diff --git a/deploy/README.md b/deploy/README.md
index f61f2f7..844ae4d 100644
--- a/deploy/README.md
+++ b/deploy/README.md
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ This creates:
 - `/home/bestmidi/chgrid/server/.venv`
 - `/home/bestmidi/chgrid/server/config.toml` (if missing)
 - `/home/bestmidi/chgrid/server/.env` with `CHGRID_AUTH_SECRET` (if missing)
+- On first run only, if no admin exists, it prompts to create one immediately.
 
 Edit `/home/bestmidi/chgrid/server/config.toml`:
 - `server.bind_ip = "127.0.0.1"`
@@ -48,6 +49,14 @@ Edit `/home/bestmidi/chgrid/server/config.toml`:
 - `storage.state_file = "runtime/items.json"`
 - `auth.db_file = "runtime/chatgrid.db"`
 
+If you skip first-run admin creation, run later:
+
+```bash
+cd /home/bestmidi/chgrid/server
+source .env
+.venv/bin/python main.py --config config.toml --bootstrap-admin
+```
+
 ## 4) Build and publish client
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/deploy/scripts/install_server.sh b/deploy/scripts/install_server.sh
index f166f2b..bc926e4 100755
--- a/deploy/scripts/install_server.sh
+++ b/deploy/scripts/install_server.sh
@@ -61,5 +61,63 @@ PY
   echo "created $SERVER_DIR/.env with CHGRID_AUTH_SECRET"
 fi
 
+# Load generated/shared auth secret for bootstrap checks.
+if [[ -f .env ]]; then
+  set -a
+  # shellcheck disable=SC1091
+  source .env
+  set +a
+fi
+
+if [[ -n "${CHGRID_AUTH_SECRET:-}" ]]; then
+  HAS_ADMIN="$(
+    .venv/bin/python - <<'PY'
+from pathlib import Path
+import os
+from app.auth_service import AuthService
+from app.config import load_config
+
+cfg = load_config(Path("config.toml"))
+secret = os.getenv("CHGRID_AUTH_SECRET", "").strip()
+if not secret:
+    print("unknown")
+    raise SystemExit(0)
+db_file = cfg.auth.db_file.strip() or "runtime/chatgrid.db"
+db_path = Path(db_file)
+if not db_path.is_absolute():
+    db_path = Path.cwd() / db_path
+svc = AuthService(
+    db_path=db_path,
+    token_hash_secret=secret,
+    password_min_length=cfg.auth.password_min_length,
+    password_max_length=cfg.auth.password_max_length,
+    username_min_length=cfg.auth.username_min_length,
+    username_max_length=cfg.auth.username_max_length,
+)
+try:
+    print("yes" if svc.has_admin() else "no")
+finally:
+    svc.close()
+PY
+  )"
+
+  if [[ "$HAS_ADMIN" == "no" ]]; then
+    if [[ -t 0 ]]; then
+      read -r -p "No admin account found. Create one now? [y/N] " CREATE_ADMIN_NOW
+      case "${CREATE_ADMIN_NOW:-}" in
+        y|Y|yes|YES)
+          .venv/bin/python main.py --config config.toml --bootstrap-admin
+          ;;
+        *)
+          echo "skipped admin bootstrap (you can run: .venv/bin/python main.py --config config.toml --bootstrap-admin)"
+          ;;
+      esac
+    else
+      echo "no admin account found (non-interactive run)."
+      echo "run once to bootstrap: .venv/bin/python main.py --config config.toml --bootstrap-admin"
+    fi
+  fi
+fi
+
 echo "server install complete"
 echo "next: edit $SERVER_DIR/config.toml (TLS, bind_ip, port)"
diff --git a/server/app/auth_service.py b/server/app/auth_service.py
index 5a507cb..37e6859 100644
--- a/server/app/auth_service.py
+++ b/server/app/auth_service.py
@@ -83,12 +83,17 @@ class AuthService:
     def bootstrap_admin(self, username: str, password: str, email: str | None = None) -> AuthUser:
         """Create the first admin account, or fail if one already exists."""
 
-        existing = self._conn.execute("SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE role = 'admin' LIMIT 1").fetchone()
-        if existing is not None:
+        if self.has_admin():
             raise AuthError("An admin account already exists.")
         created = self.register(username, password, email=email, role="admin")
         return created.user
 
+    def has_admin(self) -> bool:
+        """Return True when at least one admin account exists."""
+
+        existing = self._conn.execute("SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE role = 'admin' LIMIT 1").fetchone()
+        return existing is not None
+
     def register(
         self,
         username: str,