diff --git a/src/containers/gui.jsx b/src/containers/gui.jsx
index 9935b3a7e25..025a739661e 100644
--- a/src/containers/gui.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/gui.jsx
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import vmManagerHOC from '../lib/vm-manager-hoc.jsx';
 import cloudManagerHOC from '../lib/cloud-manager-hoc.jsx';
 
 import GUIComponent from '../components/gui/gui.jsx';
+import {setIsScratchDesktop} from '../lib/isScratchDesktop.js';
 
 const messages = defineMessages({
     defaultProjectTitle: {
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ const messages = defineMessages({
 
 class GUI extends React.Component {
     componentDidMount () {
+        setIsScratchDesktop(this.props.isScratchDesktop);
         this.setReduxTitle(this.props.projectTitle);
         this.props.onStorageInit(storage);
     }
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ class GUI extends React.Component {
             cloudHost,
             error,
             isError,
+            isScratchDesktop,
             isShowingProject,
             onStorageInit,
             onUpdateProjectId,
@@ -113,6 +116,7 @@ GUI.propTypes = {
     intl: intlShape,
     isError: PropTypes.bool,
     isLoading: PropTypes.bool,
+    isScratchDesktop: PropTypes.bool,
     isShowingProject: PropTypes.bool,
     loadingStateVisible: PropTypes.bool,
     onSeeCommunity: PropTypes.func,
@@ -128,6 +132,7 @@ GUI.propTypes = {
 };
 
 GUI.defaultProps = {
+    isScratchDesktop: false,
     onStorageInit: storageInstance => storageInstance.addOfficialScratchWebStores(),
     onUpdateProjectId: () => {}
 };
diff --git a/src/containers/tips-library.jsx b/src/containers/tips-library.jsx
index 5727e19d120..3c85ce99e39 100644
--- a/src/containers/tips-library.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/tips-library.jsx
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import decksLibraryContent from '../lib/libraries/decks/index.jsx';
 import tutorialTags from '../lib/libraries/tutorial-tags';
 
 import analytics from '../lib/analytics';
+import {notScratchDesktop} from '../lib/isScratchDesktop';
+
 import LibraryComponent from '../components/library/library.jsx';
 
 import {connect} from 'react-redux';
@@ -56,16 +58,21 @@ class TipsLibrary extends React.PureComponent {
         });
     }
     render () {
-        const decksLibraryThumbnailData = Object.keys(decksLibraryContent).map(id => ({
-            rawURL: decksLibraryContent[id].img,
-            id: id,
-            name: decksLibraryContent[id].name,
-            featured: true,
-            tags: decksLibraryContent[id].tags,
-            urlId: decksLibraryContent[id].urlId,
-            requiredProjectId: decksLibraryContent[id].requiredProjectId,
-            hidden: decksLibraryContent[id].hidden || false
-        }));
+        const decksLibraryThumbnailData = Object.keys(decksLibraryContent)
+            .filter(id =>
+                // Scratch Desktop doesn't want tutorials with `requiredProjectId`
+                notScratchDesktop() || !decksLibraryContent[id].hasOwnProperty('requiredProjectId')
+            )
+            .map(id => ({
+                rawURL: decksLibraryContent[id].img,
+                id: id,
+                name: decksLibraryContent[id].name,
+                featured: true,
+                tags: decksLibraryContent[id].tags,
+                urlId: decksLibraryContent[id].urlId,
+                requiredProjectId: decksLibraryContent[id].requiredProjectId,
+                hidden: decksLibraryContent[id].hidden || false
+            }));
 
         if (!this.props.visible) return null;
         return (
diff --git a/src/lib/isScratchDesktop.js b/src/lib/isScratchDesktop.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e159e385263
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/isScratchDesktop.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/**
+ * Internal stored state. Not valid until after at least one call to `setIsScratchDesktop()`.
+ * @type {boolean}
+ */
+let _isScratchDesktop; // undefined = not ready yet
+
+/**
+ * Tell the `isScratchDesktop()` whether or not the GUI is running under Scratch Desktop.
+ * @param {boolean} value - the new value which `isScratchDesktop()` should return in the future.
+ */
+const setIsScratchDesktop = function (value) {
+    _isScratchDesktop = value;
+};
+
+/**
+ * @returns {boolean} - true if it seems like the GUI is running under Scratch Desktop; false otherwise.
+ * If `setIsScratchDesktop()` has not yet been called, this can return `undefined`.
+ */
+const isScratchDesktop = function () {
+    return _isScratchDesktop;
+};
+
+/**
+ * @returns {boolean} - false if it seems like the GUI is running under Scratch Desktop; true otherwise.
+ */
+const notScratchDesktop = function () {
+    return !isScratchDesktop();
+};
+
+export default isScratchDesktop;
+export {
+    isScratchDesktop,
+    notScratchDesktop,
+    setIsScratchDesktop
+};
diff --git a/src/playground/render-gui.jsx b/src/playground/render-gui.jsx
index f3acac2eefd..3ae35e4d303 100644
--- a/src/playground/render-gui.jsx
+++ b/src/playground/render-gui.jsx
@@ -32,19 +32,38 @@ export default appTarget => {
     const backpackHostMatches = window.location.href.match(/[?&]backpack_host=([^&]*)&?/);
     const backpackHost = backpackHostMatches ? backpackHostMatches[1] : null;
 
+    const scratchDesktopMatches = window.location.href.match(/[?&]isScratchDesktop=([^&]+)/);
+    let simulateScratchDesktop;
+    if (scratchDesktopMatches) {
+        try {
+            // parse 'true' into `true`, 'false' into `false`, etc.
+            simulateScratchDesktop = JSON.parse(scratchDesktopMatches[1]);
+        } catch {
+            // it's not JSON so just use the string
+            // note that a typo like "falsy" will be treated as true
+            simulateScratchDesktop = scratchDesktopMatches[1];
+        }
+    }
+
     if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' && typeof window === 'object') {
         // Warn before navigating away
         window.onbeforeunload = () => true;
     }
 
     ReactDOM.render(
-        <WrappedGui
-            backpackVisible
-            showComingSoon
-            showPreviewInfo
-            backpackHost={backpackHost}
-            canSave={false}
-            onClickLogo={onClickLogo}
-        />,
+        // important: this is checking whether `simulateScratchDesktop` is truthy, not just defined!
+        simulateScratchDesktop ?
+            <WrappedGui
+                isScratchDesktop
+                canSave={false}
+            /> :
+            <WrappedGui
+                backpackVisible
+                showComingSoon
+                showPreviewInfo
+                backpackHost={backpackHost}
+                canSave={false}
+                onClickLogo={onClickLogo}
+            />,
         appTarget);
 };