diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 189ce736..043c0ae1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- Finishing first-run setup on an install with nothing on the dashboard now
+  opens Settings, where the first app or widget is added, instead of an empty
+  dashboard.
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - Disk Health, System Stats, Backup, Now Playing and the two Connections views
diff --git a/ui/js/dashboard-logic.js b/ui/js/dashboard-logic.js
index e82cdd49..e55e6717 100644
--- a/ui/js/dashboard-logic.js
+++ b/ui/js/dashboard-logic.js
@@ -21,3 +21,19 @@ export function configChanged(loaded, fetched) {
 function fingerprint(c) {
   return JSON.stringify(c?.items?.map(i => `${i?.id}|${i?.label}|${i?.href}`)) + JSON.stringify(c?.settings);
 }
+
+/** Where to send the browser once first-run setup is finished.
+
+    A fresh install has no items, and the dashboard is where items are shown, so
+    landing there shows an empty page with nothing to act on. Admin is where the
+    first item gets added, and is the page the user would have to open anyway.
+
+    Only the automatic step after setup. Opening `/` afterwards is not blocked,
+    and an empty dashboard reached deliberately stays empty: there are no
+    placeholder items to delete.
+
+    @param {unknown} items the dashboard items the page was built from
+    @returns {string|null} a path to navigate to, or null to stay put */
+export function landingAfterSetup(items) {
+  return Array.isArray(items) && items.length === 0 ? '/admin' : null;
+}
diff --git a/ui/js/dashboard.js b/ui/js/dashboard.js
index fad851b1..dd214aec 100644
--- a/ui/js/dashboard.js
+++ b/ui/js/dashboard.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ import { pwStrength, passwordMismatch } from '/js/password-strength.js?v=dab9978
 import { sanitizeItemLinks } from '/js/link-url.js?v=19038560';
 import { initUI, mkFolder, openFolderDesktop, openFolderMobile, buildMobile } from '/js/ui.js?v=07fd9e2d';
 import { computeBadgeVisual } from '/js/badge-logic.js?v=d278c683';
-import { configChanged } from '/js/dashboard-logic.js?v=640430ba';
+import { configChanged, landingAfterSetup } from '/js/dashboard-logic.js?v=640430ba';
 import { trapFocus } from '/js/dialog.js?v=4ff94595';
 
 const MOB = innerWidth <= 768 || /iPhone|iPod|Android/i.test(navigator.userAgent);
@@ -487,6 +487,11 @@ function showSetupPrompt() {
       try {
         await fetch('/api/auth/dismiss-setup', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });
       } catch {}
+      const to = landingAfterSetup(items);
+      if (to) {
+        location.href = to;
+        return;
+      }
       close();
     };
 
@@ -502,7 +507,11 @@ function showSetupPrompt() {
           body: JSON.stringify({ password: pw.value }),
         });
         if (!r.ok) throw new Error((await r.json().catch(() => ({}))).error || t('setup.failed'));
-        location.reload();
+        /* set-password issues the session cookie before it answers, so Admin
+           loads signed in rather than bouncing to the login page. */
+        const to = landingAfterSetup(items);
+        if (to) location.href = to;
+        else location.reload();
       } catch (e) {
         err.textContent = e.message;
         err.style.display = 'block';
diff --git a/ui/test/dashboard-logic.test.mjs b/ui/test/dashboard-logic.test.mjs
index 8696b34a..3152e449 100644
--- a/ui/test/dashboard-logic.test.mjs
+++ b/ui/test/dashboard-logic.test.mjs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 import { test } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 
-import { configChanged } from '../js/dashboard-logic.js';
+import { configChanged, landingAfterSetup } from '../js/dashboard-logic.js';
 
 const loaded = {
   _rev: 4,
@@ -96,3 +96,28 @@ test('a missing loaded config does not throw', () => {
   assert.doesNotThrow(() => configChanged(null, withRev(5)));
   assert.doesNotThrow(() => configChanged(undefined, { items: [], settings: {} }));
 });
+
+/* Where first-run setup leaves the browser.
+
+   A fresh install is { items: [], settings: {} } and the setup prompt always
+   fires, so before this both paths closed onto a dashboard with nothing on it
+   and no hint of what to do. There are deliberately no placeholder items to
+   land on, so the answer is to send the user where items are added. */
+
+test('a fresh install lands on Admin', () => {
+  assert.equal(landingAfterSetup([]), '/admin');
+});
+
+test('an install that already has items stays where it is', () => {
+  assert.equal(landingAfterSetup([{ id: 'a' }]), null);
+  assert.equal(landingAfterSetup([{ id: 'a' }, { id: 'b' }]), null);
+});
+
+/* The caller passes whatever the config response held. A config that failed to
+   parse, or one whose items is the wrong shape, must not redirect: the empty
+   dashboard is the honest thing to show when the config is not understood. */
+test('anything that is not a list leaves the browser alone', () => {
+  for (const v of [undefined, null, 0, '', 'items', {}, { length: 0 }]) {
+    assert.equal(landingAfterSetup(v), null, `should not redirect on ${JSON.stringify(v)}`);
+  }
+});