diff --git a/static/index.js b/static/index.js
index b9d53e418..6b5e387ef 100644
--- a/static/index.js
+++ b/static/index.js
@@ -159,24 +159,25 @@ app.on('will-finish-launching', () => {
 
 app.on('ready', () => {
   // If we delegate to the launcher, shut down this instance of the app.
-  if (delegateToLauncher(argv)) {
-    app.quit();
-    return;
-  }
-
-  appReady = true;
-  app.commandLine.appendSwitch('scroll-bounce');
-  tryCreateWindow();
-  // if in development install the react devtools extension
-  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
-    const {
-      default: installExtension,
-      REACT_DEVELOPER_TOOLS,
-      REDUX_DEVTOOLS,
-    } = require('electron-devtools-installer');
-    installExtension(REACT_DEVELOPER_TOOLS.id);
-    installExtension(REDUX_DEVTOOLS.id);
-  }
+  delegateToLauncher(argv).then(hasLauncherInvoked => {
+    if (hasLauncherInvoked) {
+      app.quit();
+      return;
+    }
+    appReady = true;
+    app.commandLine.appendSwitch('scroll-bounce');
+    tryCreateWindow();
+    // if in development install the react devtools extension
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
+      const {
+        default: installExtension,
+        REACT_DEVELOPER_TOOLS,
+        REDUX_DEVTOOLS,
+      } = require('electron-devtools-installer');
+      installExtension(REACT_DEVELOPER_TOOLS.id);
+      installExtension(REDUX_DEVTOOLS.id);
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 ipcMain.on('componentDidMount', event => {
diff --git a/static/launcher.js b/static/launcher.js
index 79980d5c0..512cf6a06 100644
--- a/static/launcher.js
+++ b/static/launcher.js
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@
 
 const os = require('os');
 const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+const promisify = require('util').promisify;
 const {spawn} = require('child_process');
+const xdg = require('xdg-basedir');
+const mkdirp = require('mkdirp');
 
 const isProduction = () =>
   !/node_modules[\\/]electron[\\/]/.test(process.execPath);
@@ -38,12 +42,42 @@ const startLauncher = argv => {
   }
 };
 
+const checkIsCycle = async () => {
+  const dir = path.join(xdg.cache, 'flipper');
+  const filePath = path.join(dir, 'last-launcher-run');
+  // This isn't monotonically increasing, so there's a change we get time drift
+  // between the checks, but the worst case here is that we do two roundtrips
+  // before this check works.
+  const rightNow = Date.now();
+
+  let backThen;
+  try {
+    backThen = parseInt(await promisify(fs.readFile)(filePath), 10);
+  } catch (e) {
+    backThen = 0;
+  }
+
+  const delta = rightNow - backThen;
+  await promisify(mkdirp)(dir);
+  await promisify(fs.writeFile)(filePath, rightNow);
+
+  // If the last startup was less than 5s ago, something's not okay.
+  return Math.abs(delta) < 5000;
+};
+
 /**
  * Runs the launcher if required and returns a boolean based on whether
  * it has. You should shut down this instance of the app in that case.
  */
-module.exports = function delegateToLauncher(argv) {
+module.exports = async function delegateToLauncher(argv) {
   if (argv.launcher && isProduction() && isLauncherInstalled()) {
+    if (await checkIsCycle()) {
+      console.error(
+        'Launcher cycle detected. Not delegating even though I usually would.',
+      );
+      return false;
+    }
+
     console.warn('Delegating to Flipper Launcher ...');
     console.warn(
       `You can disable this behavior by passing '--no-launcher' at startup.`,
diff --git a/static/package.json b/static/package.json
index 0ef4d5ef9..1373844f9 100644
--- a/static/package.json
+++ b/static/package.json
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@
     "@babel/preset-react": "^7.0.0",
     "expand-tilde": "^2.0.2",
     "metro": "^0.49.0",
-    "recursive-readdir": "2.2.2"
+    "mkdirp": "^0.5.1",
+    "recursive-readdir": "2.2.2",
+    "xdg-basedir": "^3.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {},
   "resolutions": {
diff --git a/static/yarn.lock b/static/yarn.lock
index 73eac3959..45b849a01 100644
--- a/static/yarn.lock
+++ b/static/yarn.lock
@@ -3182,6 +3182,11 @@ ws@^1.1.0:
     options ">=0.0.5"
     ultron "1.0.x"
 
+xdg-basedir@^3.0.0:
+  version "3.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/xdg-basedir/-/xdg-basedir-3.0.0.tgz#496b2cc109eca8dbacfe2dc72b603c17c5870ad4"
+  integrity sha1-SWsswQnsqNus/i3HK2A8F8WHCtQ=
+
 xpipe@^1.0.5:
   version "1.0.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/xpipe/-/xpipe-1.0.5.tgz#8dd8bf45fc3f7f55f0e054b878f43a62614dafdf"
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 840b00227..88a0ddff2 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -7558,6 +7558,7 @@ ws@~3.3.1:
 xdg-basedir@^3.0.0:
   version "3.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/xdg-basedir/-/xdg-basedir-3.0.0.tgz#496b2cc109eca8dbacfe2dc72b603c17c5870ad4"
+  integrity sha1-SWsswQnsqNus/i3HK2A8F8WHCtQ=
 
 xml-name-validator@^3.0.0:
   version "3.0.0"