diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index bee4317f..b3810cfc 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ mod logging;
 mod macos;
 mod menu;
 mod plugin_web;
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+mod relaunch;
 mod remote_dev;
 mod remote_wsl;
 
@@ -248,6 +250,9 @@ pub fn run() {
             }
             // Cleanup must finish before update/restart replaces this process.
             if app.try_state::<WindowsState>().is_some_and(|w| w.restart_requested()) {
+                #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+                relaunch::restart(&app.env());
+                #[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
                 tauri::process::restart(&app.env());
             }
         }
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/relaunch.rs b/src-tauri/src/relaunch.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d7703e0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src-tauri/src/relaunch.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+//! Restarting the app on macOS once this process has exited.
+//!
+//! `tauri::process::restart` launches the new instance while this one is still running.
+//! After an update has replaced the app bundle, the Dock then gives the new instance a
+//! tile of its own instead of the pinned one. A detached shell waits for this process
+//! to exit and only then opens the bundle.
+
+use std::ffi::OsString;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+
+const WAIT_THEN_OPEN: &str = r#"pid=$1; opener=$2; app=$3; shift 3; while kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null; do sleep 0.1; done; exec "$opener" -n "$app" --args "$@""#;
+
+/// Restarts the app; never returns.
+pub fn restart(env: &tauri::Env) -> ! {
+    if let Some(bundle) = tauri::process::current_binary(env).ok().and_then(|bin| app_bundle(&bin)) {
+        let args = env.args_os.iter().skip(1).cloned().collect::<Vec<_>>();
+        match wait_then_open(std::process::id(), Path::new("/usr/bin/open"), &bundle, &args).spawn() {
+            Ok(_) => std::process::exit(0),
+            Err(e) => tracing::error!("failed to schedule the restart: {e}"),
+        }
+    }
+    tauri::process::restart(env)
+}
+
+/// The `.app` bundle holding `binary`, when it sits at `<bundle>/Contents/MacOS/<name>`.
+fn app_bundle(binary: &Path) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    let macos = binary.parent()?;
+    let contents = macos.parent()?;
+    if macos.file_name()? != "MacOS" || contents.file_name()? != "Contents" {
+        return None;
+    }
+    contents.parent().map(Path::to_path_buf)
+}
+
+fn wait_then_open(pid: u32, opener: &Path, bundle: &Path, args: &[OsString]) -> Command {
+    use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
+    let mut command = Command::new("/bin/sh");
+    command
+        .arg("-c")
+        .arg(WAIT_THEN_OPEN)
+        .arg("openidea-restart")
+        .arg(pid.to_string())
+        .arg(opener)
+        .arg(bundle)
+        .args(args)
+        .stdin(Stdio::null())
+        .stdout(Stdio::null())
+        .stderr(Stdio::null())
+        .process_group(0);
+    command
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn finds_the_bundle_of_its_binary() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            app_bundle(Path::new("/Applications/OpenIDEA.app/Contents/MacOS/openidea")),
+            Some(PathBuf::from("/Applications/OpenIDEA.app"))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(app_bundle(Path::new("/repo/target/debug/openidea")), None);
+        assert_eq!(app_bundle(Path::new("/x/MacOS/openidea")), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn opens_the_bundle_only_after_the_process_exits() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let log = dir.path().join("opened");
+        let opener = dir.path().join("opener");
+        std::fs::write(&opener, format!("#!/bin/sh\nprintf '%s|' \"$@\" > '{}'\n", log.display())).unwrap();
+        std::fs::set_permissions(&opener, std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt::from_mode(0o755)).unwrap();
+
+        let mut running = Command::new("/bin/sleep").arg("1").spawn().unwrap();
+        let pid = running.id();
+        let reaper = std::thread::spawn(move || running.wait());
+        let args = [OsString::from("--flag"), OsString::from("a b")];
+        let started = Instant::now();
+        wait_then_open(pid, &opener, Path::new("/Apps/X.app"), &args).status().unwrap();
+
+        assert!(started.elapsed() >= Duration::from_millis(700), "opened before the process exited");
+        assert!(reaper.join().unwrap().unwrap().success());
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read_to_string(&log).unwrap(), "-n|/Apps/X.app|--args|--flag|a b|");
+    }
+}