diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 08c27c0c..e67d4235 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -41,3 +41,8 @@ yarn-error.log*
 # typescript
 *.tsbuildinfo
 next-env.d.ts
+package-lock.json
+
+# build files
+release/**
+bun.lockb
diff --git a/electron/README.md b/electron/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..77698417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/electron/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+# Electron Desktop App
+
+This document explains how to build and run the flash.comma.ai app as a cross-platform desktop application using Electron and Bun.
+
+## Development
+
+### Prerequisites
+- Node.js >= 20.11.0
+- Bun (latest version)
+
+### Installation
+```bash
+bun install
+```
+
+### Development Mode
+To run the app in development mode with hot reload:
+
+```bash
+bun run electron-dev
+```
+
+This will:
+1. Start the Vite dev server with Bun
+2. Wait for it to be ready
+3. Launch Electron pointing to the dev server
+
+### Building for Production
+
+#### Build for current platform
+```bash
+bun run electron-build
+```
+
+#### Build for specific platforms
+```bash
+bun run electron-build-win    # Windows
+bun run electron-build-mac    # macOS  
+bun run electron-build-linux  # Linux
+```
+
+#### Build for all platforms
+```bash
+bun run electron-build-all
+```
+
+## Platform-Specific Notes
+
+### Windows
+- The app will be packaged as an NSIS installer
+- USB drivers may need to be installed separately using Zadig
+- Admin privileges may be required for USB device access
+
+### macOS
+- The app will be packaged as a DMG
+- Code signing may be required for distribution
+- USB device access should work out of the box
+
+### Linux
+- The app will be packaged as both AppImage and .deb
+- USB device permissions may need to be configured via udev rules
+- Run with `sudo` if USB access fails
+
+## USB Device Access
+
+The Electron app automatically handles USB device permissions for QDL devices (VID: 0x05C6, PID: 0x9008). However, some platforms may require additional setup:
+
+### Linux USB Permissions
+Create a udev rule to allow access to QDL devices:
+
+```bash
+# Create udev rule
+sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/51-comma-qdl.rules > /dev/null <<EOF
+SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05c6", ATTR{idProduct}=="9008", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
+EOF
+
+# Reload udev rules
+sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
+sudo udevadm trigger
+```
+
+Add your user to the plugdev group:
+```bash
+sudo usermod -a -G plugdev $USER
+```
+
+Log out and back in for the group change to take effect.
+
+## ES Modules Support
+
+The project uses ES modules throughout, including the main Electron process. The preload script uses CommonJS (`.cjs` extension) as required by Electron.
+
+## Security Features
+
+The Electron app implements several security best practices:
+
+- Context isolation enabled
+- Node integration disabled
+- Preload script for secure IPC
+- Content Security Policy
+- External link handling
+- USB device filtering
+
+## Auto-Updates
+
+The app includes electron-updater for automatic updates. Configure your update server in the build configuration to enable this feature.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### USB Device Not Detected
+1. Ensure the device is in QDL mode
+2. Check that drivers are installed (Windows)
+3. Verify USB permissions (Linux)
+4. Try a different USB cable or port
+
+### Build Issues
+1. Clear node_modules and reinstall: `bun install --force`
+2. Ensure you have the latest version of electron-builder
+3. Check that all required build tools are installed
+
+### App Won't Start
+1. Check the console for error messages
+2. Ensure the dist folder exists and contains built files
+3. Try running in development mode first
+
+### ES Module Issues
+If you encounter module-related errors:
+1. Ensure all `.js` files in `electron/` use ES module syntax
+2. The preload script should use `.cjs` extension and CommonJS syntax
+3. Check that `"type": "module"` is set in package.json
+
+## File Structure
+
+```
+electron/
+├── main.js          # Main Electron process (ES modules)
+├── preload.cjs      # Preload script (CommonJS)
+└── (old files)      # Can be removed
+
+dist/                # Built web app (created by Vite)
+release/             # Electron build output
+```
+
+## Bun-Specific Notes
+
+- All scripts use `bun run` instead of `npm run`
+- Dependencies are installed with `bun add` instead of `npm install`
+- Bun provides faster installation and execution compared to npm
+- The development server starts faster with Bun
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/electron/main.js b/electron/main.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b18cfa6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/electron/main.js
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+import { app, BrowserWindow, shell, dialog, ipcMain } from 'electron'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'
+import { dirname, join } from 'path'
+
+const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)
+const __dirname = dirname(__filename)
+const isDev = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development'
+
+// Handle creating/removing shortcuts on Windows when installing/uninstalling.
+if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+    try {
+        const { default: setupEvents } = await import('electron-squirrel-startup')
+        if (setupEvents) {
+            app.quit()
+        }
+    } catch (e) {
+        // electron-squirrel-startup is optional
+    }
+}
+
+let mainWindow
+
+// IPC handlers
+ipcMain.handle('get-app-version', () => {
+    return app.getVersion()
+})
+
+ipcMain.handle('show-open-dialog', async (event, options) => {
+    const { canceled, filePaths } = await dialog.showOpenDialog(mainWindow, options)
+    if (canceled) {
+        return { canceled: true }
+    }
+    return { canceled: false, filePaths }
+})
+
+ipcMain.handle('show-save-dialog', async (event, options) => {
+    const { canceled, filePath } = await dialog.showSaveDialog(mainWindow, options)
+    if (canceled) {
+        return { canceled: true }
+    }
+    return { canceled: false, filePath }
+})
+
+const createWindow = () => {
+    // Create the browser window.
+    mainWindow = new BrowserWindow({
+        width: 1200,
+        height: 800,
+        minWidth: 800,
+        minHeight: 600,
+        icon: join(__dirname, '../src/app/icon.png'),
+        webPreferences: {
+            nodeIntegration: false,
+            contextIsolation: true,
+            enableRemoteModule: false,
+            preload: join(__dirname, 'preload.cjs'),
+            webSecurity: true,
+        },
+        titleBarStyle: process.platform === 'darwin' ? 'hiddenInset' : 'default',
+        show: false,
+    })
+
+    // Load the app
+    if (isDev) {
+        mainWindow.loadURL('http://localhost:5173')
+        // Open DevTools in development
+        mainWindow.webContents.openDevTools()
+    } else {
+        mainWindow.loadFile(join(__dirname, '../dist/index.html'))
+    }
+
+    // Show window when ready to prevent visual flash
+    mainWindow.once('ready-to-show', () => {
+        mainWindow.show()
+    })
+
+    // Handle external links
+    mainWindow.webContents.setWindowOpenHandler(({ url }) => {
+        shell.openExternal(url)
+        return { action: 'deny' }
+    })
+
+    // Prevent navigation to external websites
+    mainWindow.webContents.on('will-navigate', (event, navigationUrl) => {
+        const parsedUrl = new URL(navigationUrl)
+        if (parsedUrl.origin !== 'http://localhost:5173' && !navigationUrl.startsWith('file://')) {
+            event.preventDefault()
+        }
+    })
+}
+
+// This method will be called when Electron has finished initialization
+app.whenReady().then(() => {
+    // Set app user model ID for Windows
+    if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+        app.setAppUserModelId('ai.comma.flash')
+    }
+
+    createWindow()
+
+    // Handle USB device permissions
+    mainWindow.webContents.session.on('select-usb-device', (event, details, callback) => {
+        // Add USB device selection logic here
+        event.preventDefault()
+
+        // Look for QDL devices (vendor ID 0x05C6, product ID 0x9008)
+        const qdlDevice = details.deviceList.find(device =>
+            device.vendorId === 0x05C6 && device.productId === 0x9008
+        )
+
+        if (qdlDevice) {
+            callback(qdlDevice.deviceId)
+        } else {
+            callback()
+        }
+    })
+
+    // Handle USB device access requests
+    mainWindow.webContents.session.on('usb-device-added', (event, device) => {
+        console.log('USB device added:', device)
+        mainWindow.webContents.send('usb-device-added', device)
+    })
+
+    mainWindow.webContents.session.on('usb-device-removed', (event, device) => {
+        console.log('USB device removed:', device)
+        mainWindow.webContents.send('usb-device-removed', device)
+    })
+
+    // macOS specific behavior
+    app.on('activate', () => {
+        if (BrowserWindow.getAllWindows().length === 0) {
+            createWindow()
+        }
+    })
+
+})
+
+// Quit when all windows are closed, except on macOS
+app.on('window-all-closed', () => {
+    if (process.platform !== 'darwin') {
+        app.quit()
+    }
+})
+
+// Security: Prevent new window creation
+app.on('web-contents-created', (event, contents) => {
+    contents.on('new-window', (event, navigationUrl) => {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        shell.openExternal(navigationUrl)
+    })
+})
+
+// Handle certificate errors
+app.on('certificate-error', (event, webContents, url, error, certificate, callback) => {
+    if (isDev) {
+        // In development, ignore certificate errors
+        event.preventDefault()
+        callback(true)
+    } else {
+        // In production, use default behavior
+        callback(false)
+    }
+})
+
+// Handle app protocol for auto-updater
+if (process.defaultApp) {
+    if (process.argv.length >= 2) {
+        app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('flash-comma', process.execPath, [process.argv[1]])
+    }
+} else {
+    app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('flash-comma')
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/electron/preload.cjs b/electron/preload.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb5c558d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/electron/preload.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+const { contextBridge, ipcRenderer } = require('electron')
+
+// Expose protected methods that allow the renderer process to use
+// the ipcRenderer without exposing the entire object
+contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('electronAPI', {
+    platform: process.platform,
+    versions: process.versions,
+
+    // USB device management
+    onUsbDeviceAdded: (callback) => {
+        ipcRenderer.on('usb-device-added', callback)
+    },
+
+    onUsbDeviceRemoved: (callback) => {
+        ipcRenderer.on('usb-device-removed', callback)
+    },
+
+    // App management
+    getAppVersion: () => ipcRenderer.invoke('get-app-version'),
+
+    // File system operations (if needed)
+    showOpenDialog: (options) => ipcRenderer.invoke('show-open-dialog', options),
+    showSaveDialog: (options) => ipcRenderer.invoke('show-save-dialog', options),
+})
+
+// Security: Remove global Node.js APIs
+delete window.require
+delete window.exports
+delete window.module
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ccb9f288..cbf7b365 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,13 +1,30 @@
 {
   "name": "@commaai/flash",
   "version": "0.1.0",
+  "description": "flash.comma.ai - The official flash tool for comma devices",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
+  "main": "electron/main.js",
+  "homepage": "./",
+  "author": {
+    "name": "comma.ai",
+    "email": "support@comma.ai",
+    "url": "https://comma.ai"
+  },
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite",
     "build": "vite build",
     "start": "vite preview",
-    "test": "vitest"
+    "test": "vitest",
+    "electron": "npm run electron-npm",
+    "electron-npm": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development electron .",
+    "electron-dev": "concurrently \"bun run dev\" \"wait-on http://localhost:5173 && npm run electron-npm\"",
+    "electron-build": "bun run build && npm run electron-builder",
+    "electron-build-win": "bun run build && electron-builder --win",
+    "electron-build-mac": "bun run build && electron-builder --mac",
+    "electron-build-linux": "bun run build && electron-builder --linux",
+    "electron-build-all": "bun run build && electron-builder --mac --win --linux",
+    "dist": "bun run build && electron-builder --publish=never"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=20.11.0"
@@ -16,11 +33,13 @@
     "@commaai/qdl": "git+https://github.com/commaai/qdl.js.git#9ef437bed19a70fe54f44421ae5fc9a057b4b563",
     "@fontsource-variable/inter": "^5.2.5",
     "@fontsource-variable/jetbrains-mono": "^5.2.5",
+    "electron-updater": "^6.6.2",
     "react": "^18.3.1",
     "react-dom": "^18.3.1",
     "xz-decompress": "^0.2.2"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "electron": "^37.2.4",
     "@tailwindcss/typography": "^0.5.16",
     "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^6.6.3",
     "@testing-library/react": "^16.3.0",
@@ -28,16 +47,83 @@
     "@types/react-dom": "^18.3.6",
     "@vitejs/plugin-react": "^4.3.4",
     "autoprefixer": "10.4.21",
+    "concurrently": "^9.2.0",
+    "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
+    "electron-builder": "^26.0.12",
+    "electron-icon-builder": "^2.0.1",
+    "electron-squirrel-startup": "^1.0.1",
     "jsdom": "^26.0.0",
     "postcss": "^8.5.3",
     "tailwindcss": "^3.4.17",
     "vite": "^6.2.6",
     "vite-svg-loader": "^5.1.0",
-    "vitest": "^3.1.1"
+    "vitest": "^3.1.1",
+    "wait-on": "^8.0.3"
   },
   "trustedDependencies": [
     "@commaai/qdl",
     "esbuild",
     "usb"
-  ]
+  ],
+  "build": {
+    "appId": "ai.comma.flash",
+    "productName": "flash.comma.ai",
+    "directories": {
+      "output": "release"
+    },
+    "files": [
+      "dist/**/*",
+      "electron/**/*",
+      "node_modules/**/*",
+      "package.json"
+    ],
+    "extraResources": [
+      {
+        "from": "src/assets",
+        "to": "assets"
+      }
+    ],
+    "mac": {
+      "category": "public.app-category.utilities",
+      "target": [
+        {
+          "target": "dmg",
+          "arch": [
+            "x64",
+            "arm64"
+          ]
+        }
+      ],
+      "icon": "src/app/icon_xl.png"
+    },
+    "win": {
+      "target": [
+        {
+          "target": "nsis",
+          "arch": [
+            "x64"
+          ]
+        }
+      ],
+      "icon": "src/app/icon.ico"
+    },
+    "linux": {
+      "target": [
+        {
+          "target": "tar.gz",
+          "arch": [
+            "x64"
+          ]
+        }
+      ],
+      "category": "Utility",
+      "icon": "src/app/icon_large.png"
+    },
+    "nsis": {
+      "oneClick": false,
+      "allowToChangeInstallationDirectory": true,
+      "createDesktopShortcut": true,
+      "createStartMenuShortcut": true
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/icon_large.png b/src/app/icon_large.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..89b1c424
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/app/icon_large.png differ
diff --git a/src/app/icon_xl.png b/src/app/icon_xl.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2e981ef8
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/app/icon_xl.png differ
diff --git a/src/utils/electron.js b/src/utils/electron.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..602280ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/electron.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/**
+ * Check if the app is running in Electron
+ * @returns {boolean}
+ */
+export const isElectron = () => {
+  return typeof window !== 'undefined' &&
+    typeof window.electronAPI !== 'undefined'
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the current platform
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+export const getPlatform = () => {
+  if (isElectron()) {
+    return window.electronAPI.platform
+  }
+  return navigator.platform
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get app version (Electron only)
+ * @returns {Promise<string|null>}
+ */
+export const getAppVersion = async () => {
+  if (isElectron()) {
+    try {
+      return await window.electronAPI.getAppVersion()
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Failed to get app version:', error)
+      return null
+    }
+  }
+  return null
+}
+
+/**
+ * Show native file dialogs (Electron only)
+ */
+export const showOpenDialog = async (options) => {
+  if (isElectron()) {
+    return await window.electronAPI.showOpenDialog(options)
+  }
+  throw new Error('File dialogs are only available in Electron')
+}
+
+export const showSaveDialog = async (options) => {
+  if (isElectron()) {
+    return await window.electronAPI.showSaveDialog(options)
+  }
+  throw new Error('File dialogs are only available in Electron')
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vite.config.js b/vite.config.js
index 17ac32a0..dd7afae6 100644
--- a/vite.config.js
+++ b/vite.config.js
@@ -4,6 +4,23 @@ import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
 // https://vitejs.dev/config/
 export default defineConfig({
   plugins: [react()],
+  base: './',
+  build: {
+    outDir: 'dist',
+    assetsDir: 'assets',
+    rollupOptions: {
+      output: {
+        manualChunks: {
+          vendor: ['react', 'react-dom'],
+          qdl: ['@commaai/qdl'],
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  },
+  server: {
+    port: 5173,
+    host: 'localhost',
+  },
   test: {
     globals: true,
     environment: 'jsdom',