diff --git a/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/default.nix b/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/default.nix
index 98a04dff8f89..0595f2ea99f8 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/default.nix
@@ -1,13 +1,29 @@
-{ appimageTools, buildFHSUserEnv, extraPkgs ? pkgs: [], appimage-run-tests ? null }:
+{ appimageTools, buildFHSUserEnv, makeDesktopItem, extraPkgs ? pkgs: [], appimage-run-tests ? null }:
 
 let
-  fhsArgs = appimageTools.defaultFhsEnvArgs;
-in buildFHSUserEnv (fhsArgs // {
   name = "appimage-run";
 
+  fhsArgs = appimageTools.defaultFhsEnvArgs;
+
+  desktopItem = makeDesktopItem {
+    inherit name;
+    exec = name;
+    desktopName = name;
+    genericName = "AppImage runner";
+    noDisplay = true;
+    mimeTypes = ["application/vnd.appimage" "application/x-iso9660-appimage"];
+    categories = ["PackageManager" "Utility"];
+  };
+in buildFHSUserEnv (fhsArgs // {
+  inherit name;
+
   targetPkgs = pkgs: [ appimageTools.appimage-exec ]
     ++ fhsArgs.targetPkgs pkgs ++ extraPkgs pkgs;
   runScript = "appimage-exec.sh";
 
+  extraInstallCommands = ''
+    cp --recursive "${desktopItem}/share" "$out/"
+  '';
+
   passthru.tests.appimage-run = appimage-run-tests;
 })
diff --git a/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/test.nix b/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/test.nix
index 34c5ab777268..8a6e27095123 100644
--- a/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/test.nix
+++ b/pkgs/tools/package-management/appimage-run/test.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ runCommand, fetchurl, appimage-run, glibcLocales, file }:
+{ runCommand, fetchurl, appimage-run, glibcLocales, file, xdg-utils }:
 let
   # any AppImage usable on cli, really
   sample-appImage = fetchurl {
@@ -11,21 +11,27 @@ let
   };
 in
   runCommand "appimage-run-tests" {
-    buildInputs = [ appimage-run glibcLocales file ];
+    buildInputs = [ appimage-run glibcLocales file xdg-utils ];
     meta.platforms = [ "x86_64-linux" ];
   }
   ''
     export HOME=$(mktemp -d)
     set -x
+
     # regression test for #101137, must come first
     LANG=fr_FR appimage-run ${sample-appImage} --list ${sample-appImage}
+
     # regression test for #108426
     cp ${sample-appImage} foo.appImage
     LANG=fr_FR appimage-run ${sample-appImage} --list foo.appImage
     cp ${owdtest} owdtest.AppImage.gz
     gunzip owdtest.AppImage.gz
     appimage-run owdtest.AppImage
+
+    # Verify desktop entry
+    XDG_DATA_DIRS="${appimage-run}/share"
+    [[ "$(xdg-mime query default application/vnd.appimage)" == '${appimage-run.name}.desktop' ]]
+
     set +x
     touch $out
   ''
-