diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.test.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.test.ts
index 1c16992123206..82f62ff9061e6 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.test.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ it.layer(layer)("PreviewManager", (it) => {
       const manager = yield* PreviewManager.PreviewManager;
       const collector = yield* collectEvents;
       const opened = yield* manager.open({ threadId, runtime: "server", reveal: false });
+      // The test server has no desktop browser channel.
+      expect(opened.headless).toBe(true);
       yield* manager.requestReveal({ threadId, tabId: opened.tabId, force: true });
       const first = (yield* manager.list({ threadId })).sessions[0];
       expect(first?.reveal).toBe(true);
diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.ts
index ff8442306f2ff..f38d8d01538e8 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/Manager.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import * as Stream from "effect/Stream";
 import * as SynchronizedRef from "effect/SynchronizedRef";
 import { PreviewControlRequiredError } from "@t3tools/contracts";
 
+import * as ServerConfig from "../config.ts";
+
 export class PreviewManager extends Context.Service<
   PreviewManager,
   {
@@ -124,6 +126,10 @@ const currentIsoTimestamp = DateTime.now.pipe(Effect.map(DateTime.formatIso));
 /** @public */
 export const make = Effect.gen(function* PreviewManagerMake() {
   const random = yield* SecureRandom.SecureRandom;
+  const config = yield* ServerConfig.ServerConfig;
+  // Without a desktop browser channel no desktop can draw server tabs, so publish them headless.
+  const serverTabsHeadless =
+    config.desktopBrowserFd === undefined || config.desktopBrowserControlFd === undefined;
   const serverEpoch = yield* random.uuidV4();
   const stateRef = yield* SynchronizedRef.make<ManagerState>(initialState);
   const eventsPubSub = yield* PubSub.unbounded<PreviewEvent>();
@@ -197,6 +203,7 @@ export const make = Effect.gen(function* PreviewManagerMake() {
           ? { automationOwner: input.automationOwner }
           : {}),
         ...(input.reveal === undefined ? {} : { reveal: input.reveal }),
+        ...(runtime === "server" && serverTabsHeadless ? { headless: true } : {}),
         updatedAt,
       };
       yield* SynchronizedRef.modifyEffect(stateRef, (state) =>
diff --git a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
index c32947b30b995..a97f3583705f0 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/preview/ServerBrowser.test.ts
@@ -420,7 +420,17 @@ const dependencies = Layer.mergeAll(
   }),
   PreviewAgentActivity.layer,
 ).pipe(
-  Layer.provideMerge(ServerConfig.layerTest(process.cwd(), { prefix: "t3-server-browser-" })),
+  Layer.provideMerge(
+    // The mock channel stands in for a desktop that passed its browser fds.
+    Layer.effect(
+      ServerConfig.ServerConfig,
+      Effect.map(ServerConfig.ServerConfig, (config) => ({
+        ...config,
+        desktopBrowserFd: 3,
+        desktopBrowserControlFd: 4,
+      })),
+    ).pipe(Layer.provide(ServerConfig.layerTest(process.cwd(), { prefix: "t3-server-browser-" }))),
+  ),
   Layer.provideMerge(Layer.mergeAll(NodeServices.layer, NodeCrypto.layer)),
 );
 const layer = ServerBrowser.layer.pipe(Layer.provideMerge(dependencies));