diff --git a/scripts/hopper-demo-x11.py b/scripts/hopper-demo-x11.py
index a2fc414891..3940cfe2ab 100644
--- a/scripts/hopper-demo-x11.py
+++ b/scripts/hopper-demo-x11.py
@@ -580,7 +580,11 @@ def start_xvfb(
     authority = session / "Xauthority"
     collision: AdapterFailure | None = None
     for _ in range(3):
-        display_number = args.display_number or (100 + secrets.randbelow(900))
+        display_number = (
+            args.display_number
+            if args.display_number is not None
+            else 100 + secrets.randbelow(900)
+        )
         display_name = f":{display_number}"
         if Path(f"/tmp/.X11-unix/X{display_number}").exists() or Path(
             f"/tmp/.X{display_number}-lock"
diff --git a/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/linuxPrivateDisplay.test.ts b/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/linuxPrivateDisplay.test.ts
index c5fd45c965..777b30f5e0 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/linuxPrivateDisplay.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/providers/hopper/linuxPrivateDisplay.test.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ const cleanupTimeoutFixturePath = fileURLToPath(
 const ownerLifetimeFixturePath = fileURLToPath(
   new URL("../../../fixtures/hopperOwnerLifetime.py", import.meta.url),
 );
+const displaySelectionFixturePath = fileURLToPath(
+  new URL("../../../fixtures/hopperDisplaySelection.py", import.meta.url),
+);
 
 type DiagnosticOverrides = Partial<
   Omit<HopperStartupDiagnostic, "failure_code" | "status">
@@ -140,6 +143,43 @@ describe("Hopper process cleanup", () => {
   );
 });
 
+describe("Hopper demo explicit display number", () => {
+  it.skipIf(process.platform !== "linux")(
+    "honors an explicit display zero instead of choosing a random display",
+    () => {
+      const result = spawnSync(
+        "/usr/bin/python3",
+        [displaySelectionFixturePath, helperPath],
+        { encoding: "utf8", timeout: 5_000 },
+      );
+      expect(result.status, result.stderr).toBe(0);
+      const explicit = (display: string) => ({
+        authorized: [`:${display}`],
+        checked: [`/tmp/.X11-unix/X${display}`, `/tmp/.X${display}-lock`],
+        random_calls: 0,
+        reason: "xauth_failed",
+      });
+      expect(JSON.parse(result.stdout)).toEqual({
+        explicit_zero: explicit("0"),
+        explicit_zero_random_occupied: explicit("0"),
+        explicit_zero_occupied: {
+          authorized: [],
+          checked: ["/tmp/.X11-unix/X0"],
+          random_calls: 0,
+          reason: "address_collision",
+        },
+        explicit_one: explicit("1"),
+        omitted: {
+          authorized: [":123"],
+          checked: ["/tmp/.X11-unix/X123", "/tmp/.X123-lock"],
+          random_calls: 1,
+          reason: "xauth_failed",
+        },
+      });
+    },
+  );
+});
+
 describe("Linux private display selection", () => {
   it("prefers a successful direct Xvfb probe", async () => {
     const calls: LinuxPrivateDisplayRunnableStrategy[] = [];
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/hopperDisplaySelection.py b/tests/fixtures/hopperDisplaySelection.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..925bdb1d49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/hopperDisplaySelection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Exercise explicit and random display selection with simulated X11 paths."""
+
+import argparse
+import importlib.util
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+import types
+
+
+spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("hopper_demo_x11", sys.argv[1])
+assert spec is not None and spec.loader is not None
+helper = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+spec.loader.exec_module(helper)
+
+
+def select(requested, occupied):
+    checked = []
+    authorized = []
+    random_calls = []
+
+    class FakePath:
+        def __init__(self, value):
+            self.value = value
+
+        def exists(self):
+            checked.append(self.value)
+            return self.value in occupied
+
+    def randbelow(_bound):
+        random_calls.append(_bound)
+        return 23
+
+    def authorize_display(_authority, display_name, _xauth):
+        authorized.append(display_name)
+        # Stop before Xvfb so the fixture only observes selection.
+        raise helper.AdapterFailure(
+            helper.PRIVATE_DISPLAY_UNAVAILABLE,
+            "xauth_failed",
+            "fixture stop",
+        )
+
+    helper.Path = FakePath
+    helper.secrets = types.SimpleNamespace(randbelow=randbelow)
+    helper.authorize_display = authorize_display
+    try:
+        helper.start_xvfb(
+            Path("session"),
+            argparse.Namespace(display_number=requested, xauth="xauth", xvfb="Xvfb"),
+        )
+        reason = None
+    except helper.AdapterFailure as failure:
+        reason = failure.reason
+    return {
+        "authorized": authorized,
+        "checked": checked,
+        "random_calls": len(random_calls),
+        "reason": reason,
+    }
+
+
+print(json.dumps({
+    "explicit_zero": select(0, set()),
+    "explicit_zero_random_occupied": select(0, {"/tmp/.X11-unix/X123"}),
+    "explicit_zero_occupied": select(0, {"/tmp/.X11-unix/X0"}),
+    "explicit_one": select(1, set()),
+    "omitted": select(None, set()),
+}))