diff --git a/dzgui/config/freedesktop.py b/dzgui/config/freedesktop.py
index 6ae7ba8..edad06f 100644
--- a/dzgui/config/freedesktop.py
+++ b/dzgui/config/freedesktop.py
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
+import stat
 import textwrap
 
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from dzgui.const.constants import APP_NAME
 from dzgui.util.dirs import copy_dzgui_to_xdg_data, find_icon_resource, make_parents
 
 
+def get_share_path(exe_path: Path) -> Path:
+    return exe_path.parent.parent
+
 def write_desktop_file(exe_path: Path) -> None:
     icon = find_icon_resource()
 
@@ -21,13 +26,17 @@ def write_desktop_file(exe_path: Path) -> None:
 
     copy_dzgui_to_xdg_data(exe_path)
 
-    share_path = exe_path.parent.parent
-    file = share_path.joinpath("applications/dzgui.desktop")
-    make_parents(file)
-    file.write_text(textwrap.dedent(template))
+    share_path = get_share_path(exe_path)
+    desktop_file = share_path.joinpath("applications/dzgui.desktop")
+    make_parents(desktop_file)
+    desktop_file.write_text(textwrap.dedent(template))
+    desktop_file.chmod(desktop_file.stat().st_mode | stat.S_IEXEC)
+    return desktop_file
 
 
-def write_desktop_shortcut(exe_path: Path) -> None:
-    # TODO: symlink the above, /Desktop
-    # TODO: dynamically link to prior option in UI
-    pass
+def write_desktop_shortcut(desktop_file: Path) -> None:
+    # NOTE: necessarily depends on the above (UI blocks creation without XDG entry first)
+    link = Path.home().joinpath(f"Desktop/{APP_NAME}.desktop")
+    if link.exists():
+        link.unlink()
+    link.symlink_to(desktop_file)