diff --git a/init.sh b/init.sh
index 430f525..8851bba 100755
--- a/init.sh
+++ b/init.sh
@@ -1574,7 +1574,13 @@ completeInitMessage()
 	isNotice "Starting LibrePortal installation as $sudo_user_name user..."
 	
 	# Switch to libreportal user and run the install command
-	if sudo -u "$sudo_user_name" LIBREPORTAL_SKIP_LOGO=1 bash -c "libreportal run install"; then
+	# LIBREPORTAL_INITIAL_INSTALL=1 tells the runtime entry (check_files.sh) to
+	# skip the routine update check on this very first run — we just installed
+	# the latest code from this very tree, and the update path would otherwise
+	# try to git-pull (no .git in the deployed install dir) or lpFetchRelease
+	# (no release manifest reachable yet), failing in ways that leave the
+	# WebUI / task-processor uninstalled.
+	if sudo -u "$sudo_user_name" LIBREPORTAL_SKIP_LOGO=1 LIBREPORTAL_INITIAL_INSTALL=1 bash -c "libreportal run install"; then
 		# Install done — tighten the manager's broad install-phase sudo down to
 		# the scoped runtime allowlist.
 		initScopedSudoers
diff --git a/scripts/source/loading/check_files.sh b/scripts/source/loading/check_files.sh
index ae983af..bb1b127 100755
--- a/scripts/source/loading/check_files.sh
+++ b/scripts/source/loading/check_files.sh
@@ -20,7 +20,18 @@ sourceCheckFiles()
         if [[ $flag == "run" ]]; then
             isSuccessful "All files found and loaded for startup."
             detectOS;
-            checkUpdates;
+            # Fresh install (set by init.sh's completeInitMessage handoff): skip
+            # the routine update check and go straight to startLoad. We just
+            # installed the latest code — the update path's git-pull / release
+            # re-fetch would fail on a tree without .git or a reachable manifest
+            # and leave the WebUI / task-processor uninstalled. All of
+            # checkUpdates' own success branches converge on startLoad anyway;
+            # we just bypass the recovery gauntlet that doesn't apply here.
+            if [[ "$LIBREPORTAL_INITIAL_INSTALL" == "1" ]]; then
+                startLoad
+            else
+                checkUpdates
+            fi
         # This is where the CLI command starts
         elif [[ $flag == "cli" ]]; then
             detectOS;