diff --git a/shell/windows/LayersShell/App.xaml.cs b/shell/windows/LayersShell/App.xaml.cs
index 109b776..7fd773e 100644
--- a/shell/windows/LayersShell/App.xaml.cs
+++ b/shell/windows/LayersShell/App.xaml.cs
@@ -13,11 +13,13 @@ public partial class App : Application
         Log("App ctor enter");
         try
         {
-            InitializeComponent();
+            AppDomain.CurrentDomain.FirstChanceException += (_, e) =>
+                Log($"FirstChance: {e.Exception.GetType().Name}: {e.Exception.Message}");
             AppDomain.CurrentDomain.UnhandledException += (_, e) =>
                 Log($"UnhandledException: {e.ExceptionObject}");
             UnhandledException += (_, e) =>
                 Log($"XAML UnhandledException: {e.Exception}");
+            InitializeComponent();
             Log("App ctor ok");
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
diff --git a/shell/windows/LayersShell/LayersShell.csproj b/shell/windows/LayersShell/LayersShell.csproj
index 836bb76..f39d3aa 100644
--- a/shell/windows/LayersShell/LayersShell.csproj
+++ b/shell/windows/LayersShell/LayersShell.csproj
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     <EnableMsixTooling>true</EnableMsixTooling>
     <WindowsPackageType>None</WindowsPackageType>
     <WindowsAppSDKSelfContained>true</WindowsAppSDKSelfContained>
+    <DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);DISABLE_XAML_GENERATED_MAIN</DefineConstants>
     <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
     <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
     <PublishReadyToRun>true</PublishReadyToRun>
diff --git a/shell/windows/LayersShell/Program.cs b/shell/windows/LayersShell/Program.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2954758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/windows/LayersShell/Program.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+using System;
+using System.Threading;
+using Microsoft.UI.Dispatching;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml;
+
+namespace LayersShell;
+
+public static class Program
+{
+    [STAThread]
+    static void Main(string[] args)
+    {
+        App.Log($"Main enter (args={args.Length})");
+        try
+        {
+            WinRT.ComWrappersSupport.InitializeComWrappers();
+            App.Log("ComWrappers initialised");
+            Application.Start(_ =>
+            {
+                App.Log("Application.Start callback enter");
+                var ctx = new DispatcherQueueSynchronizationContext(DispatcherQueue.GetForCurrentThread());
+                SynchronizationContext.SetSynchronizationContext(ctx);
+                App.Log("SyncContext set — creating App");
+                _ = new App();
+                App.Log("App instance created");
+            });
+            App.Log("Application.Start returned");
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            App.Log($"Main FAILED: {ex}");
+            throw;
+        }
+    }
+}