diff --git a/crates/pikl/src/main.rs b/crates/pikl/src/main.rs
index 019b8bb..1f1a0a0 100644
--- a/crates/pikl/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/pikl/src/main.rs
@@ -662,20 +662,33 @@ async fn run_interactive(
             result
         }
         FrontendMode::Gui => {
-            // GUI runs on the main thread (Wayland requirement).
             // Spawn the core event loop on a background task.
             let menu_handle = tokio::spawn(menu.run());
 
-            // pikl_gui::run blocks until the user confirms/cancels.
-            // Run it on a blocking thread so we don't stall the
-            // tokio runtime.
-            let gui_handle = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+            // macOS requires the GUI event loop on the main thread
+            // (AppKit constraint). block_on runs on the main thread,
+            // so calling the GUI directly here satisfies that.
+            // Spawned tasks (menu, signals, streaming) continue on
+            // worker threads.
+            //
+            // On Linux, spawn_blocking is fine since Wayland doesn't
+            // have the main-thread restriction.
+            #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+            {
                 pikl_gui::run(action_tx, event_rx)
-                    .map_err(|e| PiklError::Io(std::io::Error::other(e.to_string())))
-            });
+                    .map_err(|e| PiklError::Io(std::io::Error::other(e.to_string())))?;
+            }
 
-            if let Err(e) = gui_handle.await {
-                return Err(PiklError::Io(std::io::Error::other(e.to_string())));
+            #[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+            {
+                let gui_handle = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+                    pikl_gui::run(action_tx, event_rx)
+                        .map_err(|e| PiklError::Io(std::io::Error::other(e.to_string())))
+                });
+
+                if let Err(e) = gui_handle.await {
+                    return Err(PiklError::Io(std::io::Error::other(e.to_string())));
+                }
             }
 
             // Wait for core to finish.