diff --git a/.changes/electron-async-login-shell-path.md b/.changes/electron-async-login-shell-path.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..521c2628e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/electron-async-login-shell-path.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+type: perf
+area: electron
+---
+
+On macOS and Linux the app shows your sources sooner after launch: looking up
+the PATH from your login shell (used to find MPV and VLC) no longer freezes the
+app while the shell starts, which took one to two seconds with a typical zsh
+setup.
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.spec.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.spec.ts
index 86bda42ff..b496fc0c2 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.spec.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ jest.mock('electron', () => ({
 
 const mockEmbeddedMpvService = {
     createSession: jest.fn(),
+    prepareAddon: jest.fn(),
     getSupport: jest.fn(),
+    willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable: jest.fn(() => false),
+    forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe: jest.fn(),
     setPaused: jest.fn(),
 };
 const mockSessionOptions = {
@@ -21,10 +24,20 @@ jest.mock('../services/embedded-mpv-native.service', () => ({
 jest.mock('../services/embedded-mpv-session-options', () => ({
     readEmbeddedMpvSessionOptions: () => mockSessionOptions,
 }));
+const mockWaitForLoginShellPath = jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve(true));
+let settleLookup: () => void = () => undefined;
+const mockLookupSettled = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    settleLookup = resolve;
+});
+jest.mock('../startup/login-shell-path', () => ({
+    waitForLoginShellPath: () => mockWaitForLoginShellPath(),
+    whenLoginShellPathSettled: () => mockLookupSettled,
+}));
 
 import { ipcMain } from 'electron';
 import {
     EMBEDDED_MPV_CREATE_SESSION,
+    EMBEDDED_MPV_PREPARE,
     EMBEDDED_MPV_SET_PAUSED,
     EMBEDDED_MPV_SUPPORT,
 } from '@iptvnator/shared/interfaces';
@@ -55,6 +68,91 @@ describe('EmbeddedMpvEvents IPC handlers', () => {
         mockEmbeddedMpvService.setPaused.mockReset();
     });
 
+    describe('support checks and the login shell PATH', () => {
+        afterEach(() => {
+            mockWaitForLoginShellPath.mockClear();
+            mockEmbeddedMpvService.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable.mockReset();
+            mockEmbeddedMpvService.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable.mockReturnValue(
+                false
+            );
+        });
+
+        it.each([EMBEDDED_MPV_SUPPORT, EMBEDDED_MPV_PREPARE])(
+            '%s waits for the lookup before the bare-name mpv probe',
+            async (channel) => {
+                mockEmbeddedMpvService.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable.mockReturnValue(
+                    true
+                );
+                let settle: (settled: boolean) => void = () => undefined;
+                mockWaitForLoginShellPath.mockReturnValueOnce(
+                    new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+                        settle = resolve;
+                    })
+                );
+                mockEmbeddedMpvService.getSupport.mockReturnValue({
+                    supported: true,
+                });
+                mockEmbeddedMpvService.prepareAddon.mockReturnValue({
+                    supported: true,
+                });
+
+                const support = getIpcMainHandler(channel)({});
+                await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+                expect(
+                    mockEmbeddedMpvService.getSupport
+                ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+                expect(
+                    mockEmbeddedMpvService.prepareAddon
+                ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+                settle(true);
+                await expect(support).resolves.toEqual({ supported: true });
+                expect(
+                    mockEmbeddedMpvService.forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe
+                ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+            }
+        );
+
+        it('re-probes mpv once a lookup that ran out finally answers', async () => {
+            mockEmbeddedMpvService.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable.mockReturnValue(
+                true
+            );
+            mockWaitForLoginShellPath.mockResolvedValueOnce(false);
+            mockEmbeddedMpvService.getSupport.mockReturnValue({
+                supported: false,
+            });
+
+            await expect(
+                getIpcMainHandler(EMBEDDED_MPV_SUPPORT)({})
+            ).resolves.toEqual({ supported: false });
+            expect(
+                mockEmbeddedMpvService.forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe
+            ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+            settleLookup();
+            await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+            expect(
+                mockEmbeddedMpvService.forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe
+            ).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        });
+
+        it('does not wait when no probe runs, nor for session calls', async () => {
+            mockEmbeddedMpvService.getSupport.mockReturnValue({
+                supported: true,
+                engine: 'frame-copy',
+            });
+            mockEmbeddedMpvService.createSession.mockReturnValue({ id: 's' });
+
+            await getIpcMainHandler(EMBEDDED_MPV_SUPPORT)({});
+            await getIpcMainHandler(EMBEDDED_MPV_CREATE_SESSION)(
+                {},
+                { x: 0, y: 0, width: 1, height: 1 }
+            );
+
+            expect(mockWaitForLoginShellPath).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+    });
+
     it('creates a session with the options read from the settings mirror', async () => {
         const session = { id: 'session-1', status: 'idle' };
         mockEmbeddedMpvService.createSession.mockReturnValue(session);
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.ts
index b863dd4f2..904bd9bb2 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/embedded-mpv.events.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ import {
     embeddedMpvNativeService,
 } from '../services/embedded-mpv-native.service';
 import { readEmbeddedMpvSessionOptions } from '../services/embedded-mpv-session-options';
+import {
+    waitForLoginShellPath,
+    whenLoginShellPathSettled,
+} from '../startup/login-shell-path';
 
 export default class EmbeddedMpvEvents {
     static bootstrapEmbeddedMpvEvents(): Electron.IpcMain {
@@ -64,9 +68,34 @@ function handleEmbeddedMpv<Args extends unknown[]>(
     });
 }
 
-handleEmbeddedMpv(EMBEDDED_MPV_SUPPORT, () => getService().getSupport());
+/**
+ * On Linux, support (and prepare, which checks support first) may run
+ * `mpv --version` by bare name and cache the result, so it must see the
+ * login shell PATH. Only that probe waits; nothing else here spawns by name.
+ */
+async function afterLoginShellPathIfProbing<T>(check: () => T): Promise<T> {
+    if (
+        !getService().willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable() ||
+        (await waitForLoginShellPath())
+    ) {
+        return check();
+    }
+    // The lookup ran out of budget, so this probe sees the inherited PATH.
+    // Once the shell does answer, the result is probed again.
+    const result = check();
+    void whenLoginShellPathSettled().then(() =>
+        getService().forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe()
+    );
+    return result;
+}
 
-handleEmbeddedMpv(EMBEDDED_MPV_PREPARE, () => getService().prepareAddon());
+handleEmbeddedMpv(EMBEDDED_MPV_SUPPORT, () =>
+    afterLoginShellPathIfProbing(() => getService().getSupport())
+);
+
+handleEmbeddedMpv(EMBEDDED_MPV_PREPARE, () =>
+    afterLoginShellPathIfProbing(() => getService().prepareAddon())
+);
 
 handleEmbeddedMpv(
     EMBEDDED_MPV_CREATE_SESSION,
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.spec.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.spec.ts
index be939905a..5250b813c 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.spec.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ jest.mock('electron', () => ({
     },
 }));
 
+jest.mock('fs', () => {
+    const actual = jest.requireActual<typeof import('fs')>('fs');
+    return { ...actual, existsSync: jest.fn(actual.existsSync) };
+});
+
 jest.mock('child_process', () => ({
     spawn: jest.fn(),
 }));
@@ -26,6 +31,10 @@ jest.mock('../services/store.service', () => ({
     },
 }));
 
+jest.mock('../startup/login-shell-path', () => ({
+    waitForLoginShellPath: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve()),
+}));
+
 jest.mock('../services/stalker-playback-context.service', () => ({
     getStalkerPlaybackContextHeaders: jest.fn(() => undefined),
 }));
@@ -33,6 +42,7 @@ jest.mock('../services/stalker-playback-context.service', () => ({
 import { ipcMain } from 'electron';
 import { spawn, type ChildProcess } from 'child_process';
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
 import {
     MPV_PLAYER_PATH,
     store,
@@ -53,6 +63,7 @@ import {
     shouldUseMpvSocketBridge,
 } from './player.events';
 import { openVlcPlayer } from './vlc-session.service';
+import { waitForLoginShellPath } from '../startup/login-shell-path';
 
 function createPathExists(existingPaths: string[]) {
     return (candidatePath: string) => existingPaths.includes(candidatePath);
@@ -461,6 +472,117 @@ describe('openVlcPlayer', () => {
     });
 });
 
+describe('external player launch handlers', () => {
+    const pathKeys: Record<string, string> = {
+        OPEN_MPV_PLAYER: MPV_PLAYER_PATH,
+        OPEN_VLC_PLAYER: VLC_PLAYER_PATH,
+    };
+
+    function configurePlayerPath(channel: string, playerPath: string): void {
+        (store.get as unknown as jest.Mock).mockImplementation(
+            (key: string, fallback?: unknown) =>
+                key === pathKeys[channel] ? playerPath : fallback
+        );
+    }
+
+    async function launchUntilSpawn(
+        channel: string,
+        wait: Promise<void>,
+        afterLaunch: () => Promise<void>
+    ): Promise<void> {
+        (waitForLoginShellPath as jest.Mock).mockReturnValueOnce(wait);
+        const proc = createMockChildProcess();
+        (spawn as unknown as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue(proc);
+        const consoleErrorSpy = jest
+            .spyOn(console, 'error')
+            .mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+        try {
+            const launch = Promise.resolve(
+                getIpcMainHandler(channel)(
+                    {},
+                    'https://example.com/live.m3u8',
+                    'Live'
+                )
+            ).catch(() => undefined);
+            await afterLaunch();
+            proc.emit('error', new Error('spawn ENOENT'));
+            await launch;
+        } finally {
+            consoleErrorSpy.mockRestore();
+        }
+    }
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        (spawn as unknown as jest.Mock).mockReset();
+        (waitForLoginShellPath as jest.Mock).mockClear();
+    });
+
+    it.each(['OPEN_MPV_PLAYER', 'OPEN_VLC_PLAYER'])(
+        '%s spawns a bare player name only after the login shell PATH lookup settled',
+        async (channel) => {
+            configurePlayerPath(channel, 'player-on-shell-path');
+            let settle: () => void = () => undefined;
+            const wait = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+                settle = resolve;
+            });
+            await launchUntilSpawn(channel, wait, async () => {
+                await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+                expect(spawn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+                settle();
+                await waitForSpawnCallCount(1);
+            });
+        }
+    );
+
+    it.each(['OPEN_MPV_PLAYER', 'OPEN_VLC_PLAYER'])(
+        '%s does not wait for a Flatpak host launch of a bare name',
+        async (channel) => {
+            const originalPlatform = process.platform;
+            const existsSync = fs.existsSync as unknown as jest.Mock;
+            existsSync.mockImplementation(
+                (candidate: unknown) => String(candidate) === '/.flatpak-info'
+            );
+            Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'linux' });
+            configurePlayerPath(channel, 'player-on-host-path');
+            try {
+                await launchUntilSpawn(
+                    channel,
+                    new Promise<void>(() => undefined),
+                    async () => {
+                        await waitForSpawnCallCount(1);
+                        expect(waitForLoginShellPath).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+                        expect(
+                            (spawn as unknown as jest.Mock).mock.calls[0][0]
+                        ).toBe('flatpak-spawn');
+                    }
+                );
+            } finally {
+                existsSync.mockImplementation(
+                    jest.requireActual<typeof import('fs')>('fs').existsSync
+                );
+                Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', {
+                    value: originalPlatform,
+                });
+            }
+        }
+    );
+
+    it.each(['OPEN_MPV_PLAYER', 'OPEN_VLC_PLAYER'])(
+        '%s starts a configured executable path without waiting',
+        async (channel) => {
+            configurePlayerPath(channel, '/opt/players/bin/player');
+            await launchUntilSpawn(
+                channel,
+                new Promise<void>(() => undefined),
+                async () => {
+                    await waitForSpawnCallCount(1);
+                    expect(waitForLoginShellPath).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+                }
+            );
+        }
+    );
+});
+
 describe('buildVlcEnqueueCommands', () => {
     it('clears the playlist and adds the URL with no extra options', () => {
         expect(
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.ts
index e38cef167..1dd8f0653 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/player.events.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,21 @@
 import { ipcMain } from 'electron';
 import {
     CLOSE_EXTERNAL_PLAYER_SESSION,
+    type ExternalPlayerName,
     PLAYBACK_SET_KEEP_AWAKE,
     PlayerContentInfo,
 } from '@iptvnator/shared/interfaces';
 import { setPlaybackKeepAwake } from '../services/playback-keep-awake.service';
+import { waitForLoginShellPath } from '../startup/login-shell-path';
 import {
     MPV_PLAYER_PATH,
     store,
     VLC_PLAYER_PATH,
 } from '../services/store.service';
-import { normalizePlayerPathForStore } from './external-player-launch-context';
+import {
+    normalizePlayerPathForStore,
+    resolveExternalPlayerLaunchContext as resolveLaunchContext,
+} from './external-player-launch-context';
 import {
     externalPlayerSessions,
     traceExternalPlayer,
@@ -34,6 +39,23 @@ export {
     parseVlcRcPlaybackState,
 } from './vlc-session.service';
 
+/**
+ * A player resolved to a bare name (no configured path, no well-known
+ * install found) is looked up through PATH, so it waits for the login shell
+ * PATH; a path to an executable starts right away. So does a Flatpak host
+ * launch: `flatpak-spawn --host` resolves the name with the host's PATH,
+ * which the sandbox's login shell lookup cannot change.
+ */
+async function waitForPathIfBareName(
+    player: ExternalPlayerName,
+    configuredPath: string | undefined
+): Promise<void> {
+    const context = resolveLaunchContext(player, configuredPath);
+    if (context.mode !== 'flatpak-host' && !/[\\/]/.test(context.playerPath)) {
+        await waitForLoginShellPath();
+    }
+}
+
 export default class PlayerEvents {
     static bootstrapPlayerEvents(): Electron.IpcMain {
         return ipcMain;
@@ -53,8 +75,9 @@ ipcMain.handle(
         contentInfo?: PlayerContentInfo,
         startTime?: number,
         headers?: Record<string, string>
-    ) =>
-        openMpvPlayer({
+    ) => {
+        await waitForPathIfBareName('mpv', store.get(MPV_PLAYER_PATH));
+        return openMpvPlayer({
             url,
             title,
             thumbnail,
@@ -64,7 +87,8 @@ ipcMain.handle(
             contentInfo,
             startTime,
             headers,
-        })
+        });
+    }
 );
 
 ipcMain.handle(
@@ -95,8 +119,9 @@ ipcMain.handle(
         contentInfo?: PlayerContentInfo,
         startTime?: number,
         headers?: Record<string, string>
-    ) =>
-        openVlcPlayer({
+    ) => {
+        await waitForPathIfBareName('vlc', store.get(VLC_PLAYER_PATH));
+        return openVlcPlayer({
             url,
             title,
             thumbnail,
@@ -106,7 +131,8 @@ ipcMain.handle(
             contentInfo,
             startTime,
             headers,
-        })
+        });
+    }
 );
 
 ipcMain.handle(
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.spec.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.spec.ts
index c4b43007d..728af5580 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.spec.ts
@@ -375,6 +375,60 @@ describe('EmbeddedMpvNativeService power blocker', () => {
             expect(support.frameCopyAvailable).toBe(true);
         });
 
+        it('predicts the bare-name mpv probe exactly when getSupport runs it', () => {
+            Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'linux' });
+            process.env.DISPLAY = ':0';
+            delete process.env.WAYLAND_DISPLAY;
+            mockSpawnSync.mockClear();
+            mockSpawnSync.mockReturnValue({ status: 0 });
+            mockRuntimeUsable();
+
+            expect(service.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable()).toBe(true);
+            service.getSupport();
+            expect(mockSpawnSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+                'mpv',
+                ['--version'],
+                expect.anything()
+            );
+            // Cached afterwards: no further probe, so no further wait.
+            expect(service.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable()).toBe(false);
+        });
+
+        it('probes mpv again after a missing or a found result is forgotten', () => {
+            Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'linux' });
+            process.env.DISPLAY = ':0';
+            delete process.env.WAYLAND_DISPLAY;
+            mockSpawnSync.mockClear();
+            mockSpawnSync.mockReturnValue({ status: 1 });
+            mockRuntimeUsable();
+
+            expect(service.getSupport().supported).toBe(false);
+            service.forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe();
+            expect(service.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable()).toBe(true);
+
+            mockSpawnSync.mockReturnValue({ status: 0 });
+            service.getSupport();
+            expect(mockSpawnSync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+            expect(service.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable()).toBe(false);
+            service.forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe();
+            expect(service.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable()).toBe(true);
+        });
+
+        it('predicts no probe for the frame-copy engine or native Wayland', () => {
+            Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'linux' });
+            process.env.DISPLAY = ':0';
+            process.env.WAYLAND_DISPLAY = 'wayland-0';
+            mockSpawnSync.mockClear();
+            mockRuntimeUsable();
+            expect(service.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable()).toBe(false);
+
+            delete process.env.WAYLAND_DISPLAY;
+            process.env.IPTVNATOR_ENABLE_EMBEDDED_MPV_FRAME_COPY = '1';
+            expect(service.willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable()).toBe(false);
+            service.getSupport();
+            expect(mockSpawnSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        });
+
         it('keeps frame-copy supported on Linux without a system mpv executable', () => {
             // The helper links libmpv itself; the mpv-on-PATH probe only
             // binds the native --wid engine.
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.ts
index b53e3be7d..10f30a806 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/services/embedded-mpv-native.service.ts
@@ -377,6 +377,32 @@ export class EmbeddedMpvNativeService {
         };
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Whether `getSupport()` would now run the uncached Linux bare-name
+     * `mpv --version` probe, i.e. reach the native-engine checks: no
+     * frame-copy engine, a usable display server and the feature enabled.
+     * The IPC layer waits for the login shell PATH only then.
+     */
+    willProbeLinuxMpvExecutable(): boolean {
+        return (
+            process.platform === 'linux' &&
+            this.cachedLinuxMpvExecutableReason === undefined &&
+            !this.isUnsupportedLinuxDisplayServer() &&
+            isEmbeddedMpvFeatureEnabled() &&
+            !this.isFrameCopyEngineActive()
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Drops the cached `mpv --version` result, found or missing, so the next
+     * support check probes again. For a probe that ran before the login
+     * shell PATH arrived: that PATH may add mpv or leave out the directory
+     * the inherited one found it in.
+     */
+    forgetLinuxMpvExecutableProbe(): void {
+        this.cachedLinuxMpvExecutableReason = undefined;
+    }
+
     getSupport(): EmbeddedMpvSupport {
         if (!SUPPORTED_EMBEDDED_MPV_PLATFORMS.has(process.platform)) {
             return {
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/deferred-events.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/deferred-events.ts
index 54d076987..497459152 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/deferred-events.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/deferred-events.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * main.ts loads this module through a dynamic import inside the main
  * window's `did-start-loading` listener (see deferred-bootstrap.ts), so the
  * heavy dependencies it pulls in (axios, drizzle-orm, better-sqlite3,
- * electron-updater, fix-path) are evaluated while the renderer parses and
+ * electron-updater) are evaluated while the renderer parses and
  * runs its own bundle instead of before the window can load at all.
  *
  * Keep `bootstrapDeferredEvents()` synchronous: the guarantee that no
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ import {
 } from '../services/app-update-channel';
 import { databaseWorkerClient } from '../services/database-worker-client';
 import type { bootstrapWindowCloseGuard } from '../services/window-close-guard.service';
+import { scheduleDeferredFixPath } from './login-shell-path';
+
+export { scheduleDeferredFixPath };
 
 export interface DeferredEventsContext {
     readonly appVersion: string;
@@ -126,35 +129,6 @@ export async function finishStartupAfterFirstLoad(): Promise<void> {
     traceStartupPhase('reconcile-stale-recordings:done');
 }
 
-let fixPathScheduled = false;
-
-/**
- * Update process.env.PATH from the user's interactive login shell so that
- * spawned external players (MPV/VLC) can be resolved by binary name.
- *
- * Runs after window creation + IPC handler registration so the 50-300 ms
- * shell-spawn cost (bash/zsh -ilc env) doesn't block startup. Idempotent:
- * subsequent calls are no-ops. fix-path itself is imported here, on demand,
- * so its module evaluation stays off the launch path as well.
- */
-export function scheduleDeferredFixPath(): void {
-    if (fixPathScheduled || process.platform === 'win32') {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    fixPathScheduled = true;
-    setImmediate(() => {
-        import('fix-path')
-            .then(({ default: fixPath }) => {
-                fixPath();
-                traceStartupPhase('fix-path:done');
-            })
-            .catch((error) => {
-                console.warn('fix-path failed:', error);
-            });
-    });
-}
-
 /** Tears down sessions and the DB worker; safe when nothing was started. */
 export function shutdownDeferredServices(): void {
     shutdownEmbeddedMpv();
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/login-shell-path.spec.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/login-shell-path.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d08d89c8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/login-shell-path.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+const shellPath = jest.fn<Promise<string | undefined>, []>();
+const shellPathSync = jest.fn<string | undefined, []>();
+
+jest.mock('shell-path', () => ({ shellPath, shellPathSync }));
+jest.mock('../services/debug-trace', () => ({
+    traceStartupPhase: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
+type LoginShellPathModule = typeof import('./login-shell-path');
+
+function loadModule(): LoginShellPathModule {
+    let loaded: LoginShellPathModule | undefined;
+    jest.isolateModules(() => {
+        loaded = jest.requireActual('./login-shell-path');
+    });
+    return loaded as LoginShellPathModule;
+}
+
+async function flushScheduled(): Promise<void> {
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+}
+
+describe('login shell PATH', () => {
+    const originalPath = process.env.PATH;
+    const originalPlatform = process.platform;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        shellPath.mockReset();
+        shellPathSync.mockReset();
+        process.env.PATH = '/usr/bin:/bin';
+        Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'darwin' });
+    });
+
+    afterAll(() => {
+        process.env.PATH = originalPath;
+        Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', {
+            value: originalPlatform,
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('reads the login shell asynchronously, never through the blocking API', async () => {
+        let resolveShell: (path: string) => void = () => undefined;
+        shellPath.mockReturnValue(
+            new Promise((resolve) => {
+                resolveShell = resolve;
+            })
+        );
+
+        loadModule().scheduleDeferredFixPath();
+        await flushScheduled();
+
+        // The shell is still starting, and the main thread is free.
+        expect(shellPath).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(shellPathSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(process.env.PATH).toBe('/usr/bin:/bin');
+
+        resolveShell('/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin');
+        await flushScheduled();
+        expect(process.env.PATH).toBe('/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin');
+    });
+
+    it('lets spawns wait until the lookup settled, at most the limit', async () => {
+        let resolveShell: (path: string) => void = () => undefined;
+        const module = loadModule();
+        module.scheduleDeferredFixPath(
+            () =>
+                new Promise((resolve) => {
+                    resolveShell = resolve;
+                })
+        );
+        let waited = false;
+        const wait = module.waitForLoginShellPath().then(() => {
+            waited = true;
+        });
+        await flushScheduled();
+        expect(waited).toBe(false);
+
+        resolveShell('/opt/homebrew/bin');
+        await wait;
+        expect(process.env.PATH).toBe('/opt/homebrew/bin');
+    });
+
+    it('ends every wait at the lookup budget, so a hung shell delays no later launch', async () => {
+        const stuck = loadModule();
+        stuck.scheduleDeferredFixPath(() => new Promise(() => undefined), 20);
+        await expect(stuck.waitForLoginShellPath()).resolves.toBe(false);
+        // Past the budget a later launch goes at once (the test would time
+        // out on this one otherwise).
+        await expect(stuck.waitForLoginShellPath(60_000)).resolves.toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('lets waits before the lookup is scheduled share one deadline', async () => {
+        jest.useFakeTimers();
+        try {
+            const module = loadModule();
+            const first = module.waitForLoginShellPath();
+            await jest.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(6_000);
+            const retry = module.waitForLoginShellPath();
+            await jest.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(4_000);
+            // Both end at the first wait's deadline, not 10 s after the retry.
+            await expect(first).resolves.toBe(false);
+            await expect(retry).resolves.toBe(false);
+            await expect(module.waitForLoginShellPath()).resolves.toBe(false);
+        } finally {
+            jest.useRealTimers();
+        }
+    });
+
+    it('lets a launch retried within the budget wait for the PATH again', async () => {
+        let resolveShell: (path: string) => void = () => undefined;
+        const module = loadModule();
+        module.scheduleDeferredFixPath(
+            () =>
+                new Promise((resolve) => {
+                    resolveShell = resolve;
+                }),
+            60_000
+        );
+        await flushScheduled();
+        // The first launch gives up on its own, shorter limit...
+        await module.waitForLoginShellPath(5);
+        expect(process.env.PATH).toBe('/usr/bin:/bin');
+
+        // ...a retry still waits, and sees the PATH once the shell answers.
+        const retry = module.waitForLoginShellPath();
+        resolveShell('/opt/homebrew/bin');
+        await expect(retry).resolves.toBe(true);
+        expect(process.env.PATH).toBe('/opt/homebrew/bin');
+    });
+
+    it('lets spawns go immediately on Windows', async () => {
+        Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'win32' });
+        await expect(loadModule().waitForLoginShellPath(60_000)).resolves.toBe(
+            true
+        );
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to the paths fix-path used when the shell reports none', async () => {
+        await loadModule().hydratePathFromLoginShell(async () => undefined);
+
+        expect(process.env.PATH).toBe(
+            './node_modules/.bin:/.nodebrew/current/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin'
+        );
+    });
+
+    it('runs once, and not at all on Windows', async () => {
+        const read = jest.fn(async () => '/custom/bin');
+        const module = loadModule();
+        module.scheduleDeferredFixPath(read);
+        module.scheduleDeferredFixPath(read);
+        await flushScheduled();
+        expect(read).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+        Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'win32' });
+        const windowsRead = jest.fn(async () => '/custom/bin');
+        loadModule().scheduleDeferredFixPath(windowsRead);
+        await flushScheduled();
+        expect(windowsRead).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('keeps the current PATH when the lookup fails', async () => {
+        const warn = jest.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {
+            // Expected failure.
+        });
+        loadModule().scheduleDeferredFixPath(async () => {
+            throw new Error('shell exited');
+        });
+        await flushScheduled();
+
+        expect(process.env.PATH).toBe('/usr/bin:/bin');
+        expect(warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            'Login shell PATH lookup failed:',
+            expect.any(Error)
+        );
+        warn.mockRestore();
+    });
+});
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/login-shell-path.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/login-shell-path.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7cc796eb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/startup/login-shell-path.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+import { traceStartupPhase } from '../services/debug-trace';
+
+/**
+ * Update process.env.PATH from the user's interactive login shell so that
+ * spawned external players (MPV/VLC) can be resolved by binary name when the
+ * app was started from Finder or a desktop launcher.
+ *
+ * The shell (`$SHELL -ilc env`) starts asynchronously. Its start-up cost
+ * depends on the user's shell profile and was about 1-2 s with a typical
+ * zsh setup; the synchronous `fix-path` used before blocked the main thread
+ * for all of it, right when the database worker's `ready` message and the
+ * renderer's first IPC calls were waiting, which delayed the first card of
+ * the launch journey by the same amount. The resulting PATH, and the
+ * fallback when the shell reports none, are the ones `fix-path` 5 produced.
+ *
+ * Runs after window creation and IPC handler registration. Idempotent:
+ * subsequent calls are no-ops. shell-path is imported here, on demand, so
+ * its module evaluation stays off the launch path as well.
+ *
+ * Handlers that spawn a binary by bare name (external players, the Linux
+ * `mpv --version` check of embedded MPV) await `waitForLoginShellPath()`
+ * first, so they see the same PATH the blocking lookup guaranteed.
+ */
+let loginShellPathScheduled = false;
+let settleLoginShellPath: () => void = () => undefined;
+const loginShellPathSettled: Promise<void> =
+    process.platform === 'win32'
+        ? Promise.resolve()
+        : new Promise((resolve) => {
+              settleLoginShellPath = resolve;
+          });
+
+/**
+ * Time budget of the lookup, counted from its start. A shell that has not
+ * answered by then is treated as hung: waits end at this shared deadline,
+ * so a broken profile cannot delay every launch by the full budget, while a
+ * launch retried within the budget still waits for the PATH.
+ */
+export const LOGIN_SHELL_PATH_WAIT_LIMIT_MS = 10_000;
+let loginShellPathDeadline: number | null = null;
+
+let loginShellPathHasSettled = process.platform === 'win32';
+const settledOutcome = loginShellPathSettled.then(() => {
+    loginShellPathHasSettled = true;
+    return true;
+});
+
+/**
+ * Resolves once the login shell PATH lookup has finished (successfully or
+ * not), or when its budget is spent; immediately on Windows. Before the
+ * lookup is scheduled, waits end at a deadline shared from the first of
+ * them. `limitMs` caps a single wait. Resolves to whether
+ * the lookup had finished: false means the caller runs on the inherited
+ * PATH and should not keep a negative result.
+ */
+export function waitForLoginShellPath(
+    limitMs = LOGIN_SHELL_PATH_WAIT_LIMIT_MS
+): Promise<boolean> {
+    if (loginShellPathHasSettled) {
+        return Promise.resolve(true);
+    }
+    // Waits before the lookup is scheduled share one deadline too, set by
+    // the first of them; scheduling the lookup replaces it with its budget.
+    loginShellPathDeadline ??= Date.now() + LOGIN_SHELL_PATH_WAIT_LIMIT_MS;
+    const remainingMs = Math.min(limitMs, loginShellPathDeadline - Date.now());
+    if (remainingMs <= 0) {
+        return Promise.resolve(false);
+    }
+    let timer: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
+    const limit = new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+        timer = setTimeout(() => resolve(false), remainingMs);
+    });
+    return Promise.race([settledOutcome, limit]).finally(() =>
+        clearTimeout(timer)
+    );
+}
+
+/** Resolves when the lookup finishes, however long it takes. */
+export function whenLoginShellPathSettled(): Promise<void> {
+    return loginShellPathSettled;
+}
+
+export type ReadLoginShellPath = () => Promise<string | undefined>;
+
+const readLoginShellPath: ReadLoginShellPath = async () => {
+    const { shellPath } = await import('shell-path');
+    return shellPath();
+};
+
+export async function hydratePathFromLoginShell(
+    readPath: ReadLoginShellPath = readLoginShellPath
+): Promise<void> {
+    const shellPath = await readPath();
+    process.env.PATH =
+        shellPath ||
+        [
+            './node_modules/.bin',
+            '/.nodebrew/current/bin',
+            '/usr/local/bin',
+            process.env.PATH,
+        ].join(':');
+}
+
+export function scheduleDeferredFixPath(
+    readPath: ReadLoginShellPath = readLoginShellPath,
+    budgetMs = LOGIN_SHELL_PATH_WAIT_LIMIT_MS
+): void {
+    if (loginShellPathScheduled || process.platform === 'win32') {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    loginShellPathScheduled = true;
+    loginShellPathDeadline = Date.now() + budgetMs;
+    setImmediate(() => {
+        hydratePathFromLoginShell(readPath)
+            .then(() => {
+                traceStartupPhase('fix-path:done');
+            })
+            .catch((error) => {
+                console.warn('Login shell PATH lookup failed:', error);
+            })
+            .finally(() => settleLoginShellPath());
+    });
+}
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/main.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/main.ts
index c7b20c4b6..0fdc01291 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/main.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/main.ts
@@ -184,12 +184,13 @@ export default class Main {
         traceStartupPhase('bootstrap-events:done');
 
         // Hydrate process.env.PATH from the user's login shell now — after
-        // the window has loaded and IPC handlers are live. Fire-and-forget
-        // (setImmediate) so it doesn't gate any user-visible work. Worst
-        // case: the user clicks an external player within the ~100 ms it
-        // takes to complete; the spawn would still find MPV/VLC at any of
-        // the well-known paths checked by getDefault*Path before falling
-        // back to bare-name PATH lookup.
+        // the window has loaded and IPC handlers are live. The shell runs
+        // asynchronously, so the main thread keeps serving the renderer
+        // while it starts (about 1-2 s with a typical zsh profile). Worst
+        // case: the user clicks an external player before it completes;
+        // the spawn would still find MPV/VLC at any of the well-known paths
+        // checked by getDefault*Path before falling back to bare-name PATH
+        // lookup.
         module.scheduleDeferredFixPath();
     }
 }
diff --git a/docs/architecture/performance-journeys.md b/docs/architecture/performance-journeys.md
index 0b386a1ba..776e5c3dd 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/performance-journeys.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/performance-journeys.md
@@ -421,6 +421,17 @@ process before the first card.
   completion bumps `EpgSourceSettingsService.revision()`, the fence that
   keeps XMLTV lookups from returning data of a removed source.
 
+- The main thread must stay free between the load and the first card. The
+  renderer's first database read creates the database worker, and every
+  request waits until the main process has handled the worker's `ready`
+  message. Until #1784 the login-shell PATH lookup (`fix-path`) ran right
+  after `bootstrap-events:done` and spawned `$SHELL -ilc env` synchronously:
+  on a Mac with a typical zsh profile it held the main thread for about
+  1-2 s, the first `dbGetAppState` resolved about 2.3 s after spawn, and
+  everything after it (about 20 ms of IPC) waited. It now runs the shell
+  asynchronously (`startup/login-shell-path.ts`). On Linux runners bash
+  starts in tens of milliseconds, so the effect there is small.
+
 Validation (#1716, Principle 3): deferring the download list, update status
 and dashboard recent/favorites reads until after the first render took the
 counter from 12 to 7 on a Mac, but moved neither `spawnToFirstCardMs` nor
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 92aa55fde..7c729b9b1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@
         "electron-conf": "1.3.0",
         "electron-updater": "6.8.9",
         "epg-parser": "^0.5.0",
-        "fix-path": "5.0.0",
         "hls.js": "1.7.1",
         "iptv-playlist-parser": "github:4gray/iptv-playlist-parser#v0.15.2-iptvnator.2",
         "marked": "18.0.11",
@@ -145,6 +144,7 @@
         "rxjs": "7.8.2",
         "saxes": "6.0.0",
         "shaka-player": "5.2.4",
+        "shell-path": "3.1.0",
         "video.js": "8.24.0",
         "videojs-contrib-quality-levels": "4.1.0",
         "videojs-quality-selector-hls": "1.1.1",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index cd451bfe0..368fe28de 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -145,9 +145,6 @@ importers:
       epg-parser:
         specifier: ^0.5.0
         version: 0.5.0
-      fix-path:
-        specifier: 5.0.0
-        version: 5.0.0
       hls.js:
         specifier: 1.7.1
         version: 1.7.1
@@ -181,6 +178,9 @@ importers:
       shaka-player:
         specifier: 5.2.4
         version: 5.2.4
+      shell-path:
+        specifier: 3.1.0
+        version: 3.1.0
       video.js:
         specifier: 8.24.0
         version: 8.24.0
@@ -4774,10 +4774,6 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-quJQXlTSUGL2LH9SUXo8VwsY4soanhgo6LNSm84E1LBcE8s3O0wpdiRzyR9z/ZZJMlMWv37qOOb9pdJlMUEKFQ==}
     engines: {node: '>=8'}
 
-  ansi-regex@6.2.2:
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-Bq3SmSpyFHaWjPk8If9yc6svM8c56dB5BAtW4Qbw5jHTwwXXcTLoRMkpDJp6VL0XzlWaCHTXrkFURMYmD0sLqg==}
-    engines: {node: '>=12'}
-
   ansi-regex@6.3.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-WpDfL7NO6j7tH88IDBNVdUJxDh9nmCteAVW9dsep846XdwF4naCBK+/tGLX3KJgcpgMRXCFlTM2hKGoK9FsdrQ==}
     engines: {node: '>=12'}
@@ -6210,10 +6206,6 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-78/PXT1wlLLDgTzDs7sjq9hzz0vXD+zn+7wypEe4fXQxCmdmqfGsEPQxmiCSQI3ajFV91bVSsvNtrJRiW6nGng==}
     engines: {node: '>=10'}
 
-  fix-path@5.0.0:
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-erEWGGCN7RIu1bXTCfNVpVBdm0f5mwcbeja+4QXiEZzIQukP401sbpu8gd3Ny1vS34YNeswyMO0TdT2tP5OlHA==}
-    engines: {node: '>=20'}
-
   flat-cache@4.0.1:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-f7ccFPK3SXFHpx15UIGyRJ/FJQctuKZ0zVuN3frBo4HnK3cay9VEW0R6yPYFHC0AgqhukPzKjq22t5DmAyqGyw==}
     engines: {node: '>=16'}
@@ -8864,7 +8856,6 @@ packages:
 
   shaka-player@5.2.4:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-vf81av2EIcb03jRpeeZBhrPT3PMyggXnZA9k4sxGBxpr/H6v0iEL6b51T2Kwz5YNrQG/yDYoadgBW+oW40LeoA==}
-    engines: {node: '>=18'}
 
   shallow-clone@3.0.1:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-/6KqX+GVUdqPuPPd2LxDDxzX6CAbjJehAAOKlNpqqUpAqPM6HeL8f+o3a+JsyGjn2lv0WY8UsTgUJjU9Ok55NA==}
@@ -9050,10 +9041,6 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-Y38VPSHcqkFrCpFnQ9vuSXmquuv5oXOKpGeT6aGrr3o3Gc9AlVa6JBfUSOCnbxGGZF+/0ooI7KrPuUSztUdU5A==}
     engines: {node: '>=8'}
 
-  strip-ansi@7.1.2:
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-gmBGslpoQJtgnMAvOVqGZpEz9dyoKTCzy2nfz/n8aIFhN/jCE/rCmcxabB6jOOHV+0WNnylOxaxBQPSvcWklhA==}
-    engines: {node: '>=12'}
-
   strip-ansi@7.2.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-yDPMNjp4WyfYBkHnjIRLfca1i6KMyGCtsVgoKe/z1+6vukgaENdgGBZt+ZmKPc4gavvEZ5OgHfHdrazhgNyG7w==}
     engines: {node: '>=12'}
@@ -14260,8 +14247,6 @@ snapshots:
 
   ansi-regex@5.0.1: {}
 
-  ansi-regex@6.2.2: {}
-
   ansi-regex@6.3.0: {}
 
   ansi-styles@4.3.0:
@@ -15972,11 +15957,6 @@ snapshots:
       locate-path: 6.0.0
       path-exists: 4.0.0
 
-  fix-path@5.0.0:
-    dependencies:
-      shell-path: 3.1.0
-      strip-ansi: 7.1.2
-
   flat-cache@4.0.1:
     dependencies:
       flatted: 3.4.2
@@ -19620,7 +19600,7 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       default-shell: 2.2.0
       execa: 5.1.1
-      strip-ansi: 7.1.2
+      strip-ansi: 7.2.0
 
   shell-path@3.1.0:
     dependencies:
@@ -19812,10 +19792,6 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       ansi-regex: 5.0.1
 
-  strip-ansi@7.1.2:
-    dependencies:
-      ansi-regex: 6.2.2
-
   strip-ansi@7.2.0:
     dependencies:
       ansi-regex: 6.3.0