diff --git a/scripts/windows-smoke.mjs b/scripts/windows-smoke.mjs
index 2b66987..c4aa55c 100644
--- a/scripts/windows-smoke.mjs
+++ b/scripts/windows-smoke.mjs
@@ -360,10 +360,19 @@ for (const [cmd, args] of calls) {
   if (err) failures.push(`${cmd}(${JSON.stringify(args)}): ${err}`);
 }
 const alive = await page.evaluate(() => document.title !== undefined).catch(() => false);
+// Without a desktop there is no Explorer shell: the tray icon, the taskbar
+// overlay badge and the thumbnail toolbar can't exist, and Windows answers
+// E_FAIL / E_NOTIMPL. cinny ignores those errors; the app must just survive.
+const SHELL_ONLY = /^(set_badge_count|set_tray_unread|set_tray_call_state|set_tray_update_ready|set_thumbbar)\(/;
+const real = interactive ? failures : failures.filter((f) => !SHELL_ONLY.test(f));
 record(
   'tray, badge, taskbar, thumbbar and media-control commands',
-  failures.length === 0 && alive ? 'pass' : 'fail',
-  failures.length ? failures.join(' | ') : `${calls.length} calls ok, app still responsive: ${alive}`,
+  real.length === 0 && alive ? 'pass' : 'fail',
+  real.length
+    ? real.join(' | ')
+    : `${calls.length - failures.length}/${calls.length} calls ok${
+        failures.length ? `, ${failures.length} shell-only calls n/a without a desktop` : ''
+      }; app still responsive: ${alive}`,
 );
 
 await page.screenshot({ path: `${OUT}/02-end.png` }).catch(() => undefined);