diff --git a/biglinux-livecd/usr/bin/startbiglive b/biglinux-livecd/usr/bin/startbiglive
index 47613c1c..e511d228 100755
--- a/biglinux-livecd/usr/bin/startbiglive
+++ b/biglinux-livecd/usr/bin/startbiglive
@@ -38,6 +38,39 @@ _split_xkb_layout() {
 	fi
 }
 
+_fcitx5_keyboard_input_method() {
+	if [[ -n $2 ]]; then
+		printf 'keyboard-%s-%s\n' "$1" "$2"
+	else
+		printf 'keyboard-%s\n' "$1"
+	fi
+}
+
+_configure_fcitx5_keyboard_profile() {
+	local layout=$1 variant=$2 input_method profile_directory
+	input_method=$(_fcitx5_keyboard_input_method "$layout" "$variant")
+	profile_directory=$HOME/.config/fcitx5
+	mkdir -p -- "$profile_directory"
+	cat >"$profile_directory/profile" <<EOF
+[Groups/0]
+# Group Name
+Name="Live Keyboard"
+# Layout
+Default Layout=$layout
+# Default Input Method
+DefaultIM=$input_method
+
+[Groups/0/Items/0]
+# Name
+Name=$input_method
+# Layout
+Layout=
+
+[GroupOrder]
+0="Live Keyboard"
+EOF
+}
+
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Anti-loop protection: prevent infinite SDDM restart loops
 # Tracks how many times startbiglive has been invoked. If the session keeps
@@ -553,6 +586,9 @@ ResetOldOptions=true
 Use=true
 VariantList=$xkb_variant
 EOF
+		if [[ $display_manager == sddm ]]; then
+			_configure_fcitx5_keyboard_profile "$xkb_layout" "$xkb_variant"
+		fi
 	else
 		_log "ERROR - Ignoring invalid live keyboard selection"
 	fi
@@ -642,6 +678,22 @@ if [[ -f "$installer_shortcut" ]]; then
 	gio set "$installer_shortcut" metadata::trusted true 2>/dev/null || true
 fi
 
+_reset_gnome_portals() {
+	# The wizard can activate the portal before the GNOME environment exists.
+	# Reset it so the desktop session selects the GNOME Settings backend.
+	dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd \
+		DESKTOP_SESSION XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP GDMSESSION XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP \
+		2>/dev/null || true
+	systemctl --user import-environment \
+		DESKTOP_SESSION XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP GDMSESSION XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP \
+		2>/dev/null || true
+	systemctl --user stop \
+		xdg-desktop-portal.service \
+		xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service \
+		xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service \
+		2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
 # libadwaita apps use their own color-scheme setting and can ignore GTK INI files
 # in non-GNOME sessions. GNOME reads color-scheme from dconf directly, and the
 # forced override would fight the wizard's choice there, so skip it on gdm.
@@ -675,6 +727,7 @@ elif [[ "$display_manager" == "gdm" ]]; then
 	# GNOME: Clean up and start gnome-session
 	rm -f "$HOME/Empty Bash" "$HOME/Empty Desktop File.desktop" "$HOME/Empty File"
 	xdg-user-dirs-update
+	_reset_gnome_portals
 	exec startgnome-community
 
 elif [[ -e /usr/share/wayland-sessions/hyprland.desktop ]]; then
diff --git a/tests/test_livecd_keyboard.py b/tests/test_livecd_keyboard.py
index 125bd6a6..6ebabda7 100644
--- a/tests/test_livecd_keyboard.py
+++ b/tests/test_livecd_keyboard.py
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ def test_startbiglive_applies_saved_keyboard_layout(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     result = run_bash(
         f"""
 _log() {{ :; }}
+display_manager=sddm
 live_state_path() {{ printf '%s\\n' "$STATE_FILE"; }}
 setxkbmap() {{ printf 'setxkbmap:%s\\n' "$*" >>"$COMMAND_LOG"; }}
 sudo() {{ printf 'sudo:%s\\n' "$*" >>"$COMMAND_LOG"; }}
@@ -105,6 +106,7 @@ def test_startbiglive_applies_saved_keyboard_layout(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
 
     assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
     kxkbrc = (home / ".config/kxkbrc").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    fcitx_profile = (home / ".config/fcitx5/profile").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     commands = command_log.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     assert "setxkbmap:us -variant intl\n" in commands
     assert (
@@ -113,3 +115,8 @@ def test_startbiglive_applies_saved_keyboard_layout(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     )
     assert "LayoutList=us\n" in kxkbrc
     assert "VariantList=intl\n" in kxkbrc
+    assert 'Name="Live Keyboard"\n' in fcitx_profile
+    assert "Default Layout=us\n" in fcitx_profile
+    assert "DefaultIM=keyboard-us-intl\n" in fcitx_profile
+    assert "Name=keyboard-us-intl\n" in fcitx_profile
+    assert '0="Live Keyboard"\n' in fcitx_profile
diff --git a/tests/test_livecd_security.py b/tests/test_livecd_security.py
index a766036e..76744b0f 100644
--- a/tests/test_livecd_security.py
+++ b/tests/test_livecd_security.py
@@ -285,6 +285,47 @@ def test_startbiglive_defers_noncritical_work_until_after_wizard() -> None:
     assert wizard_launch < theme_sync
 
 
+def test_startbiglive_resets_early_portals_before_gnome(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    source = STARTBIGLIVE.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    function_start = source.index("_reset_gnome_portals() {")
+    function_end = source.index("\n}\n", function_start) + 3
+    function = source[function_start:function_end]
+    command_log = tmp_path / "commands"
+    result = run_bash(
+        f"""
+dbus-update-activation-environment() {{
+    printf 'dbus:%s\\n' "$*" >>"$COMMAND_LOG"
+}}
+systemctl() {{
+    printf 'systemctl:%s\\n' "$*" >>"$COMMAND_LOG"
+}}
+{function}
+_reset_gnome_portals
+""",
+        environment={"COMMAND_LOG": str(command_log)},
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert command_log.read_text(encoding="utf-8").splitlines() == [
+        (
+            "dbus:--systemd DESKTOP_SESSION XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP "
+            "GDMSESSION XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP"
+        ),
+        (
+            "systemctl:--user import-environment DESKTOP_SESSION "
+            "XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP GDMSESSION XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP"
+        ),
+        (
+            "systemctl:--user stop xdg-desktop-portal.service "
+            "xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service "
+            "xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service"
+        ),
+    ]
+    gnome_branch = source.index('elif [[ "$display_manager" == "gdm" ]]')
+    reset = source.index("_reset_gnome_portals", gnome_branch)
+    session = source.index("exec startgnome-community", gnome_branch)
+    assert reset < session
+
+
 def test_wizard_defers_noninitial_pages_and_accessibility_backends() -> None:
     app_window = (
         PACKAGE / "usr/share/biglinux/livecd/ui/app_window.py"