diff --git a/apps/wordcraft/src/main.rs b/apps/wordcraft/src/main.rs
index 2d54d04cc..94d05bb35 100644
--- a/apps/wordcraft/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/wordcraft/src/main.rs
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ fn load_prefs(app: &mut WordApp) {
         && let Ok(bytes) = std::fs::read(&p)
         && let Ok(ui) = serde_json::from_slice::<UiState>(&bytes)
     {
-        app.ui = ui;
-        app.ui.backstage = false;
+        app.apply_prefs(ui);
     }
 }
 
@@ -70,7 +69,7 @@ fn save_prefs(app: &WordApp) {
         if let Some(dir) = p.parent() {
             let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(dir);
         }
-        if let Ok(bytes) = serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&app.ui) {
+        if let Ok(bytes) = serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&app.prefs()) {
             let _ = std::fs::write(&p, bytes);
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
index dff63a179..4b3d119b0 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/control.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ pub fn inspect(app: &mut WordApp, ctx: &egui::Context) -> Value {
     let r = ctx.content_rect();
     let caret = crate::canvas::caret_screen(app).map(|(p, h)| json!({"x": p.x, "y": p.y, "h": h}));
     json!({
-        "ui": app.ui,
+        "ui": app.prefs(),
         "view": app.session.view,
         "dialog": app.dialog.as_ref().map(|d| serde_json::to_value(d).unwrap_or_default()),
         "window": [r.width(), r.height()],
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
index dbf71dd61..8d2995317 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ pub struct UiState {
     pub dark: bool,
     pub nav_tab: String,
     pub show_discord: bool,
+    /// User name (File › Options) for comments and tracked changes; empty keeps the default.
+    pub author: String,
 }
 
 impl Default for UiState {
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ impl Default for UiState {
             dark: false,
             nav_tab: "headings".into(),
             show_discord: true,
+            author: String::new(),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -130,6 +133,24 @@ impl WordApp {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Preferences to save between runs: the UI state plus the current user name.
+    pub fn prefs(&self) -> UiState {
+        let mut ui = self.ui.clone();
+        ui.author = self.session.author.clone();
+        ui
+    }
+
+    /// Restore preferences saved by [`WordApp::prefs`].
+    pub fn apply_prefs(&mut self, ui: UiState) {
+        self.ui = ui;
+        self.ui.backstage = false;
+        // The session owns the name from here on; `prefs` copies it back when saving.
+        let author = std::mem::take(&mut self.ui.author);
+        if !author.trim().is_empty() {
+            self.session.author = author;
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Run a command; UI-level commands (`ui.*`) are handled here, the rest by the engine.
     pub fn run(&mut self, id: &str, params: Value) -> Result<Value, String> {
         if let Some(r) = self.ui_command(id, &params) {
@@ -513,4 +534,33 @@ mod tests {
         frame(Vec::new());
         assert_eq!(ctx.zoom_factor(), 1.0);
     }
+
+    fn app() -> WordApp {
+        WordApp::new(Session::new(wordcraft_doc::Document::new()), Services::default())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn user_name_survives_restart() {
+        let mut first = app();
+        first.run("file.setAuthor", json!({"name": "Ada Lovelace"})).unwrap();
+        let saved = serde_json::to_vec(&first.prefs()).unwrap();
+
+        let mut second = app();
+        second.apply_prefs(serde_json::from_slice(&saved).unwrap());
+        assert_eq!(second.session.author, "Ada Lovelace");
+
+        // A later rename is what gets saved next, not the name loaded at startup.
+        second.run("file.setAuthor", json!({"name": "Grace Hopper"})).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(second.prefs().author, "Grace Hopper");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn prefs_without_user_name_keep_default() {
+        let mut a = app();
+        let default = a.session.author.clone();
+        a.apply_prefs(serde_json::from_str(r#"{"dark": true, "backstage": true}"#).unwrap());
+        assert_eq!(a.session.author, default);
+        assert!(a.ui.dark);
+        assert!(!a.ui.backstage);
+    }
 }