diff --git a/src/lib/constants.ts b/src/lib/constants.ts
index 1e5d95382..a0ddeb962 100644
--- a/src/lib/constants.ts
+++ b/src/lib/constants.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export const TEST_SETTINGS_FILE_KEY = 'playwright-test-settings'
 
 export const DEFAULT_HOST = 'https://api.zoo.dev'
 export const SETTINGS_FILE_NAME = 'settings.toml'
+export const TOKEN_FILE_NAME = 'token.txt'
 export const PROJECT_SETTINGS_FILE_NAME = 'project.toml'
 export const COOKIE_NAME = '__Secure-next-auth.session-token'
 
diff --git a/src/lib/desktop.ts b/src/lib/desktop.ts
index e5a1cf6d2..e38113438 100644
--- a/src/lib/desktop.ts
+++ b/src/lib/desktop.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   PROJECT_FOLDER,
   PROJECT_SETTINGS_FILE_NAME,
   SETTINGS_FILE_NAME,
+  TOKEN_FILE_NAME,
 } from './constants'
 import { DeepPartial } from './types'
 import { ProjectConfiguration } from 'wasm-lib/kcl/bindings/ProjectConfiguration'
@@ -396,6 +397,23 @@ const getAppSettingsFilePath = async () => {
   }
   return window.electron.path.join(fullPath, SETTINGS_FILE_NAME)
 }
+const getTokenFilePath = async () => {
+  const isTestEnv = window.electron.process.env.IS_PLAYWRIGHT === 'true'
+  const testSettingsPath = window.electron.process.env.TEST_SETTINGS_FILE_KEY
+  const appConfig = await window.electron.getPath('appData')
+  const fullPath = isTestEnv
+    ? testSettingsPath
+    : window.electron.path.join(appConfig, getAppFolderName())
+  try {
+    await window.electron.stat(fullPath)
+  } catch (e) {
+    // File/path doesn't exist
+    if (e === 'ENOENT') {
+      await window.electron.mkdir(fullPath, { recursive: true })
+    }
+  }
+  return window.electron.path.join(fullPath, TOKEN_FILE_NAME)
+}
 
 const getProjectSettingsFilePath = async (projectPath: string) => {
   try {
@@ -475,6 +493,34 @@ export const writeAppSettingsFile = async (tomlStr: string) => {
   return window.electron.writeFile(appSettingsFilePath, tomlStr)
 }
 
+export const readTokenFile = async () => {
+  let settingsPath = await getTokenFilePath()
+
+  if (window.electron.exists(settingsPath)) {
+    const token: string = await window.electron.readFile(settingsPath)
+    if (!token) return ''
+
+    return token
+  }
+  return ''
+}
+
+export const writeTokenFile = async (token: string) => {
+  const tokenFilePath = await getTokenFilePath()
+  if (err(token)) return Promise.reject(token)
+  return window.electron.writeFile(tokenFilePath, token)
+}
+
+let appStateStore: Project | undefined = undefined
+
+export const getState = async (): Promise<Project | undefined> => {
+  return Promise.resolve(appStateStore)
+}
+
+export const setState = async (state: Project | undefined): Promise<void> => {
+  appStateStore = state
+}
+
 export const getUser = async (
   token: string,
   hostname: string
diff --git a/src/machines/authMachine.ts b/src/machines/authMachine.ts
index 887dc1a05..cae5b4b54 100644
--- a/src/machines/authMachine.ts
+++ b/src/machines/authMachine.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ import {
   VITE_KC_SKIP_AUTH,
   DEV,
 } from 'env'
-import { getUser as getUserDesktop } from 'lib/desktop'
+import {
+  getUser as getUserDesktop,
+  readTokenFile,
+  writeTokenFile,
+} from 'lib/desktop'
 import { COOKIE_NAME } from 'lib/constants'
 
 const SKIP_AUTH = VITE_KC_SKIP_AUTH === 'true' && DEV
@@ -53,6 +57,7 @@ const persistedToken =
 
 export const authMachine = createMachine<UserContext, Events>(
   {
+    /** @xstate-layout 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 */
     id: 'Auth',
     initial: 'checkIfLoggedIn',
     states: {
@@ -85,6 +90,9 @@ export const authMachine = createMachine<UserContext, Events>(
         on: {
           'Log out': {
             target: 'loggedOut',
+            actions: () => {
+              if (isDesktop()) writeTokenFile('')
+            },
           },
         },
       },
@@ -96,7 +104,6 @@ export const authMachine = createMachine<UserContext, Events>(
             actions: assign({
               token: (_, event) => {
                 const token = event.token || ''
-                localStorage.setItem(TOKEN_PERSIST_KEY, token)
                 return token
               },
             }),
@@ -120,11 +127,7 @@ export const authMachine = createMachine<UserContext, Events>(
 )
 
 async function getUser(context: UserContext) {
-  const token = VITE_KC_DEV_TOKEN
-    ? VITE_KC_DEV_TOKEN
-    : context.token && context.token !== ''
-    ? context.token
-    : getCookie(COOKIE_NAME) || localStorage?.getItem(TOKEN_PERSIST_KEY)
+  const token = await getAndSyncStoredToken(context)
   const url = withBaseURL('/user')
   const headers: { [key: string]: string } = {
     'Content-Type': 'application/json',
@@ -189,3 +192,26 @@ function getCookie(cname: string): string | null {
   }
   return null
 }
+
+async function getAndSyncStoredToken(context: UserContext): Promise<string> {
+  // dev mode
+  if (VITE_KC_DEV_TOKEN) return VITE_KC_DEV_TOKEN
+
+  const token =
+    context.token && context.token !== ''
+      ? context.token
+      : getCookie(COOKIE_NAME) || localStorage?.getItem(TOKEN_PERSIST_KEY) || ''
+  if (token) {
+    // has just logged in, update storage
+    localStorage.setItem(TOKEN_PERSIST_KEY, token)
+    isDesktop() && writeTokenFile(token)
+    return token
+  }
+  if (!isDesktop()) return ''
+  const fileToken = isDesktop() ? await readTokenFile() : ''
+  // prefer other above, but file will ensure login persists after app updates
+  if (!fileToken) return ''
+  // has token in file, update localStorage
+  localStorage.setItem(TOKEN_PERSIST_KEY, fileToken)
+  return fileToken
+}