diff --git a/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/PKGBUILD b/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/PKGBUILD
index f00eee30..4f2f7954 100644
--- a/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/PKGBUILD
+++ b/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/PKGBUILD
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 pkgname=hermes-desktop
 pkgver=2026.8.31
-pkgrel=2
+pkgrel=1
 pkgdesc='Installer and launcher for the self-updating Hermes desktop'
 arch=('x86_64')
 url='https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent'
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ source=("install-${_commit}.sh::https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NousResearch/h
         'hermes-desktop.png')
 sha256sums=('5854b15670b51a8daae8f59ddfa917062de9f74be261eb73b4b8d719710f8968'
             '821556e6336796450ab852d375117b48a4887e71d255794fd6318d99982a5ab6'
-            '5113ba692fe00b0f4806f799ce16b85a44bb2bd901ca17577ba64c887b1fb33d'
+            'b4c282ead8a5d1a631f702474ea36eb7362ab1f0f87ad2e71f60a8698de07035'
             'c37d4cfa4801eccbd769fddaebb2115d54faa49a5b7bc0f305f563e3cefd9bd8'
             'd60d164e24fdcf6532133b8ea43c77a201e4b9e9dbc396187b58d51d8590ef52')
 
diff --git a/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/hermes-desktop.sh b/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/hermes-desktop.sh
index e8a17166..4d9b8cd6 100644
--- a/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/hermes-desktop.sh
+++ b/pkgbuilds/hermes-desktop/hermes-desktop.sh
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ restore_launchers() {
 }
 
 stage() {
-  bash "$installer" --dir "$root" --branch main --non-interactive --stage "$1"
+  bash "$installer" --dir "${2:-$root}" --branch main --non-interactive --stage "$1"
 }
 
 install_desktop() {
@@ -170,20 +170,29 @@ PY
     env -u PYTHONPATH -u PYTHONHOME "${cli[@]}" update --yes --branch main
   elif [[ ! -e $root ]]; then
     stage prerequisites
-    stage repository
-    printf '/.omarchy-hermes-desktop\n' >>"$root/.git/info/exclude"
-    printf 'pending\n' >"$marker"
+    # Publish only a complete clone with its ownership marker. An interrupted
+    # clone stays aside for inspection and cannot block the next installation.
+    local repository_dir
+    repository_dir=$(mktemp -d "$HERMES_HOME/.omarchy-hermes-repository.XXXXXX")
+    echo "Preparing the Hermes checkout in $repository_dir"
+    stage repository "$repository_dir/hermes-agent"
+    printf '/.omarchy-hermes-desktop\n' >>"$repository_dir/hermes-agent/.git/info/exclude"
+    printf 'pending\n' >"$repository_dir/hermes-agent/.omarchy-hermes-desktop"
+    mv -T --no-clobber "$repository_dir/hermes-agent" "$root"
+    [[ ! -e $repository_dir/hermes-agent ]] || die "Keeping the checkout that appeared at $root during installation."
+    rmdir "$repository_dir"
   fi
 
   if [[ $mise_predecessor == true ]]; then
     printf '%s\n' 'pipx:hermes-agent[extras=all]' >"$root/.git/omarchy-mise-predecessor"
   fi
 
-  if [[ $legacy == true ]]; then
-    env -u PYTHONPATH -u PYTHONHOME "${cli[@]}" desktop --build-only
-  else
-    for command in venv python-deps node-deps config desktop; do stage "$command"; done
+  if [[ $legacy == false ]]; then
+    for command in venv python-deps node-deps config; do stage "$command"; done
   fi
+  # The native builder also handles updates and supports the namespace
+  # sandbox. The shell installer's desktop stage still requires a sudo chown.
+  env -u PYTHONPATH -u PYTHONHOME "${cli[@]}" desktop --build-only
 
   # Build first: a failed download leaves the old terminal CLI usable.
   stage complete
diff --git a/test/hermes-desktop-test.py b/test/hermes-desktop-test.py
index 15f03357..78062b6a 100644
--- a/test/hermes-desktop-test.py
+++ b/test/hermes-desktop-test.py
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@ case $stage in
 repository)
   mkdir -p "$root/venv/bin"
   git init -q "$root"
+  [[ ${FAIL_PARTIAL_CLONE:-} != 1 ]] || exit 44
   git -C "$root" remote add origin https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent.git
   touch "$root/hermes"
   cp "$TEST_PYTHON" "$root/venv/bin/python"
   git -C "$root" add hermes venv
   git -C "$root" -c user.email=test@example.com -c user.name=Test commit -qm initial
-  ;;
-desktop)
-  mkdir -p "$root/apps/desktop/release/linux-unpacked"
-  cp "$TEST_GUI" "$root/apps/desktop/release/linux-unpacked/Hermes"
-  printf '/apps/\n/.hermes-bootstrap-complete\n' >> "$root/.git/info/exclude"
+  if [[ ${RACE_CLONE:-} == 1 ]]; then
+    mkdir -p "$HOME/.hermes/hermes-agent"
+    printf 'foreign checkout\n' > "$HOME/.hermes/hermes-agent/keep"
+  fi
   ;;
 complete) touch "$root/.hermes-bootstrap-complete";;
 path)
@@ -69,7 +69,20 @@ class LauncherTests(unittest.TestCase):
         for k in ['FAIL_STAGE', 'FAIL_AFTER_PATH', 'PYTHONHOME', 'PYTHONPATH']:
             self.env.pop(k, None)
         self.write(self.base / 'installer', INSTALLER)
-        self.write(self.base / 'python', '#!/bin/bash\n[[ ${FAIL_READY:-} != 1 ]]\n')
+        self.write(self.base / 'python', '''#!/bin/bash
+set -eu
+if [[ ${2:-} == desktop ]]; then
+  [[ ${3:-} == --build-only ]]
+  printf 'desktop\\n' >> "$TEST_LOG"
+  [[ ${FAIL_STAGE:-} != desktop ]] || exit 42
+  root=$(dirname "$1")
+  mkdir -p "$root/apps/desktop/release/linux-unpacked"
+  cp "$TEST_GUI" "$root/apps/desktop/release/linux-unpacked/Hermes"
+  printf '/apps/\\n/.hermes-bootstrap-complete\\n' >> "$root/.git/info/exclude"
+else
+  [[ ${FAIL_READY:-} != 1 ]]
+fi
+''')
         self.write(self.base / 'gui', '''#!/usr/bin/env python3
 import json,os,sys,time
 json.dump({'pid':os.getpid(),'args':sys.argv[1:],'root':os.environ['HERMES_DESKTOP_HERMES_ROOT'],'node':os.environ.get('ELECTRON_RUN_AS_NODE'),'password':os.environ['HERMES_DESKTOP_PASSWORD_STORE']},open(os.environ['TEST_OUTPUT'],'w'))
@@ -103,6 +116,20 @@ if os.environ.get('TEST_GUI_WAIT'): time.sleep(30)
         self.assertEqual((self.root / '.omarchy-hermes-desktop').read_text(), 'ready\n')
         self.assertEqual(subprocess.check_output(['git','-C',str(self.root),'status','--porcelain'],env=self.env),b'')
 
+    def test_interrupted_clone_stays_aside_and_retry_succeeds(self):
+        self.run_launcher('--install', ok=False, FAIL_PARTIAL_CLONE='1')
+        self.assertFalse(self.root.exists())
+        partials=list((self.home/'.hermes').glob('.omarchy-hermes-repository.*/hermes-agent/.git'))
+        self.assertEqual(len(partials),1)
+        self.install()
+        self.assertTrue(partials[0].is_dir())
+
+    def test_clone_publication_preserves_concurrent_checkout(self):
+        self.run_launcher('--install', ok=False, RACE_CLONE='1')
+        self.assertEqual((self.root/'keep').read_text(),'foreign checkout\n')
+        self.assertFalse((self.root/'.omarchy-hermes-desktop').exists())
+        self.assertFalse((self.home/'.local/bin/hermes').exists())
+
     def test_warm_launch_and_package_reinstall_leave_runtime_untouched(self):
         self.install()
         before = self.log.read_bytes()