diff --git a/Sources/AppDelegate.swift b/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
index 337ad9f3..57166431 100644
--- a/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/Sources/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -3258,9 +3258,27 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate, UNUserNotificationCent
         )
     }
 
+    @MainActor
+    static func presentPreferencesWindow(
+        sendShowSettingsAction: @MainActor () -> Bool = {
+            NSApp.sendAction(Selector(("showSettingsWindow:")), to: nil, from: nil)
+        },
+        showFallbackSettingsWindow: @MainActor () -> Void = {
+            SettingsWindowController.shared.show()
+        },
+        activateApplication: @MainActor () -> Void = {
+            NSApp.activate(ignoringOtherApps: true)
+        }
+    ) {
+        let handledByResponderChain = sendShowSettingsAction()
+        if !handledByResponderChain {
+            showFallbackSettingsWindow()
+        }
+        activateApplication()
+    }
+
     @objc func openPreferencesWindow() {
-        NSApp.sendAction(Selector(("showSettingsWindow:")), to: nil, from: nil)
-        NSApp.activate(ignoringOtherApps: true)
+        Self.presentPreferencesWindow()
     }
 
     func refreshMenuBarExtraForDebug() {
diff --git a/Sources/ContentView.swift b/Sources/ContentView.swift
index 04a6433a..60b38650 100644
--- a/Sources/ContentView.swift
+++ b/Sources/ContentView.swift
@@ -3923,7 +3923,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             AppDelegate.shared?.jumpToLatestUnread()
         }
         registry.register(commandId: "palette.openSettings") {
-            NSApp.sendAction(Selector(("showSettingsWindow:")), to: nil, from: nil)
+            AppDelegate.presentPreferencesWindow()
         }
         registry.register(commandId: "palette.checkForUpdates") {
             AppDelegate.shared?.checkForUpdates(nil)
diff --git a/Sources/cmuxApp.swift b/Sources/cmuxApp.swift
index 004406e7..e8a0c634 100644
--- a/Sources/cmuxApp.swift
+++ b/Sources/cmuxApp.swift
@@ -1701,7 +1701,7 @@ private struct AcknowledgmentsView: View {
     }
 }
 
-private final class SettingsWindowController: NSWindowController, NSWindowDelegate {
+final class SettingsWindowController: NSWindowController, NSWindowDelegate {
     static let shared = SettingsWindowController()
 
     private init() {
diff --git a/cmuxTests/AppDelegateShortcutRoutingTests.swift b/cmuxTests/AppDelegateShortcutRoutingTests.swift
index 59796d6d..3ef18f94 100644
--- a/cmuxTests/AppDelegateShortcutRoutingTests.swift
+++ b/cmuxTests/AppDelegateShortcutRoutingTests.swift
@@ -417,6 +417,52 @@ final class AppDelegateShortcutRoutingTests: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertTrue(appDelegate.tabManager === firstManager, "Unresolved event window should not retarget active manager")
     }
 
+    func testPresentPreferencesWindowUsesFallbackWhenResponderChainDoesNotHandleSettingsAction() {
+        var sendShowSettingsActionCallCount = 0
+        var showFallbackSettingsWindowCallCount = 0
+        var activateApplicationCallCount = 0
+
+        AppDelegate.presentPreferencesWindow(
+            sendShowSettingsAction: {
+                sendShowSettingsActionCallCount += 1
+                return false
+            },
+            showFallbackSettingsWindow: {
+                showFallbackSettingsWindowCallCount += 1
+            },
+            activateApplication: {
+                activateApplicationCallCount += 1
+            }
+        )
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(sendShowSettingsActionCallCount, 1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(showFallbackSettingsWindowCallCount, 1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(activateApplicationCallCount, 1)
+    }
+
+    func testPresentPreferencesWindowSkipsFallbackWhenResponderChainHandlesSettingsAction() {
+        var sendShowSettingsActionCallCount = 0
+        var showFallbackSettingsWindowCallCount = 0
+        var activateApplicationCallCount = 0
+
+        AppDelegate.presentPreferencesWindow(
+            sendShowSettingsAction: {
+                sendShowSettingsActionCallCount += 1
+                return true
+            },
+            showFallbackSettingsWindow: {
+                showFallbackSettingsWindowCallCount += 1
+            },
+            activateApplication: {
+                activateApplicationCallCount += 1
+            }
+        )
+
+        XCTAssertEqual(sendShowSettingsActionCallCount, 1)
+        XCTAssertEqual(showFallbackSettingsWindowCallCount, 0)
+        XCTAssertEqual(activateApplicationCallCount, 1)
+    }
+
     private func makeKeyDownEvent(
         key: String,
         modifiers: NSEvent.ModifierFlags,