diff --git a/apps/desktop/scripts/desktop-file-settings.d.mts b/apps/desktop/scripts/desktop-file-settings.d.mts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..afecbcb87c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/scripts/desktop-file-settings.d.mts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/** Read file-owned packaging settings without loading packaging dependencies. */
+
+/**
+ * Read an explicitly selected dotenv without exposing credential-bearing parser errors.
+ * @param path - Selected file; relative credential paths resolve beside it.
+ * @param accepts - Whether this file may declare a setting.
+ * @returns Validated file settings.
+ */
+export function readDesktopPackageSettings(path: string, accepts: (name: string) => boolean): Record<string, string>