diff --git a/desktop/src/main/index.ts b/desktop/src/main/index.ts
index 42d8043a..347c52b9 100644
--- a/desktop/src/main/index.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/main/index.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,12 @@ ipcMain.handle('wizard:complete', async (_e, input: WizardInput) => {
 		const b = base()
 		await startStack(b, process.env)
 		await waitHealthy(b)
-		await runAdminFixture(b, input.adminEmail, input.adminPassword)
+		const admin = await runAdminFixture(b, input.adminEmail, input.adminPassword)
+		if (admin.code !== 0) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`Could not set up the login: ${admin.stderr.trim() || admin.stdout.trim() || 'admin fixture failed'}`
+			)
+		}
 		saveConfig(cfg)
 		return { ok: true }
 	} catch (err) {
diff --git a/desktop/src/renderer/wizard.ts b/desktop/src/renderer/wizard.ts
index 90b5071b..20c2a728 100644
--- a/desktop/src/renderer/wizard.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/renderer/wizard.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,22 @@
 /**
- * First-run wizard. Secrets are auto-generated (no UI); the user picks inference + admin
- * login. On submit the main process generates secrets, writes the .env, starts the stack,
- * waits for HEALTHY, and runs the admin fixture. The API key is OPTIONAL — login and chat
- * creation work without it, and keys can also be set later in the app's Settings (BYOK);
- * the field just seeds the gateway for the simplest first run.
+ * First-run wizard. Secrets are auto-generated (no UI); the user picks inference + sets a
+ * password. The backend ships a fixed bootstrap admin (admin@lq.ai) and only a
+ * reset-admin-password command (no create-user), so the login email is admin@lq.ai — the
+ * user can change it later in the app's Settings. The API key is OPTIONAL (login/chat work
+ * without it; keys can also be set later in Settings).
  */
+const ADMIN_EMAIL = 'admin@lq.ai'
+
+interface Snapshot {
+	state: string
+	services?: { health: string }[]
+}
+
 export function renderWizard(root: HTMLElement, onDone: () => void): void {
 	root.innerHTML = `
 		<h1>Welcome to Donna</h1>
-		<p>Donna runs a private legal-AI workspace on your Mac. This one-time setup creates
-		your login and starts the engine. The first start downloads AI models and can take
+		<p>Donna runs a private legal-AI workspace on your Mac. This one-time setup sets your
+		password and starts the engine. The first start downloads AI models and can take
 		several minutes.</p>
 
 		<div class="step">
@@ -20,26 +27,40 @@ export function renderWizard(root: HTMLElement, onDone: () => void): void {
 		</div>
 
 		<div class="step">
-			<h3>2. Create your login</h3>
-			<input id="email" type="email" placeholder="you@example.com" />
-			<input id="password" type="password" placeholder="Choose a password (12+ characters)" style="margin-top:8px" />
+			<h3>2. Set your password</h3>
+			<p style="margin:4px 0 8px; color:#555">Your login is <strong>${ADMIN_EMAIL}</strong> — you can change it later in Settings → Account.</p>
+			<input id="password" type="password" placeholder="Choose a password (12+ characters)" />
 		</div>
 
 		<div class="step">
 			<button id="go">Start Donna</button>
-			<p id="err" style="color:#c00"></p>
+			<p id="status"></p>
 		</div>
 	`
 
 	const $ = <T extends HTMLElement>(id: string): T => document.getElementById(id) as T
+	const status = $('status')
+
+	// Live progress while the stack comes up (replaces a static, misleading message).
+	window.donna.onState((snap) => {
+		const s = snap as Snapshot
+		if (s.state === 'STACK_STARTING') {
+			const healthy = (s.services ?? []).filter((x) => x.health === 'healthy').length
+			status.style.color = '#555'
+			status.textContent = `Starting Donna… ${healthy}/8 services ready (first run pulls images + models; this can take a few minutes).`
+		} else if (s.state === 'NO_ENGINE') {
+			status.style.color = '#c00'
+			status.textContent = "Docker isn't running — start Docker Desktop and try again."
+		}
+	})
+
 	$('go').addEventListener('click', async () => {
 		const mode = (document.querySelector('input[name="inf"]:checked') as HTMLInputElement).value
-		const email = $<HTMLInputElement>('email').value.trim()
 		const password = $<HTMLInputElement>('password').value
-		const err = $('err')
 
-		if (!email || password.length < 12) {
-			err.textContent = 'Enter an email and a password of at least 12 characters.'
+		if (password.length < 12) {
+			status.style.color = '#c00'
+			status.textContent = 'Choose a password of at least 12 characters.'
 			return
 		}
 		const inference =
@@ -49,11 +70,17 @@ export function renderWizard(root: HTMLElement, onDone: () => void): void {
 
 		const goBtn = $<HTMLButtonElement>('go')
 		goBtn.disabled = true
-		err.textContent = 'Starting… downloading models on first run; this can take a few minutes.'
-		const res = await window.donna.completeWizard({ inference, adminEmail: email, adminPassword: password })
+		status.style.color = '#555'
+		status.textContent = 'Starting Donna…'
+		const res = await window.donna.completeWizard({
+			inference,
+			adminEmail: ADMIN_EMAIL,
+			adminPassword: password
+		})
 		if (res.ok) onDone()
 		else {
-			err.textContent = res.error ?? 'Setup failed.'
+			status.style.color = '#c00'
+			status.textContent = res.error ?? 'Setup failed.'
 			goBtn.disabled = false
 		}
 	})