diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 949f196..81e6921 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -41,6 +41,20 @@ direction.
   - **Later policy:** human emulation — snappy first action (~30–80 ms), bulk actions randomized,
     opt-in risky fast mode, free-account limits by default, ability toggles.
 
+## Auth persistence
+
+- Durable credential: the token file, `VESKSLOP_TOKEN_FILE` (default `<DATA_DIR>/token`, mode 600,
+  gitignored). It is the **puppet account's** token; zzib is only the DM test target.
+- `DATA_DIR` is pinned: `$VENCORD_USER_DATA_DIR`, else `$VESKSLOP_DATA_DIR`, else
+  `<appData>/veskslop` (`src/main/constants.ts`). It does not depend on the app/product name, so
+  renames and version bumps do not move the Electron profile where Discord stores the session.
+- On startup the preload asks main for the token (sync IPC) and seeds `localStorage.token` before
+  the client boots, but only when no session exists. `VESKSLOP_FORCE_TOKEN=1` overrides.
+- Recovery: if Discord invalidates the session, run `pnpm poc:qr` for a fresh token and update the
+  token file.
+- Discord deletes the stored token when it thinks devtools opened; keep Vesktop's devtools detector
+  patch (`src/renderer/patches/devtoolsFixes.ts`) so this cannot cause random logouts.
+
 ## How to proceed
 
 **Current milestone — puppeting bridge (testable without Electron).**
@@ -88,7 +102,6 @@ MCP clients (agents) ──Streamable HTTP──▶ veskSlop control daemon
 ## Open questions
 
 - Headless Electron strategy: Xvfb vs offscreen rendering, and what to strip to lighten the client.
-- Token injection path for the official client (localStorage seeding vs client QR UI).
 - Voice/video: what the client's native stack can be driven to do without UI interaction.
 - Scope and auth model of the future remote proxy client and web debug UI.
 - How much of the Vesktop Electron tree gets deleted once the daemon is self-sufficient.
diff --git a/poc/README.md b/poc/README.md
index cbdcb75..6d5520e 100644
--- a/poc/README.md
+++ b/poc/README.md
@@ -27,10 +27,14 @@ TOKEN_FILE=/path/to/token DEBUG=1 pnpm poc:qr
 
 Connects to `wss://remote-auth-gateway.discord.gg/?v=2`, renders the approval QR directly in the
 terminal, waits for a phone scan, exchanges the login ticket and writes the token to
-`poc/.token` (mode 600, gitignored; override with `TOKEN_FILE`). No existing token required.
+`poc/.token` (mode 600, gitignored; override with `TOKEN_FILE`). This is the **puppet account's**
+token. No existing token required.
 If Discord responds with an hCaptcha challenge, the script prints the challenge and prompts for a
 `HCAPTCHA_KEY` (or takes it from the environment).
 
+The headless client consumes this file on startup via `VESKSLOP_TOKEN_FILE` (default
+`<DATA_DIR>/token`, see [../AGENTS.md](../AGENTS.md) → Auth persistence).
+
 ### 1. Vesktop control bridge — `src/control-bridge.ts`
 
 The MCP daemon. Exposes Streamable HTTP and forwards tool calls over the JSON-lines protocol on
diff --git a/src/main/constants.ts b/src/main/constants.ts
index 458e11b..20c891c 100644
--- a/src/main/constants.ts
+++ b/src/main/constants.ts
@@ -18,10 +18,15 @@ export const PORTABLE =
     !existsSync(join(vesktopDir, "Uninstall Vesktop.exe"));
 
 export const DATA_DIR =
-    process.env.VENCORD_USER_DATA_DIR || (PORTABLE ? join(vesktopDir, "Data") : join(app.getPath("userData")));
+    process.env.VENCORD_USER_DATA_DIR ||
+    process.env.VESKSLOP_DATA_DIR ||
+    (PORTABLE ? join(vesktopDir, "Data") : join(app.getPath("appData"), "veskslop"));
 
 mkdirSync(DATA_DIR, { recursive: true });
 
+/** Durable auth credential. Seeded into the client before it boots. */
+export const TOKEN_FILE = process.env.VESKSLOP_TOKEN_FILE || join(DATA_DIR, "token");
+
 export const SESSION_DATA_DIR = join(DATA_DIR, "sessionData");
 app.setPath("sessionData", SESSION_DATA_DIR);
 
diff --git a/src/main/ipc.ts b/src/main/ipc.ts
index aee11f3..fd52136 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { join } from "path";
 import { IpcEvents } from "../shared/IpcEvents";
 import { setBadgeCount } from "./appBadge";
 import { autoStart } from "./autoStart";
+import { TOKEN_FILE } from "./constants";
 import { enableHardwareAcceleration } from "./main";
 import { mainWin } from "./mainWindow";
 import { Settings, State } from "./settings";
@@ -60,6 +61,17 @@ handleSync(IpcEvents.GET_SETTINGS, () => Settings.plain);
 handleSync(IpcEvents.GET_VERSION, () => app.getVersion());
 handleSync(IpcEvents.GET_ENABLE_HARDWARE_ACCELERATION, () => enableHardwareAcceleration);
 
+handleSync(IpcEvents.VESKSLOP_GET_TOKEN, () => {
+    let token: string | undefined;
+    try {
+        token = readFileSync(TOKEN_FILE, "utf8").trim() || undefined;
+    } catch {
+        // No token file: the client falls back to its normal login.
+    }
+
+    return { token, force: process.env.VESKSLOP_FORCE_TOKEN === "1" };
+});
+
 handleSync(
     IpcEvents.SUPPORTS_WINDOWS_TRANSPARENCY,
     () => process.platform === "win32" && Number(release().split(".").pop()) >= 22621
diff --git a/src/preload/index.ts b/src/preload/index.ts
index 6ed74f9..c2db704 100644
--- a/src/preload/index.ts
+++ b/src/preload/index.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,20 @@ import { contextBridge, ipcRenderer, webFrame } from "electron/renderer";
 import { IpcEvents } from "../shared/IpcEvents";
 import { VesktopNative } from "./VesktopNative";
 
+// Veskslop: seed the Discord auth token before the client boots, unless a session already exists.
+try {
+    const seed = ipcRenderer.sendSync(IpcEvents.VESKSLOP_GET_TOKEN) as
+        | { token?: string; force?: boolean }
+        | undefined;
+
+    if (seed?.token && (seed.force || !localStorage.getItem("token"))) {
+        localStorage.setItem("token", JSON.stringify(seed.token));
+        console.log("[veskslop] seeded auth token");
+    }
+} catch (error) {
+    console.warn("[veskslop] failed to seed auth token", error);
+}
+
 contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld("VesktopNative", VesktopNative);
 
 // While sandboxed, Electron "polyfills" these APIs as local variables.
diff --git a/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts b/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts
index 35c672f..f9440c4 100644
--- a/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts
+++ b/src/shared/IpcEvents.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ export const enum IpcEvents {
     GET_SETTINGS = "VCD_GET_SETTINGS",
     SET_SETTINGS = "VCD_SET_SETTINGS",
 
+    VESKSLOP_GET_TOKEN = "VCD_VESKSLOP_GET_TOKEN",
+
     IS_USING_CUSTOM_VENCORD_DIR = "VCD_IS_USING_CUSTOM_VENCORD_DIR",
     SHOW_CUSTOM_VENCORD_DIR = "VCD_SHOW_CUSTOM_VENCORD_DIR",
     SELECT_VENCORD_DIR = "VCD_SELECT_VENCORD_DIR",