diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index f850267..0f3367a 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { AppProvider } from './context/AppContext'
 import { createActionRegistry } from './actions/createActionRegistry'
 import { autoConnectServers } from './utils/autoConnect'
 import { copyToClipboard } from './utils/clipboard'
+import { shouldOpenInitialConnectModal } from './utils/initialSetup'
 
 const registry = createActionRegistry()
 
@@ -29,8 +30,14 @@ export function App() {
     migratePasswords()
     loadPersistedUIState()
     initializeIRC()
-    // --setup: open the connect modal so the user can fill in server details
-    if (globalThis.__SETUP_MODE__) {
+    // Fresh installs land in an empty shell otherwise, so reuse the setup modal
+    // when there are no configured servers after loading persisted state.
+    if (
+      shouldOpenInitialConnectModal({
+        setupMode: globalThis.__SETUP_MODE__,
+        configuredServerCount: useStore.getState().servers.length,
+      })
+    ) {
       setTimeout(() => useStore.getState().openModal('connect'), 50)
     }
   }, [initializeIRC, loadPersistedServers, loadPersistedUIState, migratePasswords])
diff --git a/src/utils/initialSetup.ts b/src/utils/initialSetup.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed5e186
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/initialSetup.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+export interface InitialSetupOptions {
+  setupMode: boolean | undefined
+  configuredServerCount: number
+}
+
+export function shouldOpenInitialConnectModal({
+  setupMode,
+  configuredServerCount,
+}: InitialSetupOptions): boolean {
+  return Boolean(setupMode) || configuredServerCount === 0
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/initialSetup.test.ts b/tests/unit/utils/initialSetup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5027418
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/initialSetup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { shouldOpenInitialConnectModal } from '@/utils/initialSetup'
+
+describe('shouldOpenInitialConnectModal', () => {
+  it('treats undefined setup mode as false when servers already exist', () => {
+    expect(shouldOpenInitialConnectModal({ setupMode: undefined, configuredServerCount: 2 })).toBe(
+      false
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('opens in explicit setup mode', () => {
+    expect(shouldOpenInitialConnectModal({ setupMode: true, configuredServerCount: 3 })).toBe(
+      true
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('opens on a fresh install with no configured servers', () => {
+    expect(shouldOpenInitialConnectModal({ setupMode: false, configuredServerCount: 0 })).toBe(
+      true
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('does not open when servers already exist and setup mode is off', () => {
+    expect(shouldOpenInitialConnectModal({ setupMode: false, configuredServerCount: 1 })).toBe(
+      false
+    )
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file