fix(desktop): preserve existing identity onboarding context

desktop/src/app/App.tsx

@@ -758,6 +758,7 @@ function MachineBootstrap({ sharedIdentity }: { sharedIdentity: boolean }) {
         complete={completeMachineOnboarding}
         continueWithIdentity={machine.continueWithIdentity}
         continueWithRecoveredIdentity={machine.continueWithRecoveredIdentity}
+        existingIdentityPubkey={machine.existingIdentityPubkey}
         identityLost={machine.identityLost}
         initialPage={machineInitialPage}
         navigateAfterComplete={navigateAfterOnboarding}

desktop/src/features/onboarding/machineOnboarding.test.mjs

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 
 import {
+  existingMachineIdentityPubkey,
   migrateMachineOnboardingCompletion,
   readMachineOnboardingCompletion,
 } from "./machineOnboarding.ts";
@@ -46,6 +47,17 @@ const PUBKEY_B =
 const LEGACY_KEY = `buzz-onboarding-complete.v1:${PUBKEY_A}`;
 const V2_KEY = `buzz-machine-onboarding-complete.v2:${PUBKEY_A}`;
 
+test("existing community state presents the recovered identity as a continuation", () => {
+  assert.equal(existingMachineIdentityPubkey(PUBKEY_A, null), PUBKEY_A);
+  assert.equal(existingMachineIdentityPubkey(PUBKEY_A, PUBKEY_A), PUBKEY_A);
+  assert.equal(existingMachineIdentityPubkey(PUBKEY_A, PUBKEY_B), PUBKEY_A);
+});
+
+test("blank first launch does not present the generated identity as recovered", () => {
+  assert.equal(existingMachineIdentityPubkey(PUBKEY_A, undefined), null);
+  assert.equal(existingMachineIdentityPubkey(null, null), null);
+});
+
 // ── Fix A regression case ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 test("migrate_mismatched_community_pubkey_does_not_vouch_for_current_key", () => {

desktop/src/features/onboarding/machineOnboarding.ts

@@ -28,6 +28,24 @@ export function readMachineOnboardingCompletion(pubkey: string | null) {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Return the already-loaded identity when persisted community state proves this
+ * is an upgrade/recovery onboarding pass rather than a blank first launch.
+ *
+ * This is deliberately presentation-only: an unstamped or mismatched community
+ * still cannot vouch for onboarding completion in
+ * `migrateMachineOnboardingCompletion`. It only prevents the landing action
+ * from claiming that it will create a key when the native layer has already
+ * recovered the user's current key.
+ */
+export function existingMachineIdentityPubkey(
+  currentPubkey: string | null,
+  activeCommunityPubkey: string | null | undefined,
+) {
+  if (!currentPubkey || activeCommunityPubkey === undefined) return null;
+  return currentPubkey;
+}
+
 function clearMachineOnboardingCompletion(pubkey: string | null) {
   if (typeof window === "undefined" || !pubkey) return;
   window.localStorage.removeItem(
@@ -250,6 +268,10 @@ export function useMachineOnboardingState({
     continueWithIdentity,
     continueWithRecoveredIdentity,
     currentPubkey,
+    existingIdentityPubkey: existingMachineIdentityPubkey(
+      currentPubkey,
+      activeCommunityPubkey,
+    ),
     identityLost,
     queryClient,
     reopen,

desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/MachineOnboardingFlow.tsx

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
   complete,
   continueWithIdentity,
   continueWithRecoveredIdentity,
+  existingIdentityPubkey,
   identityLost,
   initialPage,
   queryClient,
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
   complete: (pubkey?: string) => void;
   continueWithIdentity: (pubkey: string) => void;
   continueWithRecoveredIdentity: (pubkey: string) => void;
+  existingIdentityPubkey?: string | null;
   identityLost: boolean;
   initialPage?: MachineOnboardingPage;
   queryClient: QueryClient;
@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
   >(null);
   const [phoneRecoveryStep, setPhoneRecoveryStep] = React.useState("loading");
   const [selectedPubkey, setSelectedPubkey] = React.useState<string | null>(
-    null,
+    existingIdentityPubkey ?? null,
   );
   const [identityStorage, setIdentityStorage] = React.useState<
     IdentityStorage | undefined
@@ -172,6 +174,27 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
     }
   }, [continueWithRecoveredIdentity, queryClient]);
 
+  const continueWithExistingIdentity = React.useCallback(async () => {
+    setIsPending(true);
+    setError(null);
+    try {
+      const identity = await getIdentity();
+      continueWithIdentity(identity.pubkey);
+      queryClient.setQueryData(["identity"], identity);
+      setIdentityWasImported(false);
+      setSelectedPubkey(identity.pubkey);
+      setIdentityStorage(identity.storage);
+      setTransitionDirection("forward");
+      setPage("setup");
+    } catch (cause) {
+      setError(
+        cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : "Failed to load identity",
+      );
+    } finally {
+      setIsPending(false);
+    }
+  }, [continueWithIdentity, queryClient]);
+
   const replaceLostIdentity = React.useCallback(async () => {
     const confirmed = window.confirm(
       "This will create a new identity and abandon your previous key. This cannot be undone. Continue?",
@@ -236,6 +259,15 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
   }, [backupSession]);
 
   const backFromSetup = React.useCallback(() => {
+    if (
+      existingIdentityPubkey &&
+      selectedPubkey === existingIdentityPubkey &&
+      !identityWasImported
+    ) {
+      setTransitionDirection("backward");
+      setPage("identity");
+      return;
+    }
     if (identityWasImported) {
       setKeyImportFormKey((current) => current + 1);
       setKeyImportStage("key-entry");
@@ -250,7 +282,13 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
     setTransitionDirection("backward");
     setReturningFromSecurity(false);
     setPage("backup");
-  }, [backupSession, backupSubview, identityWasImported]);
+  }, [
+    backupSession,
+    backupSubview,
+    existingIdentityPubkey,
+    identityWasImported,
+    selectedPubkey,
+  ]);
 
   const chromeBackAction =
     page === "key-import" &&
@@ -327,7 +365,11 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
                 <Button
                   className={ONBOARDING_LANDING_CTA_CLASS}
                   disabled={isPending}
-                  onClick={() => void loadFreshIdentity()}
+                  onClick={() =>
+                    void (selectedPubkey
+                      ? continueWithExistingIdentity()
+                      : loadFreshIdentity())
+                  }
                   type="button"
                 >
                   {isPending

desktop/tests/e2e/harness-management.spec.ts

@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
 
 import { installMockBridge } from "../helpers/bridge";
-import { passThroughBackupStep } from "../helpers/onboarding";
 
 // ── Shared catalog fixtures ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -669,10 +668,10 @@ test("onboarding setup More-harnesses click navigates to Settings → Agents", a
   });
   await page.goto("/");
 
-  // Reach setup by creating a new identity key and continuing past the
-  // created-key page without opening the optional backup options.
-  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Create a new identity key" }).click();
-  await passThroughBackupStep(page);
+  // The native bridge has already recovered the machine identity, while the
+  // foreign community deliberately cannot vouch for onboarding completion.
+  // Continue with that recovered identity instead of creating/replacing it.
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Continue setup" }).click();
 
   // Now on the setup page.
   await expect(