diff --git a/emain/emain-events.ts b/emain/emain-events.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..08d13cd4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/emain/emain-events.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+// Copyright 2025, Command Line Inc.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import { EventEmitter } from "events";
+
+interface GlobalEvents {
+    "windows-updated": () => void; // emitted whenever a window is opened/closed
+}
+
+class GlobalEventEmitter extends EventEmitter {
+    emit<K extends keyof GlobalEvents>(event: K, ...args: Parameters<GlobalEvents[K]>): boolean {
+        return super.emit(event, ...args);
+    }
+
+    on<K extends keyof GlobalEvents>(event: K, listener: GlobalEvents[K]): this {
+        return super.on(event, listener);
+    }
+
+    once<K extends keyof GlobalEvents>(event: K, listener: GlobalEvents[K]): this {
+        return super.once(event, listener);
+    }
+
+    off<K extends keyof GlobalEvents>(event: K, listener: GlobalEvents[K]): this {
+        return super.off(event, listener);
+    }
+}
+
+const globalEvents = new GlobalEventEmitter();
+
+export { globalEvents };
diff --git a/emain/emain-window.ts b/emain/emain-window.ts
index 4f95313e1..f3121e5e5 100644
--- a/emain/emain-window.ts
+++ b/emain/emain-window.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { ClientService, ObjectService, WindowService, WorkspaceService } from "@
 import { RpcApi } from "@/app/store/wshclientapi";
 import { fireAndForget } from "@/util/util";
 import { BaseWindow, BaseWindowConstructorOptions, dialog, globalShortcut, ipcMain, screen } from "electron";
+import { globalEvents } from "emain/emain-events";
 import path from "path";
 import { debounce } from "throttle-debounce";
 import {
@@ -293,6 +294,7 @@ export class WaveBrowserWindow extends BaseWindow {
                 console.log("win quitting or updating", this.waveWindowId);
                 return;
             }
+            setTimeout(() => globalEvents.emit("windows-updated"), 50);
             waveWindowMap.delete(this.waveWindowId);
             if (focusedWaveWindow == this) {
                 focusedWaveWindow = null;
@@ -309,6 +311,7 @@ export class WaveBrowserWindow extends BaseWindow {
             }
         });
         waveWindowMap.set(waveWindow.oid, this);
+        setTimeout(() => globalEvents.emit("windows-updated"), 50);
     }
 
     private removeAllChildViews() {
diff --git a/emain/emain.ts b/emain/emain.ts
index 90425ebb9..41ea190c6 100644
--- a/emain/emain.ts
+++ b/emain/emain.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import { RpcApi } from "@/app/store/wshclientapi";
 import * as electron from "electron";
+import { globalEvents } from "emain/emain-events";
 import { FastAverageColor } from "fast-average-color";
 import fs from "fs";
 import * as child_process from "node:child_process";
@@ -572,6 +573,17 @@ process.on("uncaughtException", (error) => {
     electronApp.quit();
 });
 
+let lastWaveWindowCount = 0;
+globalEvents.on("windows-updated", () => {
+    const wwCount = getAllWaveWindows().length;
+    if (wwCount == lastWaveWindowCount) {
+        return;
+    }
+    lastWaveWindowCount = wwCount;
+    console.log("windows-updated", wwCount);
+    makeAppMenu();
+});
+
 async function appMain() {
     // Set disableHardwareAcceleration as early as possible, if required.
     const launchSettings = getLaunchSettings();
diff --git a/emain/menu.ts b/emain/menu.ts
index 3fdfbc274..2a3964eb5 100644
--- a/emain/menu.ts
+++ b/emain/menu.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
     createNewWaveWindow,
     createWorkspace,
     focusedWaveWindow,
+    getAllWaveWindows,
     getWaveWindowByWorkspaceId,
     relaunchBrowserWindows,
     WaveBrowserWindow,
@@ -67,7 +68,11 @@ async function getWorkspaceMenu(ww?: WaveBrowserWindow): Promise<Electron.MenuIt
     return workspaceMenu;
 }
 
-async function getAppMenu(callbacks: AppMenuCallbacks, workspaceId?: string): Promise<Electron.Menu> {
+async function getAppMenu(
+    numWaveWindows: number,
+    callbacks: AppMenuCallbacks,
+    workspaceId?: string
+): Promise<Electron.Menu> {
     const ww = workspaceId && getWaveWindowByWorkspaceId(workspaceId);
     const fileMenu: Electron.MenuItemConstructorOptions[] = [
         {
@@ -83,6 +88,22 @@ async function getAppMenu(callbacks: AppMenuCallbacks, workspaceId?: string): Pr
             },
         },
     ];
+    if (numWaveWindows == 0) {
+        fileMenu.push({
+            label: "New Window (hidden-1)",
+            accelerator: unamePlatform === "darwin" ? "Command+N" : "Alt+N",
+            acceleratorWorksWhenHidden: true,
+            visible: false,
+            click: () => fireAndForget(callbacks.createNewWaveWindow),
+        });
+        fileMenu.push({
+            label: "New Window (hidden-2)",
+            accelerator: unamePlatform === "darwin" ? "Command+T" : "Alt+T",
+            acceleratorWorksWhenHidden: true,
+            visible: false,
+            click: () => fireAndForget(callbacks.createNewWaveWindow),
+        });
+    }
     const appMenu: Electron.MenuItemConstructorOptions[] = [
         {
             label: "About Wave Terminal",
@@ -299,8 +320,9 @@ async function getAppMenu(callbacks: AppMenuCallbacks, workspaceId?: string): Pr
     return electron.Menu.buildFromTemplate(menuTemplate);
 }
 
-export function instantiateAppMenu(workspaceId?: string): Promise<electron.Menu> {
+export function instantiateAppMenu(numWindows: number, workspaceId?: string): Promise<electron.Menu> {
     return getAppMenu(
+        numWindows,
         {
             createNewWaveWindow,
             relaunchBrowserWindows,
@@ -311,7 +333,8 @@ export function instantiateAppMenu(workspaceId?: string): Promise<electron.Menu>
 
 export function makeAppMenu() {
     fireAndForget(async () => {
-        const menu = await instantiateAppMenu();
+        const wwCount = getAllWaveWindows().length;
+        const menu = await instantiateAppMenu(wwCount);
         electron.Menu.setApplicationMenu(menu);
     });
 }
@@ -351,10 +374,11 @@ electron.ipcMain.on("contextmenu-show", (event, workspaceId: string, menuDefArr?
     if (menuDefArr?.length === 0) {
         return;
     }
+    const wwCount = getAllWaveWindows().length;
     fireAndForget(async () => {
         const menu = menuDefArr
             ? convertMenuDefArrToMenu(workspaceId, menuDefArr)
-            : await instantiateAppMenu(workspaceId);
+            : await instantiateAppMenu(wwCount, workspaceId);
         menu.popup();
     });
     event.returnValue = true;