diff --git a/client/ui/autostart_default_test.go b/client/ui/autostart_default_test.go
index be84ac09e..b7bdf9f2a 100644
--- a/client/ui/autostart_default_test.go
+++ b/client/ui/autostart_default_test.go
@@ -12,10 +12,9 @@ import (
 
 func TestShouldEnableAutostartDefault(t *testing.T) {
 	allPass := autostartDefaultState{
-		supported:          true,
-		mdmDisabled:        false,
-		postUpdateRelaunch: false,
-		breadcrumbPresent:  true,
+		supported:    true,
+		mdmDisabled:  false,
+		priorInstall: false,
 	}
 
 	tests := []struct {
@@ -40,32 +39,26 @@ func TestShouldEnableAutostartDefault(t *testing.T) {
 			wantReason: "autostart disabled by MDM policy",
 		},
 		{
-			name:       "post-update relaunch skips",
-			mutate:     func(s *autostartDefaultState) { s.postUpdateRelaunch = true },
-			wantReason: "post-update relaunch",
-		},
-		{
-			name:       "missing breadcrumb (upgrade or portable build) skips",
-			mutate:     func(s *autostartDefaultState) { s.breadcrumbPresent = false },
-			wantReason: "no fresh-install breadcrumb",
+			name:       "existing installation (upgrade) skips",
+			mutate:     func(s *autostartDefaultState) { s.priorInstall = true },
+			wantReason: "existing NetBird installation",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "unsupported wins over every other guard",
 			mutate: func(s *autostartDefaultState) {
 				s.supported = false
 				s.mdmDisabled = true
-				s.postUpdateRelaunch = true
-				s.breadcrumbPresent = false
+				s.priorInstall = true
 			},
 			wantReason: "autostart not supported on this platform",
 		},
 		{
-			name: "breadcrumb present but relaunched after update skips",
+			name: "MDM disable wins over prior install",
 			mutate: func(s *autostartDefaultState) {
-				s.postUpdateRelaunch = true
-				s.breadcrumbPresent = true
+				s.mdmDisabled = true
+				s.priorInstall = true
 			},
-			wantReason: "post-update relaunch",
+			wantReason: "autostart disabled by MDM policy",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/client/ui/preferences/store_test.go b/client/ui/preferences/store_test.go
index 71c52038f..6384fddb8 100644
--- a/client/ui/preferences/store_test.go
+++ b/client/ui/preferences/store_test.go
@@ -238,6 +238,23 @@ func TestStore_SetAutostartInitializedPersistsAcrossReload(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, reloaded.Get().AutostartInitialized, "marker must survive a reload from disk")
 }
 
+func TestStore_ExistedAtLoad(t *testing.T) {
+	withTempConfigDir(t)
+
+	// Brand-new OS user: no preferences file on disk yet.
+	fresh, err := NewStore(nil, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, fresh.ExistedAtLoad(), "ExistedAtLoad must be false when no file is on disk")
+
+	// Persisting a value writes the file to disk.
+	require.NoError(t, fresh.SetLanguage("en"))
+
+	// A subsequent GUI launch reopens the now-present file.
+	reopened, err := NewStore(nil, nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, reopened.ExistedAtLoad(), "ExistedAtLoad must be true after the store has persisted and is reopened")
+}
+
 func TestStore_ErrUnsupportedSentinel(t *testing.T) {
 	// Verifies callers can match on the sentinel error rather than parsing
 	// strings — protects against accidental %v -> %w changes that would