diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/hooks.ts b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/hooks.ts
index 7495af48e..f8c08afc2 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/hooks.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/hooks.ts
@@ -82,14 +82,15 @@ export async function initializeStarterChannels(
     let starterChannels: Awaited<
       ReturnType<typeof ensureStarterChannels>
     > | null = null;
-    let starterChannelsError: unknown = null;
     try {
       starterChannels = await ensureStarterChannels({
         ensureStarterChannels: ensureStarterChannelsCommand,
         getChannels,
       });
     } catch (error) {
-      starterChannelsError = error;
+      // Public starter channels are optional. Owners may have deliberately
+      // deleted their deterministic starter channels; that must not strand a
+      // new member after the required private Welcome channel succeeds.
       console.warn("Failed to initialize public starter channels.", error);
     }
 
@@ -145,16 +146,6 @@ export async function initializeStarterChannels(
       notifyWelcomeChannelReady(welcomeChannel.id);
     }
     const focusChannelId = focus ? welcomeChannel.id : undefined;
-    if (starterChannelsError) {
-      return {
-        ok: false,
-        focusChannelId,
-        reason:
-          starterChannelsError instanceof Error
-            ? starterChannelsError.message
-            : "Failed to set up starter channels",
-      };
-    }
     return { ok: true, focusChannelId };
   } catch (error) {
     console.warn("Failed to initialize starter channels.", error);
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
index 0b3ccb7b5..42c4f8ea9 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/deep-link-invite.spec.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { seedActiveIdentity } from "../helpers/onboarding";
 // Invite claiming waits until setup finishes and the final identity is known.
 
 const DEFAULT_MOCK_PUBKEY = "deadbeef".repeat(8);
-const WELCOME_FAILURE_PUBKEY = TEST_IDENTITIES.tyler.pubkey;
+const COMMUNITY_ONBOARDING_PUBKEY = TEST_IDENTITIES.tyler.pubkey;
 const TRANSACTION_STORAGE_KEY = "buzz-community-onboarding-transaction.v1";
 const COMMUNITY_RELAY_URL = "wss://hive.example.com";
 
@@ -262,7 +262,63 @@ test("queued add-community links open and acknowledge one at a time", async ({
     ]);
 });
 
-test("Welcome failure retries once before allowing starter channel setup to be skipped", async ({
+test("deleted public starter channels do not strand community onboarding", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  const starterError =
+    "starter channels created but metadata not yet available";
+  await seedActiveIdentity(page, TEST_IDENTITIES.tyler);
+  await page.addInitScript(
+    ({ pubkey, relayUrl, storageKey }) => {
+      window.localStorage.setItem(
+        `buzz-machine-onboarding-complete.v2:${pubkey}`,
+        "true",
+      );
+      const timestamp = new Date().toISOString();
+      window.localStorage.setItem(
+        storageKey,
+        JSON.stringify({
+          id: "txn-deleted-starters-1",
+          source: "deep-link-join",
+          stage: "team-intro",
+          relayUrl,
+          communityName: "hive",
+          communityId: "e2e-default-community",
+          createdAt: timestamp,
+          updatedAt: timestamp,
+        }),
+      );
+    },
+    {
+      pubkey: COMMUNITY_ONBOARDING_PUBKEY,
+      relayUrl: COMMUNITY_RELAY_URL,
+      storageKey: TRANSACTION_STORAGE_KEY,
+    },
+  );
+  await installMockBridge(
+    page,
+    { ensureStarterChannelsErrors: [starterError] },
+    { relayWsUrl: COMMUNITY_RELAY_URL, skipOnboardingSeed: true },
+  );
+  await page.goto("/");
+
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Take me to Buzz" }).click();
+
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("community-onboarding-flow")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/#\/channels\/[^/]+$/);
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toContainText("Welcome");
+  await expect(page.getByText(starterError)).toHaveCount(0);
+  expect(
+    await page.evaluate(
+      () =>
+        window.__BUZZ_E2E_COMMANDS__?.filter(
+          (command) => command === "ensure_starter_channels",
+        ).length ?? 0,
+    ),
+  ).toBe(1);
+});
+
+test("required Welcome creation failure keeps community onboarding open", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   const welcomeError = "Channel creation is not permitted.";
@@ -289,80 +345,26 @@ test("Welcome failure retries once before allowing starter channel setup to be s
       );
     },
     {
-      pubkey: WELCOME_FAILURE_PUBKEY,
+      pubkey: COMMUNITY_ONBOARDING_PUBKEY,
       relayUrl: COMMUNITY_RELAY_URL,
       storageKey: TRANSACTION_STORAGE_KEY,
     },
   );
   await installMockBridge(
     page,
-    { ensureStarterChannelsErrors: [welcomeError, welcomeError, welcomeError] },
+    { createChannelErrors: [welcomeError] },
     { relayWsUrl: COMMUNITY_RELAY_URL, skipOnboardingSeed: true },
   );
   await page.goto("/");
 
-  for (const name of ["fizz", "honey", "bumble"]) {
-    const character = page.getByTestId(`starter-persona-${name}`);
-    await expect(character).toBeVisible();
-    await expect(character).toHaveAttribute(
-      "src",
-      `/onboarding/starter-team/${name}.png`,
-    );
-  }
-
-  const enterButton = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Take me to Buzz" });
-  await enterButton.click();
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Take me to Buzz" }).click();
 
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("community-onboarding-flow")).toBeVisible();
   await expect(page.getByText(`${welcomeError} Try again.`)).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(enterButton).toBeEnabled();
-  const backButton = page.getByRole("button", { name: "Back" });
-  await expect(backButton).toBeVisible();
-  await backButton.click();
-
   await expect(
-    page.getByRole("heading", { name: "Build your profile" }),
-  ).toBeVisible();
-  await page.getByLabel("Community username").fill("Tyler");
-  await page.getByTestId("community-profile-next").click();
-
-  await enterButton.click();
-  await expect(page.getByText(`${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();
-
-  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(
-        (transaction) => window.localStorage.getItem(transaction),
-        TRANSACTION_STORAGE_KEY,
-      ),
-    )
-    .toBeNull();
+    page.getByRole("button", { name: "Take me to Buzz" }),
+  ).toBeEnabled();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
 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 c54163367..b1e96aaf2 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
@@ -2985,27 +2985,6 @@ test("first-run onboarding keeps the shell hidden and lands on private Welcome a
   await expectWelcomeGuideIntro(page);
 });
 
-function retryToast(page: Page, title: string) {
-  return page
-    .locator("[data-sonner-toast][data-removed='false']")
-    .filter({ hasText: title });
-}
-
-async function retryToastAction(
-  page: Page,
-  { command, title }: { command: string; title: string },
-) {
-  const activeToast = retryToast(page, title);
-  await expect(
-    activeToast.getByRole("button", { name: "Retry" }),
-  ).toBeVisible();
-  const before = await commandCount(page, command);
-  await activeToast
-    .getByRole("button", { name: "Retry" })
-    .dispatchEvent("click");
-  await expect.poll(() => commandCount(page, command)).toBeGreaterThan(before);
-}
-
 async function commandCount(page: Page, command: string) {
   return page.evaluate(
     (target) =>
@@ -3015,16 +2994,14 @@ async function commandCount(page: Page, command: string) {
   );
 }
 
-test("failed starter channel retries recreate actionable toasts", async ({
+test("failed public starter channel setup does not show a retry toast", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   const starterError = "Mock starter channel setup failed.";
   await seedActiveIdentity(page, BLANK_TYLER_IDENTITY);
   await installMockBridge(
     page,
-    {
-      ensureStarterChannelsErrors: [starterError, starterError, starterError],
-    },
+    { ensureStarterChannelsErrors: [starterError, starterError] },
     { skipOnboardingSeed: true },
   );
   await page.goto("/");
@@ -3033,45 +3010,12 @@ test("failed starter channel retries recreate actionable toasts", async ({
   await completeProfileOnboarding(page);
 
   await expectPrivateWelcomeLanding(page);
-  const title = "Couldn't set up starter channels";
-  const activeToast = retryToast(page, title);
-  await expect(activeToast).toContainText(starterError);
-  await retryToastAction(page, {
-    command: "ensure_starter_channels",
-    title,
-  });
-  await expect(activeToast).toContainText(starterError);
   await expect(
-    activeToast.getByRole("button", { name: "Retry" }),
-  ).toBeVisible();
-});
-
-test("successful starter channel retry clears its actionable toast", async ({
-  page,
-}) => {
-  const starterError = "Mock starter channel setup failed.";
-  await seedActiveIdentity(page, BLANK_TYLER_IDENTITY);
-  await installMockBridge(
-    page,
-    {
-      ensureStarterChannelsErrors: [starterError, starterError],
-    },
-    { skipOnboardingSeed: true },
-  );
-  await page.goto("/");
-
-  await page.getByTestId("onboarding-display-name").fill("Morty QA");
-  await completeProfileOnboarding(page);
-
-  const title = "Couldn't set up starter channels";
-  await expect(retryToast(page, title)).toContainText(starterError);
-  await retryToastAction(page, {
-    command: "ensure_starter_channels",
-    title,
-  });
-  await expect(retryToast(page, title)).toHaveCount(0);
-  await expectWelcomeView(page);
-  await expectStarterChannels(page);
+    page
+      .locator("[data-sonner-toast][data-removed='false']")
+      .filter({ hasText: "Couldn't set up starter channels" }),
+  ).toHaveCount(0);
+  expect(await commandCount(page, "ensure_starter_channels")).toBe(2);
 });
 
 test("first-run onboarding posts the live Fizz kickoff", async ({ page }) => {