diff --git a/src/hopper/BridgeLauncher.ts b/src/hopper/BridgeLauncher.ts
index 1cef1cf7d2..8e48b5e2a2 100644
--- a/src/hopper/BridgeLauncher.ts
+++ b/src/hopper/BridgeLauncher.ts
@@ -250,8 +250,6 @@ export class HopperApplicationLauncher implements BridgeLauncher {
     let launched = false;
     try {
       if (signal?.aborted === true) return err(new HopperCancelledError());
-      const display = await this.#privateDisplay(signal);
-      if (!display.ok) return err(display.error);
       let expectedLinuxSha256: string | undefined;
       if (usesLinuxDemo(this.options)) {
         const inspected = await (
@@ -272,6 +270,8 @@ export class HopperApplicationLauncher implements BridgeLauncher {
               );
         expectedLinuxSha256 = inspected.value.sha256;
       }
+      const display = await this.#privateDisplay(signal);
+      if (!display.ok) return err(display.error);
       const nativeHelperVerified =
         (this.dependencies.platform ?? process.platform) === "darwin" &&
         this.options.launchMode === "native" &&
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/applications/hopperPublisherRejectionCli.test.ts b/tests/acceptance/applications/hopperPublisherRejectionCli.test.ts
index 092ee9f6ab..9e22759839 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/applications/hopperPublisherRejectionCli.test.ts
+++ b/tests/acceptance/applications/hopperPublisherRejectionCli.test.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@ import { cliTest } from "../../support/cli/cliFixture.js";
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
 import { analysisCliErrorEnvelopeSchema } from "../../../src/contracts/errorSchemas.js";
 
-cliTest.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
-  "refuses an unauthenticated Hopper launcher through the public CLI before executing it",
-  async ({ cli }) => {
+cliTest
+  .skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")
+  .for(["default-python-home", "missing-python-home"] as const)(
+  "refuses an unauthenticated Hopper launcher through the public CLI before executing it (%s)",
+  async (pythonHome, { cli }) => {
     const home = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-hopper-publisher-cli-");
     const launcher = join(home, "foreign-hopper");
     const target = join(home, "sample");
@@ -38,6 +40,10 @@ cliTest.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
         HOPPER_LAUNCHER_PATH: launcher,
         REA_HOPPER_TEST_MARKER: marker,
         REA_LOG_LEVEL: "silent",
+        // Publisher rejection must not depend on the display probe's Python.
+        ...(pythonHome === "missing-python-home"
+          ? { PYTHONHOME: join(home, "missing-python-home") }
+          : {}),
         // Reject deterministically without pretending to authenticate a build.
         NODE_OPTIONS: `--import=${new URL("../../fixtures/hopperRejectionFeed.mjs", import.meta.url).href}`,
       },
diff --git a/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/bridgeLauncher.test.ts b/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/bridgeLauncher.test.ts
index 155a6414f0..85a561bfd9 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/bridgeLauncher.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/bridgeLauncher.test.ts
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ it.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
   "gives the demo helper a live owner stream through Node's actual stdio transport",
   async () => {
     const directory = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-hopper-owner-stdio-");
+    const selectPrivateDisplay = vi.fn(readyDirectDisplay);
     const launcher = new HopperApplicationLauncher(
       {
         ...options(process.execPath),
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ it.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
             signingFingerprint: "1".repeat(40),
             source: "signed_package_cache",
           }),
-        selectPrivateDisplay: readyDirectDisplay,
+        selectPrivateDisplay,
       },
     );
     const launched = await launcher.launch({
@@ -354,6 +355,7 @@ it.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
       runId: randomUUID(),
     });
     if (!launched.ok) throw launched.error;
+    expect(selectPrivateDisplay).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
     const supervisor = new ProviderProcessSupervisor(launched.value);
     try {
       expect(await supervisor.waitForOutputClose(5_000)).toBe(true);
@@ -378,10 +380,11 @@ it.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
       "unsupported_hopper_build",
       "Fixture launcher is outside verified releases",
     );
+    const selectPrivateDisplay = vi.fn(readyDirectDisplay);
     const launcher = new HopperApplicationLauncher(
       { ...options("/unused/Hopper"), targetPath },
       {
-        selectPrivateDisplay: readyDirectDisplay,
+        selectPrivateDisplay,
         verifyLinuxLauncher: async () => err(rejected),
       },
     );
@@ -405,5 +408,6 @@ it.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
     });
     expect(projected.details).not.toHaveProperty("exit_code");
     expect(projected.details).not.toHaveProperty("launcher");
+    expect(selectPrivateDisplay).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   },
 );