diff --git a/BusyMirror.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/BusyMirror.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 14e740d..61a96d3 100644
--- a/BusyMirror.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/BusyMirror.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@
 				"CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY[sdk=macosx*]" = "-";
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
 				COMBINE_HIDPI_IMAGES = YES;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 24;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 25;
 				ENABLE_PREVIEWS = YES;
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
 				INFOPLIST_FILE = BusyMirror/Info.plist;
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@
 					"$(inherited)",
 					"@executable_path/../Frameworks",
 				);
-                MARKETING_VERSION = 1.8.0;
+                MARKETING_VERSION = 1.8.1;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.cqrenet.BusyMirror;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				REGISTER_APP_GROUPS = YES;
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@
 				"CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY[sdk=macosx*]" = "-";
 				CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic;
 				COMBINE_HIDPI_IMAGES = YES;
-				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 24;
+				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 25;
 				ENABLE_PREVIEWS = YES;
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
 				INFOPLIST_FILE = BusyMirror/Info.plist;
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@
 					"$(inherited)",
 					"@executable_path/../Frameworks",
 				);
-                MARKETING_VERSION = 1.8.0;
+                MARKETING_VERSION = 1.8.1;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = com.cqrenet.BusyMirror;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = "$(TARGET_NAME)";
 				REGISTER_APP_GROUPS = YES;
diff --git a/BusyMirror/BusyMirrorApp.swift b/BusyMirror/BusyMirrorApp.swift
index 89a6894..4534134 100644
--- a/BusyMirror/BusyMirrorApp.swift
+++ b/BusyMirror/BusyMirrorApp.swift
@@ -23,9 +23,17 @@ struct BusyMirrorApp: App {
                 .environmentObject(appController)
         }
 
-        Settings {
+        // A plain Window (not a Settings scene) — LSUIElement (accessory)
+        // apps don't get the standard app menu, so Cmd+, / the automatic
+        // "Settings…" command has no menu to live in and SettingsLink has
+        // nothing reliable to trigger. openWindow(id:) is the same mechanism
+        // that already reliably opens the main window from the menu bar, so
+        // reuse it here instead.
+        Window("Preferences", id: BusyMirrorSceneID.preferencesWindow) {
             PreferencesView()
                 .environmentObject(appController)
         }
+        .defaultSize(width: 480, height: 560)
+        .windowResizability(.contentSize)
     }
 }
diff --git a/BusyMirror/ContentView.swift b/BusyMirror/ContentView.swift
index 2ce2cee..8c37170 100644
--- a/BusyMirror/ContentView.swift
+++ b/BusyMirror/ContentView.swift
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct Route: Identifiable, Hashable, Codable {
 
 struct ContentView: View {
     @EnvironmentObject private var appController: BusyMirrorAppController
+    @Environment(\.openWindow) private var openWindow
     @State private var store = EKEventStore()
     @State private var hasAccess = false
     @State private var calendars: [EKCalendar] = []
@@ -615,8 +616,8 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                 Text("Mirroring defaults, filters, and work hours moved to Preferences.")
                     .font(.footnote)
                     .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
-                SettingsLink {
-                    Text("Open Preferences…")
+                Button("Open Preferences…") {
+                    appController.openPreferencesWindow(using: openWindow)
                 }
                 Spacer(minLength: 0)
             }
diff --git a/BusyMirror/MenuBarSupport.swift b/BusyMirror/MenuBarSupport.swift
index c767cfe..7d5f3c7 100644
--- a/BusyMirror/MenuBarSupport.swift
+++ b/BusyMirror/MenuBarSupport.swift
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import ServiceManagement
 
 enum BusyMirrorSceneID {
     static let mainWindow = "main-window"
+    static let preferencesWindow = "preferences-window"
 }
 
 @MainActor
@@ -66,6 +67,11 @@ final class BusyMirrorAppController: ObservableObject {
         openWindow(id: BusyMirrorSceneID.mainWindow)
     }
 
+    func openPreferencesWindow(using openWindow: OpenWindowAction) {
+        NSApp.activate(ignoringOtherApps: true)
+        openWindow(id: BusyMirrorSceneID.preferencesWindow)
+    }
+
     // MARK: - Event-driven background sync
     //
     // Owned here (not by ContentView) because this controller lives for the
@@ -280,6 +286,10 @@ struct BusyMirrorMenuBarView: View {
                 appController.openMainWindow(using: openWindow)
             }
 
+            Button("Preferences…") {
+                appController.openPreferencesWindow(using: openWindow)
+            }
+
             Divider()
 
             Button("Quit BusyMirror") {
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 03f52e5..b7d6a09 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 All notable changes to BusyMirror will be documented in this file.
 
+## [1.8.1] - 2026-08-26
+
+### Fixed
+- **Preferences window unreachable**: 1.8.0's Settings scene (⌘,) and its `SettingsLink` button didn't work because BusyMirror is an `LSUIElement` (accessory) app — those don't get the standard app menu, so there's no menu for the automatic "Settings…" command or Cmd+, to live in. Replaced the `Settings { }` scene with a plain `Window(id: "preferences-window")`, opened via `openWindow(id:)` — the same mechanism that already reliably opens the main window from the menu bar. Also added a "Preferences…" item to the menu bar dropdown itself, so there are two direct routes in instead of one that depended on OS menu plumbing this app type doesn't get. ([BusyMirrorApp.swift](BusyMirror/BusyMirrorApp.swift), [MenuBarSupport.swift](BusyMirror/MenuBarSupport.swift), [ContentView.swift](BusyMirror/ContentView.swift))
+
 ## [1.8.0] - 2026-08-26
 
 ### Added