diff --git a/server/dev-server.mjs b/server/dev-server.mjs
index b61b134..b03c031 100644
--- a/server/dev-server.mjs
+++ b/server/dev-server.mjs
@@ -405,6 +405,40 @@ app.get("/api/apps", (req, res) => {
   res.json({ apps: getAppsForUser(sessionAccess.runtimeContext.groups) });
 });
 
+app.get("/api/services/:serviceSlug/optional-launch", (req, res) => {
+  const serviceSlug = sanitizeServiceSlug(req.params.serviceSlug);
+  const fallbackPath = req.query.fallbackTo || req.query.returnTo || "/";
+  const fallbackUrl = buildOptionalServiceFallbackUrl(serviceSlug, null, fallbackPath);
+  const session = getCurrentSession(req);
+
+  if (!session) {
+    setNoStore(res);
+    res.redirect(fallbackUrl);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const sessionAccess = getSessionAccessState(session);
+
+  if (!sessionAccess.ok) {
+    expireSession(res, session);
+    setNoStore(res);
+    res.redirect(fallbackUrl);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const runtimeContext = sessionAccess.runtimeContext;
+  const app = getAppsForUser(runtimeContext.groups).find((candidate) => candidate.slug === serviceSlug);
+  const appFallbackUrl = buildOptionalServiceFallbackUrl(serviceSlug, app, fallbackPath);
+
+  if (!app || !app.hasAccess || app.status !== "active") {
+    setNoStore(res);
+    res.redirect(appFallbackUrl);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  redirectToServiceLaunchTarget(res, serviceSlug, runtimeContext, app, req.query.next_path || req.query.returnTo || "/");
+});
+
 app.get("/api/services/:serviceSlug/launch", requireSession, (req, res) => {
   const serviceSlug = sanitizeServiceSlug(req.params.serviceSlug);
   const runtimeContext = getRuntimeSessionContext(req.nodedcSession);
@@ -415,53 +449,7 @@ app.get("/api/services/:serviceSlug/launch", requireSession, (req, res) => {
     return;
   }
 
-  if (isEngineServiceSlug(serviceSlug)) {
-    const handoffToken = createServiceHandoff("nodedc", runtimeContext.user);
-    const targetUrl = new URL("/auth/nodedc/handoff/", getEngineLaunchTargetUrl(app));
-    const nextPath = sanitizeReturnTo(req.query.next_path || req.query.returnTo || "/");
-
-    targetUrl.searchParams.set("token", handoffToken);
-
-    if (nextPath && nextPath !== "/") {
-      targetUrl.searchParams.set("next_path", nextPath);
-    }
-
-    res.redirect(targetUrl.toString());
-    return;
-  }
-
-  if (isBimViewerServiceSlug(serviceSlug)) {
-    const handoffToken = createServiceHandoff(serviceSlug, runtimeContext.user);
-    const targetUrl = new URL("/auth/nodedc/handoff", getBimViewerBaseUrl(app));
-    const nextPath = sanitizeReturnTo(req.query.next_path || req.query.returnTo || "/");
-
-    targetUrl.searchParams.set("token", handoffToken);
-
-    if (nextPath && nextPath !== "/") {
-      targetUrl.searchParams.set("next_path", nextPath);
-    }
-
-    res.redirect(targetUrl.toString());
-    return;
-  }
-
-  if (serviceSlug !== "task-manager") {
-    res.redirect(app.openUrl || app.url || "/");
-    return;
-  }
-
-  const handoffToken = createServiceHandoff(serviceSlug, runtimeContext.user);
-  const taskBaseUrl = getTaskBaseUrl();
-  const targetUrl = new URL("/auth/nodedc/handoff/", taskBaseUrl);
-  const nextPath = sanitizeReturnTo(req.query.next_path || req.query.returnTo || "/");
-
-  targetUrl.searchParams.set("token", handoffToken);
-
-  if (nextPath && nextPath !== "/") {
-    targetUrl.searchParams.set("next_path", nextPath);
-  }
-
-  res.redirect(targetUrl.toString());
+  redirectToServiceLaunchTarget(res, serviceSlug, runtimeContext, app, req.query.next_path || req.query.returnTo || "/");
 });
 
 app.post("/api/internal/handoff/consume", (req, res) => {
@@ -3126,6 +3114,88 @@ function getBimViewerBaseUrl(app = null) {
   ).replace(/\/$/, "");
 }
 
+function findServiceCatalogAppBySlug(serviceSlug) {
+  const slug = sanitizeServiceSlug(serviceSlug);
+
+  try {
+    const snapshot = controlPlaneStore.getSnapshot({ name: "NODE.DC optional service fallback" });
+    return snapshot.data.services.find((candidate) => sanitizeServiceSlug(candidate.slug) === slug) || null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function buildOptionalServiceFallbackUrl(serviceSlug, app, fallbackPath) {
+  const path = sanitizeReturnTo(fallbackPath || "/");
+  const serviceApp = app || findServiceCatalogAppBySlug(serviceSlug);
+  let baseUrl = config.appBaseUrl;
+
+  if (isBimViewerServiceSlug(serviceSlug)) {
+    baseUrl = getBimViewerBaseUrl(serviceApp);
+  } else if (isEngineServiceSlug(serviceSlug)) {
+    baseUrl = getEngineLaunchTargetUrl(serviceApp);
+  } else if (serviceSlug === "task-manager") {
+    baseUrl = getTaskBaseUrl();
+  } else if (serviceApp?.openUrl || serviceApp?.url) {
+    baseUrl = serviceApp.openUrl || serviceApp.url;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    return new URL(path, String(baseUrl || config.appBaseUrl).replace(/\/$/, "")).toString();
+  } catch {
+    return new URL("/", config.appBaseUrl).toString();
+  }
+}
+
+function redirectToServiceLaunchTarget(res, serviceSlug, runtimeContext, app, returnTo = "/") {
+  if (isEngineServiceSlug(serviceSlug)) {
+    const handoffToken = createServiceHandoff("nodedc", runtimeContext.user);
+    const targetUrl = new URL("/auth/nodedc/handoff/", getEngineLaunchTargetUrl(app));
+    const nextPath = sanitizeReturnTo(returnTo);
+
+    targetUrl.searchParams.set("token", handoffToken);
+
+    if (nextPath && nextPath !== "/") {
+      targetUrl.searchParams.set("next_path", nextPath);
+    }
+
+    res.redirect(targetUrl.toString());
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (isBimViewerServiceSlug(serviceSlug)) {
+    const handoffToken = createServiceHandoff(serviceSlug, runtimeContext.user);
+    const targetUrl = new URL("/auth/nodedc/handoff", getBimViewerBaseUrl(app));
+    const nextPath = sanitizeReturnTo(returnTo);
+
+    targetUrl.searchParams.set("token", handoffToken);
+
+    if (nextPath && nextPath !== "/") {
+      targetUrl.searchParams.set("next_path", nextPath);
+    }
+
+    res.redirect(targetUrl.toString());
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (serviceSlug !== "task-manager") {
+    res.redirect(app.openUrl || app.url || "/");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const handoffToken = createServiceHandoff(serviceSlug, runtimeContext.user);
+  const targetUrl = new URL("/auth/nodedc/handoff/", getTaskBaseUrl());
+  const nextPath = sanitizeReturnTo(returnTo);
+
+  targetUrl.searchParams.set("token", handoffToken);
+
+  if (nextPath && nextPath !== "/") {
+    targetUrl.searchParams.set("next_path", nextPath);
+  }
+
+  res.redirect(targetUrl.toString());
+}
+
 function getEnginePublicBaseUrl() {
   return String(
     process.env.NODEDC_ENGINE_PUBLIC_URL ||