diff --git a/src/app/(app)/today/page.tsx b/src/app/(app)/today/page.tsx
index 0a92e1a1a..e13b0ec6b 100644
--- a/src/app/(app)/today/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(app)/today/page.tsx
@@ -21,11 +21,10 @@ import { StuckGoalsCard } from "@/components/today/StuckGoalsCard";
 import { LockedZoneBanner } from "@/components/today/LockedZoneBanner";
 import { TodayWatch } from "@/components/today/TodayWatch";
 import { LayoutGrid } from "lucide-react";
-import { APP_NAME } from "@/config/brand";
 import { LokiDispatchButton } from "@/components/shared/LokiDispatchButton";
 import { requirePageUserId, getCurrentUserName } from "@/lib/session";
 import { getUserProjects, getOrgProjects } from "@/db/queries/user-projects";
-import { PLAN_DAY_PROMPT, WRAP_UP_PROMPT } from "@/lib/constants/today";
+import { FIRST_RUN, PLAN_DAY_PROMPT, WRAP_UP_PROMPT } from "@/lib/constants/today";
 import { PullToRefresh } from "@/components/shared/PullToRefresh";
 import { AutoRefresh } from "@/components/shared/AutoRefresh";
 import { REFRESH_CADENCE } from "@/config/refresh";
@@ -79,16 +78,16 @@ export default async function TodayPage() {
           <div className="ui-callout-accent mt-4">
             <LayoutGrid className="mt-0.5 h-5 w-5 shrink-0 text-accent-text" />
             <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
-              <p className="font-medium text-text-primary">Register your first project to get started</p>
-              <p className="mt-0.5 text-sm text-text-secondary">
-                {APP_NAME} tracks your AI agent sessions, git state, and progress across projects — add one to the control panel to unlock the fleet view.
-              </p>
+              <p className="font-medium text-text-primary">{FIRST_RUN.title}</p>
+              <p className="mt-0.5 text-sm text-text-secondary">{FIRST_RUN.body}</p>
               <Link href={NAV.control.href} className="mt-3 inline-flex items-center min-h-11 sm:min-h-0 gap-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-accent-text hover:opacity-80 transition-opacity">
-                Go to Control Panel →
+                {FIRST_RUN.cta} →
               </Link>
             </div>
           </div>
         )}
+        {!isFirstRun && (
+          <>
         <Suspense fallback={<div className="mt-2"><SummaryBarSkeleton /></div>}>
           <div className="mt-2">
             <SummaryBar />
@@ -113,8 +112,12 @@ export default async function TodayPage() {
           <LogConversationButton />
           <QuickCaptureButton />
         </div>
+          </>
+        )}
       </div>
 
+      {!isFirstRun && (
+      <>
       <Suspense fallback={null}>
         <LockedZoneBanner />
       </Suspense>
@@ -175,6 +178,8 @@ export default async function TodayPage() {
         </Suspense>
       </div>
       <AutoRefresh intervalMs={REFRESH_CADENCE.today} />
+      </>
+      )}
     </div>
     </PullToRefresh>
   );
diff --git a/src/lib/constants/today.ts b/src/lib/constants/today.ts
index deb199969..ccd139e59 100644
--- a/src/lib/constants/today.ts
+++ b/src/lib/constants/today.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,13 @@ export const CALENDAR_LOOKAHEAD_DAYS = 2;
 // Location used by the weather widget.
 export const WEATHER_CITY = "Zurich";
 
+/** Zero-project Today: one action, no empty-card wall. */
+export const FIRST_RUN = {
+  title: "Add a project.",
+  body: "Then you can tell the fleet what to do.",
+  cta: "Open Control",
+} as const;
+
 export const PLAN_DAY_PROMPT = `Plan my day.
 
 Check in ${APP_NAME} and the codebase: