diff --git a/docs/release-drafts/v0.3.5.md b/docs/release-drafts/v0.3.5.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8502f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/release-drafts/v0.3.5.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# PriorityGear v0.3.5 - winget readiness installer fix
+
+v0.3.5 fixes a blocker found while validating the v0.3.4 installer against the winget local lifecycle gate.
+
+## Installer
+
+- Fixes silent uninstall when `PriorityGear.Setup.exe` is launched from the installed version directory.
+- Removes the uninstall registration and Start Menu shortcut before removing installed program files.
+- Schedules installed program file removal after setup exits when the running setup executable is inside `%ProgramFiles%\PriorityGear`.
+- Preserves `%ProgramData%\PriorityGear` rules and logs by default.
+
+## Distribution boundary
+
+- This is still an unsigned GitHub installer release.
+- Store, winget acceptance, signing, MSI, and MSIX are not claimed by this release.
+- The installer configures `PriorityGear.Service` as a LocalSystem service.
+- Changing process priority can affect system stability.
+- Arbitrary shared-host `svchost.exe` mutation remains out of scope.
diff --git a/src/PriorityGear.Setup/Program.cs b/src/PriorityGear.Setup/Program.cs
index 0e8040d..388dda7 100644
--- a/src/PriorityGear.Setup/Program.cs
+++ b/src/PriorityGear.Setup/Program.cs
@@ -356,14 +356,9 @@ internal static async Task UninstallAsync(SetupInstallPlan plan, SetupLog log)
                 log.Info("Service is not installed.");
             }
 
-            if (Directory.Exists(plan.BaseInstallDirectory))
-            {
-                Directory.Delete(plan.BaseInstallDirectory, recursive: true);
-                log.Info($"Removed installed program files: {plan.BaseInstallDirectory}");
-            }
-
             DeleteUninstallRegistration(plan, log);
             DeleteStartMenuShortcut(plan, log);
+            RemoveInstallDirectory(plan, log);
             log.Info($"Preserved data directory: {plan.ProgramDataDirectory}");
             log.Info("Delete ProgramData manually only if machine rules and logs are no longer needed.");
         }
@@ -620,6 +615,42 @@ private static void DeleteStartMenuShortcut(SetupInstallPlan plan, SetupLog log)
             log.Info($"Removed Start Menu shortcut if present: {plan.StartMenuShortcutPath}");
         }
 
+        private static void RemoveInstallDirectory(SetupInstallPlan plan, SetupLog log)
+        {
+            if (!Directory.Exists(plan.BaseInstallDirectory))
+            {
+                log.Info($"Installed program files were already absent: {plan.BaseInstallDirectory}");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            string currentProcessPath = Environment.ProcessPath ?? Application.ExecutablePath;
+            if (Path.GetFullPath(currentProcessPath).StartsWith(
+                    Path.GetFullPath(plan.BaseInstallDirectory) + Path.DirectorySeparatorChar,
+                    StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                ScheduleInstallDirectoryRemoval(plan.BaseInstallDirectory, log);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            Directory.Delete(plan.BaseInstallDirectory, recursive: true);
+            log.Info($"Removed installed program files: {plan.BaseInstallDirectory}");
+        }
+
+        private static void ScheduleInstallDirectoryRemoval(string installDirectory, SetupLog log)
+        {
+            string command = $"timeout /t 2 /nobreak > nul & rmdir /s /q \"{installDirectory}\"";
+            using Process process = Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo
+            {
+                FileName = "cmd.exe",
+                Arguments = $"/c {command}",
+                WorkingDirectory = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System),
+                UseShellExecute = false,
+                CreateNoWindow = true
+            }) ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Failed to schedule installed program file removal.");
+
+            log.Info($"Scheduled installed program file removal after setup exits: {installDirectory}; cleanup pid={process.Id}");
+        }
+
         private sealed class ProductionInstallerExecutor(SetupInstallPlan plan, SetupLog log, string payloadDirectory) : IInstallerExecutor
         {
             public void ValidatePayload()
diff --git a/tests/PriorityGear.Setup.Tests/SetupPlanningTests.cs b/tests/PriorityGear.Setup.Tests/SetupPlanningTests.cs
index 8ac0717..2092b49 100644
--- a/tests/PriorityGear.Setup.Tests/SetupPlanningTests.cs
+++ b/tests/PriorityGear.Setup.Tests/SetupPlanningTests.cs
@@ -142,6 +142,32 @@ public void StartMenuShortcutTargetsInstalledGuiApp()
         Assert.Equal("PriorityGear", spec.Description);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void UninstallRemovesRegistrationAndShortcutBeforeInstallDirectory()
+    {
+        string program = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(FindRepoRoot(), "src", "PriorityGear.Setup", "Program.cs"));
+        int deleteRegistration = program.IndexOf("DeleteUninstallRegistration(plan, log);", StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        int deleteShortcut = program.IndexOf("DeleteStartMenuShortcut(plan, log);", StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        int removeInstallDirectory = program.IndexOf("RemoveInstallDirectory(plan, log);", StringComparison.Ordinal);
+
+        Assert.NotEqual(-1, deleteRegistration);
+        Assert.NotEqual(-1, deleteShortcut);
+        Assert.NotEqual(-1, removeInstallDirectory);
+        Assert.True(deleteRegistration < deleteShortcut);
+        Assert.True(deleteShortcut < removeInstallDirectory);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void UninstallSchedulesInstallDirectoryRemovalWhenSetupRunsFromInstallRoot()
+    {
+        string program = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(FindRepoRoot(), "src", "PriorityGear.Setup", "Program.cs"));
+
+        Assert.Contains("ScheduleInstallDirectoryRemoval(plan.BaseInstallDirectory, log);", program);
+        Assert.Contains("timeout /t 2 /nobreak", program);
+        Assert.Contains("rmdir /s /q", program);
+        Assert.Contains("WorkingDirectory = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System)", program);
+    }
+
     private static string FindRepoRoot()
     {
         DirectoryInfo? directory = new(AppContext.BaseDirectory);