diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 6265c7fb8..34a36c5b0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -75,6 +75,18 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Rust
         uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
 
+      - name: Convert SVG icon to ICO
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          # ImageMagick is pre-installed on windows-latest. The
+          # auto-resize generates every size Explorer / Add-Remove
+          # Programs / the Start Menu shortcut may request from a
+          # single source SVG. Must run BEFORE the build so build.rs
+          # can embed the icon into the .exe (issue #107).
+          magick assets/logo.svg `
+            -define icon:auto-resize=16,24,32,48,64,128,256 `
+            packaging/windows/AppIcon.ico
+
       - name: Build
         run: cargo build --release
 
@@ -96,17 +108,6 @@ jobs:
           timestamp-rfc3161: http://timestamp.acs.microsoft.com
           timestamp-digest: SHA256
 
-      - name: Convert SVG icon to ICO
-        shell: pwsh
-        run: |
-          # ImageMagick is pre-installed on windows-latest. The
-          # auto-resize generates every size Explorer / Add-Remove
-          # Programs / the Start Menu shortcut may request from a
-          # single source SVG.
-          magick assets/logo.svg `
-            -define icon:auto-resize=16,24,32,48,64,128,256 `
-            packaging/windows/AppIcon.ico
-
       - name: Build MSI installer
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 86132e6fd..81ee7aaf8 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "truck-shapeops",
  "ureq",
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+ "winresource",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -3137,7 +3138,7 @@ source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "0b577e2d69827c4740cba2b52efaad1c4cc7c73042860b199710b3575c68438d"
 dependencies = [
  "bytecount",
- "memchr 1.0.2",
+ "memchr 2.8.1",
  "nom 8.0.0",
 ]
 
@@ -4829,6 +4830,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn 2.0.117",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_spanned"
+version = "1.1.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6662b5879511e06e8999a8a235d848113e942c9124f211511b16466ee2995f26"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde_core",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "servo_arc"
 version = "0.1.1"
@@ -5446,6 +5456,21 @@ version = "0.1.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "1f3ccbac311fea05f86f61904b462b55fb3df8837a366dfc601a0161d0532f20"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "toml"
+version = "1.1.2+spec-1.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "81f3d15e84cbcd896376e6730314d59fb5a87f31e4b038454184435cd57defee"
+dependencies = [
+ "indexmap",
+ "serde_core",
+ "serde_spanned",
+ "toml_datetime 1.1.1+spec-1.1.0",
+ "toml_parser",
+ "toml_writer",
+ "winnow 1.0.3",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "toml_datetime"
 version = "0.6.11"
@@ -5493,6 +5518,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "winnow 1.0.3",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "toml_writer"
+version = "1.1.1+spec-1.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "756daf9b1013ebe47a8776667b466417e2d4c5679d441c26230efd9ef78692db"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tracing"
 version = "0.1.44"
@@ -6776,6 +6807,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "memchr 2.8.1",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "winresource"
+version = "0.1.31"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "0986a8b1d586b7d3e4fe3d9ea39fb451ae22869dcea4aa109d287a374d866087"
+dependencies = [
+ "toml",
+ "version_check",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "wit-bindgen"
 version = "0.51.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 456cc1a27..ce154a069 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ build = "build.rs"
 [workspace]
 members = ["crates/ocs_plugin_api"]
 
+# Embed the application icon into the Windows .exe so Explorer, the taskbar,
+# the Start-menu tile and file-association entries show it (issue #107).
+[target.'cfg(windows)'.build-dependencies]
+winresource = "0.1"
+
 [dependencies]
 # Stable, dependency-free add-on contract (manifest + ribbon/CadModule types).
 # Plugin authors target this crate's semver, not OpenCADStudio internals.
diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
index baa65b3c4..582907c38 100644
--- a/build.rs
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -26,6 +26,22 @@ use std::path::Path;
 const PRIORITY: &[&str] = &["home", "model", "insert", "annotate", "view", "manage"];
 
 fn main() {
+    // Windows: embed AppIcon.ico into the .exe so the executable carries its
+    // own icon (Explorer, taskbar, Start-menu tile, file associations). The
+    // .ico is produced from assets/logo.svg by the release workflow before the
+    // build; when it is absent (local/dev builds) this is skipped. See #107.
+    #[cfg(windows)]
+    {
+        println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=packaging/windows/AppIcon.ico");
+        if Path::new("packaging/windows/AppIcon.ico").exists() {
+            let mut res = winresource::WindowsResource::new();
+            res.set_icon("packaging/windows/AppIcon.ico");
+            if let Err(e) = res.compile() {
+                println!("cargo:warning=failed to embed Windows icon: {e}");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     let mods_dir = Path::new("src/modules");
     println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=src/modules");