diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index ab10592..3db71b8 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2935,6 +2935,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "directories",
  "eframe",
  "epaint_default_fonts",
+ "gtk",
  "hidapi",
  "notify-rust",
  "objc2 0.6.4",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index f0895e5..ee64ab6 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ vello_cpu = { version = "0.1", default-features = false, features = ["std", "u8_
 tray-icon = { version = "0.24.2", default-features = false, features = ["gtk"] }
 
 [target.'cfg(target_os = "linux")'.dependencies]
+# tray-icon's GTK menu needs gtk::init() on the main thread before it is built.
+gtk = "0.18"
 # X11 overlay banner and foreground-window lookup. Pure Rust; no system
 # libraries beyond what eframe/tray-icon already require.
 x11rb = "0.13"
diff --git a/src/desktop.rs b/src/desktop.rs
index 7739574..ad35ccd 100644
--- a/src/desktop.rs
+++ b/src/desktop.rs
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ fn headless_requested() -> bool {
 fn gui_available() -> bool {
     #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
     {
-        env::var_os("WAYLAND_DISPLAY").is_some() || env::var_os("DISPLAY").is_some()
+        (env::var_os("WAYLAND_DISPLAY").is_some() || env::var_os("DISPLAY").is_some())
+            && gtk_ready()
     }
     #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
     {
@@ -57,6 +58,20 @@ fn gui_available() -> bool {
     }
 }
 
+/// The tray menu is built with GTK, which panics on first use unless it was
+/// initialised on this thread. If it cannot start there is no tray, so Bridge
+/// runs headless instead of crash-looping (issue #26).
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn gtk_ready() -> bool {
+    match gtk::init() {
+        Ok(()) => true,
+        Err(error) => {
+            tracing::warn!(%error, "GTK could not start");
+            false
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Serves the Bridge runtime without a window: drains notices as native
 /// notifications, applies update restarts, and blocks on Ctrl-C.
 fn run_headless(
@@ -1094,7 +1109,7 @@ pub fn run() -> Result<()> {
     if headless_requested() || !gui_available() {
         if !headless_requested() {
             tracing::warn!(
-                "no display found (set WAYLAND_DISPLAY or DISPLAY for the tray panel); running headless: HTTP API, HID, and game profiles still work"
+                "no usable display for the tray panel (set WAYLAND_DISPLAY or DISPLAY, and GTK must start); running headless: HTTP API, HID, and game profiles still work"
             );
         }
         let Some((server, snapshots, commands, updates, _panel_requests, _show_panel)) =