diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop.yml
index cd219eed..1b330303 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - 'desktop/**'
+      - 'frontend/**'
       - '.github/workflows/desktop.yml'
     tags:
       - 'desktop-v*'
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - 'desktop/**'
+      - 'frontend/**'
       - '.github/workflows/desktop.yml'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
@@ -46,17 +48,17 @@ jobs:
           node-version: '22'
 
       - name: Install frontend dependencies
+        working-directory: frontend
+        run: npm install
+
+      - name: Install desktop dependencies
         working-directory: desktop
         run: npm install
 
       - name: TypeScript type-check
-        working-directory: desktop
+        working-directory: frontend
         run: npx tsc --noEmit
 
-      - name: Vite build
-        working-directory: desktop
-        run: npx vite build
-
       - name: Install Rust stable
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
 
@@ -117,9 +119,18 @@ jobs:
           node-version: '22'
 
       - name: Install frontend dependencies
+        working-directory: frontend
+        run: npm install
+
+      - name: Install desktop dependencies
         working-directory: desktop
         run: npm install
 
+      - name: Download Ollama sidecar
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          cd desktop/scripts && chmod +x download-ollama.sh && ./download-ollama.sh
+
       - name: Determine release info
         id: release-info
         shell: bash
@@ -163,6 +174,7 @@ jobs:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY }}
           TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD }}
+          TAURI_CONFIG: '{"bundle":{"externalBin":["binaries/ollama"]}}'
         with:
           projectPath: desktop
           tauriScript: npx tauri
diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index 362dbe67..7798f682 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
     "active": true,
     "targets": "all",
     "createUpdaterArtifacts": true,
-    "externalBin": ["binaries/ollama"],
     "icon": [
       "icons/32x32.png",
       "icons/128x128.png",