diff --git a/electron_app/src/electron-main.js b/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
index 9453839f7a..b112fe1bdb 100644
--- a/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
+++ b/electron_app/src/electron-main.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ const tray = require('./tray');
 const vectorMenu = require('./vectormenu');
 const webContentsHandler = require('./webcontents-handler');
 const updater = require('./updater');
-const protocolInit = require('./protocol');
+const {getProfileFromDeeplink, protocolInit} = require('./protocol');
 
 const windowStateKeeper = require('electron-window-state');
 const Store = require('electron-store');
@@ -69,12 +69,9 @@ if (argv["help"]) {
 }
 
 // check if we are passed a profile in the SSO callback url
-const deeplinkUrl = argv["_"].find(arg => arg.startsWith('riot://'));
-if (deeplinkUrl && deeplinkUrl.includes('riot-desktop-user-data-path')) {
-    const parsedUrl = new URL(deeplinkUrl);
-    if (parsedUrl.protocol === 'riot:') {
-        app.setPath('userData', parsedUrl.searchParams.get('riot-desktop-user-data-path'));
-    }
+const userDataPathInProtocol = getProfileFromDeeplink(argv["_"]);
+if (userDataPathInProtocol) {
+    app.setPath('userData', userDataPathInProtocol);
 } else if (argv['profile-dir']) {
     app.setPath('userData', argv['profile-dir']);
 } else if (argv['profile']) {
diff --git a/electron_app/src/protocol.js b/electron_app/src/protocol.js
index 153ff64084..9a3d3286ba 100644
--- a/electron_app/src/protocol.js
+++ b/electron_app/src/protocol.js
@@ -16,38 +16,55 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 const {app} = require('electron');
 
+const PROTOCOL = "riot://";
+const SEARCH_PARAM = "riot-desktop-user-data-path";
+
 const processUrl = (url) => {
     if (!global.mainWindow) return;
     console.log("Handling link: ", url);
-    global.mainWindow.loadURL(url.replace("riot://", "vector://"));
+    global.mainWindow.loadURL(url.replace(PROTOCOL, "vector://"));
 };
 
-module.exports = () => {
-    // get all args except `hidden` as it'd mean the app would not get focused
-    // XXX: passing args to protocol handlers only works on Windows,
-    // so unpackaged deep-linking and --profile passing won't work on Mac/Linux
-    const args = process.argv.slice(1).filter(arg => arg !== "--hidden" && arg !== "-hidden");
-    if (app.isPackaged) {
-        app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('riot', process.execPath, args);
-    } else if (process.platform === 'win32') { // on Mac/Linux this would just cause the electron binary to open
-        // special handler for running without being packaged, e.g `electron .` by passing our app path to electron
-        app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('riot', process.execPath, [app.getAppPath(), ...args]);
-    }
+module.exports = {
+    getProfileFromDeeplink: (args) => {
+        // check if we are passed a profile in the SSO callback url
+        const deeplinkUrl = args.find(arg => arg.startsWith('riot://'));
+        if (deeplinkUrl && deeplinkUrl.includes(SEARCH_PARAM)) {
+            const parsedUrl = new URL(deeplinkUrl);
+            if (parsedUrl.protocol === 'riot:') {
+                const profile = parsedUrl.searchParams.get(SEARCH_PARAM);
+                console.log("Forwarding to profile: ", profile);
+                return profile;
+            }
+        }
+    },
+    protocolInit: () => {
+        // get all args except `hidden` as it'd mean the app would not get focused
+        // XXX: passing args to protocol handlers only works on Windows, so unpackaged deep-linking
+        // --profile/--profile-dir are passed via the SEARCH_PARAM var in the callback url
+        const args = process.argv.slice(1).filter(arg => arg !== "--hidden" && arg !== "-hidden");
+        if (app.isPackaged) {
+            app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('riot', process.execPath, args);
+        } else if (process.platform === 'win32') { // on Mac/Linux this would just cause the electron binary to open
+            // special handler for running without being packaged, e.g `electron .` by passing our app path to electron
+            app.setAsDefaultProtocolClient('riot', process.execPath, [app.getAppPath(), ...args]);
+        }
 
-    if (process.platform === 'darwin') {
-        // Protocol handler for macos
-        app.on('open-url', function(ev, url) {
-            ev.preventDefault();
-            processUrl(url);
-        });
-    } else {
-        // Protocol handler for win32/Linux
-        app.on('second-instance', (ev, commandLine) => {
-            const url = commandLine[commandLine.length - 1];
-            if (!url.startsWith("riot://")) return;
-            processUrl(url);
-        });
-    }
+        if (process.platform === 'darwin') {
+            // Protocol handler for macos
+            app.on('open-url', function(ev, url) {
+                ev.preventDefault();
+                processUrl(url);
+            });
+        } else {
+            // Protocol handler for win32/Linux
+            app.on('second-instance', (ev, commandLine) => {
+                const url = commandLine[commandLine.length - 1];
+                if (!url.startsWith(PROTOCOL)) return;
+                processUrl(url);
+            });
+        }
+    },
 };