diff --git a/.github/workflows/packages.yml b/.github/workflows/packages.yml
index 5018e7046..21642c491 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/packages.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/packages.yml
@@ -54,10 +54,33 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 concurrency:
-  # A pull request's newer push supersedes its older run. Runs on main are
-  # never cancelled: desktop-release.yml needs every main commit's own result.
-  group: packages-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.sha }}
-  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
+  # A pull request's newer push supersedes its older run.
+  #
+  # On main, desktop-release.yml waits for the Packages run of the newest
+  # first-parent commit that changed packages/desktop (#1398). A push whose
+  # commits touch packages/desktop/ therefore keeps its own group and is never
+  # cancelled. Every other push to main shares one group, so a newer one
+  # cancels it instead of queueing behind it. The test is conservative: any
+  # mention of packages/desktop/ in the push payload (file lists or messages)
+  # counts as a Desktop change. A push with no commit list, or with 20 or more
+  # commits (GitHub truncates the payload's list at 20, which could hide a
+  # Desktop change), keeps its own group. Merge queue groups and dispatches
+  # are never cancelled.
+  group: >-
+    packages-${{
+      github.event.pull_request.number
+      || (github.event_name == 'push'
+          && github.event.head_commit
+          && !github.event.commits[19]
+          && !contains(toJSON(github.event.commits), 'packages/desktop/')
+          && 'main-without-desktop')
+      || github.sha }}
+  cancel-in-progress: >-
+    ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        || (github.event_name == 'push'
+            && github.event.head_commit != null
+            && !github.event.commits[19]
+            && !contains(toJSON(github.event.commits), 'packages/desktop/')) }}
 
 env:
   PIP_DISABLE_PIP_VERSION_CHECK: "1"
diff --git a/tests/test_packages_concurrency.py b/tests/test_packages_concurrency.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bae67ecef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_packages_concurrency.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+"""Packages runs on main: only runs the Desktop release never reads are cancelled.
+
+desktop-release.yml waits for the Packages push run of the newest first-parent
+commit that changed packages/desktop (#1398). That run must never be cancelled.
+Any other main run may be superseded by a newer push.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import yaml
+
+WORKFLOW = (
+    Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / ".github" / "workflows" / "packages.yml"
+)
+
+
+def _concurrency() -> dict[str, str]:
+    return yaml.safe_load(WORKFLOW.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))["concurrency"]
+
+
+def test_desktop_changes_keep_their_own_uncancelled_group() -> None:
+    group = " ".join(_concurrency()["group"].split())
+    cancel = " ".join(_concurrency()["cancel-in-progress"].split())
+    desktop = "!contains(toJSON(github.event.commits), 'packages/desktop/')"
+    # GitHub truncates the payload's commit list at 20, so a push of 20 or more
+    # commits could hide a Desktop change: it keeps its own group.
+    short = "!github.event.commits[19]"
+    shared = f"github.event_name == 'push' && github.event.head_commit && {short} && {desktop}"
+    # Only a short push without a Desktop change joins the cancellable group.
+    assert f"{shared} && 'main-without-desktop'" in group
+    assert group.endswith("|| github.sha }}")
+    pushed = "github.event_name == 'push' && github.event.head_commit != null"
+    assert f"{pushed} && {short} && {desktop}" in cancel
+    # Merge queue groups and dispatches are never cancelled.
+    assert "merge_group" not in cancel and "workflow_dispatch" not in cancel