diff --git a/src/viewmodels/AccountSetupViewModel.ts b/src/viewmodels/AccountSetupViewModel.ts
index 91c0c7b46c78d31e03a928f6965e6ea7a56cd389..5791a7ddac89d3da12d463043a0d2f8cd1ff695f 100644
--- a/src/viewmodels/AccountSetupViewModel.ts
+++ b/src/viewmodels/AccountSetupViewModel.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ export class AccountSetupViewModel extends ViewModel {
         this._state.set("timeline");
     }
 
+    dismiss() {
+        this._state.set("start");
+    }
+
     private get _homeserver(): string {
         return this._config.homeserver;
     }
diff --git a/src/viewmodels/RootViewModel.ts b/src/viewmodels/RootViewModel.ts
index ef4e18424cc3fced885b0ed250f222e02390e867..3a54abc1fb48d7f0745f96b142006581db0b9e51 100644
--- a/src/viewmodels/RootViewModel.ts
+++ b/src/viewmodels/RootViewModel.ts
@@ -18,16 +18,16 @@ export class RootViewModel extends ViewModel {
         super(options);
         this._config = config;
         this._client = new Client(this.platform);
+        this._state.subscribe(stage => this._applyNavigation(stage));
     }
 
     async start() {
-        this._state.subscribe(stage => this._applyNavigation(stage));
         const sessionAlreadyExists = await this.attemptStartWithExistingSession();
         if (sessionAlreadyExists) {
-            this._showTimeline();
+            this._state.set("timeline");
             return;
         }
-        this._showAccountSetup();
+        this._state.set("account-setup");
     }
 
     private _applyNavigation(stage: string) {
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ export class RootViewModel extends ViewModel {
             case "timeline":
                 this._showTimeline();
                 break;
+            case "start":
+                this._showStartButton();
+                break;
+            case "account-setup":
+                this._showAccountSetup();
+                break;
         }
     }
 
@@ -57,6 +63,11 @@ export class RootViewModel extends ViewModel {
         this.emitChange("activeSection");
     }
 
+    private _showStartButton() {
+        this._activeSection = "start";
+        this.emitChange("activeSection");
+    }
+
     /**
      * Try to start Hydrogen based on an existing hydrogen session.
      * If multiple sessions exist, this method chooses the most recent one.