diff --git a/components/activity-dock.tsx b/components/activity-dock.tsx
index 8eea8c6..7f89678 100644
--- a/components/activity-dock.tsx
+++ b/components/activity-dock.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createContext, useCallback, useContext, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, use
 import { ActivityIcon, BotIcon, FileTextIcon, PenToolIcon, PlayIcon, SearchIcon, SquareIcon, WaypointsIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import type { CallUsage, JobKind, JobRecord } from "@/src/core";
-import { isModelsRefusal, jobCost } from "@/src/core";
+import { isModelsRefusal, isProviderKeyRefusal, jobCost } from "@/src/core";
 import { formatTokens, formatUsd } from "@/components/usage-format";
 
 /**
@@ -204,8 +204,15 @@ export function toBlobs(feed: ActivityFeed): ActivityBlob[] {
 			context,
 			// BYOK (owner, 2026-09-22): a refusal is info, not failure —
 			// the honest line the runner left ("failed") reads as setup
-			// needed, matching the dispatch card's quiet tone.
-			activity: isModelsRefusal(job.error) ? "needs model setup" : (job.activity ?? ""),
+			// needed, matching the dispatch card's quiet tone. The
+			// provider-key refusal twin (zero-keys wave, Platform's
+			// 66dbea9): a pinned model whose key is gone reads as the key
+			// being needed, same quiet tone.
+			activity: isModelsRefusal(job.error)
+				? "needs model setup"
+				: isProviderKeyRefusal(job.error)
+					? "needs a provider key"
+					: (job.activity ?? ""),
 			model: usage?.model,
 			steps: usage?.steps,
 		};
diff --git a/components/artifacts/dispatch-card.tsx b/components/artifacts/dispatch-card.tsx
index 9f64f5d..0bcb83e 100644
--- a/components/artifacts/dispatch-card.tsx
+++ b/components/artifacts/dispatch-card.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useContext } from "react";
 import { CheckIcon, SettingsIcon, XIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { JobsContext } from "@/components/jobs-context";
 import { ChatActionsContext } from "@/components/chat";
-import { isModelsRefusal, type JobKind, type JobRecord } from "@/src/core";
+import { isModelsRefusal, isProviderKeyRefusal, type JobKind, type JobRecord } from "@/src/core";
 
 /**
  * The dispatch card (contracts.ts "THE ASYNC PROTOCOL" §4): the tool-call
@@ -36,8 +36,14 @@ export function DispatchCard({ toolCallId, kind }: { toolCallId: string; kind: J
 	// BYOK (owner, 2026-09-22): a job refused for missing models is INFO,
 	// not scary-error — gray glyph + "needs model setup" + the deep-link
 	// into the SetupDialog (the same flow the send interception uses).
+	// The provider-key refusal twin (zero-keys wave): a pinned model
+	// whose key is gone reads as the key being needed — the deep-link
+	// lands on the SetupDialog's first-key stage on its own.
 	if (isModelsRefusal(job.error)) {
-		return <DispatchRefusedCard label={label} />;
+		return <DispatchRefusedCard label={label} line="needs model setup" button="Set up models" />;
+	}
+	if (isProviderKeyRefusal(job.error)) {
+		return <DispatchRefusedCard label={label} line="needs a provider key" button="Add a key" />;
 	}
 	const failed = job.status === "error";
 	return (
@@ -53,7 +59,7 @@ export function DispatchCard({ toolCallId, kind }: { toolCallId: string; kind: J
 }
 
 /** The refused card: quiet info tone — nothing red, nothing "failed". */
-function DispatchRefusedCard({ label }: { label: string }) {
+function DispatchRefusedCard({ label, line, button }: { label: string; line: string; button: string }) {
 	const ctx = useContext(ChatActionsContext);
 	return (
 		<div
@@ -62,7 +68,7 @@ function DispatchRefusedCard({ label }: { label: string }) {
 		>
 			<SettingsIcon className="size-3.5" />
 			<span className="font-medium uppercase tracking-wide">{label}</span>
-			<span>needs model setup</span>
+			<span>{line}</span>
 			{ctx && (
 				<button
 					type="button"
@@ -70,7 +76,7 @@ function DispatchRefusedCard({ label }: { label: string }) {
 					onClick={ctx.openSetup}
 					className="ml-1 rounded-sm border border-border bg-card px-2 py-0.5 font-ui normal-case tracking-normal text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
 				>
-					Set up models
+					{button}
 				</button>
 			)}
 		</div>
diff --git a/components/chat.tsx b/components/chat.tsx
index 00ee7d1..e82e063 100644
--- a/components/chat.tsx
+++ b/components/chat.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react";
 import { lastAssistantMessageIsCompleteWithToolCalls } from "ai";
 import { createChatTransport } from "@/components/chat-transport";
 import { SetupDialog } from "@/components/setup-dialog";
-import { useSettingsDialog } from "@/components/settings/settings-dialog.tsx";
+import { useZeroKeys, ZeroKeysPill } from "@/components/setup-cta";
 import { useStickToBottomContext } from "use-stick-to-bottom";
 import {
 	Conversation,
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import { DictationBar, useDictation } from "@/components/dictation";
 import { JobsContext } from "@/components/jobs-context";
 import { StatsBar } from "@/components/stats-bar";
 import { useActivity } from "@/components/activity-dock";
-import { mergeAdopted, type ChatSettings, type ModelSlotName } from "@/src/core";
+import { isProviderKeyRefusal, mergeAdopted, type ChatSettings, type ModelSlotName } from "@/src/core";
 import { PlanBlock, PlanPopup, latestTree } from "@/components/plan-block";
 import { PlanMarginalia } from "@/components/plan-window";
 import { MermaidOverlay, SessionMermaidContext } from "@/components/session-overlay";
@@ -106,6 +106,21 @@ export function parseModelsRefusal(message: string | undefined): ModelSlotName[]
 	}
 }
 
+/** The provider-key refusal's transport seam (zero-keys wave, Platform's
+ *  66dbea9): same discipline as parseModelsRefusal — the 503 body rides
+ *  the thrown error message verbatim, so the envelope's own matcher
+ *  (core, invariant-tail) decides; the wording can never drift client-
+ *  side. Exported pure for tests. */
+export function parseProviderKeyRefusal(message: string | undefined): boolean {
+	if (!message) return false;
+	try {
+		const body = JSON.parse(message) as { code?: unknown; error?: unknown };
+		return body.code === "provider_key_missing" && typeof body.error === "string" && isProviderKeyRefusal(body.error);
+	} catch {
+		return false;
+	}
+}
+
 /** useLayoutEffect that is silent during SSR (client components still render on the server in Next). */
 const useIsoLayoutEffect = typeof window === "undefined" ? useEffect : useLayoutEffect;
 
@@ -315,6 +330,10 @@ export function Chat({
 	// refusal interception share one SetupDialog mount. `configured` is
 	// seeded server-side (slotsConfigured on the record) and flips on Save.
 	const [configured, setConfigured] = useState(initialConfigured);
+	// The zero-keys truth (zero-keys wave): no provider key = the pill
+	// takes precedence over the models CTA (keys come first in the chain).
+	// Reads once on mount, re-reads on the "keys" signal.
+	const zeroKeys = useZeroKeys();
 	// Cross-surface freshness (fix wave): another surface's models write —
 	// setup save, composer pick, a settings write — re-reads the record so
 	// the setup CTA appears/disappears live (it used to lag until reload).
@@ -326,7 +345,6 @@ export function Chat({
 			.catch(() => {});
 	});
 	const [setupOpen, setSetupOpen] = useState(false);
-	const { open: openSettings } = useSettingsDialog();
 	/** The last explicitly-sent draft (composer send, verdict note): the
 	 *  refusal flow restores it into the composer and Save replays it.
 	 *  Auto-continuations (probe answers) never set it — their refusal
@@ -344,7 +362,11 @@ export function Chat({
 	useEffect(() => {
 		if (!error) return;
 		const missing = parseModelsRefusal(error.message);
-		if (!missing) return; // a real error keeps the honest banner
+		// The key-refusal twin (zero-keys wave): a pinned model whose
+		// provider key is gone gets the SAME treatment — revert-draft and
+		// open setup (the dialog derives to its first-key stage on its own).
+		const keyRefused = parseProviderKeyRefusal(error.message);
+		if (!missing && !keyRefused) return; // a real error keeps the honest banner
 		// ORDER MATTERS: clearError() flips this effect's own dep (`error`)
 		// and would cancel the in-flight work below — so the banner dismiss,
 		// the draft restore, and the dialog open all land TOGETHER after the
@@ -1087,17 +1109,21 @@ export function Chat({
 					dictationSlot={<DictationBar dictation={dictation} />}
 					dictationCancel={dictation.cancel}
 					setupCta={
-						!configured && (
-							<div className="pointer-events-auto mb-2 flex justify-center">
-								<button
-									type="button"
-									data-testid="setup-cta"
-									onClick={() => setSetupOpen(true)}
-									className="rounded-sm border border-border bg-card px-3 py-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
-								>
-									Set up your models
-								</button>
-							</div>
+						zeroKeys ? (
+							<ZeroKeysPill onOpen={() => setSetupOpen(true)} />
+						) : (
+							!configured && (
+								<div className="pointer-events-auto mb-2 flex justify-center">
+									<button
+										type="button"
+										data-testid="setup-cta"
+										onClick={() => setSetupOpen(true)}
+										className="rounded-sm border border-border bg-card px-3 py-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
+									>
+										Set up your models
+									</button>
+								</div>
+							)
 						)
 					}
 					composer={
@@ -1165,10 +1191,6 @@ export function Chat({
 					void sendMessage({ text: t });
 				}
 			}}
-			onOpenKeys={() => {
-				setSetupOpen(false);
-				openSettings("keys");
-			}}
 		/>
 		</ChatActionsContext.Provider>
 	);
diff --git a/components/dictation.tsx b/components/dictation.tsx
index c050eb8..6f1cdda 100644
--- a/components/dictation.tsx
+++ b/components/dictation.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { Loader2Icon, MicIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { useSettingsDialog } from "@/components/settings/settings-dialog";
 
 /**
  * Voice dictation — the cloud engine (STT wave 1, 2026-09-17).
@@ -80,6 +81,17 @@ export const METER_TICK_MS = 60;
 /** Rolling history: 48 cells × 60ms ≈ 2.9s of recent loudness. */
 export const METER_CELLS = 48;
 
+/** The Deepgram key's id in the keys store (the env-var name — the Keys
+ *  section's openRow state and the PUT /api/keys/:id seam). */
+export const DEEPGRAM_KEY_ID = "DEEPGRAM_API_KEY";
+
+/** The client-authored KEYLESS line (zero-keys wave, owner 2026-09-25):
+ * the token route's raw 503 message is dev-speak ("add it to auth.json
+ * (desktop) or .env.local (dev)") — the surface says the short truth
+ * instead. Exported for pins; the errored idle button's click recognizes
+ * it and deep-links Settings → Keys → the Deepgram row. */
+export const DICTATION_KEYLESS = "Dictation needs a Deepgram key";
+
 /** RMS (0..1) → normalized 0..1 across the audible dB window. */
 export function rmsToMeter(rms: number): number {
 	if (rms <= 0) return 0;
@@ -146,6 +158,10 @@ export type Dictation = {
 	 *  semantics (owner, 2026-09-17 round 3): Esc is a cancel, not a stop —
 	 *  before, it flushed exactly like the toggle did. */
 	cancel: () => void;
+	/** Clear the terminal error without starting a run (zero-keys wave):
+	 * the keyless click leaves for Settings and the surface must come
+	 * back clean. */
+	clearError: () => void;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -208,11 +224,17 @@ export function useDictation({ append }: { append: (text: string) => void }): Di
 		setPhase("idle");
 	}, []);
 
-	/** Mint a short-lived token (the route holds the real key server-side). */
+	/** Mint a short-lived token (the route holds the real key server-side).
+	 *  The keyless 503 (no DEEPGRAM_API_KEY) is the route's ONLY 503 — the
+	 *  raw message is dev-speak, so the error becomes the short
+	 *  client-authored line (zero-keys wave, owner 2026-09-25). */
 	const mintToken = useCallback(async () => {
 		const res = await fetch("/api/stt/token");
 		const data = (await res.json()) as { token?: string; message?: string };
-		if (!res.ok || !data.token) throw new Error(data.message ?? `token route ${res.status}`);
+		if (!res.ok || !data.token) {
+			if (res.status === 503) throw new Error(DICTATION_KEYLESS);
+			throw new Error(data.message ?? `token route ${res.status}`);
+		}
 		return data.token;
 	}, []);
 
@@ -392,7 +414,7 @@ export function useDictation({ append }: { append: (text: string) => void }): Di
 		return () => window.removeEventListener("lh:kbd-cancel-dictation", cancel);
 	}, [cancel]);
 
-	return { phase, error, levelRef, active: phase !== "idle", toggle, stop, cancel };
+	return { phase, error, levelRef, active: phase !== "idle", toggle, stop, cancel, clearError: () => setError(null) };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -408,7 +430,13 @@ export function useDictation({ append }: { append: (text: string) => void }): Di
  *             (full text in the tooltip), cleared on the next click.
  */
 export function DictationBar({ dictation }: { dictation: Dictation }) {
-	const { phase, error, levelRef, toggle, active } = dictation;
+	const { phase, error, levelRef, toggle, active, clearError } = dictation;
+	const { open: openSettings } = useSettingsDialog();
+	/** The keyless click (zero-keys wave, owner dictation trio): the errored
+	 *  idle button deep-links Settings → Keys → the Deepgram row and clears
+	 *  the error — the surface is clean when the user returns. Any other
+	 *  error keeps the old behavior (click = retry, which clears). */
+	const keyless = error === DICTATION_KEYLESS;
 	const [levels, setLevels] = useState<number[]>(() => new Array(METER_CELLS).fill(0));
 	const recording = phase === "recording" || phase === "stopping";
 	/** Adaptive cell count (owner round 2): derived from the meter's
@@ -455,7 +483,14 @@ export function DictationBar({ dictation }: { dictation: Dictation }) {
 		return (
 			<button
 				type="button"
-				onClick={toggle}
+				onClick={() => {
+					if (keyless) {
+						clearError();
+						openSettings("keys", DEEPGRAM_KEY_ID);
+					} else {
+						toggle();
+					}
+				}}
 				title={error ?? "Dictate into the composer"}
 				aria-label={error ? `Dictation failed: ${error}` : "Start dictation"}
 				data-testid="dictation-toggle"
diff --git a/components/home.tsx b/components/home.tsx
index e614625..154f054 100644
--- a/components/home.tsx
+++ b/components/home.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import { CornerDownLeftIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { GraphView } from "@/components/graph-view";
 import { SetupDialog } from "@/components/setup-dialog";
-import { useSettingsDialog } from "@/components/settings/settings-dialog.tsx";
+import { useZeroKeys, ZeroKeysPill } from "@/components/setup-cta";
 import { useDefaultSettings } from "@/components/default-settings";
 import { DictationBar, useDictation } from "@/components/dictation";
 import { SidebarToggle } from "@/components/sidebar";
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ export function Home({ initialSettings, initialConfigured }: { initialSettings:
 	// a topic opens the setup dialog WITH THE DRAFT PRESERVED (Save
 	// stores the slots and the queued message sends).
 	const [configured, setConfigured] = useState(initialConfigured);
+	// The zero-keys truth (zero-keys wave): no provider key = the pill
+	// takes precedence over the models CTA (keys come first in the chain).
+	const zeroKeys = useZeroKeys();
 	const [setupOpen, setSetupOpen] = useState(false);
-	const { open: openSettings } = useSettingsDialog();
 	// Voice dictation (STT wave, 2026-09-17): finals append at the end of the
 	// topic draft; the strip lives in the stats bar's middle slot.
 	const dictation = useDictation({
@@ -113,17 +115,21 @@ export function Home({ initialSettings, initialConfigured }: { initialSettings:
 			    px-4) so nothing shifts when a session starts (owner). */}
 			<div className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 pb-5">
 				<div className="pointer-events-auto mx-auto w-full max-w-[46rem] px-4">
-					{!configured && (
-						<div className="mb-2 flex justify-center">
-							<button
-								type="button"
-								data-testid="setup-cta"
-								onClick={() => setSetupOpen(true)}
-								className="rounded-sm border border-border bg-card px-3 py-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
-							>
-								Set up your models — chats start after the three picks
-							</button>
-						</div>
+					{zeroKeys ? (
+						<ZeroKeysPill onOpen={() => setSetupOpen(true)} />
+					) : (
+						!configured && (
+							<div className="mb-2 flex justify-center">
+								<button
+									type="button"
+									data-testid="setup-cta"
+									onClick={() => setSetupOpen(true)}
+									className="rounded-sm border border-border bg-card px-3 py-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
+								>
+									Set up your models — chats start after the three picks
+								</button>
+							</div>
+						)
 					)}
 					<form
 						className="flex items-end gap-1.5 rounded-2xl border bg-card p-1.5 shadow-lg"
@@ -176,8 +182,9 @@ export function Home({ initialSettings, initialConfigured }: { initialSettings:
 			</div>
 
 			{/* First-run setup (unconfigured): the CTA's target and the send
-			    interception's landing surface. onDone replays the intercepted
-			    draft; onOpenKeys deep-links the settings dialog (stage 1). */}
+			    interception's landing surface — stage 1 is the self-contained
+			    first-key screen (zero-keys wave); onDone replays the
+			    intercepted draft. */}
 			<SetupDialog
 				open={setupOpen}
 				onClose={() => setSetupOpen(false)}
@@ -186,11 +193,7 @@ export function Home({ initialSettings, initialConfigured }: { initialSettings:
 					setSetupOpen(false);
 					void start(true); // the queued draft sends
 				}}
-				onOpenKeys={() => {
-					setSetupOpen(false);
-					openSettings("keys");
-				}}
-			/>
+				/>
 		</div>
 	);
 }
diff --git a/components/new-session.tsx b/components/new-session.tsx
index 1606883..4285bfe 100644
--- a/components/new-session.tsx
+++ b/components/new-session.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { DictationBar, useDictation } from "@/components/dictation";
 import { useDefaultSettings } from "@/components/default-settings";
 import { SidebarToggle } from "@/components/sidebar";
 import { SetupDialog } from "@/components/setup-dialog";
-import { useSettingsDialog } from "@/components/settings/settings-dialog.tsx";
+import { useZeroKeys, ZeroKeysPill } from "@/components/setup-cta";
 import { StatsBar } from "@/components/stats-bar";
 import type { ChatSettings } from "@/src/core";
 
@@ -165,8 +165,10 @@ export function NewSession({
 	// 33 providers, chats cannot start. The draft stays in the textarea;
 	// Save completes and the send replays.
 	const [configured, setConfigured] = useState(initialConfigured);
+	// The zero-keys truth (zero-keys wave): no provider key = the pill
+	// takes precedence over the models CTA (keys come first in the chain).
+	const zeroKeys = useZeroKeys();
 	const [setupOpen, setSetupOpen] = useState(false);
-	const { open: openSettings } = useSettingsDialog();
 
 	const send = useCallback((force = false) => {
 		if (!text.trim() || busy) return;
@@ -195,7 +197,10 @@ export function NewSession({
 				settings={settings}
 				onSettingsSaved={saveDraft}
 				setupCta={
-					!configured && (
+					zeroKeys ? (
+						<ZeroKeysPill onOpen={() => setSetupOpen(true)} />
+					) : (
+						!configured && (
 						<div className="pointer-events-auto mb-2 flex justify-center">
 							<button
 								type="button"
@@ -206,10 +211,12 @@ export function NewSession({
 								Set up your models — chats start after the three picks
 							</button>
 						</div>
+						)
 					)
 				}
 			/>
-			{/* First-run setup: the send interception's landing surface. */}
+			{/* First-run setup: the send interception's landing surface — stage
+			    1 is the self-contained first-key screen (zero-keys wave). */}
 			<SetupDialog
 				open={setupOpen}
 				onClose={() => setSetupOpen(false)}
@@ -218,11 +225,7 @@ export function NewSession({
 					setSetupOpen(false);
 					send(true); // the queued draft sends
 				}}
-				onOpenKeys={() => {
-					setSetupOpen(false);
-					openSettings("keys");
-				}}
-			/>
+				/>
 		</>
 	);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/components/settings-signal.ts b/components/settings-signal.ts
index 0d8a5ad..05d427a 100644
--- a/components/settings-signal.ts
+++ b/components/settings-signal.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
 export const SETTINGS_SAVED_EVENT = "lh:settings-saved";
 
 /** The settings sections a writer can land (the write seam's union). */
-export type SettingsSection = "general" | "agent" | "models" | "appearance" | "graph";
+// "keys" joined the roster (zero-keys wave, 2026-09-25): keys-section
+// dispatches it after save AND delete — deletions used to be invisible to
+// the zero-keys pill and the setup dialog's auto-advance.
+export type SettingsSection = "general" | "keys" | "agent" | "models" | "appearance" | "graph";
 
 /** Writers call this after the PUT resolves ok — never before (a failed
  *  write notifies nothing; the record is unchanged). */
diff --git a/components/settings/keys-section.tsx b/components/settings/keys-section.tsx
index 6ee7cc3..3e1c21a 100644
--- a/components/settings/keys-section.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/keys-section.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import { AUTH_KEYS, type AuthKeyStatus } from "@/src/core";
 import { SettingsGroup } from "./controls.tsx";
 import { ProviderMenuList } from "./model-menu.tsx";
 import { MenuShell } from "@/components/menu-shell";
+import { notifySettingsSaved } from "@/components/settings-signal";
 
 /** One pi-ai provider with plain API-key auth (the Platform seam —
  *  derived from pi-ai's own env-key table; no drift possible). */
@@ -313,12 +314,21 @@ function AddProviderRow({
 	);
 }
 
-export function KeysSection() {
+export function KeysSection({
+	/** A deep-linked row to unfold on arrival (zero-keys wave): the
+	 *  dictation error's click lands here on DEEPGRAM_API_KEY. Followed
+	 *  while mounted too — the settings dialog's while-open retarget
+	 *  pattern. undefined = nothing seeded. */
+	initialRow,
+}: {
+	initialRow?: string;
+}) {
 	const [statuses, setStatuses] = useState<AuthKeyStatus[] | null>(null);
 	const [providers, setProviders] = useState<ProviderKeyInfo[] | undefined>(undefined);
 	const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
-	/** The unfolded row (its id), null = all folded. */
-	const [openRow, setOpenRow] = useState<string | null>(null);
+	/** The unfolded row (its id), null = all folded. Seeded by the
+	 *  deep-link (initialRow) and re-followed when it retargets. */
+	const [openRow, setOpenRow] = useState<string | null>(initialRow ?? null);
 	/** The paste editor for a freshly chosen Add-provider target. */
 	const [adding, setAdding] = useState<ProviderKeyInfo | null>(null);
 	const [addError, setAddError] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -354,6 +364,13 @@ export function KeysSection() {
 		void reload();
 	}, []);
 
+	// The deep-link follow: a retarget while the section is open (the
+	// same while-open pattern the dialog's section nav uses) unfolds the
+	// named row; a fresh mount seeds it via the useState initializer.
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (initialRow !== undefined) setOpenRow(initialRow);
+	}, [initialRow]);
+
 	async function saveKey(id: string, value: string): Promise<string | null> {
 		const res = await fetch(`/api/keys/${id}`, {
 			method: "PUT",
@@ -365,12 +382,17 @@ export function KeysSection() {
 			return body.error ?? `Save failed (${res.status})`;
 		}
 		await reload();
+		// The cross-surface keys signal (zero-keys wave): the zero-keys pill,
+		// the setup dialog's stage advance, and any other keys reader hear
+		// that a key landed — deletions included (see deleteKey below).
+		notifySettingsSaved("keys");
 		return null;
 	}
 
 	async function deleteKey(id: string): Promise<void> {
 		await fetch(`/api/keys/${id}`, { method: "DELETE" }).catch(() => undefined);
 		await reload();
+		notifySettingsSaved("keys");
 	}
 
 	if (loading || statuses === null) {
diff --git a/components/settings/settings-dialog.tsx b/components/settings/settings-dialog.tsx
index 9659720..7609049 100644
--- a/components/settings/settings-dialog.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/settings-dialog.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,12 @@ const SECTIONS = [
 ] as const;
 type SectionId = (typeof SECTIONS)[number]["id"];
 
-const DialogContext = createContext<{ open: (section?: string) => void }>({ open: () => {} });
+/** `open(section?, row?)` — the optional ROW deep-links into the Keys
+ *  section with that row unfolded (zero-keys wave: the dictation error's
+ *  click lands on the Deepgram row). `row` is the KEY ID (the env-var
+ *  name, e.g. DEEPGRAM_API_KEY — KeysSection's openRow state), not the
+ *  row's testid. */
+const DialogContext = createContext<{ open: (section?: string, row?: string) => void }>({ open: () => {} });
 
 /** AppShell-level mount: the sidebar row and the mod+, chord call this.
  *  `open(section)` lands the dialog on a specific section (the first-run
@@ -72,14 +77,18 @@ export function SettingsDialogProvider({
 }) {
 	const [show, setShow] = useState(false);
 	const [landOn, setLandOn] = useState<SectionId>("general");
-	const open = useCallback((section?: string) => {
+	const [landOnRow, setLandOnRow] = useState<string | null>(null);
+	const open = useCallback((section?: string, row?: string) => {
 		if (section) setLandOn(section as SectionId);
+		setLandOnRow(row ?? null);
 		setShow(true);
 	}, []);
 	return (
 		<DialogContext.Provider value={{ open }}>
 			{children}
-			{show && <SettingsDialog onClose={() => setShow(false)} initialSection={landOn} />}
+			{show && (
+				<SettingsDialog onClose={() => setShow(false)} initialSection={landOn} initialRow={landOnRow} />
+			)}
 		</DialogContext.Provider>
 	);
 }
@@ -88,7 +97,16 @@ export function useSettingsDialog() {
 	return useContext(DialogContext);
 }
 
-function SettingsDialog({ onClose, initialSection }: { onClose: () => void; initialSection: SectionId }) {
+function SettingsDialog({
+	onClose,
+	initialSection,
+	initialRow,
+}: {
+	onClose: () => void;
+	initialSection: SectionId;
+	/** The keys-section row to unfold (see DialogContext above). */
+	initialRow: string | null;
+}) {
 	// Plain dim backdrop (no blur — nothing decorative); the click
 	// closes, the dialog body stops propagation.
 	return createPortal(
@@ -97,7 +115,7 @@ function SettingsDialog({ onClose, initialSection }: { onClose: () => void; init
 			data-testid="settings-backdrop"
 			onClick={onClose}
 		>
-			<SettingsDialogBody onClose={onClose} initialSection={initialSection} />
+			<SettingsDialogBody onClose={onClose} initialSection={initialSection} initialRow={initialRow} />
 		</div>,
 		document.body,
 	);
@@ -108,9 +126,13 @@ function SettingsDialog({ onClose, initialSection }: { onClose: () => void; init
 export function SettingsDialogBody({
 	onClose,
 	initialSection = "general",
+	initialRow = null,
 }: {
 	onClose: () => void;
 	initialSection?: SectionId;
+	/** The keys row to unfold on arrival (null = none). While-open
+	 *  retargets follow it exactly like initialSection below. */
+	initialRow?: string | null;
 }) {
 	const { onAppearanceChange } = useAppearance();
 	const [record, setRecord] = useState<UserSettings | null | undefined>(
@@ -333,7 +355,7 @@ export function SettingsDialogBody({
 							)}
 							{active === "keys" && (
 								<SettingsSection title="Keys" testid="section-keys">
-									<KeysSection />
+									<KeysSection initialRow={initialRow ?? undefined} />
 								</SettingsSection>
 							)}
 							{active === "agent" && (
diff --git a/components/setup-cta.tsx b/components/setup-cta.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..246399f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/setup-cta.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+"use client";
+/**
+ * The zero-keys surfaces (zero-keys wave, 2026-09-25, owner-locked over
+ * Platform's 66dbea9 key-presence gate): when NO model-provider key
+ * exists, chat / home / /chat/new hoist a composer pill — "Add a
+ * provider key" — that takes PRECEDENCE over the models setup CTA
+ * (keys come first in the chain: the model pickers list only what
+ * keys unlock). Click opens the SetupDialog, whose stage derives to
+ * the first-key screen on its own.
+ *
+ * Truth: GET /api/keys — a PROVIDER key present (env or file; tool keys
+ * like Deepgram do not count — they unlock no models). Live updates ride
+ * the lh:settings-saved "keys" signal (keys-section dispatches after
+ * save AND delete; the setup dialog's first-key screen dispatches on
+ * its own save), the same re-read pattern chat.tsx uses for "models".
+ */
+
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import type { AuthKeyStatus } from "@/src/core";
+import { classifyKeys, type ProviderKeyInfo } from "@/components/settings/keys-section";
+import { useSettingsSaved } from "@/components/settings-signal";
+
+/** Pure: does a MODEL-PROVIDER key exist among the statuses? Reuses
+ *  classifyKeys (the keys section's own classification — no drift):
+ *  a status whose id is a provider env-var (or the pre-interlude
+ *  fallback shape) with present=true counts, present or file-sourced,
+ *  env-owned included (env wins but it EXISTS). Exported for pins. */
+export function hasProviderKey(
+	statuses: readonly AuthKeyStatus[],
+	providers: readonly ProviderKeyInfo[] | undefined,
+): boolean {
+	return classifyKeys(statuses, providers).providerRows.some((s) => s.present);
+}
+
+/** The zero-keys truth for the calling page: TRUE only after a
+ *  successful read says no provider key exists (pending and failed
+ *  reads render nothing — the pill must never flash on a gap, and a
+ *  failed read claiming "zero keys" would be a lie the CTA flow then
+ *  leans on). Re-reads on the keys signal. */
+export function useZeroKeys(): boolean {
+	const [zeroKeys, setZeroKeys] = useState(false);
+	const read = useCallback(() => {
+		fetch("/api/keys")
+			.then((r) => r.json())
+			.then((body: { keys?: AuthKeyStatus[]; providers?: ProviderKeyInfo[] }) => {
+				setZeroKeys(!hasProviderKey(body.keys ?? [], body.providers));
+			})
+			.catch(() => {});
+	}, []);
+	useEffect(() => {
+		read();
+	}, [read]);
+	useSettingsSaved((section) => {
+		if (section === "keys") read();
+	});
+	return zeroKeys;
+}
+
+/** The pill itself — the models CTA's chrome and placement, the keys
+ *  chain's copy. testid "setup-cta-keys" (the models CTA keeps
+ *  "setup-cta"; probes can tell them apart). */
+export function ZeroKeysPill({ onOpen }: { onOpen: () => void }) {
+	return (
+		<div className="pointer-events-auto mb-2 flex justify-center">
+			<button
+				type="button"
+				data-testid="setup-cta-keys"
+				onClick={onOpen}
+				className="rounded-sm border border-border bg-card px-3 py-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
+			>
+				Add a provider key — chats start after one unlocks the models
+			</button>
+		</div>
+	);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/components/setup-dialog.tsx b/components/setup-dialog.tsx
index 9f0b0a9..9cf817a 100644
--- a/components/setup-dialog.tsx
+++ b/components/setup-dialog.tsx
@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@
  * STAGED BY DEPENDENCY (owner, 2026-09-20: "first keys, then models —
  * there's no point presenting the model picker before the user has set a
  * key because there are no models to pick then"):
- *   Stage 1 — no keyed provider: "add a provider key first" + a button
- *     that deep-links the settings dialog on Keys. The draft lives in
- *     the caller's state, untouched; after the key lands the next
- *     submit/CTA click reopens here at stage 2 (the /api/models check is
- *     fresh per open — saving a key immediately widens the pickers).
+ *   Stage 1 — no keyed provider: a SELF-CONTAINED first-key screen
+ *     (zero-keys wave, owner 2026-09-25): provider picker + one key
+ *     input + save via PUT /api/keys/:id. The dialog STAYS MOUNTED —
+ *     saving dispatches the "keys" signal, the fetch effect re-runs on
+ *     it, and the stage flips to the pickers on its own. No Settings
+ *     round-trip anymore; the draft lives in the caller's state,
+ *     untouched throughout.
  *   Stage 2 — Strong → Cheap → Vision pickers over the FEDERATED catalog
  *     (keyed providers only), the vision slot filtered to image-capable
  *     models, in the app's shared dropdown language (ModelMenuList).
@@ -36,7 +38,9 @@ import { type ModelCatalogEntry, type ModelSlotName, type ModelsSettings } from
 import { prettyModel } from "@/components/usage-format";
 import { ModelMenuList } from "@/components/settings/model-menu";
 import { MenuShell } from "@/components/menu-shell";
-import { notifySettingsSaved } from "@/components/settings-signal";
+import { notifySettingsSaved, useSettingsSaved } from "@/components/settings-signal";
+import { type ProviderKeyInfo } from "@/components/settings/keys-section";
+import { ProviderMenuList } from "@/components/settings/model-menu";
 import { defaultOrderLevel, populateLevel, THINKING_LABEL } from "@/components/thinking-default";
 import { ThinkingMenuList } from "@/components/settings/model-menu";
 import type { ThinkingLevel } from "@earendil-works/pi-agent-core";
@@ -101,19 +105,123 @@ export function prefillLevelFromPin(
 	return populateLevel(pin?.thinkingLevel, entry.supportedLevels);
 }
 
+/** Stage 1's pure body — exported for SSR pins (the delete/settings
+ *  body pattern). The wrapper owns state + effects + the portal.
+ *
+ * The first-key screen (owner, zero-keys wave): provider picker (the
+ * app's shared dropdown language, ProviderMenuList), one paste input,
+ * Save. A save that 400s keeps the line inline (the keys section's
+ * shape-gates write user-facing error text). */
+export function SetupKeysBody({
+	providers,
+	provider,
+	value,
+	saving,
+	error,
+	menuOpen,
+	onToggleMenu,
+	onPick,
+	onValue,
+	onSave,
+	menuAnchor,
+}: {
+	/** The full provider roster (GET /api/keys providers) — undefined
+	 *  while it loads; the picker renders an honest empty state then. */
+	providers: ProviderKeyInfo[] | undefined;
+	/** The chosen provider; null = the picker trigger reads "Pick a
+	 *  provider…". */
+	provider: ProviderKeyInfo | null;
+	value: string;
+	saving: boolean;
+	error: string | null;
+	menuOpen: boolean;
+	onToggleMenu: () => void;
+	onPick: (p: ProviderKeyInfo) => void;
+	onValue: (v: string) => void;
+	onSave: () => void;
+	/** The MenuShell anchor — wired by the wrapper (its triggerRef). */
+	menuAnchor: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement | null>;
+}) {
+	return (
+		<div className="flex flex-col gap-3 px-6 py-5" data-testid="setup-stage-keys">
+			<p className="text-sm text-foreground">First, add a provider key.</p>
+			<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+				The model pickers list only what your keys unlock — there is nothing to pick until one exists.
+			</p>
+			<div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
+				<div ref={menuAnchor} className="relative max-w-96">
+					<button
+						type="button"
+						aria-label="Provider"
+						data-testid="setup-key-provider"
+						aria-expanded={menuOpen}
+						onClick={onToggleMenu}
+						className="flex h-7 w-full items-center gap-1 rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
+					>
+						<span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate text-left">{provider ? provider.label : "Pick a provider…"}</span>
+						<span aria-hidden className="text-muted-foreground">
+							▾
+						</span>
+					</button>
+					{menuOpen && (
+						<MenuShell
+							anchorRef={menuAnchor}
+							testid="setup-key-provider-menu"
+							preferredSide="down"
+							align="left"
+							menuClass="flex w-[22rem] flex-col rounded-xl border border-border bg-card p-2 text-xs shadow-xl"
+						>
+							<ProviderMenuList providers={providers ?? []} onPick={onPick} />
+						</MenuShell>
+					)}
+				</div>
+				{provider && (
+					<div className="flex max-w-96 items-center gap-2">
+						<input
+							type="text"
+							value={value}
+							onChange={(e) => onValue(e.target.value)}
+							onKeyDown={(e) => {
+								if (e.key === "Enter" && value.trim()) onSave();
+							}}
+							placeholder="Paste key…"
+							aria-label={`${provider.label} key`}
+							data-testid="setup-key-input"
+							disabled={saving}
+							autoFocus
+							className="h-7 min-w-0 flex-1 rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-1.5 font-mono text-xs text-foreground outline-none placeholder:text-muted-foreground/60 focus:border-muted-foreground/50"
+						/>
+						<button
+							type="button"
+							onClick={onSave}
+							disabled={saving || !value.trim()}
+							data-testid="setup-key-save"
+							className="shrink-0 rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-3 py-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-40"
+						>
+							{saving ? "Saving…" : "Save key"}
+						</button>
+					</div>
+				)}
+				{error && (
+					<p role="alert" data-testid="setup-key-error" className="text-xs text-red-400">
+						{error}
+					</p>
+				)}
+			</div>
+		</div>
+	);
+}
+
 export function SetupDialog({
 	open,
 	onClose,
 	/** Saved: the models section landed; the caller marks configured and
 	 *  replays the intercepted draft. */
 	onDone,
-	/** Deep-link to the Keys section ("add a provider key first"). */
-	onOpenKeys,
 }: {
 	open: boolean;
 	onClose: () => void;
 	onDone: (models: ModelsSettings) => void;
-	onOpenKeys: () => void;
 }) {
 	const [body, setBody] = useState<ModelsBody | null>(null);
 	const [failed, setFailed] = useState(false);
@@ -124,19 +232,46 @@ export function SetupDialog({
 	const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false);
 	const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 	const [openMenu, setOpenMenu] = useState<{ slot: ModelSlotName; kind: "model" | "thinking" } | null>(null);
+	// Stage 1's first-key screen (zero-keys wave): the provider roster,
+	// the chosen provider + pasted value, its busy/error pair, and its own
+	// menu-open bit (the slot menus' dismissal machinery covers it too —
+	// see the trigger testid branch below).
+	const [keyProviders, setKeyProviders] = useState<ProviderKeyInfo[] | undefined>(undefined);
+	const [keyProvider, setKeyProvider] = useState<ProviderKeyInfo | null>(null);
+	const [keyValue, setKeyValue] = useState("");
+	const [keySaving, setKeySaving] = useState(false);
+	const [keyError, setKeyError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+	const [keyMenuOpen, setKeyMenuOpen] = useState(false);
 	/** The open menu's trigger wrapper — the shared shell's anchor (fix
 	 *  wave chunk B): one menu open at a time, so one ref suffices, and
 	 *  the menu PORTALS out of this dialog's overflow-hidden frame — it
 	 *  extends beyond the dialog exactly like the settings menus do. */
 	const triggerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+	// Stage 1's provider-picker trigger wrapper — the shared shell's anchor
+	// (the slot menus use the same single-ref pattern). Declared with the
+	// other hooks: the early `if (!open) return null` sits below them all.
+	const keyTriggerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
-	// Fresh /api/models per open — a key saved a moment ago (stage 1 →
-	// Keys → back) widens the pickers immediately, no restart.
+	// The keys signal (zero-keys wave): keys-section saves/deletes AND
+	// THIS dialog's own first-key save dispatch it; the fetch effect below
+	// re-runs on it, so saving a key flips the stage to the pickers with
+	// the widened catalog — no restart, no Settings round-trip.
+	const [keysTick, setKeysTick] = useState(0);
+	useSettingsSaved((section) => {
+		if (section === "keys") setKeysTick((t) => t + 1);
+	});
+
+	// Fresh /api/models per open AND per keys change — a key saved a
+	// moment ago (stage 1's own screen) widens the pickers immediately.
 	useEffect(() => {
 		if (!open) return;
 		setPicked({});
 		setLevels({});
 		setError(null);
+		fetch("/api/keys")
+			.then((r) => r.json())
+			.then((b: { providers?: ProviderKeyInfo[] }) => setKeyProviders(b.providers ?? []))
+			.catch(() => setKeyProviders([]));
 		fetch("/api/models")
 			.then((r) => r.json())
 			.then((b: ModelsBody) => {
@@ -158,7 +293,7 @@ export function SetupDialog({
 				setLevels(preLevels);
 			})
 			.catch(() => setFailed(true));
-	}, [open]);
+	}, [open, keysTick]);
 
 	// Esc + outside-click — layered dismissal, closable WITHOUT
 	// configuring (browsing stays possible; the gate is the send
@@ -168,6 +303,10 @@ export function SetupDialog({
 		if (!open) return;
 		const onKey = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
 			if (e.key !== "Escape") return;
+			if (keyMenuOpen) {
+				setKeyMenuOpen(false);
+				return;
+			}
 			if (openMenu !== null) setOpenMenu(null);
 			else onClose();
 		};
@@ -185,13 +324,37 @@ export function SetupDialog({
 			window.removeEventListener("keydown", onKey);
 			document.removeEventListener("pointerdown", onPointerDown);
 		};
-	}, [open, onClose, openMenu]);
+	}, [open, onClose, openMenu, keyMenuOpen]);
 
 	if (!open) return null;
 
 	const stage = failed ? "keys" : setupStage(body ? body.providers : null);
 	const allPicked = SLOT_ORDER.every((s) => picked[s]);
 
+	/** Stage 1's save: PUT the pasted key, dispatch the keys signal, and
+	 *  CLEAN the local screen — the signal re-fetch widens the catalog and
+	 *  the stage flips to the pickers on its own; the dialog stays mounted
+	 *  the whole way. Shape-gate 400s keep their user-facing line inline. */
+	async function saveKey() {
+		if (!keyProvider || !keyValue.trim() || keySaving) return;
+		setKeySaving(true);
+		setKeyError(null);
+		const res = await fetch(`/api/keys/${encodeURIComponent(keyProvider.envVar)}`, {
+			method: "PUT",
+			headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+			body: JSON.stringify({ value: keyValue }),
+		}).catch(() => null);
+		setKeySaving(false);
+		if (!res || !res.ok) {
+			const body = (await res?.json().catch(() => ({}))) as { error?: string } | undefined;
+			setKeyError(res ? (body?.error ?? `Save failed (${res.status})`) : "Save failed — network");
+			return;
+		}
+		setKeyProvider(null);
+		setKeyValue("");
+		notifySettingsSaved("keys");
+	}
+
 	async function save() {
 		if (!allPicked || saving) return;
 		setSaving(true);
@@ -246,23 +409,30 @@ export function SetupDialog({
 				</header>
 
 				{stage === "keys" ? (
-					<div className="flex flex-col gap-3 px-6 py-5" data-testid="setup-stage-keys">
-						<p className="text-sm text-foreground">
-							{failed ? "Model catalog could not be loaded — check the connection and retry." : "First, add a provider key."}
-						</p>
-						<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-							The model pickers list only what your keys unlock — there is nothing to pick until one exists.
-						</p>
-						<div>
-							<button
-								type="button"
-								data-testid="setup-open-keys"
-								onClick={onOpenKeys}
-								className="rounded-sm border border-border bg-background px-3 py-1.5 font-ui text-xs text-foreground transition-colors hover:border-muted-foreground/50"
-							>
-								Open Keys settings
-							</button>
-						</div>
+					<div className="flex flex-col px-6 py-5">
+						{failed ? (
+							<p className="text-sm text-foreground">
+								Model catalog could not be loaded — check the connection and retry.
+							</p>
+						) : (
+							<SetupKeysBody
+								providers={keyProviders}
+								provider={keyProvider}
+								value={keyValue}
+								saving={keySaving}
+								error={keyError}
+								menuOpen={keyMenuOpen}
+								menuAnchor={keyTriggerRef}
+								onToggleMenu={() => setKeyMenuOpen((v) => !v)}
+								onPick={(p) => {
+									setKeyProvider(p);
+									setKeyMenuOpen(false);
+									setKeyError(null);
+								}}
+								onValue={setKeyValue}
+								onSave={() => void saveKey()}
+							/>
+						)}
 					</div>
 				) : (
 					<div className="flex flex-col gap-4 overflow-y-auto px-6 py-5" data-testid="setup-stage-pickers">
diff --git a/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts b/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts
index e772666..fab7db2 100644
--- a/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts
+++ b/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, it } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { parseModelsRefusal } from "../components/chat.tsx";
+import { parseModelsRefusal, parseProviderKeyRefusal } from "../components/chat.tsx";
 import { prefillFromSlots, prefillLevelFromPin, setupStage } from "../components/setup-dialog.tsx";
 import {
 	isModelsRefusal,
@@ -66,6 +66,21 @@ describe("providerKeyMissing — the envelope factory (provider-key interlude, 2
 	});
 });
 
+describe("parseProviderKeyRefusal — the send refusal detector's twin (zero-keys wave)", () => {
+	it("reads the envelope's own code + invariant tail — the wording can never drift client-side", () => {
+		const REFUSED = JSON.stringify(providerKeyMissing("openrouter", ["strong"]));
+		assert.equal(parseProviderKeyRefusal(REFUSED), true);
+		assert.equal(parseProviderKeyRefusal(JSON.stringify(providerKeyMissing("anthropic", ["strong", "vision"]))), true);
+	});
+
+	it("anything else is a real error — false, the honest banner stays", () => {
+		assert.equal(parseProviderKeyRefusal(REFUSAL), false); // the models refusal is NOT this one
+		assert.equal(parseProviderKeyRefusal("FAILED: headless crashed"), false);
+		assert.equal(parseProviderKeyRefusal(undefined), false);
+		assert.equal(parseProviderKeyRefusal("{not json"), false);
+	});
+});
+
 describe("isProviderKeyRefusal — the job-record matcher (provider-key interlude)", () => {
 	it("matches the envelope wording regardless of provider label, not real failures", () => {
 		assert.equal(isProviderKeyRefusal(providerKeyMissing("together", ["cheap"]).error), true);
diff --git a/tests/render-activity-dock.test.tsx b/tests/render-activity-dock.test.tsx
index 2189c36..6baec57 100644
--- a/tests/render-activity-dock.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/render-activity-dock.test.tsx
@@ -66,6 +66,17 @@ describe("activity dock pure layer", () => {
 		assert.equal(absent.cost, null);
 	});
 
+	it("a key-refused job reads as info — 'needs a provider key' (zero-keys wave, 66dbea9)", () => {
+		const refused = job({
+			status: "error",
+			activity: "failed",
+			// the runner composes the envelope's error verbatim (invariant tail)
+			error: "No OpenRouter key is set — add one in Settings → Keys",
+		});
+		const blob = toBlobs({ jobs: [refused], extractions: [] })[0]!;
+		assert.equal(blob.activity, "needs a provider key");
+	});
+
 	it("a models-refused job reads as info — 'needs model setup', not 'failed' (BYOK, 2026-09-22)", () => {
 		const refused = job({
 			status: "error",
diff --git a/tests/render-cards.test.tsx b/tests/render-cards.test.tsx
index 19acb27..b7e5c5d 100644
--- a/tests/render-cards.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/render-cards.test.tsx
@@ -101,6 +101,17 @@ describe("DispatchCard — the BYOK refusal tone (owner, 2026-09-22)", () => {
 		assert.ok(!html.includes("text-red-500"));
 	});
 
+	it("a key-refused job is INFO: 'needs a provider key', 'Add a key' (zero-keys wave, 66dbea9)", () => {
+		const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+			inJobs([job({ error: "No OpenRouter key is set — add one in Settings → Keys" })]),
+		);
+		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="dispatch-refused"'));
+		assert.ok(html.includes("needs a provider key"));
+		assert.ok(html.includes("Add a key"));
+		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="dispatch-setup-link"'));
+		assert.ok(!html.includes("failed"));
+	});
+
 	it("a real failure keeps the honest red failure", () => {
 		const html = renderToStaticMarkup(inJobs([job({ error: "FAILED: headless crashed" })]));
 		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="dispatch-settled"'));
diff --git a/tests/zero-keys.test.tsx b/tests/zero-keys.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1fbf33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/zero-keys.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+/**
+ * The zero-keys wave's pure seams (owner-locked over Platform's 66dbea9
+ * key-presence gate, 2026-09-25): the provider-key truth (hasProviderKey
+ * — tool keys don't count, they unlock no models), the pill's SSR shape,
+ * and the SetupDialog's self-contained first-key screen (the dialog STAYS
+ * MOUNTED after a save; these pins hold the screen's structure).
+ */
+
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { describe, it } from "node:test";
+import { createElement } from "react";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+import { hasProviderKey, ZeroKeysPill } from "../components/setup-cta.tsx";
+import { SetupKeysBody } from "../components/setup-dialog.tsx";
+import { DICTATION_KEYLESS, DEEPGRAM_KEY_ID } from "../components/dictation.tsx";
+import type { AuthKeyStatus } from "../src/core/auth-keys.ts";
+import type { ProviderKeyInfo } from "../components/settings/keys-section.tsx";
+
+const status = (id: string, present: boolean, source: AuthKeyStatus["source"] = present ? "file" : "none"): AuthKeyStatus => ({
+	id,
+	info: null,
+	present,
+	masked: present ? "…ab12 (64 chars)" : null,
+	source,
+	shadowedByEnv: false,
+});
+
+const PROVIDERS: ProviderKeyInfo[] = [
+	{ id: "openrouter", envVar: "OPENROUTER_API_KEY", label: "OpenRouter" },
+	{ id: "anthropic", envVar: "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", label: "Anthropic" },
+];
+
+describe("hasProviderKey — the zero-keys pill's truth", () => {
+	it("a present provider key (env or file) is a key", () => {
+		assert.equal(hasProviderKey([status("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", true, "env")], PROVIDERS), true);
+		assert.equal(hasProviderKey([status("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", true, "file")], PROVIDERS), true);
+	});
+
+	it("a TOOL key alone does not count — Deepgram unlocks no models", () => {
+		// Deepgram is not in the providers roster: it must never suppress the pill.
+		assert.equal(hasProviderKey([status("DEEPGRAM_API_KEY", true)], PROVIDERS), false);
+	});
+
+	it("absent provider keys = zero keys (the pill shows)", () => {
+		assert.equal(hasProviderKey([status("OPENROUTER_API_KEY", false)], PROVIDERS), false);
+		assert.equal(hasProviderKey([], PROVIDERS), false);
+	});
+});
+
+describe("ZeroKeysPill — the composer-hoisted notice", () => {
+	it("the pill takes the CTA's chrome with its own testid and copy", () => {
+		const html = renderToStaticMarkup(createElement(ZeroKeysPill, { onOpen: () => {} }));
+		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="setup-cta-keys"'));
+		assert.ok(html.includes("Add a provider key"));
+		// the models CTA's testid must not appear on the keys pill
+		assert.ok(!html.includes('data-testid="setup-cta"'));
+	});
+});
+
+describe("SetupKeysBody — stage 1's self-contained first-key screen", () => {
+	const base = {
+		value: "",
+		saving: false,
+		error: null,
+		menuOpen: false,
+		onToggleMenu: () => {},
+		onPick: () => {},
+		onValue: () => {},
+		onSave: () => {},
+		menuAnchor: { current: null },
+	};
+
+	it("before a pick: the provider trigger, no key input yet", () => {
+		const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+			createElement(SetupKeysBody, { ...base, providers: PROVIDERS, provider: null }),
+		);
+		assert.match(html, /First, add a provider key\./);
+		assert.ok(html.includes("The model pickers list only what your keys unlock"));
+		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="setup-key-provider"'));
+		assert.ok(html.includes("Pick a provider…"));
+		assert.ok(!html.includes('data-testid="setup-key-input"'), "no paste field before a provider is picked");
+	});
+
+	it("after a pick: the paste input + Save join", () => {
+		const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+			createElement(SetupKeysBody, { ...base, providers: PROVIDERS, provider: PROVIDERS[0]! }),
+		);
+		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="setup-key-input"'));
+		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="setup-key-save"'));
+		assert.ok(html.includes("Save key"));
+		assert.ok(html.includes("OpenRouter"), "the chosen provider's label rides the trigger");
+	});
+
+	it("a shape-gate 400 keeps its line inline — no Settings round-trip chrome", () => {
+		const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+			createElement(SetupKeysBody, {
+				...base,
+				providers: PROVIDERS,
+				provider: PROVIDERS[0]!!,
+				error: "Expected 20+ characters",
+			}),
+		);
+		assert.ok(html.includes('data-testid="setup-key-error"'));
+		assert.ok(html.includes("Expected 20+ characters"));
+		// the old "Open Keys settings" round-trip died with the self-contained screen
+		assert.ok(!html.includes("setup-open-keys"));
+	});
+});
+
+describe("the dictation keyless seam (owner dictation trio)", () => {
+	it("the client-authored short line — not the route's dev-speak", () => {
+		assert.equal(DICTATION_KEYLESS, "Dictation needs a Deepgram key");
+	});
+
+	it("the Deepgram row id matches the keys store (KeysSection openRow)", () => {
+		assert.equal(DEEPGRAM_KEY_ID, "DEEPGRAM_API_KEY");
+	});
+});
\ No newline at end of file