diff --git a/docs/modernization/roadmap.md b/docs/modernization/roadmap.md
index 43cc4018..a3e16074 100644
--- a/docs/modernization/roadmap.md
+++ b/docs/modernization/roadmap.md
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ Latest slice:
   and bound-tablet bindings beside the retained owned `App`, `AppRuntime*`,
   and `WacomTablet` objects instead of leaving that binding surface in
   `windows_runtime_shell.cpp`.
+- `src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.*` now also owns the Win32
+  owned-app creation plus app/runtime binding handoff, so
+  `windows_runtime_shell.cpp` is down to a thinner startup dispatcher over the
+  retained runtime-state helper.
 - `src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_shell.h` is now a thinner runtime
   entrypoint header that picks up the retained binding surface from
   `windows_runtime_state.h` instead of declaring a second shell-owned binding
diff --git a/docs/modernization/tasks.md b/docs/modernization/tasks.md
index daf8f242..ae4227f2 100644
--- a/docs/modernization/tasks.md
+++ b/docs/modernization/tasks.md
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ Current slice:
 - `src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.*` now also owns the bound
   Win32 `App*` / tablet binding surface alongside the retained owned `App`,
   runtime, and tablet objects.
+- `src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.*` now also owns the Win32
+  owned-app creation plus app/runtime binding handoff, so
+  `windows_runtime_shell.cpp` is thinner and no longer open-codes that
+  retained runtime-state setup.
 - `src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_shell.h` is thinner again and now
   imports that binding surface from `windows_runtime_state.h` instead of
   declaring shell-owned bind/release accessors itself.
diff --git a/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_shell.cpp b/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_shell.cpp
index 8b21ac79..00b379ab 100644
--- a/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_shell.cpp
+++ b/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_shell.cpp
@@ -17,13 +17,9 @@ int run_main_application(int argc, char** argv)
 {
     const auto instance = GetModuleHandle(NULL);
 
-    auto& owned_app = retained_owned_app();
-    owned_app = std::make_unique<App>();
-    auto* app = owned_app.get();
-    bind_app(app);
-    bind_runtime(&app->runtime());
-    app->set_platform_services(&pp::platform::windows::platform_services());
-    app->initLog();
+    auto& app = initialize_bound_app_runtime();
+    app.set_platform_services(&pp::platform::windows::platform_services());
+    app.initLog();
 
     pp::platform::windows::init_shcore_API();
     pp::platform::windows::initialize_stylus_input();
@@ -37,13 +33,13 @@ int run_main_application(int argc, char** argv)
 
     pp::platform::windows::initialize_retained_input_state();
 
-    pp::platform::windows::setup_exception_handler(*app);
+    pp::platform::windows::setup_exception_handler(app);
 
     pp::platform::windows::read_WMI_info();
 
-    app->create();
+    app.create();
 
-    auto startup = pp::platform::windows::initialize_main_window_startup_state(*app);
+    auto startup = pp::platform::windows::initialize_main_window_startup_state(app);
     auto context = pp::platform::windows::OpenGlWindowContext {};
     switch (pp::platform::windows::initialize_main_window_and_gl(
         startup,
@@ -70,8 +66,8 @@ int run_main_application(int argc, char** argv)
         switch (const_hash(argv[1]))
         {
         case const_hash("convert"):
-            app->initShaders();
-            app->cmd_convert(argv[2], argv[3]);
+            app.initShaders();
+            app.cmd_convert(argv[2], argv[3]);
             release_bound_app();
             return 0;
         case const_hash("-vrmode"):
diff --git a/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.cpp b/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.cpp
index c5e4f365..e592ad48 100644
--- a/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.cpp
+++ b/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ struct RetainedWindowsRuntimeState final {
 
 }
 
+App& initialize_bound_app_runtime()
+{
+    auto& owned_app = retained_owned_app();
+    owned_app = std::make_unique<App>();
+    auto& app = *owned_app;
+    bind_app(&app);
+    bind_runtime(&app.runtime());
+    return app;
+}
+
 void bind_app(App* app) noexcept
 {
     auto& state = retained_runtime_state();
diff --git a/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.h b/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.h
index 8e6c594a..c1b0a98c 100644
--- a/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.h
+++ b/src/platform_windows/windows_runtime_state.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ class WacomTablet;
 
 namespace pp::platform::windows {
 
+[[nodiscard]] App& initialize_bound_app_runtime();
 void bind_app(App* app) noexcept;
 [[nodiscard]] App* bound_app() noexcept;
 void release_bound_app() noexcept;