diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.cpp b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
index 6d8e74d57..9f312f3a3 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QNetworkReply>
 #include <QNetworkRequest>
+#include <QProcess>
 #include <QSslSocket>
 #include <QStandardPaths>
 #include <QStringBuilder>
@@ -149,15 +150,20 @@ namespace BlackCore
         }
     }
 
+    bool CApplication::registerAsRunning()
+    {
+        CApplicationInfoList apps = getRunningApplications();
+        const CApplicationInfo myself = instance()->getApplicationInfo();
+        if (!apps.contains(myself)) { apps.insert(myself); }
+        const bool ok = CFileUtils::writeStringToLockedFile(apps.toJsonString(), CFileUtils::appendFilePaths(swiftDataRoot(), "apps.json"));
+        if (!ok) { CLogMessage(static_cast<CApplication *>(nullptr)).error("Failed to write to application list file"); }
+        return ok;
+    }
+
     int CApplication::exec()
     {
         Q_ASSERT_X(instance(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "missing application");
-
-        CApplicationInfoList apps = getRunningApplications();
-        apps.push_back(instance()->getApplicationInfo());
-        bool ok = CFileUtils::writeStringToLockedFile(apps.toJsonString(), swiftDataRoot() + "apps.json");
-        if (!ok) { CLogMessage(static_cast<CApplication *>(nullptr)).error("Failed to write to application list file"); }
-
+        CApplication::registerAsRunning();
         return QCoreApplication::exec();
     }
 
@@ -182,6 +188,12 @@ namespace BlackCore
         return apps;
     }
 
+    bool CApplication::isApplicationRunning(CApplicationInfo::Application application)
+    {
+        const CApplicationInfoList running = CApplication::getRunningApplications();
+        return running.containsApplication(application);
+    }
+
     bool CApplication::isAlreadyRunning() const
     {
         return getRunningApplications().containsBy([this](const CApplicationInfo & info) { return info.application() == getSwiftApplication(); });
@@ -214,6 +226,34 @@ namespace BlackCore
         return CApplicationInfo::Unknown;
     }
 
+    QString CApplication::getExecutableForApplication(CApplicationInfo::Application application) const
+    {
+        QString search;
+        switch (application)
+        {
+        case CApplicationInfo::PilotClientCore: search = "core"; break;
+        case CApplicationInfo::Laucher: search = "launcher"; break;
+        case CApplicationInfo::MappingTool: search = "data"; break;
+        case CApplicationInfo::PilotClientGui: search = "gui"; break;
+        default:
+            break;
+        }
+        if (search.isEmpty()) return "";
+        for (const QString &executable : CFileUtils::getSwiftExecutables())
+        {
+            if (!executable.contains("swift", Qt::CaseInsensitive)) { continue; }
+            if (executable.contains(search, Qt::CaseInsensitive)) { return executable; }
+        }
+        return "";
+    }
+
+    bool CApplication::startLauncher()
+    {
+        static const QString launcher = CApplication::getExecutableForApplication(CApplicationInfo::Application::Laucher);
+        if (launcher.isEmpty() || CApplication::isApplicationRunning(CApplicationInfo::Laucher)) { return false; }
+        return QProcess::startDetached(launcher);
+    }
+
     bool CApplication::isUnitTest() const
     {
         return this->m_unitTest;
diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.h b/src/blackcore/application.h
index 9d6602751..c6c5fdd86 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.h
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.h
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! Information about all running apps (including this one only if exec() has already been called)
         static BlackMisc::CApplicationInfoList getRunningApplications();
 
+        //! Is application running?
+        static bool isApplicationRunning(BlackMisc::CApplicationInfo::Application application);
+
         //! True if this swift application is already running (including different versions)
         bool isAlreadyRunning() const;
 
@@ -125,6 +128,12 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! swift application running
         BlackMisc::CApplicationInfo::Application getSwiftApplication() const;
 
+        //! Executable names for the given applications
+        QString getExecutableForApplication(BlackMisc::CApplicationInfo::Application application) const;
+
+        //! Start the launcher
+        bool startLauncher();
+
         //! Unit test?
         bool isUnitTest() const;
 
@@ -199,6 +208,10 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! Directory for temporary files
         QString getTemporaryDirectory() const;
 
+        //! Register as running
+        //! \note Normally done automatically when CApplication::exec is called
+        static bool registerAsRunning();
+
         //! Run event loop
         static int exec();
 
@@ -474,11 +487,11 @@ namespace BlackCore
         BlackMisc::CStatusMessageList initCrashHandler();
         void crashDumpUploadEnabledChanged();
 
-        #ifdef BLACK_USE_CRASHPAD
+#ifdef BLACK_USE_CRASHPAD
         std::unique_ptr<crashpad::CrashpadClient> m_crashpadClient;
         std::unique_ptr<crashpad::CrashReportDatabase> m_crashReportDatabase;
         BlackMisc::CSettingReadOnly<BlackCore::Application::TCrashDumpUploadEnabled> m_crashDumpUploadEnabled { this, &CApplication::crashDumpUploadEnabledChanged };
-        #endif
+#endif
     };
 } // namespace
 
diff --git a/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp b/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
index e36cd51f1..34c04f15e 100644
--- a/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     //! [SwiftApplicationDemo]
     CGuiApplication::highDpiScreenSupport();
-    QApplication qa(argc, argv);
+    QApplication qa(argc, argv); // needed
+    Q_UNUSED(qa);
     CGuiApplication a("swift launcher", CApplicationInfo::Laucher, CIcons::swiftLauncher1024());
     a.addParserOption({{"i", "installer"}, QCoreApplication::translate("main", "Installer setup."), "installer"});
     if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     // Dialog to decide external or internal core
     CSwiftLauncher launcher;
+    CGuiApplication::registerAsRunning(); // needed because own exec is called
     if (launcher.exec() == QDialog::Rejected) { return EXIT_SUCCESS; }
     launcher.close();