diff --git a/electron/main.ts b/electron/main.ts
index f00f264d..636c29ff 100644
--- a/electron/main.ts
+++ b/electron/main.ts
@@ -900,8 +900,13 @@ app.whenReady().then(async () => {
 			// is set we skip getSources entirely and hand back a synthetic
 			// source id; Chromium then opens the portal once to actually
 			// resolve the capture.
+			// Default to the sentinel on Linux when no source has been
+			// pre-selected (e.g. fresh session where the renderer skipped the
+			// source picker entirely). This avoids calling getSources() which
+			// would itself trigger an extra portal dialog.
 			const isLinuxPortalSentinel =
-				process.platform === "linux" && sourceId === "screen:linux-portal";
+				process.platform === "linux" &&
+				(sourceId === "screen:linux-portal" || !sourceId);
 			if (isLinuxPortalSentinel) {
 				callback({ video: { id: "screen:0:0", name: "Entire screen" } });
 				return;
diff --git a/src/components/launch/LaunchWindow.tsx b/src/components/launch/LaunchWindow.tsx
index 9bbcd2f0..2c4e6146 100644
--- a/src/components/launch/LaunchWindow.tsx
+++ b/src/components/launch/LaunchWindow.tsx
@@ -1093,23 +1093,27 @@ export function LaunchWindow() {
 
 	const idleControls = (
 		<>
-			<button
-				type="button"
-				className={`${styles.screenSel} ${styles.electronNoDrag}`}
-				onClick={() => toggleDropdown("sources")}
-				title={selectedSource}
-			>
-				<Monitor size={16} />
-				<ContentClamp className={styles.sourceLabel} truncateLength={36}>
-					{selectedSource}
-				</ContentClamp>
-				<ChevronUp
-					size={10}
-					className={`text-[#6b6b78] ml-0.5 transition-transform duration-200 ${activeDropdown === "sources" ? "" : "rotate-180"}`}
-				/>
-			</button>
+			{platform !== "linux" && (
+				<>
+					<button
+						type="button"
+						className={`${styles.screenSel} ${styles.electronNoDrag}`}
+						onClick={() => toggleDropdown("sources")}
+						title={selectedSource}
+					>
+						<Monitor size={16} />
+						<ContentClamp className={styles.sourceLabel} truncateLength={36}>
+							{selectedSource}
+						</ContentClamp>
+						<ChevronUp
+							size={10}
+							className={`text-[#6b6b78] ml-0.5 transition-transform duration-200 ${activeDropdown === "sources" ? "" : "rotate-180"}`}
+						/>
+					</button>
 
-			<Separator />
+					<Separator />
+				</>
+			)}
 
 			<IconButton
 				onClick={toggleMicrophone}
diff --git a/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts b/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
index ca1e0a03..0a1db292 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useScreenRecorder.ts
@@ -846,6 +846,16 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
 				alert("Please select a source to record");
 				return;
 			}
+			// Persist the synthetic Linux portal sentinel to main so that the
+			// setDisplayMediaRequestHandler can short-circuit getSources() and
+			// avoid triggering an extra portal dialog.
+			if (!existingSource && selectedSource.id === "screen:linux-portal") {
+				try {
+					await window.electronAPI.selectSource(selectedSource);
+				} catch (err) {
+					console.warn("Failed to persist Linux portal sentinel source:", err);
+				}
+			}
 
 			const permissionsReady = await preparePermissions();
 			if (!permissionsReady) {
@@ -1031,22 +1041,24 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
 			if (wantsAudioCapture) {
 				let screenMediaStream: MediaStream;
 				const useLinuxPortal = selectedSource.id === "screen:linux-portal";
+				const acquireLinuxPortalStream = (withAudio: boolean) =>
+					mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia({
+						audio: withAudio,
+						video: {
+							displaySurface: "monitor",
+							width: { ideal: TARGET_WIDTH, max: TARGET_WIDTH },
+							height: { ideal: TARGET_HEIGHT, max: TARGET_HEIGHT },
+							frameRate: { ideal: TARGET_FRAME_RATE, max: TARGET_FRAME_RATE },
+							cursor: "never",
+						},
+						selfBrowserSurface: "exclude",
+						surfaceSwitching: "exclude",
+					});
 
 				if (systemAudioEnabled) {
 					try {
 						screenMediaStream = useLinuxPortal
-							? await mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia({
-									audio: true,
-									video: {
-										displaySurface: "monitor",
-										width: { ideal: TARGET_WIDTH, max: TARGET_WIDTH },
-										height: { ideal: TARGET_HEIGHT, max: TARGET_HEIGHT },
-										frameRate: { ideal: TARGET_FRAME_RATE, max: TARGET_FRAME_RATE },
-										cursor: "never",
-									},
-									selfBrowserSurface: "exclude",
-									surfaceSwitching: "exclude",
-								})
+							? await acquireLinuxPortalStream(true)
 							: await mediaDevices.getUserMedia({
 									audio: {
 										mandatory: {
@@ -1065,18 +1077,7 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
 							"System audio is not available for this source. Recording will continue without system audio.",
 						);
 						screenMediaStream = useLinuxPortal
-							? await mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia({
-									audio: false,
-									video: {
-										displaySurface: "monitor",
-										width: { ideal: TARGET_WIDTH, max: TARGET_WIDTH },
-										height: { ideal: TARGET_HEIGHT, max: TARGET_HEIGHT },
-										frameRate: { ideal: TARGET_FRAME_RATE, max: TARGET_FRAME_RATE },
-										cursor: "never",
-									},
-									selfBrowserSurface: "exclude",
-									surfaceSwitching: "exclude",
-								})
+							? await acquireLinuxPortalStream(false)
 							: await mediaDevices.getUserMedia({
 									audio: false,
 									video: browserScreenVideoConstraints,
@@ -1084,18 +1085,7 @@ export function useScreenRecorder(): UseScreenRecorderReturn {
 					}
 				} else {
 					screenMediaStream = useLinuxPortal
-						? await mediaDevices.getDisplayMedia({
-								audio: false,
-								video: {
-									displaySurface: "monitor",
-									width: { ideal: TARGET_WIDTH, max: TARGET_WIDTH },
-									height: { ideal: TARGET_HEIGHT, max: TARGET_HEIGHT },
-									frameRate: { ideal: TARGET_FRAME_RATE, max: TARGET_FRAME_RATE },
-									cursor: "never",
-								},
-								selfBrowserSurface: "exclude",
-								surfaceSwitching: "exclude",
-							})
+						? await acquireLinuxPortalStream(false)
 						: await mediaDevices.getUserMedia({
 								audio: false,
 								video: browserScreenVideoConstraints,