diff --git a/.changes/config.json b/.changes/config.json
index eb8bdeb0c..9376b807a 100644
--- a/.changes/config.json
+++ b/.changes/config.json
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
   "timeout": 3600000,
   "pkgManagers": {
     "rust": {
-      "errorOnVersionRange": "^2.0.0-0",
       "version": true,
       "getPublishedVersion": "cargo search ${ pkgFile.pkg.package.name } --limit 1 | sed -nE \"s/^[^\\\"]*\\\"//; s/\\\".*//1p\"",
       "prepublish": [
@@ -78,7 +77,6 @@
       ]
     },
     "javascript": {
-      "errorOnVersionRange": "^2.0.0-0",
       "version": true,
       "getPublishedVersion": "npm view ${ pkgFile.pkg.name } version",
       "prepublish": [
diff --git a/.changes/refactor-setup.md b/.changes/refactor-setup.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..657cf32d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/refactor-setup.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"tauri": major
+---
+
+**Breaking change:** The window creation and setup hook are now called when the event loop is ready.
diff --git a/core/tauri/src/app.rs b/core/tauri/src/app.rs
index 7084b0924..9e9e4a811 100644
--- a/core/tauri/src/app.rs
+++ b/core/tauri/src/app.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ use tauri_utils::PackageInfo;
 
 use std::{
   collections::HashMap,
+  fmt,
   path::{Path, PathBuf},
   sync::{mpsc::Sender, Arc, Weak},
 };
@@ -526,9 +527,10 @@ impl<R: Runtime> ManagerBase<R> for AppHandle<R> {
 ///
 /// This type implements [`Manager`] which allows for manipulation of global application items.
 #[default_runtime(crate::Wry, wry)]
-#[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct App<R: Runtime> {
   runtime: Option<R>,
+  pending_windows: Option<Vec<PendingWindow<EventLoopMessage, R>>>,
+  setup: Option<SetupHook<R>>,
   manager: WindowManager<R>,
   #[cfg(all(desktop, feature = "global-shortcut"))]
   global_shortcut_manager: R::GlobalShortcutManager,
@@ -537,6 +539,22 @@ pub struct App<R: Runtime> {
   handle: AppHandle<R>,
 }
 
+impl<R: Runtime> fmt::Debug for App<R> {
+  fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
+    let mut d = f.debug_struct("App");
+    d.field("runtime", &self.runtime)
+      .field("manager", &self.manager)
+      .field("handle", &self.handle);
+
+    #[cfg(all(desktop, feature = "global-shortcut"))]
+    d.field("global_shortcut_manager", &self.global_shortcut_manager);
+    #[cfg(feature = "clipboard")]
+    d.field("clipboard_manager", &self.clipboard_manager);
+
+    d.finish()
+  }
+}
+
 impl<R: Runtime> Manager<R> for App<R> {}
 impl<R: Runtime> ManagerBase<R> for App<R> {
   fn manager(&self) -> &WindowManager<R> {
@@ -544,7 +562,11 @@ impl<R: Runtime> ManagerBase<R> for App<R> {
   }
 
   fn runtime(&self) -> RuntimeOrDispatch<'_, R> {
-    RuntimeOrDispatch::Runtime(self.runtime.as_ref().unwrap())
+    if let Some(runtime) = self.runtime.as_ref() {
+      RuntimeOrDispatch::Runtime(runtime)
+    } else {
+      self.handle.runtime()
+    }
   }
 
   fn managed_app_handle(&self) -> AppHandle<R> {
@@ -775,6 +797,17 @@ impl<R: Runtime> App<R> {
     let app_handle = self.handle();
     let manager = self.manager.clone();
     self.runtime.take().unwrap().run(move |event| match event {
+      RuntimeRunEvent::Ready => {
+        if let Err(e) = setup(&mut self) {
+          panic!("Failed to setup app: {}", e);
+        }
+        on_event_loop_event(
+          &app_handle,
+          RuntimeRunEvent::Ready,
+          &manager,
+          Some(&mut callback),
+        );
+      }
       RuntimeRunEvent::Exit => {
         on_event_loop_event(
           &app_handle,
@@ -1460,8 +1493,11 @@ impl<R: Runtime> Builder<R> {
     #[cfg(feature = "clipboard")]
     let clipboard_manager = runtime.clipboard_manager();
 
+    #[allow(unused_mut)]
     let mut app = App {
       runtime: Some(runtime),
+      pending_windows: Some(self.pending_windows),
+      setup: Some(self.setup),
       manager: manager.clone(),
       #[cfg(all(desktop, feature = "global-shortcut"))]
       global_shortcut_manager: global_shortcut_manager.clone(),
@@ -1551,26 +1587,6 @@ impl<R: Runtime> Builder<R> {
 
     app.manager.initialize_plugins(&app.handle())?;
 
-    let window_labels = self
-      .pending_windows
-      .iter()
-      .map(|p| p.label.clone())
-      .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-
-    for pending in self.pending_windows {
-      let pending =
-        app
-          .manager
-          .prepare_window(app.handle.clone(), pending, &window_labels, None)?;
-      let detached = app.runtime.as_ref().unwrap().create_window(pending)?;
-      let _window = app.manager.attach_window(app.handle(), detached);
-    }
-
-    (self.setup)(&mut app).map_err(|e| crate::Error::Setup(e.into()))?;
-
-    #[cfg(updater)]
-    app.run_updater();
-
     Ok(app)
   }
 
@@ -1593,6 +1609,38 @@ unsafe impl HasRawDisplayHandle for App {
   }
 }
 
+fn setup<R: Runtime>(app: &mut App<R>) -> crate::Result<()> {
+  let pending_windows = app.pending_windows.take();
+  if let Some(pending_windows) = pending_windows {
+    let window_labels = pending_windows
+      .iter()
+      .map(|p| p.label.clone())
+      .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+    for pending in pending_windows {
+      let pending =
+        app
+          .manager
+          .prepare_window(app.handle.clone(), pending, &window_labels, None)?;
+      let detached = if let RuntimeOrDispatch::RuntimeHandle(runtime) = app.handle().runtime() {
+        runtime.create_window(pending)?
+      } else {
+        // the AppHandle's runtime is always RuntimeOrDispatch::RuntimeHandle
+        unreachable!()
+      };
+      let _window = app.manager.attach_window(app.handle(), detached);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if let Some(setup) = app.setup.take() {
+    (setup)(app).map_err(|e| crate::Error::Setup(e.into()))?;
+  }
+
+  #[cfg(updater)]
+  app.run_updater();
+  Ok(())
+}
+
 fn on_event_loop_event<R: Runtime, F: FnMut(&AppHandle<R>, RunEvent) + 'static>(
   app_handle: &AppHandle<R>,
   event: RuntimeRunEvent<EventLoopMessage>,
diff --git a/core/tauri/src/test/mod.rs b/core/tauri/src/test/mod.rs
index 61aa59664..bf0bb33e0 100644
--- a/core/tauri/src/test/mod.rs
+++ b/core/tauri/src/test/mod.rs
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ use std::{borrow::Cow, sync::Arc};
 
 #[cfg(shell_scope)]
 use crate::ShellScopeConfig;
-use crate::{Manager, Pattern};
+use crate::{Manager, Pattern, WindowBuilder};
 use tauri_utils::{
   assets::{AssetKey, Assets, CspHash},
-  config::{CliConfig, Config, PatternKind, TauriConfig},
+  config::{CliConfig, Config, PatternKind, TauriConfig, WindowUrl},
 };
 
 pub struct NoopAsset {
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ pub fn mock_context<A: Assets>(assets: A) -> crate::Context<A> {
       package: Default::default(),
       tauri: TauriConfig {
         pattern: PatternKind::Brownfield,
-        windows: vec![Default::default()],
+        windows: Vec::new(),
         cli: Some(CliConfig {
           description: None,
           long_description: None,
@@ -86,9 +86,15 @@ pub fn mock_context<A: Assets>(assets: A) -> crate::Context<A> {
 }
 
 pub fn mock_app() -> crate::App<MockRuntime> {
-  crate::Builder::<MockRuntime>::new()
+  let app = crate::Builder::<MockRuntime>::new()
     .build(mock_context(noop_assets()))
-    .unwrap()
+    .unwrap();
+
+  WindowBuilder::new(&app, "main", WindowUrl::App("index.html".into()))
+    .build()
+    .unwrap();
+
+  app
 }
 
 pub(crate) fn mock_invoke_context() -> crate::endpoints::InvokeContext<MockRuntime> {