diff --git a/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js b/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js
index 779baa42a..3ceda68d0 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-app/src/providers/ReduxStore/slices/collections/actions.js
@@ -2802,7 +2802,10 @@ export const hydrateCollectionWithUiStateSnapshot = (payload) => (dispatch, getS
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const state = getState();
     try {
-      if (!collectionSnapshotData) resolve();
+      if (!collectionSnapshotData) {
+        resolve();
+        return;
+      }
       const { pathname, selectedEnvironment } = collectionSnapshotData;
       const collection = findCollectionByPathname(state.collections.collections, pathname);
       const collectionCopy = cloneDeep(collection);
diff --git a/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/collection-watcher.js b/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/collection-watcher.js
index b2acdd942..f66dfb639 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/collection-watcher.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/collection-watcher.js
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ const onWatcherSetupComplete = (win, watchPath, collectionUid, watcher) => {
 
   const UiStateSnapshotStore = new UiStateSnapshot();
   const collectionsSnapshotState = UiStateSnapshotStore.getCollections();
-  const collectionSnapshotState = collectionsSnapshotState?.find((c) => c?.pathname == watchPath);
+  const collectionSnapshotState = collectionsSnapshotState?.find((c) => c?.pathname && path.normalize(c.pathname) === path.normalize(watchPath));
   win.webContents.send('main:hydrate-app-with-ui-state-snapshot', collectionSnapshotState);
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/onboarding.js b/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/onboarding.js
index 7a20da1fb..c048a7550 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/onboarding.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-electron/src/app/onboarding.js
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ async function importSampleCollection(collectionLocation, mainWindow) {
  * - Genuinely new users (no collections, no previous launch) → show welcome modal
  * - Existing users upgrading (have collections but no hasLaunchedBefore flag) → skip welcome modal
  *
- * The 'main:onboarding-complete' event in finally unblocks the renderer:ready IPC handler,
- * ensuring the renderer always gets the correct preference values.
+ * Called directly from the renderer:ready IPC handler in preferences.js to ensure
+ * preferences are set correctly before being sent to the renderer.
  */
 async function onboardUser(mainWindow, lastOpenedCollections) {
   try {
@@ -97,8 +97,7 @@ async function onboardUser(mainWindow, lastOpenedCollections) {
       const collectionInfo = await importSampleCollection(collectionLocation, mainWindow);
 
       // Store collection info to open after renderer is ready
-      // The main:collection-opened event is deferred because the renderer
-      // is still waiting for main:onboarding-complete at this point
+      // The main:collection-opened event is deferred until main:renderer-ready is emitted
       pendingSampleCollection = { mainWindow, ...collectionInfo };
     }
 
@@ -114,9 +113,6 @@ async function onboardUser(mainWindow, lastOpenedCollections) {
     console.error('Failed to handle onboarding:', error);
     // Still mark as launched to prevent retry on next startup
     await preferencesUtil.markAsLaunched();
-  } finally {
-    // Always unblock the renderer:ready handler so the app can proceed
-    ipcMain.emit('main:onboarding-complete');
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/bruno-electron/src/index.js b/packages/bruno-electron/src/index.js
index ec33c3497..1c6495820 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-electron/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-electron/src/index.js
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ if (os.platform() === 'linux') {
 
 const menuTemplate = require('./app/menu-template');
 const { openCollection } = require('./app/collections');
-const LastOpenedCollections = require('./store/last-opened-collections');
 const registerNetworkIpc = require('./ipc/network');
 const registerCollectionsIpc = require('./ipc/collection');
 const registerFilesystemIpc = require('./ipc/filesystem');
@@ -57,12 +56,10 @@ const TerminalManager = require('./ipc/terminal');
 const { safeParseJSON, safeStringifyJSON } = require('./utils/common');
 const { getDomainsWithCookies } = require('./utils/cookies');
 const { cookiesStore } = require('./store/cookies');
-const onboardUser = require('./app/onboarding');
 const SystemMonitor = require('./app/system-monitor');
 const { getIsRunningInRosetta } = require('./utils/arch');
 const { handleAppProtocolUrl, getAppProtocolUrlFromArgv } = require('./utils/deeplink');
 
-const lastOpenedCollections = new LastOpenedCollections();
 const systemMonitor = new SystemMonitor();
 const terminalManager = new TerminalManager();
 
@@ -426,13 +423,8 @@ app.on('ready', async () => {
       };
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('Error wrapping webContents.send:', err);
-      // Ensure onboarding gate is unblocked so renderer:ready doesn't hang
-      ipcMain.emit('main:onboarding-complete');
     }
 
-    // Handle onboarding
-    await onboardUser(mainWindow, lastOpenedCollections);
-
     // Send cookies list after renderer is ready
     try {
       cookiesStore.initializeCookies();
diff --git a/packages/bruno-electron/src/ipc/preferences.js b/packages/bruno-electron/src/ipc/preferences.js
index 249908e95..6aea6aa0a 100644
--- a/packages/bruno-electron/src/ipc/preferences.js
+++ b/packages/bruno-electron/src/ipc/preferences.js
@@ -5,13 +5,16 @@ const { globalEnvironmentsStore } = require('../store/global-environments');
 const { parsedFileCacheStore } = require('../store/parsed-file-cache-idb');
 const { getCachedSystemProxy, fetchSystemProxy } = require('../store/system-proxy');
 const { resolveDefaultLocation } = require('../utils/default-location');
+const onboardUser = require('../app/onboarding');
+const LastOpenedCollections = require('../store/last-opened-collections');
 
 const registerPreferencesIpc = (mainWindow) => {
+  const lastOpenedCollections = new LastOpenedCollections();
+
+  const onboardingPromise = onboardUser(mainWindow, lastOpenedCollections);
+
   ipcMain.handle('renderer:ready', async (event) => {
-    // Wait for onboarding to finish before reading preferences.
-    // Onboarding may set hasSeenWelcomeModal for new vs existing users,
-    // and we need the renderer to receive the correct values.
-    await new Promise((resolve) => ipcMain.once('main:onboarding-complete', resolve));
+    await onboardingPromise;
 
     // load preferences
     const preferences = getPreferences();