diff --git a/apps/multiplatform/common/src/desktopMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/platform/RecAndPlay.desktop.kt b/apps/multiplatform/common/src/desktopMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/platform/RecAndPlay.desktop.kt
index 8d26f2f085..d59677b726 100644
--- a/apps/multiplatform/common/src/desktopMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/platform/RecAndPlay.desktop.kt
+++ b/apps/multiplatform/common/src/desktopMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/platform/RecAndPlay.desktop.kt
@@ -13,9 +13,14 @@ import java.io.File
 import java.util.*
 import kotlin.math.max
 
-internal val vlcFactory: MediaPlayerFactory by lazy { MediaPlayerFactory() }
+// Serialize the two factory constructions: each MediaPlayerFactory() runs VLC native discovery via
+// a JDK ServiceLoader, which is not thread-safe. Building both factories concurrently (e.g. vlcFactory
+// on the render thread while vlcPreviewFactory is built on the preview thread) corrupts the ServiceLoader
+// enumeration and throws NoSuchElementException from CompoundEnumeration.nextElement.
+private val vlcFactoryLock = Any()
+internal val vlcFactory: MediaPlayerFactory by lazy { synchronized(vlcFactoryLock) { MediaPlayerFactory() } }
 // No hardware acceleration - more secure for previews
-internal val vlcPreviewFactory: MediaPlayerFactory by lazy { MediaPlayerFactory("--avcodec-hw=none") }
+internal val vlcPreviewFactory: MediaPlayerFactory by lazy { synchronized(vlcFactoryLock) { MediaPlayerFactory("--avcodec-hw=none") } }
 
 actual class RecorderNative: RecorderInterface {
   private var player: MediaPlayer? = null
diff --git a/plans/2026-06-29-fix-desktop-video-vlc-factory-race.md b/plans/2026-06-29-fix-desktop-video-vlc-factory-race.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f75b962a4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plans/2026-06-29-fix-desktop-video-vlc-factory-race.md
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# Fix desktop crash when opening a video (VLC factory init race)
+
+## Problem (user-facing)
+
+Opening a video in full screen on desktop can crash the app with:
+
+```
+java.util.NoSuchElementException
+  at java.base/java.lang.CompoundEnumeration.nextElement
+  ... java.util.ServiceLoader ...
+  at uk.co.caprica.vlcj.factory.discovery.provider.DirectoryProviderDiscoveryStrategy.getSupportedProviders
+  at uk.co.caprica.vlcj.factory.MediaPlayerFactory.<init>
+  at chat.simplex.common.platform.RecAndPlay_desktopKt.vlcFactory_delegate$lambda$0(RecAndPlay.desktop.kt:16)
+```
+
+The crash is intermittent and originates from the lazy initialization of the shared
+`MediaPlayerFactory` while a video full-screen view is being composed.
+
+## Cause
+
+Each `MediaPlayerFactory()` constructor runs VLC native-library discovery, which iterates a
+JDK `ServiceLoader` over `DiscoveryDirectoryProvider`. `ServiceLoader` and the underlying
+`CompoundEnumeration` are **not thread-safe**: when two factory constructions run concurrently
+on different threads, one enumeration reports `hasNext() == true` and then throws
+`NoSuchElementException` from `nextElement()`.
+
+There are two factories on the desktop:
+
+- `vlcFactory` — used by the real audio/video players. Its lazy init is triggered on the
+  AWT/Compose render thread when a video is opened full screen
+  (`VideoPlayer.initializeMediaPlayerComponent` -> `RecAndPlay.desktop.kt:16`).
+- `vlcPreviewFactory` (`--avcodec-hw=none`) — used by preview snapshot helpers, whose lazy init
+  runs on the dedicated `previewThread` (`VideoPlayer.getOrCreateHelperPlayer`).
+
+The single-factory invariant established by #6739 ("use shared VLC media-player factory") was
+the original protection against concurrent factory construction. #6924 reintroduced a second
+factory (`vlcPreviewFactory`) for hardware-acceleration-free previews, reopening the race: the
+render thread can construct `vlcFactory` while `previewThread` constructs `vlcPreviewFactory`,
+producing two concurrent `ServiceLoader` discoveries and the crash.
+
+## Fix
+
+Serialize the two `MediaPlayerFactory()` constructions behind a shared lock so their
+native-discovery / `ServiceLoader` runs can never overlap:
+
+```kotlin
+private val vlcFactoryLock = Any()
+internal val vlcFactory: MediaPlayerFactory by lazy { synchronized(vlcFactoryLock) { MediaPlayerFactory() } }
+internal val vlcPreviewFactory: MediaPlayerFactory by lazy { synchronized(vlcFactoryLock) { MediaPlayerFactory("--avcodec-hw=none") } }
+```
+
+Both factories are preserved, including the preview factory's `--avcodec-hw=none` option. The
+lock guards only the one-time construction of each factory, so there is no steady-state
+contention once both are built.
+
+### Why this approach
+
+- **Minimal and intent-preserving.** Keeps both factories (preview still needs
+  `--avcodec-hw=none`) and only adds serialization, restoring the no-concurrent-construction
+  guarantee that #6739 relied on.
+- **Lazy-preserving.** Each factory is still built strictly on demand; the lock only matters in
+  the rare window where both initialize at the same time. A smaller diff (forcing
+  `vlcFactory` first inside the preview initializer) was rejected because it would eagerly
+  construct the main factory whenever a preview is generated and reads as dead code.
+
+### Known trade-off
+
+Because `vlcFactory` is initialized on the AWT/render thread, if `previewThread` is mid-construction
+of `vlcPreviewFactory` the render thread can briefly block on the lock until native discovery
+finishes. This replaces an intermittent crash with a rare, short stall — an acceptable trade.
+A more thorough follow-up would either collapse to a single factory (passing `:avcodec-hw=none`
+as a per-media option on preview prepare) or eagerly initialize both factories off the render
+thread at startup.
+
+## Scope
+
+- `apps/multiplatform/common/src/desktopMain/kotlin/chat/simplex/common/platform/RecAndPlay.desktop.kt`