diff --git a/client/ui/client_ui.go b/client/ui/client_ui.go
index 67f3ef07b..58004dd4a 100644
--- a/client/ui/client_ui.go
+++ b/client/ui/client_ui.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
-	"syscall"
 	"time"
 	"unicode"
 
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/proto"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/system"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/version"
 )
 
@@ -62,8 +62,25 @@ func main() {
 	var errorMSG string
 	flag.StringVar(&errorMSG, "error-msg", "", "displays a error message window")
 
+	tmpDir := "/tmp"
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		tmpDir = os.TempDir()
+	}
+
+	var saveLogsInFile bool
+	flag.BoolVar(&saveLogsInFile, "use-log-file", false, fmt.Sprintf("save logs in a file: %s/netbird-ui-PID.log", tmpDir))
+
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	if saveLogsInFile {
+		logFile := path.Join(tmpDir, fmt.Sprintf("netbird-ui-%d.log", os.Getpid()))
+		err := util.InitLog("trace", logFile)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("error while initializing log: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
 	a := app.NewWithID("NetBird")
 	a.SetIcon(fyne.NewStaticResource("netbird", iconDisconnectedPNG))
 
@@ -76,8 +93,12 @@ func main() {
 	if showSettings || showRoutes {
 		a.Run()
 	} else {
-		if err := checkPIDFile(); err != nil {
-			log.Errorf("check PID file: %v", err)
+		running, err := isAnotherProcessRunning()
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Errorf("error while checking process: %v", err)
+		}
+		if running {
+			log.Warn("another process is running")
 			return
 		}
 		client.setDefaultFonts()
@@ -861,19 +882,3 @@ func openURL(url string) error {
 	}
 	return err
 }
-
-// checkPIDFile exists and return error, or write new.
-func checkPIDFile() error {
-	pidFile := path.Join(os.TempDir(), "wiretrustee-ui.pid")
-	if piddata, err := os.ReadFile(pidFile); err == nil {
-		if pid, err := strconv.Atoi(string(piddata)); err == nil {
-			if process, err := os.FindProcess(pid); err == nil {
-				if err := process.Signal(syscall.Signal(0)); err == nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("process already exists: %d", pid)
-				}
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return os.WriteFile(pidFile, []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d", os.Getpid())), 0o664) //nolint:gosec
-}
diff --git a/client/ui/process.go b/client/ui/process.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bcb3dd879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ui/process.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/shirou/gopsutil/v3/process"
+)
+
+func isAnotherProcessRunning() (bool, error) {
+	processes, err := process.Processes()
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	pid := os.Getpid()
+	processName := strings.ToLower(filepath.Base(os.Args[0]))
+
+	for _, p := range processes {
+		if int(p.Pid) == pid {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		runningProcessPath, err := p.Exe()
+		// most errors are related to short-lived processes
+		if err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(runningProcessPath), processName) && isProcessOwnedByCurrentUser(p) {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
diff --git a/client/ui/process_nonwindows.go b/client/ui/process_nonwindows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d17be2be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ui/process_nonwindows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/shirou/gopsutil/v3/process"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+func isProcessOwnedByCurrentUser(p *process.Process) bool {
+	currentUserID := os.Getuid()
+	uids, err := p.Uids()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("get process uids: %v", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	for _, id := range uids {
+		log.Debugf("checking process uid: %d", id)
+		if int(id) == currentUserID {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/client/ui/process_windows.go b/client/ui/process_windows.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b15b0ed24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/ui/process_windows.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os/user"
+
+	"github.com/shirou/gopsutil/v3/process"
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+)
+
+func isProcessOwnedByCurrentUser(p *process.Process) bool {
+	processUsername, err := p.Username()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("get process username error: %v", err)
+		return false
+	}
+
+	currUser, err := user.Current()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("get current user error: %v", err)
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return processUsername == currUser.Username
+}