diff --git a/app/interface.js b/app/interface.js
index fbeb8c6..0d8dc4a 100644
--- a/app/interface.js
+++ b/app/interface.js
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ export function hidePlayTimeSummary() {
  * @param {string} gameId - The ID of the game to load.
  * @param {HTMLElement} gameContainer - The element that will receive the game HTML.
  * @param {HTMLElement} announcer - Aria-live element for accessibility announcements.
+ * @returns {Promise<object>} The initialized game plugin module default export.
  */
 async function loadAndInitGame(gameId, gameContainer, announcer) {
   const result = await window.api.invoke('games:load', gameId);
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ async function loadAndInitGame(gameId, gameContainer, announcer) {
   announcer.textContent = `${result.manifest.name} loaded. Get ready to play!`;
   const mod = await import(`./games/${gameId}/${result.manifest.entryPoint}`);
   mod.default.init(gameContainer);
+  return mod.default;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -182,6 +184,34 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
   announcer.className = 'sr-only';
   document.body.appendChild(announcer);
 
+  /**
+   * Reference to the currently active game plugin, or null when no game is loaded.
+   * Used to call stop() when the application quits mid-game.
+   * @type {object|null}
+   */
+  let activePlugin = null;
+
+  // Register the before-quit handler so any mid-game progress is saved when the
+  // user quits the application. The renderer calls stop() on the active plugin
+  // (which persists progress via the score service), then notifies the main process
+  // that it is safe to exit.
+  if (window.api && typeof window.api.receive === 'function') {
+    window.api.receive('app:before-quit', async () => {
+      if (activePlugin && typeof activePlugin.stop === 'function') {
+        try {
+          await activePlugin.stop();
+        } catch (err) {
+          logger.error('Error saving progress on quit', err);
+        }
+      }
+      try {
+        await window.api.invoke('app:quit-ready');
+      } catch (err) {
+        logger.error('Failed to notify main process of quit-ready', err);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
   // Load player progress (default player)
   let progress = {};
   try {
@@ -284,13 +314,14 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
     gameSelector.remove();
     hidePlayTimeSummary();
     try {
-      await loadAndInitGame(gameId, gameContainer, announcer);
+      activePlugin = await loadAndInitGame(gameId, gameContainer, announcer);
     } catch (err) {
       handleGameLoadError(gameId, gameContainer, announcer, err);
     }
   });
   // Listen for custom event to return to main menu from any game
   window.addEventListener('bsx:return-to-main-menu', () => {
+    activePlugin = null;
     // Remove any game UI and its stylesheet
     gameContainer.innerHTML = '';
     removeGameStylesheet();
@@ -333,7 +364,7 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
         selector.remove();
         hidePlayTimeSummary();
         try {
-          await loadAndInitGame(gameId, gameContainer, announcer);
+          activePlugin = await loadAndInitGame(gameId, gameContainer, announcer);
         } catch (err) {
           handleGameLoadError(gameId, gameContainer, announcer, err);
         }
diff --git a/app/interface.test.js b/app/interface.test.js
index 5b1c16d..d3b38f1 100644
--- a/app/interface.test.js
+++ b/app/interface.test.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { jest } from '@jest/globals';
 // Mock the game module dynamically imported by loadAndInitGame.
 // Must be registered before interface.js is imported.
 const mockGameInit = jest.fn();
+const mockGameStop = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ score: 0 });
 
 // Capture the DOMContentLoaded callback before importing interface.js.
 let domReadyCallback;
@@ -11,7 +12,7 @@ let domReadyCallback;
 // jest.unstable_mockModule MUST be called at module top level (with top-level await) so that
 // the mock is registered before Jest's coverage instrumentation pre-loads interface.js.
 await jest.unstable_mockModule('./games/fast-piggie/index.js', () => ({
-  default: { init: mockGameInit },
+  default: { init: mockGameInit, stop: mockGameStop },
 }));
 
 // Mock timerService to control date and formatting in tests.
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@ function setupApi({ progressData = {}, manifests = MANIFESTS, gameLoad = GAME_LO
     if (channel === 'games:load') return Promise.resolve(gameLoad);
     return Promise.resolve(null);
   });
-  global.window.api = { invoke, on: jest.fn() };
+  const receive = jest.fn();
+  global.window.api = { invoke, on: jest.fn(), receive };
   return invoke;
 }
 
@@ -103,6 +105,7 @@ describe('interface.js', () => {
       + '</div>';
     document.head.innerHTML = '';
     mockGameInit.mockClear();
+    mockGameStop.mockClear();
     mockClearHistory.mockClear();
   });
 
@@ -683,4 +686,86 @@ describe('interface.js', () => {
       expect(panel.hidden).toBe(false);
     });
   });
+
+  // ── app:before-quit handler ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  describe('app:before-quit handler', () => {
+    /**
+     * Helper to get the callback registered for 'app:before-quit' via window.api.receive.
+     * @returns {Function|undefined}
+     */
+    function getQuitCallback() {
+      const call = global.window.api.receive.mock.calls.find(
+        ([channel]) => channel === 'app:before-quit',
+      );
+      return call ? call[1] : undefined;
+    }
+
+    it('registers a receive handler for app:before-quit during DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
+      setupApi();
+      await domReadyCallback();
+      expect(global.window.api.receive).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        'app:before-quit',
+        expect.any(Function),
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('calls stop() on the active plugin and then invokes app:quit-ready', async () => {
+      const invoke = setupApi();
+      await domReadyCallback();
+
+      dispatchGameSelect();
+      await flush();
+
+      const quitCallback = getQuitCallback();
+      expect(quitCallback).toBeDefined();
+      await quitCallback();
+
+      expect(mockGameStop).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(invoke).toHaveBeenCalledWith('app:quit-ready');
+    });
+
+    it('invokes app:quit-ready even when no game is active', async () => {
+      const invoke = setupApi();
+      await domReadyCallback();
+
+      const quitCallback = getQuitCallback();
+      await quitCallback();
+
+      expect(mockGameStop).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(invoke).toHaveBeenCalledWith('app:quit-ready');
+    });
+
+    it('still invokes app:quit-ready when stop() throws', async () => {
+      const invoke = setupApi();
+      await domReadyCallback();
+      dispatchGameSelect();
+      await flush();
+
+      mockGameStop.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('stop failed'));
+
+      const quitCallback = getQuitCallback();
+      await quitCallback();
+
+      expect(invoke).toHaveBeenCalledWith('app:quit-ready');
+    });
+
+    it('clears activePlugin when returning to main menu', async () => {
+      const invoke = setupApi();
+      await domReadyCallback();
+      dispatchGameSelect();
+      await flush();
+
+      // Return to menu — activePlugin should be cleared.
+      window.dispatchEvent(new Event('bsx:return-to-main-menu'));
+      await flush();
+
+      const quitCallback = getQuitCallback();
+      await quitCallback();
+
+      // stop() must NOT be called because activePlugin was cleared.
+      expect(mockGameStop).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(invoke).toHaveBeenCalledWith('app:quit-ready');
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/app/preload.js b/app/preload.js
index 3518232..d02bc0a 100644
--- a/app/preload.js
+++ b/app/preload.js
@@ -30,10 +30,25 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('api', {
       'progress:load',
       'progress:reset',
       'log:send',
+      'app:quit-ready',
     ];
     if (validChannels.includes(channel)) {
       return ipcRenderer.invoke(channel, data);
     }
     return Promise.reject(new Error(`Blocked IPC channel: ${channel}`));
   },
+
+  /**
+   * Register a one-time listener for a message pushed from the main process.
+   * The listener is automatically removed after it fires once.
+   * Silently ignores requests for channels not on the allowlist.
+   * @param {string} channel - The IPC channel to listen on.
+   * @param {Function} callback - Callback invoked when the message arrives.
+   */
+  receive: (channel, callback) => {
+    const validChannels = ['app:before-quit'];
+    if (validChannels.includes(channel)) {
+      ipcRenderer.once(channel, (_event, ...args) => callback(...args));
+    }
+  },
 });
diff --git a/app/preload.test.js b/app/preload.test.js
index 331d400..f6dd7d4 100644
--- a/app/preload.test.js
+++ b/app/preload.test.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { jest } from '@jest/globals';
 const mockIpcRenderer = {
   send: jest.fn(),
   on: jest.fn(),
+  once: jest.fn(),
   invoke: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue('mocked-result'),
 };
 
@@ -36,10 +37,11 @@ describe('preload.js', () => {
     delete global.require;
   });
 
-  it('exposes "api" with send, receive, and invoke via contextBridge', () => {
+  it('exposes "api" with invoke and receive via contextBridge', () => {
     expect(api).toEqual(
       expect.objectContaining({
         invoke: expect.any(Function),
+        receive: expect.any(Function),
       }),
     );
   });
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ describe('preload.js', () => {
   describe('invoke', () => {
     it.each([
       'games:list', 'games:load', 'progress:save', 'progress:load', 'progress:reset', 'log:send',
+      'app:quit-ready',
     ])(
       'calls ipcRenderer.invoke for allowed channel "%s"',
       async (channel) => {
@@ -61,4 +64,32 @@ describe('preload.js', () => {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  describe('receive', () => {
+    it('registers an ipcRenderer.once listener for the app:before-quit channel', () => {
+      const callback = jest.fn();
+      api.receive('app:before-quit', callback);
+      expect(mockIpcRenderer.once).toHaveBeenCalledWith('app:before-quit', expect.any(Function));
+    });
+
+    it('invokes the callback with forwarded arguments when the event fires', () => {
+      const callback = jest.fn();
+      api.receive('app:before-quit', callback);
+
+      // Simulate the main process sending the event.
+      const [, registeredHandler] = mockIpcRenderer.once.mock.calls.find(
+        ([channel]) => channel === 'app:before-quit',
+      );
+      registeredHandler({}, 'extra-arg');
+      expect(callback).toHaveBeenCalledWith('extra-arg');
+    });
+
+    it('does not register a listener for a blocked channel', () => {
+      api.receive('blocked_channel', jest.fn());
+      const blockedCall = mockIpcRenderer.once.mock.calls.find(
+        ([channel]) => channel === 'blocked_channel',
+      );
+      expect(blockedCall).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index 10d5fb2..1c732eb 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -92,8 +92,41 @@ app.on('window-all-closed', () => {
   }
 });
 
-app.on('before-quit', () => {
-  log.info('BrainSpeedExercises shutting down');
+/**
+ * Whether the quit flow has already been confirmed by the renderer.
+ * Used to prevent re-entrant handling of before-quit.
+ * @type {boolean}
+ */
+let isQuitting = false;
+
+/**
+ * Milliseconds to wait for the renderer to confirm progress is saved before
+ * forcing the application to exit.
+ * @type {number}
+ */
+const QUIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
+
+app.on('before-quit', (event) => {
+  if (isQuitting) return;
+  event.preventDefault();
+  log.info('BrainSpeedExercises shutting down — requesting renderer to save progress');
+
+  if (mainWindow && !mainWindow.isDestroyed()) {
+    mainWindow.webContents.send('app:before-quit');
+
+    // Fallback: force-exit if the renderer does not respond within the timeout.
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      if (!isQuitting) {
+        log.warn('Renderer did not respond before quit timeout — forcing exit');
+        isQuitting = true;
+        app.exit(0);
+      }
+    }, QUIT_TIMEOUT_MS);
+  } else {
+    // No window to ask — exit immediately.
+    isQuitting = true;
+    app.exit(0);
+  }
 });
 
 // Extra security filters.
@@ -146,6 +179,16 @@ ipcMain.handle('progress:save', async (event, { playerId, data }) => saveProgres
 
 ipcMain.handle('progress:reset', async (event, { playerId }) => resetProgress(playerId));
 
+/**
+ * Renderer confirms that in-progress game state has been saved.
+ * Clears the quit guard and exits the application.
+ */
+ipcMain.handle('app:quit-ready', () => {
+  log.info('Renderer confirmed progress saved — exiting');
+  isQuitting = true;
+  app.exit(0);
+});
+
 const gamesPath = path.join(app.getAppPath(), 'app', 'games');
 
 ipcMain.handle('games:list', async () => scanGamesDirectory(gamesPath));