diff --git a/ci/Setup.java b/ci/Setup.java
index c1ed5eb..4cf4a4c 100644
--- a/ci/Setup.java
+++ b/ci/Setup.java
@@ -108,10 +108,20 @@ class Setup {
         Pipeline.check(actual.contains("v0.2.13"), "Expected runner v0.2.13");
         privateWrite(runnerDir.resolve("config.yaml"),Files.readString(root.resolve("ci/runner/config.yaml")));
         Files.copy(root.resolve("ci/runner/agiledancers-runner.service"),units.resolve("agiledancers-runner.service"),StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
+        Files.copy(root.resolve("ci/runner/WaitForDocker.java"),runnerDir.resolve("WaitForDocker.java"),StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
         String dockerHost = env.get("DOCKER_HOST");
         if (dockerHost == null || dockerHost.isBlank()) dockerHost = commands.execute(List.of("docker","context","inspect","--format","{{.Endpoints.docker.Host}}"),root,env,null,false).checked();
         String path = javaHome + "/bin:" + executable(env,"node").getParent() + ":" + executable(env,"mvn").getParent() + ":/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin";
         privateWrite(configDir.resolve("environment"),"JAVA_HOME=" + quoted(javaHome) + "\nPATH=" + quoted(path) + "\nDOCKER_HOST=" + quoted(dockerHost) + "\n");
+        boolean desktop = dockerHost.endsWith("/.docker/desktop/docker.sock");
+        Path overrides = units.resolve("agiledancers-runner.service.d");
+        Path desktopOverride = overrides.resolve("10-agiledancers-docker-desktop.conf");
+        if (desktop) {
+            Files.createDirectories(overrides);
+            Files.copy(root.resolve("ci/runner/docker-desktop.conf"),desktopOverride,StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
+        } else {
+            Files.deleteIfExists(desktopOverride);
+        }
         commands.execute(List.of("systemctl","--user","daemon-reload"),root,env,null,true).checked();
         if (prepareOnly) { System.out.println("Runner installed; registration and startup still required."); return; }
         commands.execute(List.of("docker","info"),root,env,null,false).checked();
@@ -123,6 +133,11 @@ class Setup {
                     "--name","agiledancers-mini-pc","--labels","agiledancers-mini-pc:host","--token",token),runnerDir,env,null,true).checked();
             Files.setPosixFilePermissions(runnerDir.resolve(".runner"),PosixFilePermissions.fromString("rw-------"));
         }
+        if (desktop) {
+            commands.execute(List.of("systemctl","--user","enable","--now","docker-desktop.service"),root,env,null,true).checked();
+            // Replace any previous default.target link with the desktop-login target.
+            commands.execute(List.of("systemctl","--user","disable","agiledancers-runner.service"),root,env,null,true).checked();
+        }
         commands.execute(List.of("systemctl","--user","enable","--now","agiledancers-runner.service"),root,env,null,true).checked();
         System.out.println("Runner registered and started; keep the mini-PC and Docker available.");
     }
diff --git a/ci/runner/WaitForDocker.java b/ci/runner/WaitForDocker.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27c8aab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/runner/WaitForDocker.java
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+/** Source-launcher startup probe; uses the service's configured DOCKER_HOST. */
+class WaitForDocker {
+    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
+        long seconds = args.length == 0 ? 120 : Long.parseLong(args[0]);
+        if (seconds < 1 || seconds > 300) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Timeout must be 1–300 seconds");
+        long deadline = System.nanoTime() + Duration.ofSeconds(seconds).toNanos();
+        System.out.println("Waiting for the configured Docker engine...");
+        while (System.nanoTime() < deadline) {
+            Process process = new ProcessBuilder("docker", "info", "--format", "{{.ServerVersion}}")
+                    .redirectOutput(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.DISCARD)
+                    .redirectError(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.DISCARD)
+                    .start();
+            try {
+                long remaining = Math.max(1, deadline - System.nanoTime());
+                if (process.waitFor(Math.min(remaining, TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(5)), TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS)
+                        && process.exitValue() == 0) {
+                    System.out.println("Docker is available; starting the Gitea runner.");
+                    return;
+                }
+            } finally {
+                if (process.isAlive()) {
+                    process.destroyForcibly();
+                    process.waitFor();
+                }
+            }
+            long remaining = deadline - System.nanoTime();
+            if (remaining > 0) TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.sleep(Math.min(remaining, TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(2)));
+        }
+        System.err.println("Docker did not become available within " + seconds + " seconds; runner not started.");
+        System.exit(1);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ci/runner/agiledancers-runner.service b/ci/runner/agiledancers-runner.service
index 29d4dd6..3007e90 100644
--- a/ci/runner/agiledancers-runner.service
+++ b/ci/runner/agiledancers-runner.service
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ Wants=network-online.target
 Type=simple
 WorkingDirectory=%h/.local/share/agiledancers-runner
 EnvironmentFile=%h/.config/agiledancers-runner/environment
+ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/env java %h/.local/share/agiledancers-runner/WaitForDocker.java 120
+TimeoutStartSec=150
 ExecStart=%h/.local/bin/act_runner daemon --config %h/.local/share/agiledancers-runner/config.yaml
 Restart=on-failure
 RestartSec=10
diff --git a/ci/runner/docker-desktop.conf b/ci/runner/docker-desktop.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3ffb02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/runner/docker-desktop.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Desktop-specific override: start after graphical login, alongside Docker Desktop.
+[Unit]
+Requires=docker-desktop.service
+After=graphical-session.target docker-desktop.service
+PartOf=graphical-session.target docker-desktop.service
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=
+WantedBy=graphical-session.target
diff --git a/docs/gitea-ci.md b/docs/gitea-ci.md
index 6b2d3e7..9ef61ca 100644
--- a/docs/gitea-ci.md
+++ b/docs/gitea-ci.md
@@ -158,10 +158,17 @@ Een bestaande registratie wordt hergebruikt. Er worden geen secrets in de
 repository geschreven. Bewaar het tokenbestand alleen zolang registratie/herstel
 dat nodig heeft en behandel `.runner` als credential.
 
-De gebruikersservice start bij een gebruikerssessie. Automatisch doorlopen zonder
-inloggen vereist daarnaast een bewuste keuze voor user lingering en een Docker-
-daemon die zonder desktopsessie beschikbaar is. S4 belooft geen beschikbaarheid
-wanneer de mini-pc uitstaat. Herstarten/stoppen:
+Op de mini-pc starten Docker Desktop en de runner automatisch na grafisch
+aanmelden. Bij een Docker Desktop-socket installeert de installer hiervoor
+`~/.config/systemd/user/agiledancers-runner.service.d/10-agiledancers-docker-desktop.conf`
+en schakelt beide services in voor `graphical-session.target`. De runner wacht
+via `~/.local/share/agiledancers-runner/WaitForDocker.java` maximaal 120 seconden
+tot de ingestelde Docker-engine bereikbaar is. Bij een mislukte start probeert
+systemd het na tien seconden opnieuw. De runner volgt stoppen en herstarten van
+Docker Desktop en stopt bij afmelden.
+
+User lingering staat op deze pc uit: vóór aanmelden starten deze services niet.
+S4 belooft geen beschikbaarheid wanneer de mini-pc uitstaat. Herstarten/stoppen:
 
 ```sh
 systemctl --user restart agiledancers-runner