diff --git a/tools/chatgui/src/main.cpp b/tools/chatgui/src/main.cpp
index 905e7e6c..611da1a8 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/src/main.cpp
+++ b/tools/chatgui/src/main.cpp
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@
 #include <QLockFile>
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QTranslator>
+#include <QDialogButtonBox>
+#include <QHostInfo>
+#include <QLabel>
+#include <QLineEdit>
+#include <QPushButton>
+#include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include "gui_language.h"
 #include "call_camera_capture.h"
+#include "config_parser.h"
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cerrno>
@@ -200,9 +207,51 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     }
     bool needSave = false;
 
-    if (!cfg.exists()) {
-        if (!cfg.create("", 1333)) {
-            qCritical("Failed to create config: %s", qPrintable(cfgPath));
+    const bool firstRun = !cfg.exists();
+    if (firstRun) {
+        QDialog wizard;
+        wizard.setWindowTitle(QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "Welcome to vibechat"));
+        wizard.setMinimumWidth(380);
+        auto* layout = new QVBoxLayout(&wizard);
+        layout->addWidget(new QLabel(QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "Your nickname:"), &wizard));
+        auto* nickname = new QLineEdit(&wizard);
+        nickname->setMaxLength(32);
+        const QString host = QHostInfo::localHostName();
+        nickname->setText(host.isEmpty() ? QStringLiteral("vibechat") : host);
+        layout->addWidget(nickname);
+        auto* hint = new QLabel(QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "Others will see this name. You can change it later in Settings."), &wizard);
+        hint->setWordWrap(true);
+        layout->addWidget(hint);
+        layout->addSpacing(12);
+        auto* buttons = new QDialogButtonBox(QDialogButtonBox::Cancel, &wizard);
+        auto* start = buttons->addButton(QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "Start chatting"), QDialogButtonBox::AcceptRole);
+        start->setDefault(true);
+        layout->addWidget(buttons);
+        QObject::connect(nickname, &QLineEdit::textChanged, &wizard, [start](const QString& text) {
+            start->setEnabled(!text.trimmed().isEmpty());
+        });
+        QObject::connect(buttons, &QDialogButtonBox::accepted, &wizard, [&wizard, nickname] {
+            const QByteArray name = nickname->text().trimmed().toUtf8();
+            if (name.size() >= MAX_CONN_NAME_LEN) {
+                DEBUG_WARN(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONFIG, "First-run setup: nickname too long, bytes=%d limit=%d", int(name.size()), MAX_CONN_NAME_LEN - 1);
+                QMessageBox::warning(&wizard, wizard.windowTitle(),
+                    QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "This nickname is too long. Please choose a shorter one."));
+                return;
+            }
+            wizard.accept();
+        });
+        QObject::connect(buttons, &QDialogButtonBox::rejected, &wizard, &QDialog::reject);
+        nickname->setFocus();
+        nickname->selectAll();
+        DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONFIG, "First-run setup: requesting nickname, config=%s", qPrintable(cfgPath));
+        if (wizard.exec() != QDialog::Accepted) {
+            DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONFIG, "First-run setup: cancelled, config not created");
+            return 0;
+        }
+        if (!cfg.create(nickname->text().trimmed(), 1333)) {
+            DEBUG_ERROR(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONFIG, "First-run setup: failed to create config=%s", qPrintable(cfgPath));
+            QMessageBox::critical(nullptr, wizard.windowTitle(),
+                QCoreApplication::translate("ChatGui", "Failed to save your profile. Check that the data folder is writable."));
             return 1;
         }
     } else {
@@ -245,6 +294,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     if (lvl.isEmpty()) lvl = QStringLiteral("info");
     debug_apply_global_level(lvl.toUtf8().constData());
     DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_GENERAL, "vibechat: version=%s", qPrintable(app.applicationVersion()));
+    if (firstRun)
+        DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONFIG, "First-run setup: profile saved, nickname=%s config=%s", qPrintable(cfg.nodeName()), qPrintable(cfgPath));
 #ifdef _WIN32
     DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_GENERAL, "Windows console: attached=%d", consoleAttached);
     DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_CONFIG, "Windows storage: reason=%s config=%s db=%s log=%s lock=%s",
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_en.ts b/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_en.ts
index 5ff35de2..164350f5 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_en.ts
+++ b/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_en.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 <TS version="2.1" language="en_US" sourcelanguage="en_US">
 <context>
     <name>ChatGui</name>
+    <message><source>Welcome to vibechat</source><translation>Welcome to vibechat</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Your nickname:</source><translation>Your nickname:</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Others will see this name. You can change it later in Settings.</source><translation>Others will see this name. You can change it later in Settings.</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Start chatting</source><translation>Start chatting</translation></message>
+    <message><source>This nickname is too long. Please choose a shorter one.</source><translation>This nickname is too long. Please choose a shorter one.</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Failed to save your profile. Check that the data folder is writable.</source><translation>Failed to save your profile. Check that the data folder is writable.</translation></message>
     <message><source>Broadcast</source><translation>Broadcast</translation></message>
     <message><source>Total subblocks:</source><translation>Total subblocks:</translation></message>
     <message><source>Redundant RS subblocks:</source><translation>Redundant RS subblocks:</translation></message>
diff --git a/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_ru.ts b/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_ru.ts
index d54c8f76..d0209b87 100644
--- a/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_ru.ts
+++ b/tools/chatgui/translations/chatgui_ru.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 <TS version="2.1" language="ru_RU" sourcelanguage="en_US">
 <context>
     <name>ChatGui</name>
+    <message><source>Welcome to vibechat</source><translation>Добро пожаловать в vibechat</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Your nickname:</source><translation>Ваш ник:</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Others will see this name. You can change it later in Settings.</source><translation>Это имя увидят другие участники. Его можно изменить позже в настройках.</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Start chatting</source><translation>Начать общение</translation></message>
+    <message><source>This nickname is too long. Please choose a shorter one.</source><translation>Этот ник слишком длинный. Выберите имя покороче.</translation></message>
+    <message><source>Failed to save your profile. Check that the data folder is writable.</source><translation>Не удалось сохранить профиль. Проверьте, доступна ли папка данных для записи.</translation></message>
     <message><source>Broadcast</source><translation>Трансляция</translation></message>
     <message><source>Total subblocks:</source><translation>Всего субблоков:</translation></message>
     <message><source>Redundant RS subblocks:</source><translation>Избыточных субблоков RS:</translation></message>