diff --git a/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.test.mjs
index e55c1d7b7c..170ae11882 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.test.mjs
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ test("signed-build relay defaults auto-connect during first-run onboarding", ()
   );
   assert.equal(shouldAutoConnectDefaultRelay("ws://localhost:3000"), false);
   assert.equal(shouldAutoConnectDefaultRelay("ws://127.0.0.1:3000"), false);
+  assert.equal(shouldAutoConnectDefaultRelay("ws://[::1]:3000"), false);
+  assert.equal(shouldAutoConnectDefaultRelay("ws://0.0.0.0:3000"), false);
   assert.equal(shouldAutoConnectDefaultRelay("not a valid relay"), false);
 });
 
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.ts b/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.ts
index 3dc43bddd8..9f4d79eb47 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/communities/communityStorage.ts
@@ -81,8 +81,11 @@ export function loadCommunities(): Community[] {
   }
 }
 
-export function saveCommunities(communities: Community[]): void {
-  setLocalStorageItemWithRecovery(COMMUNITIES_KEY, JSON.stringify(communities));
+export function saveCommunities(communities: Community[]): boolean {
+  return setLocalStorageItemWithRecovery(
+    COMMUNITIES_KEY,
+    JSON.stringify(communities),
+  );
 }
 
 export function clearCommunityStorage(storage: Storage = localStorage): void {
@@ -97,8 +100,8 @@ export function loadActiveCommunityId(): string | null {
   return localStorage.getItem(ACTIVE_COMMUNITY_KEY);
 }
 
-export function saveActiveCommunityId(id: string): void {
-  setLocalStorageItemWithRecovery(ACTIVE_COMMUNITY_KEY, id);
+export function saveActiveCommunityId(id: string): boolean {
+  return setLocalStorageItemWithRecovery(ACTIVE_COMMUNITY_KEY, id);
 }
 
 export function normalizeRelayUrl(url: string): string {
@@ -111,7 +114,9 @@ export function normalizeRelayUrl(url: string): string {
 export function shouldAutoConnectDefaultRelay(relayUrl: string): boolean {
   try {
     const parsed = new URL(normalizeRelayUrl(relayUrl));
-    return parsed.hostname !== "localhost" && parsed.hostname !== "127.0.0.1";
+    return !["localhost", "127.0.0.1", "[::1]", "0.0.0.0"].includes(
+      parsed.hostname,
+    );
   } catch {
     return false;
   }
@@ -145,7 +150,7 @@ export function initFirstCommunity(
   relayUrl: string,
   pubkey: string,
   name?: string,
-): Community {
+): Community | null {
   const normalizedUrl = normalizeRelayUrl(relayUrl);
   const trimmedName = name?.trim();
   const community: Community = {
@@ -155,7 +160,16 @@ export function initFirstCommunity(
     pubkey,
     addedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
   };
-  saveCommunities([community]);
-  saveActiveCommunityId(community.id);
+  const didSaveCommunities = saveCommunities([community]);
+  const didSaveActiveCommunity =
+    didSaveCommunities && saveActiveCommunityId(community.id);
+
+  // The quota-recovery helper reports failure instead of throwing. Do not let
+  // callers reload unless both writes landed; otherwise first launch can loop.
+  if (!didSaveCommunities || !didSaveActiveCommunity) {
+    clearCommunityStorage();
+    return null;
+  }
+
   return community;
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts b/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts
index b44a56cc19..b1e2251c3c 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/communities/useCommunityInit.ts
@@ -107,9 +107,20 @@ export function useCommunityInit(
           ) {
             const identity = await getIdentity();
             if (cancelled) return;
-            initFirstCommunity(defaultRelayUrl, identity.pubkey);
-            if (!cancelled) {
+            const community = initFirstCommunity(
+              defaultRelayUrl,
+              identity.pubkey,
+            );
+            if (community && !cancelled) {
               window.location.reload();
+              return;
+            }
+            if (!cancelled) {
+              setResult({
+                isReady: false,
+                needsSetup: true,
+                defaultRelayUrl,
+              });
             }
             return;
           }
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
index c3c716bec3..e1d87951a6 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ test("first-community choices route join, create, owner, and member intents", as
     );
   }, BLANK_TYLER_IDENTITY.pubkey);
   await installMockBridge(page, undefined, {
-    relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+    relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
     skipOnboardingSeed: true,
     skipCommunitySeed: true,
   });
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ test("first-community owner can connect an existing hosted community", async ({
       ],
     },
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ test("first-community owner can create and connect a hosted community", async ({
     page,
     {},
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -789,7 +789,7 @@ test("hosted community address line stays within the card for a long name", asyn
     page,
     {},
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -860,7 +860,7 @@ test("first-community reports a created community without a relay address", asyn
       },
     },
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ test("first-community X cancels a pending sign-in", async ({ page }) => {
     page,
     { builderlabLoginDelayMs: 5_000 },
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -933,7 +933,7 @@ test("first-community owner can replace a mismatched account identity", async ({
       builderlabIdentity: { pubkey_hex: "f".repeat(64) },
     },
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ test("first-community explains when the local identity belongs to another accoun
       builderlabBindError: { code: "pubkey_already_bound" },
     },
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -1024,7 +1024,7 @@ test("back clears Builderlab auth before returning to first-community choices",
       builderlabIdentity: { pubkey_hex: BLANK_TYLER_IDENTITY.pubkey },
     },
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://default.example.com",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },
@@ -1112,7 +1112,7 @@ test("first-community direct join reaches profile", async ({ page }) => {
     );
   }, BLANK_TYLER_IDENTITY.pubkey);
   await installMockBridge(page, undefined, {
-    relayWsUrl: "wss://onboarding.communities.buzz.xyz",
+    relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
     skipOnboardingSeed: true,
     skipCommunitySeed: true,
   });
@@ -1167,7 +1167,7 @@ test("first-community direct join cancel returns to request access", async ({
     page,
     { applyCommunityDelayMs: 5_000 },
     {
-      relayWsUrl: "wss://onboarding.communities.buzz.xyz",
+      relayWsUrl: "ws://localhost:3000",
       skipOnboardingSeed: true,
       skipCommunitySeed: true,
     },