diff --git a/Launcher/WiiCompiled.Setup.Windows/InstallerEngine.cs b/Launcher/WiiCompiled.Setup.Windows/InstallerEngine.cs
index fce86f6..fb96d3c 100644
--- a/Launcher/WiiCompiled.Setup.Windows/InstallerEngine.cs
+++ b/Launcher/WiiCompiled.Setup.Windows/InstallerEngine.cs
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ internal sealed class InstallerEngine
         var existing = new Installation(installDirectory);
 
         PortableInstallHealing.HealMovedInstall(existing, _reporter);
+        // Capture this before publishing anything. An existing installation may be repaired or
+        // updated by this invocation, but those operations must not recreate the user's shortcuts.
+        var firstInstall = !existing.IsPresent;
         var previousState = existing.ReadInstallState();
         using var scratch = Directory.Exists(installDirectory)
             ? InstallScratchSpace.CreateInsideInstall(installDirectory, _reporter)
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@ internal sealed class InstallerEngine
                     updatedState.RetroRewindInstalled, candidateRuntimeAssetsFingerprint,
                     remainingCancellation);
             Publish(staging, installDirectory, canonicalRetroRoot, updatedState,
-                releaseEntries, remainingCancellation);
+                releaseEntries, remainingCancellation, createShortcuts: firstInstall);
             return;
         }
 
@@ -161,7 +164,8 @@ internal sealed class InstallerEngine
 
         await PublishToolkitAndReconcileProductsAsync(existing, staging, workspace, manifest,
             previousState, options, canonicalRetroRoot, retroCompileInputs,
-            publishGameAssets: reusableGameAssets is null, cancellationToken);
+            publishGameAssets: reusableGameAssets is null, createShortcuts: firstInstall,
+            cancellationToken: cancellationToken);
     }
 
 
@@ -186,7 +190,7 @@ internal sealed class InstallerEngine
         string stagedWorkspace, PayloadManifest manifest, InstallState? previousState,
         InstallOptions options, string? canonicalRetroRoot,
         RetroRewindCompileInputs? retroCompileInputs,
-        bool publishGameAssets, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        bool publishGameAssets, bool createShortcuts, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         var installDirectory = existing.Root;
 
@@ -214,7 +218,8 @@ internal sealed class InstallerEngine
         if (publishGameAssets) AddComponent(entries, staging, installDirectory, "GameAssets");
 
         Publish(staging, installDirectory, canonicalRetroRoot, state,
-            entries, cancellationToken, progressPercent: 8, completionPercent: 10);
+            entries, cancellationToken, progressPercent: 8, completionPercent: 10,
+            createShortcuts: createShortcuts);
 
         _reporter.Progress(InstallStages.BuildBase,
             "Producing the installed products with the published toolkit...", 11);
@@ -277,7 +282,7 @@ internal sealed class InstallerEngine
     private void Publish(string staging, string installDirectory,
         string? canonicalRetroRoot, InstallState state,
         List<InstallTransactionEntry> entries, CancellationToken cancellationToken,
-        int progressPercent = 95, int completionPercent = 99)
+        int progressPercent = 95, int completionPercent = 99, bool createShortcuts = false)
     {
         entries.Add(InstallTransactionEntry.Directory(Path.Combine(staging, "licenses"),
             Path.Combine(installDirectory, "licenses")));
@@ -322,7 +327,8 @@ internal sealed class InstallerEngine
             {
                 ShellIntegration.RegisterUninstaller(installDirectory, state.RetroRewindInstalled);
             }
-            ShellIntegration.CreateShortcuts(installDirectory);
+            if (createShortcuts)
+                ShellIntegration.CreateShortcuts(installDirectory);
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {