diff --git a/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas b/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas
index 7078051..d6ce83a 100644
--- a/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas
+++ b/delphi-backend/UMainForm.pas
@@ -173,6 +173,9 @@ type
     // stuck raised (see the implementation).
     // One-shot: hides the window the first time FMX shows it on a --tray
     // launch, then unhooks itself.
+    // Hides the form AND the FMX taskbar proxy right now, logging whether the
+    // window was actually visible — that is what pins down when FMX shows it.
+    procedure TrayHideNow(const ATag: string);
     procedure TrayStartupHideOnce(Sender: TObject);
     procedure RestoreWindowFromTray;
     procedure WinStateMinimizeStart;
@@ -221,6 +224,7 @@ begin
     Visible    := False;
     OnActivate := TrayStartupHideOnce;
     LogLine('[tray] FormCreate begin at ' + FormatDateTime('hh:nn:ss.zzz', Now));
+    TrayHideNow('hide#1 top-of-FormCreate');
   end;
 
   // The .fmx ships WindowState = wsMaximized, so that is the starting intent.
@@ -261,6 +265,9 @@ begin
   {$ENDIF}
   WebBrowser.Parent := Self;
   WebBrowser.Align  := TAlignLayout.Client;
+  // Parenting forces the form's window handle to exist, and that is the point
+  // FMX may show it — hide again right away.
+  if FindCmdLineSwitch('tray', True) then TrayHideNow('hide#2 after-browser-parent');
 
   FServer := TPMHTTPServer.Create;
   FServer.OnLog := LogLine;
@@ -326,7 +333,7 @@ begin
     // it's noise when Windows itself put us in the tray (the user
     // didn't actively minimise). Manual launches still see it once.
     FBridge.BalloonShown := True;
-    LogLine('[tray] FormCreate end at ' + FormatDateTime('hh:nn:ss.zzz', Now));
+    TrayHideNow('hide#3 end-of-FormCreate');
     TThread.ForceQueue(nil,
       procedure
       begin
@@ -1601,24 +1608,27 @@ begin
   else if AEvent = EVENT_SYSTEM_MINIMIZEEND then MainForm.WinStateMinimizeEnd;
 end;
 
-procedure TMainForm.TrayStartupHideOnce(Sender: TObject);
+procedure TMainForm.TrayHideNow(const ATag: string);
 var
   LHwnd, LAppHwnd: HWND;
+  LWasVisible: Boolean;
+begin
+  LHwnd := WindowHandleToPlatform(Self.Handle).Wnd;
+  LWasVisible := (LHwnd <> 0) and IsWindowVisible(LHwnd);
+  if LHwnd <> 0 then ShowWindow(LHwnd, SW_HIDE);
+  LAppHwnd := 0;
+  if Assigned(FBridge) then LAppHwnd := FBridge.FindFMXAppWindow;
+  if LAppHwnd <> 0 then ShowWindow(LAppHwnd, SW_HIDE);
+  LogLine(Format('[tray] %s at %s — form_visible_was=%s hwnd=%d app=%d',
+    [ATag, FormatDateTime('hh:nn:ss.zzz', Now),
+     BoolToStr(LWasVisible, True), LHwnd, LAppHwnd]));
+end;
+
+procedure TMainForm.TrayStartupHideOnce(Sender: TObject);
 begin
   OnActivate := nil;          // one shot — never fight the user afterwards
   Visible := False;
-  LHwnd := WindowHandleToPlatform(Self.Handle).Wnd;
-  if LHwnd <> 0 then
-    ShowWindow(LHwnd, SW_HIDE);
-  // The taskbar entry belongs to the FMX proxy window, not the form — hiding
-  // the form alone leaves the button on the taskbar.
-  if Assigned(FBridge) then
-  begin
-    LAppHwnd := FBridge.FindFMXAppWindow;
-    if LAppHwnd <> 0 then ShowWindow(LAppHwnd, SW_HIDE);
-  end;
-  LogLine('[tray] activate-hide fired at ' +
-          FormatDateTime('hh:nn:ss.zzz', Now));
+  TrayHideNow('hide#4 on-activate');
 end;
 
 // Single entry point for every tray restore. ExecuteAutofill really minimises