diff --git a/desktop/src/features/notifications/lib/desktop.ts b/desktop/src/features/notifications/lib/desktop.ts
index 0844c24de51..617f1bb0b47 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/notifications/lib/desktop.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/notifications/lib/desktop.ts
@@ -415,10 +415,44 @@ export async function revealDesktopAppWindow(): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
+let autoPermissionRequest: Promise<DesktopNotificationPermissionState> | null =
+  null;
+let autoPermissionRequestSettled = false;
+
+/**
+ * Desktop alerts default to on, but the OS permission is only requested when
+ * the Settings toggle is switched on — which never happens for a fresh install
+ * because the toggle already reads as on. Without this, channel, thread, and DM
+ * alerts are silently dropped forever while the OS (e.g. macOS Notification
+ * Center) has never even registered the app. Ask once per process, at the
+ * first alert Buzz actually tries to deliver, mirroring the home-feed path.
+ */
+async function resolvePermissionForDelivery(): Promise<DesktopNotificationPermissionState> {
+  const permission = await getDesktopNotificationPermissionState();
+  if (permission !== "default" || !isTauri() || autoPermissionRequestSettled) {
+    return permission;
+  }
+
+  // Alerts that arrive while the prompt is open share its answer; once it has
+  // settled, never prompt again from here (Settings can still re-request).
+  autoPermissionRequest ??= requestDesktopNotificationAccess()
+    .catch((error) => {
+      console.warn(
+        "[desktop] notification permission request failed — notification dropped:",
+        error,
+      );
+      return "default" as const;
+    })
+    .finally(() => {
+      autoPermissionRequestSettled = true;
+    });
+  return autoPermissionRequest;
+}
+
 export async function sendDesktopNotification(
   payload: DesktopNotificationPayload,
 ): Promise<boolean> {
-  if ((await getDesktopNotificationPermissionState()) !== "granted") {
+  if ((await resolvePermissionForDelivery()) !== "granted") {
     return false;
   }
 
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/notifications/lib/desktopPermissionAutoRequest.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/notifications/lib/desktopPermissionAutoRequest.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e6016711d0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/notifications/lib/desktopPermissionAutoRequest.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+// A fresh macOS install: Desktop alerts default to on in Settings, but the
+// native authorization has never been requested (UNAuthorizationStatus
+// NotDetermined → "default").
+let nativePermission = "default";
+let requestResult = "granted";
+const calls = [];
+
+globalThis.isTauri = true;
+globalThis.window = { Notification: class {} };
+Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "navigator", {
+  configurable: true,
+  value: { platform: "MacIntel", userAgent: "Macintosh" },
+});
+globalThis.__TAURI_INTERNALS__ = {
+  invoke: async (command, args) => {
+    calls.push({ command, args });
+    if (command === "notification_permission_state") {
+      return nativePermission;
+    }
+    if (command === "request_notification_access") {
+      nativePermission = requestResult;
+      return requestResult;
+    }
+    if (command === "show_native_notification") {
+      return null;
+    }
+    throw new Error(`unmocked Tauri command: ${command}`);
+  },
+  transformCallback: () => 1,
+};
+window.__TAURI_INTERNALS__ = globalThis.__TAURI_INTERNALS__;
+
+const { sendDesktopNotification } = await import("./desktop.ts");
+
+function commandsCalled(command) {
+  return calls.filter((call) => call.command === command);
+}
+
+test("first alert requests the never-asked OS permission once, then delivers", async () => {
+  const [first, second] = await Promise.all([
+    sendDesktopNotification({ title: "DM", body: "hey" }),
+    sendDesktopNotification({ title: "Thread reply", body: "yo" }),
+  ]);
+
+  assert.equal(first, true);
+  assert.equal(second, true);
+  assert.equal(commandsCalled("request_notification_access").length, 1);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    commandsCalled("show_native_notification").map((call) => call.args.title),
+    ["DM", "Thread reply"],
+  );
+});
+
+test("does not prompt again later in the same process", async () => {
+  // Simulate the user resetting the permission while Buzz keeps running.
+  nativePermission = "default";
+  requestResult = "denied";
+
+  const delivered = await sendDesktopNotification({ title: "Mention" });
+
+  assert.equal(delivered, false);
+  assert.equal(commandsCalled("request_notification_access").length, 1);
+});