diff --git a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
index 0d0f76bfbe8a..cb0ed61dce21 100644
--- a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   resolveElectronFuses,
   resolveMockUpdateServerPort,
   resolveMockUpdateServerUrl,
+  resolveStandaloneRuntimeDependencies,
   resolveWindowsNsisConfig,
 } from "./build-desktop-artifact.ts";
 import { BRAND_ASSET_PATHS } from "./lib/brand-assets.ts";
@@ -32,6 +33,25 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("build-desktop-artifact", (it) => {
     assert.equal(resolveDesktopProductName("0.0.17", "dev"), "T3 Code (Dev)");
   });
 
+  it("excludes bundled workspace packages from standalone runtime dependencies", () => {
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(
+      resolveStandaloneRuntimeDependencies(
+        {
+          "@t3tools/contracts": "workspace:*",
+          "@effect/platform-node": "catalog:",
+          electron: "40.6.0",
+          open: "^10.1.0",
+        },
+        { "@effect/platform-node": "4.0.0-beta.78" },
+        "apps/desktop",
+      ),
+      {
+        "@effect/platform-node": "4.0.0-beta.78",
+        open: "^10.1.0",
+      },
+    );
+  });
+
   it("keeps RunAsNode enabled and hardens fuses, gating asar integrity to mac/win", () => {
     assert.deepStrictEqual(resolveElectronFuses("mac"), {
       runAsNode: true,
diff --git a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts
index 063f13842b23..c91d15dc5f2b 100644
--- a/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts
+++ b/scripts/build-desktop-artifact.ts
@@ -507,19 +507,23 @@ function validateBundledClientAssets(clientDir: string) {
   });
 }
 
-function resolveDesktopRuntimeDependencies(
+export function resolveStandaloneRuntimeDependencies(
   dependencies: Record<string, string> | undefined,
   catalog: Record<string, string>,
+  label: string,
 ): Record<string, string> {
   if (!dependencies || Object.keys(dependencies).length === 0) {
     return {};
   }
 
   const runtimeDependencies = Object.fromEntries(
-    Object.entries(dependencies).filter(([dependencyName]) => dependencyName !== "electron"),
+    Object.entries(dependencies).filter(
+      ([dependencyName, dependencySpec]) =>
+        dependencyName !== "electron" && !dependencySpec.startsWith("workspace:"),
+    ),
   );
 
-  return resolveCatalogDependencies(runtimeDependencies, catalog, "apps/desktop");
+  return resolveCatalogDependencies(runtimeDependencies, catalog, label);
 }
 
 function resolveGitHubPublishConfig(updateChannel: "latest" | "nightly"):
@@ -859,7 +863,11 @@ const buildDesktopArtifact = Effect.fn("buildDesktopArtifact")(function* (
 
   const resolvedServerDependencies = yield* Effect.try({
     try: () =>
-      resolveCatalogDependencies(serverDependencies, workspaceConfig.catalog, "apps/server"),
+      resolveStandaloneRuntimeDependencies(
+        serverDependencies,
+        workspaceConfig.catalog,
+        "apps/server",
+      ),
     catch: (cause) =>
       new BuildScriptError({
         message: "Could not resolve production dependencies from apps/server/package.json.",
@@ -868,7 +876,11 @@ const buildDesktopArtifact = Effect.fn("buildDesktopArtifact")(function* (
   });
   const resolvedDesktopRuntimeDependencies = yield* Effect.try({
     try: () =>
-      resolveDesktopRuntimeDependencies(desktopPackageJson.dependencies, workspaceConfig.catalog),
+      resolveStandaloneRuntimeDependencies(
+        desktopPackageJson.dependencies,
+        workspaceConfig.catalog,
+        "apps/desktop",
+      ),
     catch: (cause) =>
       new BuildScriptError({
         message: "Could not resolve desktop runtime dependencies from apps/desktop/package.json.",