diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/services/ipc.js b/ui/desktop/app/services/ipc.js
index 6e6a2a5ce..d7f5d8819 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/app/services/ipc.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/services/ipc.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import Service from '@ember/service';
 import { getOwner } from '@ember/application';
 import { Promise } from 'rsvp';
+import config from '../config/environment';
 
 /**
  * An IPC request is a promise-like object that issues a request via
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ export class IPCRequest {
    * @param {Window} window - A reference to the window object
    * @param {?string} origin
    */
-  constructor(method, payload, window, origin='serve://boundary') {
+  constructor(method, payload, window, origin=config.ipc.defaultOrigin) {
     this.method = method;
     this.payload = payload;
     this.origin = origin;
diff --git a/ui/desktop/config/environment.js b/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
index e358c0cac..9fb4fccee 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ module.exports = function (environment) {
       namespace: 'v1',
     },
 
+    ipc: {
+      defaultOrigin: process.env.EMBER_CLI_ELECTRON
+        ? 'serve://boundary'
+        : 'http://localhost:4200'
+    },
+
     appName: APP_NAME,
   };