diff --git a/launch.sh b/launch.sh
index 24c24c2..0ef06b7 100755
--- a/launch.sh
+++ b/launch.sh
@@ -37,24 +37,40 @@ fi
 #
 # Must name the browser the EXTENSION is loaded into. ultra = Brave, m3ultra = Chrome.
 BROWSER="${FLOW_BROWSER:-Brave Browser}"
+
+# A LOCKED SCREEN wedges every AppleScript window/tab query for ~2 min, then -1712
+# "AppleEvent timed out". Not a browser bug: with the screen locked, Finder, System Events
+# and Brave all hang on `count of windows` identically. Bail out loudly instead.
+if ioreg -n Root -d1 -r | tr -d ' ' | grep -q '"CGSSessionScreenIsLocked"=Yes'; then
+  echo "screen is LOCKED on $(hostname -s) — cannot drive $BROWSER (every window query would" \
+       "hang, then -1712). Unlock it; for an unattended rig also set System Settings >" \
+       "Lock Screen > 'Require password after screen saver begins' = Never."
+  exit 0   # not an error: the 10-min tick retries once someone unlocks
+fi
+
+# `open location` hands the URL to the DEFAULT browser (Brave here) — never to $BROWSER.
+# Make the tab inside the target app instead. Timeout so a wedged app can't hold the job.
 osascript <<OSA
-tell application "$BROWSER"
-  set found to false
-  repeat with w in windows
-    set i to 0
-    repeat with t in tabs of w
-      set i to i + 1
-      if (URL of t) contains "tools/flow/project" then
-        set active tab index of w to i
-        set index of w to 1
-        set found to true
-      end if
+with timeout of 30 seconds
+  tell application "$BROWSER"
+    set found to false
+    repeat with w in windows
+      set i to 0
+      repeat with t in tabs of w
+        set i to i + 1
+        if (URL of t) contains "tools/flow/project" then
+          set active tab index of w to i
+          set index of w to 1
+          set found to true
+        end if
+      end repeat
     end repeat
-  end repeat
-  if not found then
-    activate
-    open location "$URL"
-  end if
-end tell
+    if not found then
+      activate
+      if (count of windows) = 0 then make new window
+      tell window 1 to make new tab with properties {URL:"$URL"}
+    end if
+  end tell
+end timeout
 OSA
 echo "$BROWSER focused on Flow. With Auto-start ticked, the rinse begins on load."