diff --git a/src/lib/pages/FirstRunPage.svelte b/src/lib/pages/FirstRunPage.svelte
index 28cfaf6..ae4955f 100644
--- a/src/lib/pages/FirstRunPage.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/pages/FirstRunPage.svelte
@@ -43,15 +43,23 @@
     downloadProgress = 0;
     downloadStartedAt = Date.now();
 
-    const unlisten = await listen("model-download-progress", (event) => {
-      downloadProgress = event.payload.percent;
-    });
-
-    const unlistenParakeet = await listen("parakeet-download-progress", (event) => {
-      downloadProgress = event.payload.percent;
-    });
+    // Tauri unlisten handles must be released on every exit path —
+    // declared outside the try so the finally can always call them,
+    // but assigned inside so a throw on the second listen() doesn't
+    // leak the first one. SettingsPage.svelte:864-880 is the
+    // long-form reference pattern (onMount + onDestroy).
+    let unlisten: (() => void) | undefined;
+    let unlistenParakeet: (() => void) | undefined;
 
     try {
+      unlisten = await listen("model-download-progress", (event) => {
+        downloadProgress = event.payload.percent;
+      });
+
+      unlistenParakeet = await listen("parakeet-download-progress", (event) => {
+        downloadProgress = event.payload.percent;
+      });
+
       if (modelId.startsWith("whisper-")) {
         // backend's whisper_model_id accepts the full model id via its
         // `other => ModelId::new(other)` fallback, so pass the id through
@@ -90,8 +98,11 @@
       error = `Download failed: ${e}`;
       downloading = false;
     } finally {
-      unlisten();
-      unlistenParakeet();
+      // Guard against listen() throwing before assigning the unlisten
+      // handle — without these checks the finally itself would throw
+      // and mask the original error.
+      if (unlisten) unlisten();
+      if (unlistenParakeet) unlistenParakeet();
     }
   }