diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
index 5fee580..ddf4890 100644
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -2126,6 +2126,11 @@ impl App {
                             });
                         ui.end_row();
 
+                        ui.label("Minimize to tray:");
+                        ui.checkbox(&mut self.config.ui.minimize_to_tray, "hide window on close instead of quitting")
+                            .on_hover_text("Requires a working StatusNotifier host (KDE native, GNOME with AppIndicator extension). Ctrl+Q always quits.");
+                        ui.end_row();
+
                         ui.label("Auto-check channels:");
                         ui.checkbox(&mut self.config.scheduler.enabled, "enabled");
                         ui.end_row();
@@ -3082,14 +3087,17 @@ impl eframe::App for App {
                     }
                 }
             }
-            // Minimize-to-tray: if the user clicked the close button but
-            // hasn't explicitly chosen Quit, cancel the close and hide
-            // the window instead. Without a tray we fall through to the
-            // normal close flow so the app actually exits.
-            let close_requested = ctx.input(|i| i.viewport().close_requested());
-            if close_requested && !self.quitting {
-                ctx.send_viewport_cmd(egui::ViewportCommand::CancelClose);
-                ctx.send_viewport_cmd(egui::ViewportCommand::Visible(false));
+            // Minimize-to-tray: only intercept the close button when the
+            // user has opted in via config. Default-off because users on
+            // desktops without a working StatusNotifier host (e.g. GNOME
+            // sans AppIndicator extension) would otherwise lose access
+            // to the window entirely. Ctrl+Q is always an escape.
+            if self.config.ui.minimize_to_tray {
+                let close_requested = ctx.input(|i| i.viewport().close_requested());
+                if close_requested && !self.quitting {
+                    ctx.send_viewport_cmd(egui::ViewportCommand::CancelClose);
+                    ctx.send_viewport_cmd(egui::ViewportCommand::Visible(false));
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 2cb8dc6..eac6d0c 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -61,11 +61,21 @@ impl Default for PlayerSection {
 pub struct UiSection {
     #[serde(default = "default_theme")]
     pub theme: String,
+    /// When true, clicking the window close button hides the window
+    /// into the system tray instead of exiting. The tray menu's Quit
+    /// item (or Ctrl+Q) still terminates the app. Off by default so
+    /// users without a working SNI host don't get stuck in an invisible
+    /// hidden window.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub minimize_to_tray: bool,
 }
 
 impl Default for UiSection {
     fn default() -> Self {
-        Self { theme: default_theme() }
+        Self {
+            theme: default_theme(),
+            minimize_to_tray: false,
+        }
     }
 }