diff --git a/build/dsh-desktop.patch.yml b/build/dsh-desktop.patch.yml
index 34c24083..b3af2e59 100644
--- a/build/dsh-desktop.patch.yml
+++ b/build/dsh-desktop.patch.yml
@@ -1,13 +1,8 @@
-# DSH Desktop delegates directory selection to Electron's system dialog. Keep
-# the renderless client surface, but do not load the Koffi-based Host worker:
-# on Windows it can exit before reporting a result inside packaged Electron.
-- id: directory-picker
-  disabled: true
-
+# Keep the stock directory-picker (auto) row active: the native backend
+# serves ctx.directoryPicker, so host-side consumers (host.pickDirectory,
+# plugins reading the seam) work unmodified. The client surface keeps its
+# Electron-dialog bridge via the client-ui patch in patches/.
 - insert:
-    - id: directory-picker-electron-desktop-surface
-      name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-directory-picker-native'
-
     # DSH Desktop owns the fixed-target dsh-market installer and its lightweight
     # settings entry. After dshmarket is installed and Harness restarts, the
     # community plugin replaces the placeholder with its complete market UI.
diff --git a/test/directory-picker.test.ts b/test/directory-picker.test.ts
index a545f5c4..e4b1075e 100644
--- a/test/directory-picker.test.ts
+++ b/test/directory-picker.test.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@ describe('desktop Electron directory picker', () => {
     )
   })
 
-  it('keeps only the client surface and removes the crashing Host worker', async () => {
+  it('keeps the stock picker composition: the seam comes from the stock auto row', async () => {
     const desktopPatch = await readFile('build/dsh-desktop.patch.yml', 'utf8')
 
-    expect(desktopPatch).toContain("name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-directory-picker-native'")
-    expect(desktopPatch).not.toContain("name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-host-directory-picker-native'")
+    // No picker rows at all - the stock auto row mounts the native backend.
+    expect(desktopPatch).not.toMatch(/id:\s*directory-picker/)
+    expect(desktopPatch).not.toContain('dsh-client-ui-directory-picker-native')
   })
 
   it('captures the client bridge as a reproducible dependency patch', async () => {
diff --git a/test/release.test.ts b/test/release.test.ts
index feb37b80..8e8a4e0a 100644
--- a/test/release.test.ts
+++ b/test/release.test.ts
@@ -114,9 +114,9 @@ describe('GitHub release contract', () => {
     expect(splash).toContain('Starting DSH Desktop')
     expect(splash).toContain('src="dsh-loader.gif"')
     expect(splash).not.toContain('class="track"')
-    expect(patch).toMatch(/id: directory-picker\r?\n  disabled: true/)
+    expect(patch).not.toMatch(/id:\s*directory-picker/)
     expect(patch).not.toContain("name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-host-directory-picker-native'")
-    expect(patch).toContain("name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-directory-picker-native'")
+    expect(patch).not.toContain("name: '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-directory-picker-native'")
   })
 
   it('routes manual restarts through the active plugin recovery flow', async () => {