diff --git a/app/src/App.tsx b/app/src/App.tsx
index 52c6a18b..ee0820d0 100644
--- a/app/src/App.tsx
+++ b/app/src/App.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { ModelManagement } from '@/components/ServerSettings/ModelManagement';
 import { Toaster } from '@/components/ui/toaster';
 import { ProfileList } from '@/components/VoiceProfiles/ProfileList';
 import { Sidebar } from '@/components/Sidebar';
-import { isTauri, startServer, stopServer } from '@/lib/tauri';
+import { isTauri, startServer, setupWindowCloseHandler } from '@/lib/tauri';
 
 // Track if server is starting to prevent duplicate starts
 let serverStarting = false;
@@ -16,9 +16,19 @@ function App() {
   const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState('profiles');
   const [serverReady, setServerReady] = useState(false);
 
-  // Auto-start server when running in Tauri
+  // Setup window close handler and auto-start server when running in Tauri
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!isTauri() || serverStarting) {
+    if (!isTauri()) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Setup window close handler to check setting and stop server if needed
+    setupWindowCloseHandler().catch((error) => {
+      console.error('Failed to setup window close handler:', error);
+    });
+
+    // Auto-start server
+    if (serverStarting) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -36,13 +46,13 @@ function App() {
       });
 
     // Cleanup: stop server on actual unmount (not StrictMode remount)
+    // Note: Window close is handled separately in Tauri Rust code
     return () => {
-      // In production builds, we want to stop the server on unmount
       // In dev mode, React StrictMode causes remounts, so we skip cleanup
+      // In production, window close event handles server shutdown based on setting
       if (import.meta.env?.PROD) {
-        stopServer().catch((error) => {
-          console.error('Failed to stop server on cleanup:', error);
-        });
+        // Only stop if setting says to stop (handled by window close event)
+        // This cleanup is mainly for React remounts in dev mode
         serverStarting = false;
       }
     };
diff --git a/app/src/components/ServerSettings/ConnectionForm.tsx b/app/src/components/ServerSettings/ConnectionForm.tsx
index 7de0c23a..75cfff3e 100644
--- a/app/src/components/ServerSettings/ConnectionForm.tsx
+++ b/app/src/components/ServerSettings/ConnectionForm.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   FormMessage,
 } from '@/components/ui/form';
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input';
+import { Checkbox } from '@/components/ui/checkbox';
 import { useToast } from '@/components/ui/use-toast';
 import { useServerStore } from '@/stores/serverStore';
 
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ type ConnectionFormValues = z.infer<typeof connectionSchema>;
 export function ConnectionForm() {
   const serverUrl = useServerStore((state) => state.serverUrl);
   const setServerUrl = useServerStore((state) => state.setServerUrl);
+  const keepServerRunningOnClose = useServerStore((state) => state.keepServerRunningOnClose);
+  const setKeepServerRunningOnClose = useServerStore((state) => state.setKeepServerRunningOnClose);
   const { toast } = useToast();
 
   const form = useForm<ConnectionFormValues>({
@@ -68,6 +71,36 @@ export function ConnectionForm() {
             <Button type="submit">Update Connection</Button>
           </form>
         </Form>
+
+        <div className="mt-6 pt-6 border-t">
+          <div className="flex items-start space-x-3">
+            <Checkbox
+              id="keepServerRunning"
+              checked={keepServerRunningOnClose}
+              onCheckedChange={(checked: boolean) => {
+                setKeepServerRunningOnClose(checked);
+                toast({
+                  title: 'Setting updated',
+                  description: checked
+                    ? 'Server will continue running when app closes'
+                    : 'Server will stop when app closes',
+                });
+              }}
+            />
+            <div className="space-y-1">
+              <label
+                htmlFor="keepServerRunning"
+                className="text-sm font-medium leading-none peer-disabled:cursor-not-allowed peer-disabled:opacity-70 cursor-pointer"
+              >
+                Keep server running when app closes
+              </label>
+              <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+                When enabled, the server will continue running in the background after closing the app.
+                Disabled by default.
+              </p>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </div>
       </CardContent>
     </Card>
   );
diff --git a/app/src/components/ui/checkbox.tsx b/app/src/components/ui/checkbox.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6ae7d75b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/components/ui/checkbox.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import * as React from 'react';
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils/cn';
+
+export interface CheckboxProps extends React.InputHTMLAttributes<HTMLInputElement> {
+  onCheckedChange?: (checked: boolean) => void;
+}
+
+const Checkbox = React.forwardRef<HTMLInputElement, CheckboxProps>(
+  ({ className, onCheckedChange, ...props }, ref) => {
+    const handleChange = (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+      if (onCheckedChange) {
+        onCheckedChange(e.target.checked);
+      }
+      // Call original onChange if provided
+      if (props.onChange) {
+        props.onChange(e);
+      }
+    };
+
+    return (
+      <input
+        type="checkbox"
+        className={cn(
+          'h-4 w-4 rounded border-gray-300 text-primary focus:ring-2 focus:ring-primary focus:ring-offset-2 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50',
+          className,
+        )}
+        ref={ref}
+        onChange={handleChange}
+        {...props}
+      />
+    );
+  },
+);
+Checkbox.displayName = 'Checkbox';
+
+export { Checkbox };
diff --git a/app/src/lib/tauri.ts b/app/src/lib/tauri.ts
index 89c596d9..39cf7fc7 100644
--- a/app/src/lib/tauri.ts
+++ b/app/src/lib/tauri.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 
 import { invoke } from '@tauri-apps/api/core';
+import { listen, emit } from '@tauri-apps/api/event';
 
 /**
  * Check if running in Tauri environment
@@ -45,3 +46,35 @@ export async function stopServer(): Promise<void> {
     throw error;
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Setup window close handler to check setting and stop server if needed
+ */
+export async function setupWindowCloseHandler(): Promise<void> {
+  if (!isTauri()) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    // Listen for window close request from Rust
+    await listen<null>('window-close-requested', async () => {
+      // Import store here to avoid circular dependency
+      const { useServerStore } = await import('@/stores/serverStore');
+      const keepRunning = useServerStore.getState().keepServerRunningOnClose;
+
+      if (!keepRunning) {
+        // Stop server before closing
+        try {
+          await stopServer();
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error('Failed to stop server on close:', error);
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Emit event back to Rust to allow close
+      await emit('window-close-allowed');
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Failed to setup window close handler:', error);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/stores/serverStore.ts b/app/src/stores/serverStore.ts
index 8adb29b1..f92a8870 100644
--- a/app/src/stores/serverStore.ts
+++ b/app/src/stores/serverStore.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ interface ServerStore {
 
   mode: 'local' | 'remote';
   setMode: (mode: 'local' | 'remote') => void;
+
+  keepServerRunningOnClose: boolean;
+  setKeepServerRunningOnClose: (keepRunning: boolean) => void;
 }
 
 export const useServerStore = create<ServerStore>()(
@@ -23,6 +26,10 @@ export const useServerStore = create<ServerStore>()(
 
       mode: 'local',
       setMode: (mode) => set({ mode }),
+
+      keepServerRunningOnClose: false,
+      setKeepServerRunningOnClose: (keepRunning) =>
+        set({ keepServerRunningOnClose: keepRunning }),
     }),
     {
       name: 'voicebox-server',
diff --git a/tauri/src-tauri/src/main.rs b/tauri/src-tauri/src/main.rs
index 33427c7f..afb1a56f 100644
--- a/tauri/src-tauri/src/main.rs
+++ b/tauri/src-tauri/src/main.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 #![cfg_attr(not(debug_assertions), windows_subsystem = "windows")]
 
 use std::sync::Mutex;
-use tauri::{command, State, Manager};
+use tauri::{command, State, Manager, WindowEvent, Emitter, Listener};
 use tauri_plugin_shell::ShellExt;
+use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 
 struct ServerState {
     child: Mutex<Option<tauri_plugin_shell::process::CommandChild>>,
@@ -132,6 +133,50 @@ pub fn run() {
             child: Mutex::new(None),
         })
         .invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![start_server, stop_server])
+        .on_window_event(|window, event| {
+            if let WindowEvent::CloseRequested { api, .. } = event {
+                // Prevent automatic close
+                api.prevent_close();
+
+                // Emit event to frontend to check setting and stop server if needed
+                let app_handle = window.app_handle();
+
+                if let Err(e) = app_handle.emit("window-close-requested", ()) {
+                    eprintln!("Failed to emit window-close-requested event: {}", e);
+                    // If event emission fails, allow close anyway
+                    window.close().ok();
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                // Set up listener for frontend response
+                let window_for_close = window.clone();
+                let (tx, mut rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel::<()>();
+
+                // Listen for response from frontend using window's listen method
+                let listener_id = window.listen("window-close-allowed", move |_| {
+                    // Frontend has checked setting and stopped server if needed
+                    // Signal that we can close
+                    let _ = tx.send(());
+                });
+
+                // Wait for frontend response or timeout
+                tokio::spawn(async move {
+                    tokio::select! {
+                        _ = rx.recv() => {
+                            // Frontend responded, close window
+                            window_for_close.close().ok();
+                        }
+                        _ = tokio::time::sleep(tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(5)) => {
+                            // Timeout - close anyway
+                            eprintln!("Window close timeout, closing anyway");
+                            window_for_close.close().ok();
+                        }
+                    }
+                    // Clean up listener
+                    window_for_close.unlisten(listener_id);
+                });
+            }
+        })
         .setup(|_app| {
             #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
             {