diff --git a/src/components/LoginView.tsx b/src/components/LoginView.tsx
index 6533485..b3ce6be 100644
--- a/src/components/LoginView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/LoginView.tsx
@@ -57,8 +57,13 @@ export default function LoginView({ onLogin }: LoginViewProps) {
       setError('');
       setCheckingEmail(true);
       try {
-        const emailExists = await checkEmailRequest(email);
-        if (emailExists) {
+        const result = await checkEmailRequest(email);
+        if (result.exists && result.needsSetup && result.userid != null) {
+          // No point asking for a password this account doesn't have yet —
+          // go straight to creating one.
+          setSetupUserId(result.userid);
+          setStep('setup');
+        } else if (result.exists) {
           setStep('password');
         } else {
           setError('Email not found. Please try again.');
diff --git a/src/services/auth.ts b/src/services/auth.ts
index c032cd2..869e2bd 100644
--- a/src/services/auth.ts
+++ b/src/services/auth.ts
@@ -204,11 +204,20 @@ export async function loginRequest(email: string, password: string): Promise<Log
   return { row, hasRole: Boolean(row && row[RESPONSE_FIELDS.roleid] != null), email: resolvedEmail };
 }
 
+export interface EmailCheckResult {
+  exists: boolean;
+  /** True when the account has never had a password set — skip straight to
+   * the create-password step instead of asking for a password it doesn't
+   * have yet (see PasswordSetupRequiredError for why this is detectable
+   * even from this password-less probe request). */
+  needsSetup: boolean;
+  userid?: number;
+}
+
 /**
  * Checks if the email/authname exists and is registered by sending email and configid: 1.
- * Returns true if the email exists, false if it is invalid.
  */
-export async function checkEmailRequest(email: string): Promise<boolean> {
+export async function checkEmailRequest(email: string): Promise<EmailCheckResult> {
   const trimmedEmail = email.trim();
 
   let res: Response;
@@ -226,16 +235,24 @@ export async function checkEmailRequest(email: string): Promise<boolean> {
   }
 
   const json = (await res.json().catch(() => null)) as
-    | { code?: number; status?: boolean; message?: string }
+    | { code?: number; status?: boolean; message?: string; details?: unknown }
     | null;
 
+  // Account exists but has no password yet — fires regardless of the
+  // (absent) password in this probe request. See loginRequest's identical
+  // check for the full explanation.
+  const details = json?.details as { userid?: number; setup?: boolean } | undefined;
+  if (json?.code === 409 && details?.setup === true && typeof details.userid === 'number') {
+    return { exists: true, needsSetup: true, userid: details.userid };
+  }
+
   // A 409 Invalid Email code means the email does not exist.
   if (json && json.status === false && (json.code === 409 || json.message?.trim().toLowerCase() === 'invalid email')) {
-    return false;
+    return { exists: false, needsSetup: false };
   }
 
   // Any other result (such as 403 Unauthorized email) means the email is registered.
-  return true;
+  return { exists: true, needsSetup: false };
 }