+  echo "==> Retrying in ${sleep_s}s..."
+  sleep "$sleep_s"
+  attempt=$(( attempt + 1 ))
+done
+
+echo "==> Stapling ticket into dmg"
+# Staple has its own transient failures; retry a few times.
+staple_attempt=1
+while :; do
+  if xcrun stapler staple "$DMG"; then
+    echo "==> Staple OK"
+    break
+  fi
+  if [ "$staple_attempt" -ge 3 ]; then
+    echo "::error::Stapling failed after 3 attempts"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  echo "==> Staple failed, retrying in 15s..."
+  sleep 15
+  staple_attempt=$(( staple_attempt + 1 ))
+done
+
+echo "==> Verifying staple"
+xcrun stapler validate "$DMG"
+echo "==> Notarization + staple complete: $DMG"
diff --git a/desktop/electron-builder.js b/desktop/electron-builder.js
index 7f63d696..d6f9bce1 100644
--- a/desktop/electron-builder.js
+++ b/desktop/electron-builder.js
@@ -71,7 +71,13 @@ function collectBackendBinaries() {
 if (process.platform === 'darwin') {
   const binaries = collectBackendBinaries()
   console.log(`[electron-builder.js] injecting ${binaries.length} backend binaries into mac.binaries`)
-  config.mac = { ...config.mac, binaries }
+  // Sign the app (+ backend binaries) here, but do NOT notarize inline.
+  // electron-builder runs `notarytool submit --wait`, which aborts the whole
+  // build on a single status-polling timeout (NSURLErrorDomain -1001) — a
+  // frequent transient failure on the runner -> Apple link. Notarization still
+  // happens: a dedicated CI step submits + staples the dmg with a retry loop,
+  // so a flaky poll retries instead of throwing away the signed build.
+  config.mac = { ...config.mac, binaries, notarize: false }
 }
 
 module.exports = config