diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1abd89b..b1f001c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
+add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../cutefish-framework/applications
+                 ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cutefish-framework-applications-build)
+
 find_package(Qt6 COMPONENTS Core DBus Quick LinguistTools REQUIRED)
 
 find_path(LIBZIP_INCLUDE_DIR zip.h)
@@ -103,6 +106,7 @@ target_include_directories(cutefish-filemanager-core PUBLIC
 
 target_link_libraries(cutefish-filemanager-core
   PUBLIC
+  Cutefish::Applications
   Qt6::Core
   Qt6::DBus
   Qt6::Quick
diff --git a/helper/filelauncher.cpp b/helper/filelauncher.cpp
index 2124788..2a8f8ee 100644
--- a/helper/filelauncher.cpp
+++ b/helper/filelauncher.cpp
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@
 
 #include "filelauncher.h"
 
-#include <QDBusInterface>
-#include <QDBusPendingCall>
+#include "applicationlauncher.h"
+#include "applicationruntime.h"
+
 #include <QSettings>
-#include <QProcess>
 #include <QFile>
 #include <QDir>
 #include <QDebug>
@@ -45,6 +45,12 @@ FileLauncher::FileLauncher(QObject *parent)
 
 bool FileLauncher::launchApp(const QString &desktopFile, const QString &fileName)
 {
+    // The runtime knows the entry: let it expand Exec and track the instance
+    // under the application's own id.
+    if (ApplicationRuntime::instance()->launchApplication(
+                desktopFile, fileName.isEmpty() ? QStringList() : QStringList{fileName}))
+        return true;
+
     QSettings settings(desktopFile, QSettings::IniFormat);
     settings.beginGroup("Desktop Entry");
 
@@ -81,28 +87,11 @@ bool FileLauncher::launchExecutable(const QString &fileName)
 
 bool FileLauncher::startDetached(const QString &exec, QStringList args)
 {
-    QDBusInterface iface("com.cutefish.Session",
-                         "/Session",
-                         "com.cutefish.Session", QDBusConnection::sessionBus());
-
-    if (iface.isValid()) {
-        iface.asyncCall("launch", exec, args).waitForFinished();
-    } else {
-        QProcess::startDetached(exec, args);
-    }
-
-    return true;
+    return startDetached(exec, QString(), args);
 }
 
 bool FileLauncher::startDetached(const QString &exec, const QString &workingDir, QStringList args)
 {
-    QDBusInterface iface("com.cutefish.Session",
-                         "/Session",
-                         "com.cutefish.Session", QDBusConnection::sessionBus());
-
-    if (iface.isValid()) {
-        iface.asyncCall("launch", exec, workingDir, args).waitForFinished();
-    }
-
-    return true;
+    // The application runtime owns every application start of the session.
+    return ApplicationLauncher::startDetached(QStringList{exec} + args, workingDir);
 }