diff --git a/apps/desktop/src-tauri/build.rs b/apps/desktop/src-tauri/build.rs
index 88bfc62a..74a1c28e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src-tauri/build.rs
+++ b/apps/desktop/src-tauri/build.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ fn main() {
     "identifier": "playwright",
     "description": "Playwright E2E testing plugin permissions (auto-generated by build.rs)",
     "windows": ["main", "settings", "viewer-*"],
-    "permissions": ["playwright:default"]
+    "permissions": [
+        "playwright:default",
+        "core:window:allow-title",
+        "core:window:allow-set-title"
+    ]
 }
 "#,
         )
diff --git a/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/CLAUDE.md b/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/CLAUDE.md
index e79bcc30..664fbd40 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/CLAUDE.md
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ Playwright (Node.js) --Unix socket--> tauri-plugin-playwright (Rust)
 Same tests run on macOS and Linux. Platform differences (Ctrl vs Meta) are handled by a single `CTRL_OR_META` constant
 in `helpers.ts`.
 
+## Window-title decoration
+
+`fixtures.ts` wraps each test in `beforeEach`/`afterEach` hooks that update the main window's OS title via the standard
+Tauri window plugin (`plugin:window|set_title`). While a test runs the title becomes `<base> (Running: <name>)`; after
+it returns, `(FINISHED)` is appended. The base title is captured once per worker on the first hook call so suffixes
+don't accumulate. The required permissions (`core:window:allow-title`, `core:window:allow-set-title`) are added to the
+feature-gated `playwright.json` capability generated by `build.rs`, so they're absent from release builds. Use this in
+Cmd-Tab / Mission Control / Linux title bars to spot which spec is in flight or stuck without tailing the log.
+
 ## Running on macOS
 
 **Via the checker (recommended):** The checker handles the full lifecycle automatically: build, fixture creation, app
diff --git a/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/fixtures.ts b/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/fixtures.ts
index 030d4cd3..fde8159b 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/fixtures.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/test/e2e-playwright/fixtures.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,16 @@
  * - globalSetup: creates the fixture directory tree (~170 MB)
  * - beforeEach: recreates small text files (keeps bulk .dat files)
  * - globalTeardown: deletes the fixture directory
+ *
+ * Window-title decoration:
+ * - `beforeEach` sets the main window's OS title to "<base> (Running: <test>)"
+ * - `afterEach` updates it to "<base> (Running: <test>) (FINISHED)"
+ *   so you can glance at the dock / Cmd-Tab / Linux title bar to see which
+ *   spec is in flight (or stuck) without tailing the log.
  */
 
 import { createTauriTest } from '@srsholmes/tauri-playwright'
+import type { TestInfo } from '@playwright/test'
 
 // Each parallel E2E shard spawns its own Tauri instance bound to a distinct
 // Unix socket. The Go check runner sets CMDR_PLAYWRIGHT_SOCKET per shard.
@@ -26,3 +33,47 @@ export const { test, expect } = createTauriTest({
   // Tauri mode config
   mcpSocket: socketPath,
 })
+
+// Captured once per worker on the first beforeEach so suffixes don't accumulate
+// across tests. Each shard owns its own Tauri instance + its own worker process,
+// so this lives correctly per-shard.
+let baseTitle: string | null = null
+
+type EvaluatablePage = { evaluate: (js: string) => Promise<unknown> }
+
+/** Joins describe blocks + test title into "Section > test name" style. */
+function formatTestName(info: TestInfo): string {
+  const parts = info.titlePath
+  const fileIdx = parts.findIndex((p) => /\.spec\.[tj]s$/.test(p))
+  const tail = fileIdx >= 0 ? parts.slice(fileIdx + 1) : [info.title]
+  return tail.filter((p) => p.length > 0).join(' › ')
+}
+
+async function readMainTitle(tauriPage: EvaluatablePage): Promise<string> {
+  const result = await tauriPage.evaluate(`window.__TAURI_INTERNALS__.invoke('plugin:window|title', { label: 'main' })`)
+  return typeof result === 'string' ? result : ''
+}
+
+async function setMainTitle(tauriPage: EvaluatablePage, title: string): Promise<void> {
+  await tauriPage.evaluate(
+    `window.__TAURI_INTERNALS__.invoke('plugin:window|set_title', { label: 'main', value: ${JSON.stringify(title)} })`,
+  )
+}
+
+test.beforeEach(async ({ tauriPage }, testInfo) => {
+  try {
+    if (baseTitle === null) baseTitle = await readMainTitle(tauriPage)
+    await setMainTitle(tauriPage, `${baseTitle} (Running: ${formatTestName(testInfo)})`)
+  } catch {
+    // Title decoration is purely for human eyeballs — never block a test on it.
+  }
+})
+
+test.afterEach(async ({ tauriPage }, testInfo) => {
+  try {
+    if (baseTitle === null) baseTitle = await readMainTitle(tauriPage)
+    await setMainTitle(tauriPage, `${baseTitle} (Running: ${formatTestName(testInfo)}) (FINISHED)`)
+  } catch {
+    // See beforeEach.
+  }
+})