diff --git a/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/ApplicationsPage.qml b/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/ApplicationsPage.qml
index 06c4a6b..903dd9e 100644
--- a/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/ApplicationsPage.qml
+++ b/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/ApplicationsPage.qml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ SettingsPage {
     lede: "Choose what opens your files and links, and what starts with your session."
 
     property string expandedRole: ""
+    property bool addingAutostart: false
     readonly property var applications: DesktopEntries.applications.values
     readonly property var roles: [
         { key: "browser", label: "Browser", detail: "Web links and HTML pages", categorySets: [["webbrowser"]], terms: ["web browser", "browser"] },
@@ -178,7 +179,28 @@ SettingsPage {
 
     SettingsCard {
         title: "User autostart"
-        subtitle: "These desktop entries live in your user configuration. Select a row to toggle it."
+        subtitle: "Choose what starts with your session. Entries live in your user configuration, not the compositor."
+
+        ActionRow {
+            label: "Add an application"
+            detail: root.addingAutostart
+                ? "Search the applications installed on this machine"
+                : "Start another installed application when you sign in"
+            action: root.addingAutostart ? "Close" : "Choose"
+            divider: !root.addingAutostart || DefaultApps.autostartEntries.length > 0
+            enabled: !DefaultApps.busy
+            onTriggered: root.addingAutostart = !root.addingAutostart
+        }
+
+        AutostartAppPicker {
+            visible: root.addingAutostart
+            width: parent.width
+            existing: DefaultApps.autostartEntries.map(entry => entry.id)
+            onPicked: id => {
+                DefaultApps.addAutostart(id);
+                root.addingAutostart = false;
+            }
+        }
 
         TextRow {
             visible: !DefaultApps.busy && DefaultApps.autostartEntries.length === 0
diff --git a/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/AutostartAppPicker.qml b/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/AutostartAppPicker.qml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62a302c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/AutostartAppPicker.qml
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+// Adds an installed application to the user's freedesktop autostart directory.
+
+import QtQuick
+import Quickshell
+import qs.config
+import qs.modules.clipboard
+
+Column {
+    id: root
+
+    required property var existing
+    signal picked(string id)
+
+    spacing: 0
+
+    function desktopId(entry: var): string {
+        const id = String(entry?.id ?? "");
+        return id.endsWith(".desktop") ? id : id + ".desktop";
+    }
+
+    readonly property var matches: {
+        const needle = search.text.trim().toLowerCase();
+        if (needle === "")
+            return [];
+        const out = [];
+        for (const entry of DesktopEntries.applications.values) {
+            const desktopId = root.desktopId(entry);
+            if (entry.noDisplay || root.existing.indexOf(desktopId) >= 0)
+                continue;
+            const haystack = `${entry.name ?? ""} ${entry.genericName ?? ""} ${desktopId}`.toLowerCase();
+            if (haystack.indexOf(needle) >= 0)
+                out.push(entry);
+            if (out.length >= 8)
+                break;
+        }
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    SearchField {
+        id: search
+        width: parent.width
+        placeholder: "Search installed applications"
+    }
+
+    Repeater {
+        model: root.matches
+
+        SettingRow {
+            id: candidate
+
+            required property var modelData
+            required property int index
+
+            label: String(candidate.modelData.name || root.desktopId(candidate.modelData))
+            detail: String(candidate.modelData.genericName || root.desktopId(candidate.modelData))
+            divider: candidate.index < root.matches.length - 1
+            controlWidth: 86
+
+            SettingsButton {
+                anchors.right: parent.right
+                anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
+                text: "Add"
+                onClicked: {
+                    root.picked(root.desktopId(candidate.modelData));
+                    search.text = "";
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    SettingRow {
+        visible: search.text.trim() !== "" && root.matches.length === 0
+        label: "No matching applications"
+        detail: "Only installed desktop applications can start with the session"
+        divider: false
+    }
+}
diff --git a/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/qmldir b/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/qmldir
index bb1d693..afcc332 100644
--- a/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/qmldir
+++ b/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/qmldir
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ DateTimePage 1.0 DateTimePage.qml
 AccessibilityPage 1.0 AccessibilityPage.qml
 WallpaperPicker 1.0 WallpaperPicker.qml
 ApplicationsPage 1.0 ApplicationsPage.qml
+AutostartAppPicker 1.0 AutostartAppPicker.qml
 DockPinsEditor 1.0 DockPinsEditor.qml
 DockAppPicker 1.0 DockAppPicker.qml
 ShortcutCapture 1.0 ShortcutCapture.qml
diff --git a/config/dot/quickshell/scripts/panama-default-apps b/config/dot/quickshell/scripts/panama-default-apps
index 4da6e10..c060a20 100755
--- a/config/dot/quickshell/scripts/panama-default-apps
+++ b/config/dot/quickshell/scripts/panama-default-apps
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ def xdg_data_roots() -> list[Path]:
     return [data_home, *(Path(item) for item in data_dirs.split(":") if item)]
 
 
-def discovered_desktop_ids() -> set[str]:
-    desktop_ids: set[str] = set()
+def discovered_desktop_files() -> dict[str, Path]:
+    desktop_files: dict[str, Path] = {}
     for root in xdg_data_roots():
         applications = root / "applications"
         if not applications.is_dir():
@@ -47,8 +47,12 @@ def discovered_desktop_ids() -> set[str]:
             if not path.is_file():
                 continue
             relative = path.relative_to(applications)
-            desktop_ids.add("-".join(relative.parts))
-    return desktop_ids
+            desktop_files.setdefault("-".join(relative.parts), path)
+    return desktop_files
+
+
+def discovered_desktop_ids() -> set[str]:
+    return set(discovered_desktop_files())
 
 
 def require_desktop_id(desktop_id: str, *, discovered: set[str]) -> None:
@@ -184,12 +188,7 @@ def set_default(role: str, desktop_id: str) -> None:
     run(command)
 
 
-def update_hidden(path: Path, *, hidden: bool) -> None:
-    try:
-        original = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
-    except (OSError, UnicodeError) as error:
-        raise BoundaryError("That autostart entry could not be read.") from error
-
+def with_hidden(original: str, *, hidden: bool) -> str:
     lines = original.splitlines()
     output: list[str] = []
     section = ""
@@ -216,24 +215,63 @@ def update_hidden(path: Path, *, hidden: bool) -> None:
         raise BoundaryError("That autostart entry is not a desktop file.")
     if not wrote_hidden:
         output.append(f"Hidden={'true' if hidden else 'false'}")
+    return "\n".join(output) + "\n"
 
-    mode = path.stat().st_mode
+
+def write_atomic(path: Path, text: str, *, mode: int) -> None:
+    temporary_path: Path | None = None
     try:
         with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
             "w", encoding="utf-8", dir=path.parent, prefix=f".{path.name}.", delete=False
         ) as temporary:
-            temporary.write("\n".join(output) + "\n")
+            temporary.write(text)
             temporary.flush()
             os.fsync(temporary.fileno())
             temporary_path = Path(temporary.name)
         temporary_path.chmod(mode)
         os.replace(temporary_path, path)
     except OSError as error:
-        if "temporary_path" in locals():
+        if temporary_path is not None:
             temporary_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
         raise BoundaryError("That autostart entry could not be updated.") from error
 
 
+def update_hidden(path: Path, *, hidden: bool) -> None:
+    try:
+        original = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    except (OSError, UnicodeError) as error:
+        raise BoundaryError("That autostart entry could not be read.") from error
+
+    mode = path.stat().st_mode
+    write_atomic(path, with_hidden(original, hidden=hidden), mode=mode)
+
+
+def add_autostart(desktop_id: str) -> None:
+    desktop_files = discovered_desktop_files()
+    require_desktop_id(desktop_id, discovered=set(desktop_files))
+    source = desktop_files[desktop_id]
+    directory = autostart_directory()
+    try:
+        directory.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    except OSError as error:
+        raise BoundaryError("The user autostart directory could not be created.") from error
+
+    target = directory / desktop_id
+    if target.is_symlink():
+        raise BoundaryError("That autostart entry is not available.")
+    if target.exists():
+        if not target.is_file():
+            raise BoundaryError("That autostart entry is not available.")
+        update_hidden(target, hidden=False)
+        return
+
+    try:
+        original = source.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    except (OSError, UnicodeError) as error:
+        raise BoundaryError("That application could not be read.") from error
+    write_atomic(target, with_hidden(original, hidden=False), mode=0o644)
+
+
 def set_autostart(desktop_id: str, enabled_text: str) -> None:
     if enabled_text not in {"true", "false"}:
         raise BoundaryError("Autostart state must be true or false.")
@@ -260,10 +298,12 @@ def main(arguments: list[str]) -> int:
             set_default(arguments[1], arguments[2])
         elif len(arguments) == 3 and arguments[0] == "set-autostart":
             set_autostart(arguments[1], arguments[2])
+        elif len(arguments) == 2 and arguments[0] == "add-autostart":
+            add_autostart(arguments[1])
         else:
             raise BoundaryError(
                 "Usage: panama-default-apps snapshot | set-default ROLE DESKTOP_ID | "
-                "set-autostart DESKTOP_ID true|false"
+                "set-autostart DESKTOP_ID true|false | add-autostart DESKTOP_ID"
             )
     except BoundaryError as error:
         print(str(error), file=sys.stderr)
diff --git a/config/dot/quickshell/services/DefaultApps.qml b/config/dot/quickshell/services/DefaultApps.qml
index da66ff5..02ddc55 100644
--- a/config/dot/quickshell/services/DefaultApps.qml
+++ b/config/dot/quickshell/services/DefaultApps.qml
@@ -98,5 +98,16 @@ Singleton {
         mutationProcess.exec([root.helper, "set-autostart", desktopId, String(enabled)]);
     }
 
+    function addAutostart(desktopId: string): void {
+        if (root.busy)
+            return;
+        if (!root.knownDesktopId(desktopId)) {
+            root.lastError = "Choose an installed application.";
+            return;
+        }
+        root.lastError = "";
+        mutationProcess.exec([root.helper, "add-autostart", desktopId]);
+    }
+
     Component.onCompleted: root.refresh()
 }
diff --git a/tests/quickshell/applications-settings-contract.sh b/tests/quickshell/applications-settings-contract.sh
index d3b5ef6..735fd22 100755
--- a/tests/quickshell/applications-settings-contract.sh
+++ b/tests/quickshell/applications-settings-contract.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ done
 assert_contains 'title: "Default applications"'
 assert_contains 'title: "User autostart"'
 assert_contains 'title: "Compositor autostart"'
+assert_contains 'AutostartAppPicker {'
+assert_contains 'DefaultApps.addAutostart('
+assert_contains 'label: "Add an application"'
 assert_contains 'categories'
 assert_contains 'genericName'
 assert_contains '.sort('
@@ -123,4 +126,14 @@ fi
 [[ "$(rg --count 'activatable:' "$page")" -ge 2 ]] \
     || fail 'default and autostart rows are not both whole-row activatable'
 
+picker="$project_root/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/AutostartAppPicker.qml"
+qmldir="$project_root/config/dot/quickshell/modules/settings/qmldir"
+[[ -f "$picker" ]] || fail 'autostart application picker is missing'
+rg -Fq 'required property var existing' "$picker" \
+    || fail 'autostart picker cannot exclude existing entries'
+rg -Fq 'signal picked(string id)' "$picker" \
+    || fail 'autostart picker does not emit a validated desktop id'
+rg -q '^AutostartAppPicker 1\.0 AutostartAppPicker\.qml$' "$qmldir" \
+    || fail 'autostart picker is not registered in the Settings module'
+
 printf 'applications settings contract: PASS\n'
diff --git a/tests/quickshell/default-apps-contract.sh b/tests/quickshell/default-apps-contract.sh
index 1008969..0657b42 100755
--- a/tests/quickshell/default-apps-contract.sh
+++ b/tests/quickshell/default-apps-contract.sh
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ assert_service_contains 'property string lastError'
 assert_service_contains 'function refresh(): void'
 assert_service_contains 'function setDefault(role: string, desktopId: string): void'
 assert_service_contains 'function setAutostart(desktopId: string, enabled: bool): void'
+assert_service_contains 'function addAutostart(desktopId: string): void'
 assert_service_contains 'DesktopEntries.applications.values'
 if rg --quiet 'command\s*:\s*"' "$service"; then
     fail 'Process command must be an argument array'
@@ -227,4 +228,27 @@ if $helper set-autostart 'hyprland:1' false >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     fail 'read-only compositor entry was accepted for mutation'
 fi
 
+$helper add-autostart org.mozilla.firefox.desktop
+firefox_autostart="$config_home/autostart/org.mozilla.firefox.desktop"
+[[ -f "$firefox_autostart" && ! -L "$firefox_autostart" ]] \
+    || fail 'adding an installed application did not create a regular user autostart entry'
+rg --quiet '^Name=Firefox$' "$firefox_autostart" \
+    || fail 'adding an application did not preserve its desktop entry'
+rg --quiet '^Hidden=false$' "$firefox_autostart" \
+    || fail 'a newly added application was not enabled'
+[[ "$(rg --count '^Hidden=' "$firefox_autostart")" == "1" ]] \
+    || fail 'adding an application wrote more than one Hidden key'
+
+$helper set-autostart org.mozilla.firefox.desktop false
+$helper add-autostart org.mozilla.firefox.desktop
+rg --quiet '^Hidden=false$' "$firefox_autostart" \
+    || fail 'adding an existing disabled application did not re-enable it'
+
+if $helper add-autostart org.example.Missing.desktop >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    fail 'an undiscovered application was accepted for autostart'
+fi
+if $helper add-autostart ../escape.desktop >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    fail 'an unsafe desktop id was accepted for autostart'
+fi
+
 printf 'default apps contract: PASS\n'