diff --git a/src/onedrive_gui/gui_settings_window.py b/src/onedrive_gui/gui_settings_window.py
index 8a6e52a..9984040 100644
--- a/src/onedrive_gui/gui_settings_window.py
+++ b/src/onedrive_gui/gui_settings_window.py
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ class GuiSettingsWindow(QWidget, Ui_gui_settings_window):
         self.checkBox_autostart_enabled.setChecked(self.get_check_box_state("autostart_enabled"))
         self.checkBox_autostart_enabled.stateChanged.connect(self.handle_autostart_change)
 
+        self.checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit.setChecked(self.get_check_box_state("stop_clients_on_exit"))
+        self.checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit.stateChanged.connect(self.set_check_box_state)
+
         self.lineEdit_client_bin_path.setText(gui_settings.get("client_bin_path"))
         self.lineEdit_client_bin_path.textChanged.connect(self.set_client_bin_path)
         self.pushButton_client_bin_path.clicked.connect(self.get_bin_path)
diff --git a/src/onedrive_gui/main_window.py b/src/onedrive_gui/main_window.py
index 8546dda..9198e18 100644
--- a/src/onedrive_gui/main_window.py
+++ b/src/onedrive_gui/main_window.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from .ui.ui_external_login import Ui_ExternalLoginWindow
 
 import re
 import os
+import signal
 import sys
 
 import requests
@@ -215,8 +216,16 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow, Ui_MainWindow):
 
         # Stop the clients and their worker threads before the application is torn
         # down; destroying a QThread that is still running aborts the process.
+        # Whether the clients are stopped (or left running in the background) is
+        # controlled by the 'stop_clients_on_exit' setting.
         QApplication.instance().aboutToQuit.connect(self.stop_all_workers)
 
+        # End-of-session signals: the desktop environment sends SIGTERM/SIGHUP to
+        # the session processes on logout. The Python handler only schedules the
+        # shutdown; the actual work happens in the event loop.
+        for termination_signal in (signal.SIGTERM, signal.SIGHUP):
+            signal.signal(termination_signal, lambda *_: QTimer.singleShot(0, self.shutdown_from_signal))
+
         self.refresh_process_status = QTimer()
         self.refresh_process_status.setSingleShot(False)
         self.refresh_process_status.timeout.connect(self.onedrive_process_status)
@@ -299,16 +308,33 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow, Ui_MainWindow):
 
         if close_question == QMessageBox.Yes:
             logging.info("Quitting OneDriveGUI")
-            self.stop_all_workers()
+            self.stop_all_workers(force=True)
             QApplication.instance().quit()
 
         elif close_question == QMessageBox.No:
             logging.info("[GUI] Keeping OneDriveGUI running.")
 
-    def stop_all_workers(self):
+    def stop_all_workers(self, force=False):
+        """
+        Stop every running worker and its OneDrive client.
+
+        Unless `force` is set, the 'stop_clients_on_exit' setting decides whether
+        the clients are stopped or left running in the background for the next
+        OneDriveGUI start to reconnect to.
+        """
+        if not force and gui_settings.get("stop_clients_on_exit") == "False":
+            logging.info("[GUI] Leaving the OneDrive clients running (stop on exit disabled)")
+            return
+
         for profile_name in list(workers):
             workers[profile_name].stop_worker()
 
+    def shutdown_from_signal(self):
+        """Shut down without asking: the session is ending (SIGTERM/SIGHUP)."""
+        logging.info("[GUI] Termination signal received - shutting down")
+        self.stop_all_workers()
+        QApplication.instance().quit()
+
     def stop_onedrive_monitor(self, profile_name):
         if profile_name in workers:
             workers[profile_name].stop_worker()
diff --git a/src/onedrive_gui/settings/gui_settings.py b/src/onedrive_gui/settings/gui_settings.py
index 56f26b0..8e324fa 100644
--- a/src/onedrive_gui/settings/gui_settings.py
+++ b/src/onedrive_gui/settings/gui_settings.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ class GuiSettings:
             "debug_level": "DEBUG",
             "client_bin_path": "onedrive",
             "QWebEngine_login": "False",
+            "stop_clients_on_exit": "True",
             "autostart_enabled": "False",
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/onedrive_gui/ui/gui_settings_window.ui b/src/onedrive_gui/ui/gui_settings_window.ui
index d33b182..102a5fb 100644
--- a/src/onedrive_gui/ui/gui_settings_window.ui
+++ b/src/onedrive_gui/ui/gui_settings_window.ui
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@
          <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_3">
           <item>
            <layout class="QFormLayout" name="formLayout">
+            <item row="2" column="0">
+             <widget class="QCheckBox" name="checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit">
+              <property name="toolTip">
+               <string>Stop the OneDrive client of every profile when OneDriveGUI exits or the session logs out. The client finishes in-flight transfers before it exits.&lt;br/&gt;When disabled, the clients keep running in the background; OneDriveGUI offers to reconnect to them on the next start.</string>
+              </property>
+              <property name="text">
+               <string>Stop OneDrive clients when OneDriveGUI exits</string>
+              </property>
+             </widget>
+            </item>
+
             <item row="0" column="0">
              <widget class="QCheckBox" name="checkBox_start_minimized">
               <property name="text">
diff --git a/src/onedrive_gui/ui/ui_gui_settings_window.py b/src/onedrive_gui/ui/ui_gui_settings_window.py
index 3b80462..809d0bc 100644
--- a/src/onedrive_gui/ui/ui_gui_settings_window.py
+++ b/src/onedrive_gui/ui/ui_gui_settings_window.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ################################################################################
 ## Form generated from reading UI file 'gui_settings_window.ui'
 ##
-## Created by: Qt User Interface Compiler version 6.10.0
+## Created by: Qt User Interface Compiler version 6.11.1
 ##
 ## WARNING! All changes made in this file will be lost when recompiling UI file!
 ################################################################################
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ class Ui_gui_settings_window(object):
         self.verticalLayout_3.setObjectName(u"verticalLayout_3")
         self.formLayout = QFormLayout()
         self.formLayout.setObjectName(u"formLayout")
+        self.checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit = QCheckBox(self.groupBox)
+        self.checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit.setObjectName(u"checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit")
+
+        self.formLayout.setWidget(2, QFormLayout.ItemRole.LabelRole, self.checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit)
+
         self.checkBox_start_minimized = QCheckBox(self.groupBox)
         self.checkBox_start_minimized.setObjectName(u"checkBox_start_minimized")
 
@@ -232,6 +237,10 @@ class Ui_gui_settings_window(object):
     def retranslateUi(self, gui_settings_window):
         gui_settings_window.setWindowTitle(QCoreApplication.translate("gui_settings_window", u"OneDriveGUI - Settings", None))
         self.groupBox.setTitle(QCoreApplication.translate("gui_settings_window", u"OneDriveGUI behaviour", None))
+#if QT_CONFIG(tooltip)
+        self.checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit.setToolTip(QCoreApplication.translate("gui_settings_window", u"Stop the OneDrive client of every profile when OneDriveGUI exits or the session logs out. The client finishes in-flight transfers before it exits.<br/>When disabled, the clients keep running in the background; OneDriveGUI offers to reconnect to them on the next start.", None))
+#endif // QT_CONFIG(tooltip)
+        self.checkBox_stop_clients_on_exit.setText(QCoreApplication.translate("gui_settings_window", u"Stop OneDrive clients when OneDriveGUI exits", None))
         self.checkBox_start_minimized.setText(QCoreApplication.translate("gui_settings_window", u"Start OneDriveGUI minimized", None))
         self.checkBox_autostart_enabled.setText(QCoreApplication.translate("gui_settings_window", u"Start OneDriveGUI automatically on login", None))
         self.groupBox_4.setTitle(QCoreApplication.translate("gui_settings_window", u"OneDrive client options", None))