diff --git a/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json b/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
index 2884eca..4e53a6f 100644
--- a/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
+++ b/src-tauri/capabilities/default.json
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
     "control-panel-action-*",
     "debug",
     "onboarding",
-    "scene"
+    "scene",
+    "splashscreen"
   ],
   "permissions": [
     "core:default",
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/application/mod.rs b/src-tauri/src/application/mod.rs
index ff42539..44fb1b3 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/application/mod.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/application/mod.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ pub async fn init(handle: &AppHandle) -> Result<(), String> {
         .await
         .map_err(crate::db::command_error)?;
 
+    crate::ui::splashscreen::close(handle).await?;
+
     if settings.onboarding_done {
         start(handle).await;
         if cfg!(target_os = "macos") && !accessibility_permission_granted {
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 5026e3d..ba2fd0a 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,8 +19,7 @@ mod ui;
 mod updater;
 mod user;
 
-async fn launch_app(app: &tauri::App) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
-    let handle = app.handle();
+async fn launch_app(handle: &tauri::AppHandle) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     updater::init(handle).await;
     db::init(handle).await?;
     scene_configuration::init(handle).await?;
@@ -54,7 +53,16 @@ pub fn run() {
         .invoke_handler(specta_builder.invoke_handler())
         .setup(move |app| {
             specta_builder.mount_events(app);
-            tauri::async_runtime::block_on(launch_app(app))?;
+            let handle = app.handle().clone();
+            ui::splashscreen::open(&handle)?;
+            tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
+                let launch_result = launch_app(&handle).await.map_err(|error| error.to_string());
+
+                if let Err(error) = launch_result {
+                    eprintln!("failed to launch application: {error}");
+                    handle.exit(1);
+                }
+            });
             Ok(())
         })
         .build(tauri::generate_context!())
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/ui/mod.rs b/src-tauri/src/ui/mod.rs
index 259e091..6425497 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/ui/mod.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/ui/mod.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ pub mod control_panel;
 mod debug;
 pub mod onboarding;
 pub mod scene;
+pub mod splashscreen;
 mod tray;
 
 pub fn init(app_handle: &AppHandle) {
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/ui/splashscreen/mod.rs b/src-tauri/src/ui/splashscreen/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc70bf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src-tauri/src/ui/splashscreen/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+
+use tauri::{AppHandle, Manager, WebviewUrl};
+
+const WINDOW_LABEL: &str = "splashscreen";
+const MINIMUM_DISPLAY_DURATION: Duration = Duration::from_secs(2);
+
+struct SplashscreenState {
+    opened_at: Instant,
+}
+
+pub fn open(handle: &AppHandle) -> Result<(), String> {
+    tauri::WebviewWindowBuilder::new(handle, WINDOW_LABEL, WebviewUrl::App("/splash.html".into()))
+        .title("Friendolls")
+        .inner_size(500.0, 290.0)
+        .resizable(false)
+        .minimizable(false)
+        .maximizable(false)
+        .decorations(false)
+        .shadow(false)
+        .skip_taskbar(true)
+        .always_on_top(true)
+        .center()
+        .build()
+        .map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
+
+    handle.manage(SplashscreenState {
+        opened_at: Instant::now(),
+    });
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub async fn close(handle: &AppHandle) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let opened_at = handle.state::<SplashscreenState>().opened_at;
+    tokio::time::sleep(MINIMUM_DISPLAY_DURATION.saturating_sub(opened_at.elapsed())).await;
+
+    if let Some(window) = handle.get_webview_window(WINDOW_LABEL) {
+        window.close().map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/static/splash.html b/static/splash.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aff674a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/splash.html
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<!doctype html>
+<html>
+  <head>
+    <meta charset="utf-8" />
+    <title>Friendolls Splash</title>
+    <script>
+      document.addEventListener("contextmenu", function (e) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+      });
+    </script>
+  </head>
+  <body style="width: 100%; height: 100%">
+    <div id="splash"></div>
+    <script>
+      document.getElementById("splash").style.backgroundImage =
+        'url("/splash.png")';
+    </script>
+
+    <style>
+      * {
+        margin: 0;
+      }
+      #splash {
+        background-size: cover;
+        background-position: center;
+        width: 500px;
+        height: 290px;
+      }
+    </style>
+  </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/static/splash.png b/static/splash.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0dac2b3
Binary files /dev/null and b/static/splash.png differ