diff --git a/src/main/actions/setupIPCForwarding.js b/src/main/actions/setupIPCForwarding.js
index 0b52c90..2c746a1 100644
--- a/src/main/actions/setupIPCForwarding.js
+++ b/src/main/actions/setupIPCForwarding.js
@@ -1,20 +1,149 @@
 import { ipcMain } from "electron";
 
+// --- Background readiness protocol ---
+// Buffer IPC calls until the background process signals it's ready.
+let isBackgroundReady = false;
+let isBackgroundFailed = false;
+const pendingCalls = [];
+const BACKGROUND_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
+const PER_CALL_TIMEOUT_MS = 60_000;
+
+// Module-scoped refs so they can be cleaned up on background restart
+let readyTimeoutId = null;
+let onBackgroundReady = null;
+
+const IPC_FORWARD_CHANNEL = "forward-event-from-webapp-to-background-and-await-reply";
+
 export const setupIPCForwardingToBackground = (backgroundWindow) => {
+  // Clean up previous invocation's timer and listener (background restart scenario)
+  if (readyTimeoutId !== null) {
+    clearTimeout(readyTimeoutId);
+    readyTimeoutId = null;
+  }
+  if (onBackgroundReady !== null) {
+    ipcMain.removeListener("background-process-ready", onBackgroundReady);
+    onBackgroundReady = null;
+  }
+  ipcMain.removeHandler(IPC_FORWARD_CHANNEL);
+
+  // Reset state
+  isBackgroundReady = false;
+  isBackgroundFailed = false;
+  pendingCalls.length = 0;
+
+  // Safety net: if background never signals ready, reject all buffered calls
+  // and mark as failed so new calls are rejected immediately
+  readyTimeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+    if (!isBackgroundReady) {
+      isBackgroundFailed = true;
+      while (pendingCalls.length > 0) {
+        const { resolve } = pendingCalls.shift();
+        resolve({
+          success: false,
+          data: "Background process failed to initialize in time",
+        });
+      }
+    }
+  }, BACKGROUND_READY_TIMEOUT_MS);
+
+  onBackgroundReady = () => {
+    clearTimeout(readyTimeoutId);
+    readyTimeoutId = null;
+    isBackgroundReady = true;
+    isBackgroundFailed = false;
+
+    // Flush all buffered calls in order
+    while (pendingCalls.length > 0) {
+      const { eventName, actualPayload, replyChannel, resolve } =
+        pendingCalls.shift();
+      try {
+        forwardToBackground(
+          backgroundWindow,
+          eventName,
+          actualPayload,
+          replyChannel,
+          resolve
+        );
+      } catch (err) {
+        resolve({ success: false, data: `Flush error: ${err.message}` });
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  ipcMain.once("background-process-ready", onBackgroundReady);
+
   ipcMain.handle(
-    "forward-event-from-webapp-to-background-and-await-reply",
+    IPC_FORWARD_CHANNEL,
     async (event, incomingData) => {
+      const { actualPayload, eventName } = incomingData;
+
+      // Unique reply channel per call to prevent concurrent calls to the same
+      // method from stealing each other's responses via shared ipcMain.once listeners
+      const callId = `${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).substring(2)}`;
+      const replyChannel = `reply-${eventName}-${callId}`;
+
       return new Promise((resolve) => {
-        const { actualPayload, eventName } = incomingData;
-        ipcMain.once(`reply-${eventName}`, (responseEvent, responsePayload) => {
-          resolve(responsePayload);
-        });
-        backgroundWindow.webContents.send(eventName, actualPayload);
+        // If background failed to init, reject immediately instead of buffering forever
+        if (isBackgroundFailed) {
+          resolve({
+            success: false,
+            data: "Background process is not available",
+          });
+          return;
+        }
+
+        if (!isBackgroundReady) {
+          pendingCalls.push({
+            eventName,
+            actualPayload,
+            replyChannel,
+            resolve,
+          });
+          return;
+        }
+
+        forwardToBackground(
+          backgroundWindow,
+          eventName,
+          actualPayload,
+          replyChannel,
+          resolve
+        );
       });
     }
   );
 };
 
+function forwardToBackground(
+  backgroundWindow,
+  eventName,
+  actualPayload,
+  replyChannel,
+  resolve
+) {
+  // Safety: clean up listener if background never replies (crash, unhandled error, etc.)
+  const callTimeoutId = setTimeout(() => {
+    ipcMain.removeAllListeners(replyChannel);
+    resolve({ success: false, data: `IPC call timed out: ${eventName}` });
+  }, PER_CALL_TIMEOUT_MS);
+
+  ipcMain.once(replyChannel, (responseEvent, responsePayload) => {
+    clearTimeout(callTimeoutId);
+    resolve(responsePayload);
+  });
+
+  try {
+    backgroundWindow.webContents.send(eventName, {
+      payload: actualPayload,
+      replyChannel,
+    });
+  } catch (err) {
+    clearTimeout(callTimeoutId);
+    ipcMain.removeAllListeners(replyChannel);
+    resolve({ success: false, data: `Send failed: ${err.message}` });
+  }
+}
+
 export const setupIPCForwardingToWebApp = (webAppWindow) => {
   ipcMain.handle(
     "forward-event-from-background-to-webapp-and-await-reply",
diff --git a/src/renderer/index.js b/src/renderer/index.js
index e443b6d..91bf1cd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/index.js
+++ b/src/renderer/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Initialize Sentry for background renderer (must be first)
 import "../utils/sentryInit";
 import logger from "../utils/logger";
+import { ipcRenderer } from "electron";
 
 const initGlobalNamespace = () => {
   global.rq = global.rq || {};
@@ -54,3 +55,6 @@ clearStoredLogs();
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars, no-new
 new FsManagerBuilderRPCService();
+
+// Signal to main process that background is fully initialized and ready to receive IPC calls
+ipcRenderer.send("background-process-ready");
diff --git a/src/renderer/lib/RPCServiceOverIPC.ts b/src/renderer/lib/RPCServiceOverIPC.ts
index 985c163..3842094 100644
--- a/src/renderer/lib/RPCServiceOverIPC.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/lib/RPCServiceOverIPC.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ export class RPCServiceOverIPC {
   }
 
   generateChannelNameForMethod(method: Function) {
-    console.log("DBG-1: method name", method.name);
     return `${this.RPC_CHANNEL_PREFIX}${method.name}`;
   }
 
@@ -29,39 +28,31 @@ export class RPCServiceOverIPC {
     method: (..._args: any[]) => Promise<any>
   ) {
     const channelName = `${this.RPC_CHANNEL_PREFIX}${exposedMethodName}`;
-    // console.log("DBG-1: exposing channel", channelName, Date.now());
-    ipcRenderer.on(channelName, async (_event, args) => {
-      // console.log(
-      //   "DBG-1: received event on channel",
-      //   channelName,
-      //   _event,
-      //   args,
-      //   Date.now()
-      // );
+    ipcRenderer.on(channelName, async (_event, incomingData) => {
+      // Detect new envelope format { payload, replyChannel } vs old direct payload format
+      const hasNewFormat =
+        incomingData != null &&
+        typeof incomingData === "object" &&
+        !Array.isArray(incomingData) &&
+        "replyChannel" in incomingData;
+
+      const actualArgs = hasNewFormat ? incomingData.payload : incomingData;
+      const actualReplyChannel = hasNewFormat
+        ? incomingData.replyChannel
+        : `reply-${channelName}`;
+
       try {
-        const result = await method(...args);
+        const result = await method(
+          ...(Array.isArray(actualArgs) ? actualArgs : [actualArgs])
+        );
 
-        // console.log(
-        //   "DBG-2: result in method",
-        //   result,
-        //   channelName,
-        //   _event,
-        //   args,
-        //   exposedMethodName,
-        //   Date.now()
-        // );
-        ipcRenderer.send(`reply-${channelName}`, {
+        ipcRenderer.send(actualReplyChannel, {
           success: true,
           data: result,
         });
       } catch (error: any) {
-        // console.log(
-        //   `DBG-2: reply-${channelName} error in method`,
-        //   error,
-        //   Date.now()
-        // );
         captureException(error);
-        ipcRenderer.send(`reply-${channelName}`, {
+        ipcRenderer.send(actualReplyChannel, {
           success: false,
           data: error.message,
         });