diff --git a/hermes_cli/web_server.py b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
index 300a467de83..0a14fb0ef23 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/web_server.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
@@ -13074,4 +13074,45 @@ def start_server(
             if server.started:
                 await server.shutdown()
 
-    asyncio.run(_serve())
+    # On POSIX, keep the long-standing ``asyncio.run(_serve())`` behavior
+    # unchanged — Python's default loop there is already a SelectorEventLoop
+    # (or uvloop when uvicorn[standard] installs it), which is exactly what
+    # uvicorn serves on. Touching that path would only widen the blast radius
+    # for no benefit.
+    #
+    # On Windows it is broken: ``asyncio.run`` defaults to a ProactorEventLoop,
+    # but uvicorn's socket-serving stack assumes a SelectorEventLoop on win32
+    # (``uvicorn/loops/asyncio.py`` forces it, and ``uvicorn.Server.run`` threads
+    # ``config.get_loop_factory()`` into its runner for exactly this reason).
+    # Driving uvicorn on the proactor loop makes ``server.startup()`` bind a
+    # socket that never accepts — the dashboard / desktop backend prints
+    # "Skipping web UI build" and then hangs forever with the port LISTENING but
+    # no TCP handshake completing (#50641). So *only on Windows* we mirror
+    # uvicorn's own machinery and run on the loop factory it picks.
+    if sys.platform != "win32":
+        asyncio.run(_serve())
+        return
+
+    # Windows-only path. Resolve the runner + loop factory FIRST (and fall back
+    # to a hand-installed Windows selector policy only when uvicorn predates the
+    # loop-factory API, < 0.36). The actual serve call is then OUTSIDE the
+    # try/except so genuine serve-time errors (port in use, KeyboardInterrupt)
+    # propagate normally instead of being swallowed and double-run.
+    try:
+        from uvicorn._compat import asyncio_run as _runner
+
+        _loop_factory = config.get_loop_factory()
+    except Exception:
+        _runner = None
+        _loop_factory = None
+        try:
+            asyncio.set_event_loop_policy(
+                asyncio.WindowsSelectorEventLoopPolicy()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+            )
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
+    if _runner is not None:
+        _runner(_serve(), loop_factory=_loop_factory)
+    else:
+        asyncio.run(_serve())
diff --git a/tests/test_web_server.py b/tests/test_web_server.py
index 983ee510ea2..b06677f382f 100644
--- a/tests/test_web_server.py
+++ b/tests/test_web_server.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ def _stub_uvicorn(monkeypatch):
         loaded = True
         host = "127.0.0.1"
         port = 8000
+        _loop_factory = None
 
         def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
             captured.update(kwargs)
@@ -28,6 +29,9 @@ def _stub_uvicorn(monkeypatch):
         def load(self):
             pass
 
+        def get_loop_factory(self):
+            return self._loop_factory
+
         class lifespan_class:
             should_exit = False
             state: dict = {}
@@ -75,3 +79,99 @@ def test_start_server_enables_ws_ping_for_half_open_detection(monkeypatch):
 
     assert captured["ws_ping_interval"] == 20.0
     assert captured["ws_ping_timeout"] == 20.0
+
+
+def test_start_server_runs_on_uvicorns_loop_factory(monkeypatch):
+    """The dashboard/desktop backend must serve uvicorn on the loop *uvicorn*
+    selects, not the interpreter default.
+
+    On Windows ``asyncio.run`` defaults to a ProactorEventLoop, but uvicorn's
+    socket-serving stack forces a SelectorEventLoop on win32
+    (``uvicorn/loops/asyncio.py``). Serving on the proactor loop binds a socket
+    that never accepts — the backend prints "Skipping web UI build" and hangs
+    forever with the port LISTENING but no TCP handshake (#50641). We fix that
+    by routing the serve call through ``uvicorn._compat.asyncio_run`` with
+    ``config.get_loop_factory()`` — exactly what ``uvicorn.Server.run`` does.
+
+    This asserts the behavioral contract: on Windows the loop factory the runner
+    receives is the one uvicorn's own Config produced, and bare ``asyncio.run``
+    is never the serve path when the loop-factory runner exists.
+    """
+    _stub_uvicorn(monkeypatch)
+
+    # The fix only changes behavior on win32; simulate it so the Windows branch
+    # is actually exercised on a POSIX CI host.
+    monkeypatch.setattr(web_server.sys, "platform", "win32")
+
+    # The fake Config (installed by _stub_uvicorn) returns its ``_loop_factory``
+    # from get_loop_factory(). Pin a sentinel so we can assert it is threaded
+    # through to the runner unchanged.
+    sentinel_factory = object()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(uvicorn.Config, "_loop_factory", sentinel_factory, raising=False)
+
+    seen: dict = {}
+
+    def _fake_runner(coro, *, loop_factory=None):
+        seen["loop_factory"] = loop_factory
+        coro.close()  # drain without an event loop
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("uvicorn._compat.asyncio_run", _fake_runner, raising=False)
+
+    # Bare asyncio.run must NOT be the serve path on Windows when the
+    # loop-factory runner is importable.
+    called_bare = {"hit": False}
+
+    def _guard_asyncio_run(coro):
+        called_bare["hit"] = True
+        coro.close()
+        return None
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(asyncio, "run", _guard_asyncio_run)
+
+    web_server.start_server(host="127.0.0.1", port=0, open_browser=False)
+
+    assert seen.get("loop_factory") is sentinel_factory, (
+        "start_server must pass uvicorn's get_loop_factory() result to the "
+        "runner so Windows serves on a SelectorEventLoop"
+    )
+    assert called_bare["hit"] is False, (
+        "start_server must not fall back to bare asyncio.run when uvicorn's "
+        "loop-factory runner is available"
+    )
+
+
+def test_start_server_keeps_bare_asyncio_run_on_posix(monkeypatch):
+    """POSIX behavior must be byte-for-byte unchanged: serve via the plain
+    ``asyncio.run(_serve())`` path, never the Windows loop-factory branch.
+
+    The #50641 fix is intentionally win32-scoped to keep the blast radius
+    minimal — Python's default loop on POSIX is already a SelectorEventLoop
+    (or uvloop), which is what uvicorn serves on, so there is nothing to fix.
+    """
+    _stub_uvicorn(monkeypatch)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(web_server.sys, "platform", "linux")
+
+    # If the Windows branch were taken, the loop-factory runner would fire.
+    runner_called = {"hit": False}
+
+    def _fake_runner(coro, *, loop_factory=None):
+        runner_called["hit"] = True
+        coro.close()
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("uvicorn._compat.asyncio_run", _fake_runner, raising=False)
+
+    bare_called = {"hit": False}
+
+    def _fake_asyncio_run(coro):
+        bare_called["hit"] = True
+        coro.close()
+        return None
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(asyncio, "run", _fake_asyncio_run)
+
+    web_server.start_server(host="127.0.0.1", port=0, open_browser=False)
+
+    assert bare_called["hit"] is True, "POSIX must serve via bare asyncio.run"
+    assert runner_called["hit"] is False, (
+        "POSIX must not take the Windows loop-factory branch"
+    )