diff --git a/dist/linux/app.desktop b/dist/linux/app.desktop
index 4475617f9..6e464ea87 100644
--- a/dist/linux/app.desktop
+++ b/dist/linux/app.desktop
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 [Desktop Entry]
-Version=1.0
 Name=Ghostty
 Type=Application
 Comment=A terminal emulator
-TryExec=ghostty
-Exec=ghostty --launched-from=desktop
+Exec=ghostty
 Icon=com.mitchellh.ghostty
 Categories=System;TerminalEmulator;
 Keywords=terminal;tty;pty;
@@ -18,8 +16,7 @@ X-TerminalArgTitle=--title=
 X-TerminalArgAppId=--class=
 X-TerminalArgDir=--working-directory=
 X-TerminalArgHold=--wait-after-command
-DBusActivatable=true
 
 [Desktop Action new-window]
 Name=New Window
-Exec=ghostty --launched-from=desktop
+Exec=ghostty
diff --git a/dist/linux/dbus.service b/dist/linux/dbus.service
deleted file mode 100644
index 67a80d5dd..000000000
--- a/dist/linux/dbus.service
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-[D-BUS Service]
-Name=com.mitchellh.ghostty
-SystemdService=com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
-Exec=ghostty --launched-from=dbus
diff --git a/dist/linux/systemd.service b/dist/linux/systemd.service
deleted file mode 100644
index 9699dccdf..000000000
--- a/dist/linux/systemd.service
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-[Unit]
-Description=Ghostty
-
-[Service]
-Type=dbus
-BusName=com.mitchellh.ghostty
-ExecStart=ghostty --launched-from=systemd
diff --git a/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty-debug.yml b/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty-debug.yml
index 0ac8851e0..8a2c0056e 100644
--- a/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty-debug.yml
+++ b/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty-debug.yml
@@ -52,13 +52,6 @@ modules:
         --prefix /app
         --search-prefix /app
         --system $PWD/vendor/p
-
-      # Rename to match service and drop systemd references
-      - sed -e 's/^Name=.*/\0-debug/'
-        -e '/^SystemdService=/d'
-        /app/share/dbus-1/services/com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
-        > /app/share/dbus-1/services/com.mitchellh.ghostty-debug.service
-      - rm /app/share/dbus-1/services/com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
     sources:
       - type: dir
         path: ..
diff --git a/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty.yml b/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty.yml
index 9ba64dc0e..1b119c11b 100644
--- a/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty.yml
+++ b/flatpak/com.mitchellh.ghostty.yml
@@ -47,10 +47,6 @@ modules:
         --prefix /app
         --search-prefix /app
         --system $PWD/vendor/p
-
-      # Remove references to the user service. Flatpak does not export those.
-      - sed -i '/^SystemdService=/d'
-        /app/share/dbus-1/services/com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
     sources:
       - type: dir
         path: ..
diff --git a/nix/package.nix b/nix/package.nix
index 9b793bc4b..08dfd710b 100644
--- a/nix/package.nix
+++ b/nix/package.nix
@@ -117,11 +117,6 @@ in
 
       mkdir -p "$out/nix-support"
 
-      sed -i -e "s@^Exec=.*ghostty@Exec=$out/bin/ghostty@" $out/share/applications/com.mitchellh.ghostty.desktop
-      sed -i -e "s@^TryExec=.*ghostty@TryExec=$out/bin/ghostty@" $out/share/applications/com.mitchellh.ghostty.desktop
-      sed -i -e "s@^Exec=.*ghostty@Exec=$out/bin/ghostty@" $out/share/dbus-1/services/com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
-      sed -i -e "s@^ExecStart=.*ghostty@ExecStart=$out/bin/ghostty@" $out/lib/systemd/user/com.mitchellh.ghostty.service
-
       mkdir -p "$terminfo/share"
       mv "$terminfo_src" "$terminfo/share/terminfo"
       ln -sf "$terminfo/share/terminfo" "$terminfo_src"
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig b/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
index 93e069376..7c9c15191 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk/App.zig
@@ -405,15 +405,11 @@ pub fn init(core_app: *CoreApp, opts: Options) !App {
     // This just calls the `activate` signal but its part of the normal startup
     // routine so we just call it, but only if the config allows it (this allows
     // for launching Ghostty in the "background" without immediately opening
-    // a window). An initial window will not be immediately created if we were
-    // launched by D-Bus activation or systemd.  D-Bus activation will send it's
-    // own `activate` or `new-window` signal later.
+    // a window)
     //
     // https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/-/blob/bd2ccc2f69ecfd78ca3f34ab59e42e2b462bad65/gio/gapplication.c#L2302
-    if (config.@"initial-window") switch (config.@"launched-from".?) {
-        .desktop, .cli => gio_app.activate(),
-        .dbus, .systemd => {},
-    };
+    if (config.@"initial-window")
+        gio_app.activate();
 
     // Internally, GTK ensures that only one instance of this provider exists in the provider list
     // for the display.
@@ -1687,17 +1683,6 @@ fn gtkActionShowGTKInspector(
     };
 }
 
-fn gtkActionNewWindow(
-    _: *gio.SimpleAction,
-    _: ?*glib.Variant,
-    self: *App,
-) callconv(.c) void {
-    log.info("received new window action", .{});
-    _ = self.core_app.mailbox.push(.{
-        .new_window = .{},
-    }, .{ .forever = {} });
-}
-
 /// This is called to setup the action map that this application supports.
 /// This should be called only once on startup.
 fn initActions(self: *App) void {
@@ -1717,9 +1702,7 @@ fn initActions(self: *App) void {
         .{ "reload-config", gtkActionReloadConfig, null },
         .{ "present-surface", gtkActionPresentSurface, t },
         .{ "show-gtk-inspector", gtkActionShowGTKInspector, null },
-        .{ "new-window", gtkActionNewWindow, null },
     };
-
     inline for (actions) |entry| {
         const action = gio.SimpleAction.new(entry[0], entry[2]);
         defer action.unref();
diff --git a/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig b/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig
index 5c886e663..cf8d651dd 100644
--- a/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig
+++ b/src/apprt/gtk/Surface.zig
@@ -2325,15 +2325,6 @@ pub fn defaultTermioEnv(self: *Surface) !std.process.EnvMap {
     env.remove("GDK_DISABLE");
     env.remove("GSK_RENDERER");
 
-    // Remove some environment variables that are set when Ghostty is launched
-    // from a `.desktop` file, by D-Bus activation, or systemd.
-    env.remove("GIO_LAUNCHED_DESKTOP_FILE");
-    env.remove("GIO_LAUNCHED_DESKTOP_FILE_PID");
-    env.remove("DBUS_STARTER_ADDRESS");
-    env.remove("DBUS_STARTER_BUS_TYPE");
-    env.remove("INVOCATION_ID");
-    env.remove("JOURNAL_STREAM");
-
     // Unset environment varies set by snaps if we're running in a snap.
     // This allows Ghostty to further launch additional snaps.
     if (env.get("SNAP")) |_| {
diff --git a/src/build/GhosttyResources.zig b/src/build/GhosttyResources.zig
index 5a4455a89..640491fd6 100644
--- a/src/build/GhosttyResources.zig
+++ b/src/build/GhosttyResources.zig
@@ -228,16 +228,6 @@ pub fn init(b: *std.Build, cfg: *const Config) !GhosttyResources {
             b.path("dist/linux/app.desktop"),
             "share/applications/com.mitchellh.ghostty.desktop",
         ).step);
-        // DBus service for DBus activation
-        try steps.append(&b.addInstallFile(
-            b.path("dist/linux/dbus.service"),
-            "share/dbus-1/services/com.mitchellh.ghostty.service",
-        ).step);
-        // systemd user service
-        try steps.append(&b.addInstallFile(
-            b.path("dist/linux/systemd.service"),
-            "lib/systemd/user/com.mitchellh.ghostty.service",
-        ).step);
 
         // AppStream metainfo so that application has rich metadata within app stores
         try steps.append(&b.addInstallFile(
diff --git a/src/config/Config.zig b/src/config/Config.zig
index 4fedce110..be719a239 100644
--- a/src/config/Config.zig
+++ b/src/config/Config.zig
@@ -942,17 +942,12 @@ title: ?[:0]const u8 = null,
 /// The setting that will change the application class value.
 ///
 /// This controls the class field of the `WM_CLASS` X11 property (when running
-/// under X11), the Wayland application ID (when running under Wayland), and the
-/// bus name that Ghostty uses to connect to DBus.
+/// under X11), and the Wayland application ID (when running under Wayland).
 ///
 /// Note that changing this value between invocations will create new, separate
 /// instances, of Ghostty when running with `gtk-single-instance=true`. See that
 /// option for more details.
 ///
-/// Changing this value may break launching Ghostty from `.desktop` files, via
-/// DBus activation, or systemd user services as the system is expecting Ghostty
-/// to connect to DBus using the default `class` when it is launched.
-///
 /// The class name must follow the requirements defined [in the GTK
 /// documentation](https://docs.gtk.org/gio/type_func.Application.id_is_valid.html).
 ///