diff --git a/src/services/desktop-api.ts b/src/services/desktop-api.ts
index 1d2dfd87..0bb4c572 100644
--- a/src/services/desktop-api.ts
+++ b/src/services/desktop-api.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ const global = typeof globalThis !== 'undefined'
 
 export const DesktopApi: DesktopApi = global.desktopApi ?? {};
 
+// The desktop shell injects its API into the page before the UI loads. A browser
+// tab pointed at the same server never has it, so this tells the two apart
+// synchronously, unlike desktopVersion which never resolves in a browser.
+export const isDesktopShell = (): boolean => !!global.desktopApi;
+
 const DEFAULT_SERVER_PORT = 45457;
 const DEFAULT_MOCKTTP_PORT = 45456;
 
diff --git a/src/services/ui-api/server-operation-bridge.ts b/src/services/ui-api/server-operation-bridge.ts
index 920b65f1..81466a8a 100644
--- a/src/services/ui-api/server-operation-bridge.ts
+++ b/src/services/ui-api/server-operation-bridge.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { autorun, IReactionDisposer } from 'mobx';
 import { AccountStore } from '../../model/account/account-store';
-import { getServerPort } from '../desktop-api';
+import { getServerPort, isDesktopShell } from '../desktop-api';
 import { OperationRegistry } from './api-registry';
 
 const RECONNECT_BASE_MS = 1_000;
@@ -83,7 +83,11 @@ export function startServerOperationBridge(
         disposers.push(autorun(() => {
             ws!.send(JSON.stringify({
                 type: 'operations',
-                operations: registry.getDefinitions()
+                operations: registry.getDefinitions(),
+                // The desktop app is the UI the user is actually driving, so it
+                // takes the bridge's primary role from any browser tab that
+                // happens to be pointed at the same server too.
+                priority: isDesktopShell() ? 1 : 0
             }));
         }));
     }