diff --git a/desktop/src/app/App.tsx b/desktop/src/app/App.tsx
index 93fb836739..cb09cbdc5f 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/App.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/app/App.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { isTauri } from "@tauri-apps/api/core";
 import { emit } from "@tauri-apps/api/event";
 import { QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { RouterProvider } from "@tanstack/react-router";
-import { Hexagon } from "lucide-react";
 import {
   type ReactNode,
   useCallback,
@@ -26,7 +25,11 @@ import type { Community } from "@/features/communities/types";
 import { useCommunityInit } from "@/features/communities/useCommunityInit";
 import { useNestNotifications } from "@/features/communities/useNestNotifications";
 import { useCommunities } from "@/features/communities/useCommunities";
-import { WelcomeSetup } from "@/features/communities/ui/WelcomeSetup";
+import {
+  WELCOME_SETUP_PAGE_HEADINGS,
+  WelcomeSetup,
+  type WelcomeSetupPage,
+} from "@/features/communities/ui/WelcomeSetup";
 import { CommunityApplyErrorScreen } from "@/features/communities/ui/CommunityApplyErrorScreen";
 import { CommunityChangeOverlay } from "@/features/communities/ui/CommunityChangeOverlay";
 import { createBuzzQueryClient } from "@/shared/api/queryClient";
@@ -178,8 +181,17 @@ function CommunitySwitchGate() {
   );
 }
 
-function OnboardingLoadingGate() {
+// Shown while a first-run community handoff settles (config apply + relay
+// round trips). For the default-community path the user pressed a button on
+// the welcome page itself, so the gate keeps rendering that same page with
+// the buttons disabled — seamless continuity. Every other WelcomeSetup
+// sub-page (key import, invite, join community) instead gets a forward-motion
+// connecting view under its own heading; showing the welcome replica there
+// reads as being kicked back to step 1.
+function OnboardingLoadingGate({ source }: { source: WelcomeSetupPage }) {
   const systemColorScheme = useSystemColorScheme();
+  const connectingHeading =
+    source !== "welcome" ? WELCOME_SETUP_PAGE_HEADINGS[source] : null;
 
   return (
     <div
@@ -196,55 +208,95 @@ function OnboardingLoadingGate() {
           inactiveSegmentClassName="bg-muted-foreground/25"
         />
 
-        <OnboardingSlideTransition
-          className="flex w-full flex-col items-center text-center"
-          direction="forward"
-          effect="none"
-          transitionKey="community-connecting"
-        >
-          <div className="flex h-14 w-14 items-center justify-center rounded-lg border border-border bg-background text-foreground shadow-xs">
-            <Hexagon className="h-7 w-7" aria-hidden="true" />
-          </div>
-
-          <h1 className="mt-6 text-3xl font-semibold tracking-tight">
-            Welcome to Buzz
-          </h1>
-          <p className="mt-3 max-w-[440px] text-sm leading-6 text-muted-foreground">
-            Choose your first community to get started.
-          </p>
-
-          <div className="mt-8 flex w-full max-w-[500px] flex-col gap-3">
-            <Button
-              aria-disabled="true"
-              className="h-10 w-full"
-              tabIndex={-1}
-              type="button"
-            >
-              Continue with default community
-            </Button>
-
-            <Button
-              aria-disabled="true"
-              className="h-10 w-full"
-              tabIndex={-1}
-              type="button"
-              variant="secondary"
-            >
-              Join a community
-            </Button>
-
-            <Button
-              aria-disabled="true"
-              className="h-10 w-full"
-              data-testid="welcome-continue-nostr"
-              tabIndex={-1}
-              type="button"
-              variant="ghost"
+        {connectingHeading !== null ? (
+          <OnboardingSlideTransition
+            className="flex w-full flex-col items-center text-center"
+            direction="forward"
+            effect="none"
+            transitionKey="community-connecting"
+          >
+            <div
+              className="flex w-full max-w-[440px] flex-col items-center"
+              data-testid="onboarding-connecting-gate"
+              role="status"
             >
-              I already have a key
-            </Button>
-          </div>
-        </OnboardingSlideTransition>
+              <h1 className="text-3xl font-semibold tracking-tight">
+                {connectingHeading}
+              </h1>
+              <BeeLoader
+                ariaLabel="Connecting to your community…"
+                className="mt-12 h-auto w-20"
+                tintClassName="text-muted-foreground"
+              />
+              <p className="mt-6 text-sm leading-6 text-muted-foreground">
+                Connecting to your community…
+              </p>
+            </div>
+          </OnboardingSlideTransition>
+        ) : (
+          <OnboardingSlideTransition
+            className="flex w-full flex-col items-center text-center"
+            direction="forward"
+            effect="none"
+            transitionKey="community-connecting"
+          >
+            <img
+              alt="Buzz"
+              className="h-14 w-14 rounded-xl shadow-xs"
+              src="/app-icon@2x.png"
+              srcSet="/app-icon@2x.png 1x, /app-icon@3x.png 2x"
+            />
+
+            <h1 className="mt-6 text-3xl font-semibold tracking-tight">
+              Welcome to Buzz
+            </h1>
+            <p className="mt-3 max-w-[440px] text-sm leading-6 text-muted-foreground">
+              Choose your first community to get started.
+            </p>
+
+            <div className="mt-8 flex w-full max-w-[500px] flex-col gap-3">
+              <Button
+                aria-disabled="true"
+                className="h-10 w-full"
+                tabIndex={-1}
+                type="button"
+              >
+                Continue with default community
+              </Button>
+
+              <Button
+                aria-disabled="true"
+                className="h-10 w-full"
+                tabIndex={-1}
+                type="button"
+                variant="secondary"
+              >
+                Join a community
+              </Button>
+
+              <Button
+                aria-disabled="true"
+                className="h-10 w-full"
+                tabIndex={-1}
+                type="button"
+                variant="ghost"
+              >
+                Have an invite?
+              </Button>
+
+              <Button
+                aria-disabled="true"
+                className="h-10 w-full"
+                data-testid="welcome-continue-nostr"
+                tabIndex={-1}
+                type="button"
+                variant="ghost"
+              >
+                I already have a key
+              </Button>
+            </div>
+          </OnboardingSlideTransition>
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   );
@@ -276,12 +328,12 @@ function CommunityQueryProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
 }
 
 function AppReady({
-  isCompletingFirstRunCommunity,
+  firstRunHandoffSource,
   isSharedIdentity,
   isCommunitySwitch,
   onFirstRunCommunitySettled,
 }: {
-  isCompletingFirstRunCommunity: boolean;
+  firstRunHandoffSource: WelcomeSetupPage | null;
   isSharedIdentity: boolean;
   isCommunitySwitch: boolean;
   onFirstRunCommunitySettled: () => void;
@@ -289,14 +341,10 @@ function AppReady({
   const onboarding = useAppOnboardingState(isSharedIdentity);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (isCompletingFirstRunCommunity && onboarding.stage !== "blocking") {
+    if (firstRunHandoffSource !== null && onboarding.stage !== "blocking") {
       onFirstRunCommunitySettled();
     }
-  }, [
-    isCompletingFirstRunCommunity,
-    onboarding.stage,
-    onFirstRunCommunitySettled,
-  ]);
+  }, [firstRunHandoffSource, onboarding.stage, onFirstRunCommunitySettled]);
 
   if (onboarding.stage === "reset-failed") {
     return <ResetFailedScreen />;
@@ -322,8 +370,8 @@ function AppReady({
   }
 
   if (onboarding.stage === "blocking") {
-    if (isCompletingFirstRunCommunity) {
-      return <OnboardingLoadingGate />;
+    if (firstRunHandoffSource !== null) {
+      return <OnboardingLoadingGate source={firstRunHandoffSource} />;
     }
 
     return isCommunitySwitch ? <CommunitySwitchGate /> : <AppLoadingGate />;
@@ -359,8 +407,10 @@ export function App() {
     switchCommunity,
     reconnectCommunity,
   } = useCommunities();
-  const [isCompletingFirstRunCommunity, setIsCompletingFirstRunCommunity] =
-    useState(false);
+  // Non-null while a first-run community handoff settles; the value is the
+  // WelcomeSetup sub-page it started from, which picks the loading gate.
+  const [firstRunHandoffSource, setFirstRunHandoffSource] =
+    useState<WelcomeSetupPage | null>(null);
   const [isCommunityChangeOpen, setIsCommunityChangeOpen] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -399,8 +449,8 @@ export function App() {
   );
 
   const handleSetupComplete = useCallback(
-    (community: Community) => {
-      setIsCompletingFirstRunCommunity(true);
+    (community: Community, source: WelcomeSetupPage) => {
+      setFirstRunHandoffSource(source);
       const communityId = addCommunity(community);
       switchCommunity(communityId);
     },
@@ -408,7 +458,7 @@ export function App() {
   );
 
   const handleFirstRunCommunitySettled = useCallback(() => {
-    setIsCompletingFirstRunCommunity(false);
+    setFirstRunHandoffSource(null);
   }, []);
 
   const bootSplashPhase = useBootSplashHold();
@@ -453,8 +503,8 @@ export function App() {
   // a one-render race where React sees the new active community while the Tauri
   // backend is still configured for the previous one.
   if (!community.isReady || community.appliedKey !== communityKey) {
-    if (isCompletingFirstRunCommunity) {
-      return <OnboardingLoadingGate />;
+    if (firstRunHandoffSource !== null) {
+      return <OnboardingLoadingGate source={firstRunHandoffSource} />;
     }
 
     return isCommunitySwitch ? <CommunitySwitchGate /> : <AppLoadingGate />;
@@ -466,12 +516,12 @@ export function App() {
   const showBootSplashOverlay =
     bootSplashPhase !== "done" &&
     !isCommunitySwitch &&
-    !isCompletingFirstRunCommunity;
+    firstRunHandoffSource === null;
 
   return (
     <CommunityQueryProvider key={communityKey}>
       <AppReady
-        isCompletingFirstRunCommunity={isCompletingFirstRunCommunity}
+        firstRunHandoffSource={firstRunHandoffSource}
         isCommunitySwitch={isCommunitySwitch}
         key={communityKey}
         isSharedIdentity={sharedIdentity}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/communities/ui/WelcomeSetup.tsx b/desktop/src/features/communities/ui/WelcomeSetup.tsx
index 6d6b4c13fc..94594e7fea 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/communities/ui/WelcomeSetup.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/communities/ui/WelcomeSetup.tsx
@@ -22,13 +22,29 @@ import type { Community } from "../types";
 import { initFirstCommunity } from "../communityStorage";
 import { CommunityEditForm } from "./CommunityEditForm";
 
-type WelcomeSetupPage = "welcome" | "create-community" | "invite" | "nostr-key";
+export type WelcomeSetupPage =
+  | "welcome"
+  | "create-community"
+  | "invite"
+  | "nostr-key";
+
+// Sub-page headings, also rendered by the first-run connecting gate in
+// App.tsx so the gate always matches the page the handoff started from.
+export const WELCOME_SETUP_PAGE_HEADINGS: Record<
+  Exclude<WelcomeSetupPage, "welcome">,
+  string
+> = {
+  "create-community": "Join a community",
+  invite: "Redeem an invite",
+  "nostr-key": "Use your existing key",
+};
+
 type WelcomeTransitionMode = "initial" | OnboardingTransitionDirection;
 
 type WelcomeSetupProps = {
   defaultRelayUrl: string;
   initialTransitionMode?: WelcomeTransitionMode;
-  onComplete: (community: Community) => void;
+  onComplete: (community: Community, source: WelcomeSetupPage) => void;
 };
 
 const DEFAULT_COMMUNITY_HANDOFF_MIN_MS = 200;
@@ -66,7 +82,7 @@ function NostrKeyImportPage({
     >
       <div className="w-full max-w-[440px]">
         <h1 className="text-3xl font-semibold tracking-tight">
-          Use your existing key
+          {WELCOME_SETUP_PAGE_HEADINGS["nostr-key"]}
         </h1>
         <p className="mt-3 text-sm leading-6 text-muted-foreground">
           Import your Nostr private key to use that identity with Buzz. If this
@@ -138,8 +154,9 @@ export function WelcomeSetup({
         }
 
         // The parent moves this community into React state so first-run setup
-        // can continue without a full page reload.
-        onComplete(community);
+        // can continue without a full page reload. The source page lets the
+        // parent's loading gate keep matching the page the user came from.
+        onComplete(community, page);
       } catch (err) {
         setError(
           err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to connect. Try again.",
@@ -147,7 +164,7 @@ export function WelcomeSetup({
         setIsConnecting(false);
       }
     },
-    [onComplete],
+    [onComplete, page],
   );
 
   const handleNostrImport = React.useCallback(
@@ -327,7 +344,7 @@ export function WelcomeSetup({
           >
             <div className="w-full max-w-[440px]">
               <h1 className="text-3xl font-semibold tracking-tight">
-                Join a community
+                {WELCOME_SETUP_PAGE_HEADINGS["create-community"]}
               </h1>
               <p className="mt-3 text-sm leading-6 text-muted-foreground">
                 Communities are where teammates and agents collaborate across
@@ -362,7 +379,7 @@ export function WelcomeSetup({
           >
             <div className="w-full max-w-[440px]">
               <h1 className="text-3xl font-semibold tracking-tight">
-                Redeem an invite
+                {WELCOME_SETUP_PAGE_HEADINGS.invite}
               </h1>
               <p className="mt-3 text-sm leading-6 text-muted-foreground">
                 Paste an invite link or code from a relay admin to join their
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
index 6ee97dba43..bbda990706 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
@@ -588,6 +588,7 @@ test("first-run default community handoff gives immediate stepper feedback", asy
   );
   await page.waitForTimeout(240);
   await expect(page.getByTestId("welcome-continue-nostr")).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("onboarding-connecting-gate")).toHaveCount(0);
   await expect(page.getByRole("progressbar")).toHaveAttribute(
     "aria-valuenow",
     "2",
@@ -638,6 +639,54 @@ test("welcome can continue using an existing Nostr key", async ({ page }) => {
   await expectHomeView(page);
 });
 
+test("key import handoff shows a connecting gate, not the welcome replica", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  // Delay the profile read so the post-import handoff gate stays on screen
+  // long enough to assert its contents.
+  await installMockBridge(
+    page,
+    { profileReadDelayMs: 2_000 },
+    {
+      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      skipOnboardingSeed: true,
+      skipCommunitySeed: true,
+    },
+  );
+  await page.goto("/");
+
+  await page.getByTestId("welcome-continue-nostr").click();
+  await expect(
+    page.getByRole("heading", { name: "Use your existing key" }),
+  ).toBeVisible();
+
+  const importedNsec = nsecEncode(hexToBytes(TEST_IDENTITIES.alice.privateKey));
+  await page.getByTestId("nostr-import-nsec-input").fill(importedNsec);
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("nostr-import-npub-preview")).toBeVisible();
+  await page.getByTestId("nostr-import-submit").click();
+
+  // The handoff gate reads as the key-import page still loading: same
+  // heading with forward-motion connecting copy — never the step-1 welcome
+  // replica, which looks like being kicked back to the start.
+  const connectingGate = page.getByTestId("onboarding-connecting-gate");
+  await expect(connectingGate).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(
+    connectingGate.getByRole("heading", { name: "Use your existing key" }),
+  ).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(connectingGate).toContainText("Connecting to your community…");
+  await expect(page.getByRole("progressbar")).toHaveAttribute(
+    "aria-valuenow",
+    "2",
+  );
+  await expect(page.getByText("Choose your first community")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("welcome-continue-nostr")).toHaveCount(0);
+
+  // Alice already has a relay profile with a display name, so onboarding
+  // auto-completes into the app once the handoff settles.
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("onboarding-gate")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expectHomeView(page);
+});
+
 test("welcome presents custom community setup as joining a community", async ({
   page,
 }) => {