diff --git a/data/setup.html b/data/setup.html
index 2473104..347b428 100644
--- a/data/setup.html
+++ b/data/setup.html
@@ -46,13 +46,24 @@
         async function scanNetworks() {
             try {
                 const res = await fetch('/api/wifi/scan');
-                const networks = await res.json();
+                const data = await res.json();
+                if (data.scanning) {
+                    // Scan in progress — retry after 2s
+                    setTimeout(scanNetworks, 2000);
+                    return;
+                }
                 const select = document.getElementById('wifiSsid');
-                select.innerHTML = networks.map(n =>
+                if (data.length === 0) {
+                    select.innerHTML = '<option value="">No networks found</option>';
+                    setTimeout(scanNetworks, 3000);
+                    return;
+                }
+                select.innerHTML = data.map(n =>
                     `<option value="${n.ssid}">${n.ssid} (${n.rssi}dBm)</option>`
                 ).join('');
             } catch (e) {
                 console.error('Scan failed:', e);
+                setTimeout(scanNetworks, 3000);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index 8867597..1667bce 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ lib_deps =
     https://github.com/m5stack/M5PM1.git
     mathieucarbou/ESP Async WebServer @ ^3.0.6
     bblanchon/ArduinoJson @ ^7.0.0
+    ricmoo/QRCode @ ^0.0.1
 lib_ignore =
     WebServer
 
diff --git a/src/display_manager.cpp b/src/display_manager.cpp
index 0d55a7c..4062699 100644
--- a/src/display_manager.cpp
+++ b/src/display_manager.cpp
@@ -21,8 +21,51 @@ void DisplayManager::begin(PowerManager& power) {
 
     Serial.printf("[display] Initialized: %dx%d, rotation=%d\n",
                   _display->width(), _display->height(), _display->getRotation());
+}
 
-    showMessage("Immich Frame", "Starting up...");
+void DisplayManager::showSetupScreen() {
+    _power->enableEPDPower();
+
+    _display->fillScreen(TFT_WHITE);
+
+    // Generate QR code for WiFi auto-connect
+    // Format: WIFI:T:nopass;S:PaperColor-Setup;;
+    const char* qrData = "WIFI:T:nopass;S:PaperColor-Setup;;";
+    QRCode qrcode;
+    uint8_t qrcodeData[qrcode_getBufferSize(6)];
+    qrcode_initText(&qrcode, qrcodeData, 6, ECC_LOW, qrData);
+
+    // Draw QR code centered vertically, left-of-center horizontally
+    int qrSize = qrcode.size;
+    int scale = 4;  // pixels per QR module
+    int qrPixels = qrSize * scale;
+    int qrX = (DISPLAY_WIDTH / 3) - (qrPixels / 2);
+    int qrY = (DISPLAY_HEIGHT - qrPixels) / 2;
+
+    for (int y = 0; y < qrSize; y++) {
+        for (int x = 0; x < qrSize; x++) {
+            uint16_t color = qrcode_getModule(&qrcode, x, y) ? TFT_BLACK : TFT_WHITE;
+            _display->fillRect(qrX + x * scale, qrY + y * scale, scale, scale, color);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Draw text instructions to the right of QR code
+    int textX = DISPLAY_WIDTH / 2 + 40;
+    _display->setTextColor(TFT_BLACK);
+    _display->setTextDatum(middle_left);
+    _display->setTextSize(2);
+    _display->drawString("PaperColor", textX, DISPLAY_HEIGHT / 2 - 60);
+    _display->setTextSize(1);
+    _display->drawString("Scan QR to connect", textX, DISPLAY_HEIGHT / 2 - 20);
+    _display->drawString("or join WiFi:", textX, DISPLAY_HEIGHT / 2 + 10);
+    _display->setTextSize(1.5);
+    _display->drawString("PaperColor-Setup", textX, DISPLAY_HEIGHT / 2 + 40);
+    _display->setTextSize(1);
+    _display->drawString("Then open:", textX, DISPLAY_HEIGHT / 2 + 70);
+    _display->drawString("192.168.4.1", textX, DISPLAY_HEIGHT / 2 + 95);
+
+    triggerRefresh();
+    _power->disableEPDPower();
 }
 
 void DisplayManager::showImage(const ProcessedImage& img) {
diff --git a/src/display_manager.h b/src/display_manager.h
index 028e39e..f7ef462 100644
--- a/src/display_manager.h
+++ b/src/display_manager.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <Arduino.h>
 #include <M5GFX.h>
+#include <qrcode.h>
 #include "config.h"
 #include "image_pipeline.h"
 #include "immich_client.h"
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ class PowerManager;
 class DisplayManager {
 public:
     void begin(PowerManager& power);
+    void showSetupScreen();
     void showImage(const ProcessedImage& img);
     void showMessage(const char* title, const char* body);
     void showMetadata(const AssetInfo& info, uint8_t metaFlags, MetaPosition pos);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 4c7e5fa..dfe5b88 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -199,19 +199,19 @@ void setup() {
     webServer.begin(settingsManager, immichClient, powerManager, wifiManager);
     webServer.setActionCallback(webActionCallback);
 
+    // Single display update after all init is complete
     if (wifiManager.isAPMode()) {
-        displayManager.showMessage("Setup Required",
-            "Connect to PaperColor-Setup WiFi");
+        displayManager.showSetupScreen();
     } else {
         displayManager.showMessage("Immich Frame", "Loading photos...");
 
         // Create display task on Core 1
         xTaskCreatePinnedToCore(displayTask, "display", 32768, nullptr, 1,
                                 &displayTaskHandle, 1);
-    }
 
-    // Enable light sleep for power saving
-    powerManager.enableLightSleep();
+        // Enable light sleep only in station mode (not supported in AP mode)
+        powerManager.enableLightSleep();
+    }
 
     Serial.println("[main] Boot complete");
 }
diff --git a/src/web_server.cpp b/src/web_server.cpp
index 59f6de3..9eb7186 100644
--- a/src/web_server.cpp
+++ b/src/web_server.cpp
@@ -46,9 +46,25 @@ void AppWebServer::setupCaptivePortal() {
         request->send(LittleFS, "/setup.html", "text/html");
     });
 
-    // Handle WiFi scan
+    // Kick off initial async WiFi scan
+    WiFi.scanNetworks(true);
+
+    // Handle WiFi scan (non-blocking — returns cached results or "scanning" status)
     _server.on("/api/wifi/scan", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest* request) {
-        int n = WiFi.scanNetworks();
+        int n = WiFi.scanComplete();
+        if (n == WIFI_SCAN_RUNNING) {
+            // Scan in progress — tell client to retry
+            request->send(200, "application/json", "{\"scanning\":true}");
+            return;
+        }
+        if (n == WIFI_SCAN_FAILED) {
+            // No scan started or failed — kick one off
+            WiFi.scanNetworks(true);
+            request->send(200, "application/json", "{\"scanning\":true}");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Scan complete — return results
         JsonDocument doc;
         JsonArray arr = doc.to<JsonArray>();
         for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
@@ -59,6 +75,11 @@ void AppWebServer::setupCaptivePortal() {
         }
         String response;
         serializeJson(doc, response);
+
+        // Start a fresh scan for next request
+        WiFi.scanDelete();
+        WiFi.scanNetworks(true);
+
         request->send(200, "application/json", response);
     });