diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx
index e09fd8404..25443ecd3 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/CommunityOnboardingFlow.tsx
@@ -109,6 +109,26 @@ function AvatarCircle({
   );
 }
 
+function LoadingDots({ label }: { label: string }) {
+  return (
+    <span
+      aria-label={label}
+      className="inline-flex items-center justify-center gap-1"
+      data-testid="community-team-intro-loading-dots"
+      role="status"
+    >
+      {[0, 1, 2].map((index) => (
+        <span
+          aria-hidden="true"
+          className="h-1.5 w-1.5 animate-bounce rounded-full bg-current motion-reduce:animate-none"
+          key={index}
+          style={{ animationDelay: `${index * 120}ms` }}
+        />
+      ))}
+    </span>
+  );
+}
+
 export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
   onCancel,
   onConnect,
@@ -126,6 +146,8 @@ export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
     [],
   );
   const [isPending, setIsPending] = React.useState(false);
+  const [starterChannelFailureCount, setStarterChannelFailureCount] =
+    React.useState(0);
   const [deniedPubkey, setDeniedPubkey] = React.useState("");
   const [isMembershipDenied, setIsMembershipDenied] = React.useState(false);
   const [isCommunityChangeOpen, setIsCommunityChangeOpen] =
@@ -228,6 +250,7 @@ export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
       }
       await finish();
     } catch (error) {
+      setStarterChannelFailureCount((count) => count + 1);
       update({
         error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
       });
@@ -235,6 +258,12 @@ export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
     }
   }, [finish, isPending, queryClient, relayUrl, update]);
 
+  const backToProfile = React.useCallback(() => {
+    if (isPending) return;
+    setStarterChannelFailureCount(0);
+    update({ stage: "profile", error: undefined });
+  }, [isPending, update]);
+
   const isProfileStage = transaction?.stage === "profile";
   const isTeamStage =
     transaction?.stage === "team-intro" ||
@@ -340,9 +369,9 @@ export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
           className={cn(
             "relative w-full text-center",
             isProfileStage
-              ? "buzz-onboarding-step-frame flex max-w-[500px] flex-col justify-center"
+              ? "buzz-onboarding-step-frame flex max-w-[500px] flex-col items-center"
               : isTeamStage
-                ? "buzz-onboarding-step-frame flex max-w-[760px] flex-col justify-center"
+                ? "buzz-onboarding-step-frame flex max-w-[760px] flex-col items-center"
                 : "flex min-h-dvh max-w-[560px] flex-col justify-center py-8",
           )}
           data-testid="community-onboarding-body"
@@ -405,7 +434,7 @@ export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
               </div>
             ) : (
               <>
-                <div data-testid="community-profile-main">
+                <div className="w-full" data-testid="community-profile-main">
                   <h1 className="text-title font-normal">Build your profile</h1>
                   <p className="mx-auto mt-3 max-w-[380px] text-sm leading-6 text-foreground/80">
                     Add a name and avatar. They’ll show up on your messages,
@@ -468,66 +497,76 @@ export function CommunityOnboardingFlow({
               <h1 className="text-title font-normal">Meet your starter team</h1>
               <p className="mx-auto mt-3 max-w-[400px] text-sm leading-6 text-foreground/80">
                 Buzz lets you bring multiple agents into the same workspace.
-                This team will help you get started using Buzz.
+                Your team will help you get started using Buzz.
               </p>
-              {starterPersonas.length > 0 ? (
-                <div className="mt-10 flex flex-wrap justify-center gap-8">
-                  {starterPersonas.map((persona) => {
-                    const animationUrl =
-                      STARTER_PERSONA_ANIMATIONS[persona.displayName];
-                    return (
-                      <div
-                        className="flex w-40 flex-col items-center gap-3"
-                        key={persona.id}
-                      >
-                        {animationUrl ? (
-                          <img
-                            alt={`${persona.displayName} animated character`}
-                            className="h-40 w-40 object-contain"
-                            data-testid={`starter-persona-${persona.displayName.toLowerCase()}`}
-                            src={animationUrl}
-                          />
-                        ) : (
-                          <ProfileAvatar
-                            avatarUrl={persona.avatarUrl}
-                            className="h-28 w-28 text-3xl"
-                            label={persona.displayName}
-                          />
-                        )}
-                        <span className="font-mono text-xs font-medium uppercase tracking-[0.15em]">
-                          {persona.displayName}
-                        </span>
-                      </div>
-                    );
-                  })}
-                </div>
-              ) : null}
+              <div className="flex w-full flex-1 items-center justify-center py-10">
+                {starterPersonas.length > 0 ? (
+                  <div className="flex flex-wrap justify-center gap-8">
+                    {starterPersonas.map((persona) => {
+                      const animationUrl =
+                        STARTER_PERSONA_ANIMATIONS[persona.displayName];
+                      return (
+                        <div
+                          className="flex w-40 flex-col items-center gap-3"
+                          key={persona.id}
+                        >
+                          {animationUrl ? (
+                            <img
+                              alt={`${persona.displayName} animated character`}
+                              className="h-40 w-40 object-contain"
+                              data-testid={`starter-persona-${persona.displayName.toLowerCase()}`}
+                              src={animationUrl}
+                            />
+                          ) : (
+                            <ProfileAvatar
+                              avatarUrl={persona.avatarUrl}
+                              className="h-28 w-28 text-3xl"
+                              label={persona.displayName}
+                            />
+                          )}
+                          <span className="font-mono text-xs font-medium uppercase tracking-[0.15em]">
+                            {persona.displayName}
+                          </span>
+                        </div>
+                      );
+                    })}
+                  </div>
+                ) : null}
+              </div>
               {transaction.error ? (
-                <p className="mt-4 text-sm text-destructive">
+                <p className="text-sm text-destructive">
                   {transaction.error}
+                  {starterChannelFailureCount === 1 ? " Try again." : null}
                 </p>
               ) : null}
               <OnboardingFooter>
                 <Button
                   className={ONBOARDING_PRIMARY_CTA_CLASS}
+                  data-testid="community-team-intro-enter"
                   disabled={isPending || transaction.stage === "entering"}
-                  onClick={() => void finalize()}
+                  onClick={() =>
+                    void (starterChannelFailureCount >= 2
+                      ? finish()
+                      : finalize())
+                  }
                 >
-                  {transaction.stage === "finalizing" ||
-                  transaction.stage === "entering"
-                    ? "Preparing Welcome…"
-                    : `Enter ${transaction.communityName}`}
+                  {isPending || transaction.stage === "entering" ? (
+                    <LoadingDots label="Preparing Welcome" />
+                  ) : starterChannelFailureCount >= 2 ? (
+                    "Skip for now"
+                  ) : (
+                    "Take me to Buzz"
+                  )}
+                </Button>
+                <Button
+                  className="h-9 rounded-full bg-foreground/10 px-5 hover:bg-foreground/15"
+                  data-testid="community-team-intro-back"
+                  disabled={isPending || transaction.stage === "entering"}
+                  onClick={backToProfile}
+                  variant="ghost"
+                >
+                  Back
                 </Button>
-                {transaction.error ? (
-                  <Button
-                    className="h-9 rounded-full bg-foreground/10 px-5 hover:bg-foreground/15"
-                    disabled={isPending}
-                    onClick={() => void finish()}
-                    variant="ghost"
-                  >
-                    Skip for now
-                  </Button>
-                ) : null}
               </OnboardingFooter>
             </>
           )}
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
index efd3d9337..1ca8475cc 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ test("queued add-community links open and acknowledge one at a time", async ({
     ]);
 });
 
-test("Welcome failure can be skipped without abandoning community onboarding", async ({
+test("Welcome failure retries once before allowing starter channel setup to be skipped", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   const welcomeError = "Channel creation is not permitted.";
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ test("Welcome failure can be skipped without abandoning community onboarding", a
   );
   await installMockBridge(
     page,
-    { ensureStarterChannelsErrors: [welcomeError, welcomeError] },
+    { ensureStarterChannelsErrors: [welcomeError, welcomeError, welcomeError] },
     { relayWsUrl: COMMUNITY_RELAY_URL, skipOnboardingSeed: true },
   );
   await page.goto("/");
@@ -291,30 +291,59 @@ test("Welcome failure can be skipped without abandoning community onboarding", a
     );
   }
 
-  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Enter hive" }).click();
+  const enterButton = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Take me to Buzz" });
+  await enterButton.click();
+
+  await expect(page.getByText(`${welcomeError} Try again.`)).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(enterButton).toBeEnabled();
+  const backButton = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Back" });
+  await expect(backButton).toBeVisible();
+  await backButton.click();
 
-  await expect(page.getByText(welcomeError)).toBeVisible();
   await expect(
-    page.getByRole("button", { name: "Preparing Welcome…" }),
-  ).toBeEnabled();
-  const skip = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Skip for now" });
-  await expect(skip).toBeVisible();
-  await skip.click();
+    page.getByRole("heading", { name: "Build your profile" }),
+  ).toBeVisible();
+  await page.getByLabel("Community display name").fill("Tyler");
+  await page.getByTestId("community-profile-next").click();
+
+  await enterButton.click();
+  await expect(page.getByText(`${welcomeError} Try again.`)).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(enterButton).toBeEnabled();
+
+  await enterButton.click();
+
+  const skipButton = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Skip for now" });
+  await expect(page.getByText(welcomeError, { exact: true })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(skipButton).toBeEnabled();
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Back" })).toBeVisible();
+
+  const starterChannelAttempts = await page.evaluate(
+    () =>
+      window.__BUZZ_E2E_COMMANDS__?.filter(
+        (command) => command === "ensure_starter_channels",
+      ).length ?? 0,
+  );
+  expect(starterChannelAttempts).toBe(3);
+
+  await skipButton.click();
 
-  const completionKey = `buzz-community-onboarding-complete.v1:${encodeURIComponent(COMMUNITY_RELAY_URL)}:${WELCOME_FAILURE_PUBKEY}`;
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("community-onboarding-flow")).toHaveCount(0);
+  expect(
+    await page.evaluate(
+      () =>
+        window.__BUZZ_E2E_COMMANDS__?.filter(
+          (command) => command === "ensure_starter_channels",
+        ).length ?? 0,
+    ),
+  ).toBe(3);
   await expect
     .poll(() =>
       page.evaluate(
-        ({ completion, transaction }) => ({
-          completion: window.localStorage.getItem(completion),
-          transaction: window.localStorage.getItem(transaction),
-        }),
-        { completion: completionKey, transaction: TRANSACTION_STORAGE_KEY },
+        (transaction) => window.localStorage.getItem(transaction),
+        TRANSACTION_STORAGE_KEY,
       ),
     )
-    .toEqual({ completion: "true", transaction: null });
-  await expect(page.getByTestId("community-onboarding-flow")).toHaveCount(0);
-  await expect(page.getByTestId("app-sidebar")).toBeVisible();
+    .toBeNull();
 });
 
 test("persisted deep-link invite hands off to Joining after machine onboarding", async ({
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
index 947e55c7a..28f1865c5 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
@@ -987,18 +987,15 @@ test("connected first-community profile step cannot discard resumable onboarding
   await expect(
     page.getByRole("heading", { name: "Build your profile" }),
   ).toBeVisible();
-  const profileMain = page.getByTestId("community-profile-main");
-  const profileMainBox = await profileMain.boundingBox();
-  const viewport = page.viewportSize();
-  if (!profileMainBox || !viewport) {
-    throw new Error("Could not measure community profile body position");
+  const profileHeading = page.getByRole("heading", {
+    name: "Build your profile",
+  });
+  await expect(profileHeading).toBeVisible();
+  const profileHeadingBox = await profileHeading.boundingBox();
+  if (!profileHeadingBox) {
+    throw new Error("Could not measure community profile heading position");
   }
-  const chromeOffset = 106;
-  const footerOffset = 144;
-  const profileMainCenterY = profileMainBox.y + profileMainBox.height / 2;
-  const centeredInUsableLaneY =
-    chromeOffset + (viewport.height - chromeOffset - footerOffset) / 2;
-  expect(Math.abs(profileMainCenterY - centeredInUsableLaneY)).toBeLessThan(32);
+  expect(Math.abs(profileHeadingBox.y - 106)).toBeLessThan(8);
   const nameKey = page.getByTestId("community-profile-name-key");
   const avatarButton = page.getByTestId("community-avatar-open");
   await expect(nameKey).toBeVisible();