diff --git a/frontend/editor/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/frontend/editor/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 8855604624..f87c77b11d 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/frontend/editor/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use tauri::{AppHandle, Emitter, Manager, RunEvent, WindowEvent};
 
 mod utils;
 pub mod commands;
+mod menu;
 mod state;
 
 use commands::{
@@ -74,6 +75,12 @@ fn parse_launch_files(args: &[String]) -> Vec<String> {
 #[cfg_attr(mobile, tauri::mobile_entry_point)]
 pub fn run() {
   tauri::Builder::default()
+    .menu(menu::build_app_menu)
+    .on_menu_event(|app, event| {
+      if event.id() == menu::GRACEFUL_QUIT_MENU_ID {
+        menu::request_graceful_quit(app);
+      }
+    })
     .plugin(
       tauri_plugin_log::Builder::new()
         .level(log::LevelFilter::Info)
@@ -209,6 +216,10 @@ pub fn run() {
           // Use Tauri's built-in cleanup
           app_handle.cleanup_before_exit();
         }
+        RunEvent::Exit => {
+          add_log("🔄 App exiting, ensuring backend cleanup...".to_string());
+          cleanup_backend();
+        }
         RunEvent::WindowEvent { event: WindowEvent::CloseRequested {.. }, .. } => {
           add_log("🔄 Window close requested (will cleanup on actual exit)...".to_string());
           // Don't cleanup here - let JavaScript handler prevent close if needed
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src-tauri/src/menu.rs b/frontend/editor/src-tauri/src/menu.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d250cb181e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/editor/src-tauri/src/menu.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+use tauri::menu::Menu;
+use tauri::{AppHandle, Manager, Runtime};
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+use tauri::menu::{
+    AboutMetadata, MenuItem, PredefinedMenuItem, Submenu, HELP_SUBMENU_ID, WINDOW_SUBMENU_ID,
+};
+
+use crate::utils::add_log;
+
+// Id of our custom Quit item. macOS routes Cmd+Q / the app-menu Quit through
+// [NSApp terminate:], which fires RunEvent::Exit (not ExitRequested) and never
+// asks windows to close - so the frontend's unsaved-changes guard is bypassed.
+// We intercept the shortcut with this item and route it through each window's
+// close flow instead.
+pub const GRACEFUL_QUIT_MENU_ID: &str = "graceful-quit";
+
+// macOS: mirror Tauri's default menu (Menu::default) but replace the standard
+// Quit item with a custom one so Cmd+Q goes through request_graceful_quit().
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+pub fn build_app_menu<R: Runtime>(app: &AppHandle<R>) -> tauri::Result<Menu<R>> {
+    let pkg = app.package_info();
+    let config = app.config();
+    let about = AboutMetadata {
+        name: Some(pkg.name.clone()),
+        version: Some(pkg.version.to_string()),
+        copyright: config.bundle.copyright.clone(),
+        authors: config.bundle.publisher.clone().map(|p| vec![p]),
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+
+    let quit = MenuItem::with_id(
+        app,
+        GRACEFUL_QUIT_MENU_ID,
+        format!("Quit {}", pkg.name),
+        true,
+        Some("CmdOrCtrl+Q"),
+    )?;
+
+    let app_menu = Submenu::with_items(
+        app,
+        pkg.name.clone(),
+        true,
+        &[
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::about(app, None, Some(about))?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::services(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::hide(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::hide_others(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
+            &quit,
+        ],
+    )?;
+
+    let file_menu = Submenu::with_items(
+        app,
+        "File",
+        true,
+        &[&PredefinedMenuItem::close_window(app, None)?],
+    )?;
+
+    let edit_menu = Submenu::with_items(
+        app,
+        "Edit",
+        true,
+        &[
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::undo(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::redo(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::cut(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::copy(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::paste(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::select_all(app, None)?,
+        ],
+    )?;
+
+    let view_menu = Submenu::with_items(
+        app,
+        "View",
+        true,
+        &[&PredefinedMenuItem::fullscreen(app, None)?],
+    )?;
+
+    let window_menu = Submenu::with_id_and_items(
+        app,
+        WINDOW_SUBMENU_ID,
+        "Window",
+        true,
+        &[
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::minimize(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::maximize(app, None)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
+            &PredefinedMenuItem::close_window(app, None)?,
+        ],
+    )?;
+
+    let help_menu = Submenu::with_id_and_items(app, HELP_SUBMENU_ID, "Help", true, &[])?;
+
+    Menu::with_items(
+        app,
+        &[
+            &app_menu,
+            &file_menu,
+            &edit_menu,
+            &view_menu,
+            &window_menu,
+            &help_menu,
+        ],
+    )
+}
+
+// Other platforms keep Tauri's default menu unchanged; the RunEvent::Exit
+// cleanup path in lib.rs already guards against orphaned backends there.
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+pub fn build_app_menu<R: Runtime>(app: &AppHandle<R>) -> tauri::Result<Menu<R>> {
+    Menu::default(app)
+}
+
+// Route a quit request through each window's close flow so the frontend's
+// unsaved-changes guard (useExitWarning) runs. Closing the last window causes
+// the runtime to emit RunEvent::ExitRequested, which kills the bundled backend.
+// If somehow no windows exist, exit directly.
+pub fn request_graceful_quit<R: Runtime>(app: &AppHandle<R>) {
+    let windows = app.webview_windows();
+    if windows.is_empty() {
+        add_log("Quit requested with no open windows; exiting.".to_string());
+        app.exit(0);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    add_log(format!(
+        "Quit requested; closing {} window(s) via close flow",
+        windows.len()
+    ));
+    for (_, window) in windows {
+        let _ = window.close();
+    }
+}