diff --git a/crates/rkvm-web/index.html b/crates/rkvm-web/index.html
index 039daa4..2910191 100644
--- a/crates/rkvm-web/index.html
+++ b/crates/rkvm-web/index.html
@@ -105,6 +105,17 @@
       .tb-err { color: var(--danger); max-width: 220px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;
         white-space: nowrap; }
 
+      .nopw-banner { position: fixed; top: 8px; left: 8px; z-index: 30; max-width: min(460px, calc(100vw - 16px));
+        display: flex; align-items: flex-start; gap: 8px; padding: 8px 10px; border-radius: var(--r1);
+        background: rgba(120, 22, 32, 0.92); border: 1px solid var(--danger); color: #fff;
+        font: 500 12.5px/1.4 var(--font); box-shadow: var(--shadow); }
+      .nopw-banner button { flex: none; background: none; border: 0; color: #fff; cursor: pointer;
+        font-size: 12px; padding: 0 2px; opacity: .8; }
+      .nopw-banner button:hover { opacity: 1; }
+      .nopw-card { margin: 0 0 14px; padding: 10px 12px; max-width: 320px; border-radius: var(--r1);
+        background: rgba(240, 97, 109, 0.12); border: 1px solid rgba(240, 97, 109, 0.5);
+        color: #ffd5d9; font-size: 12.5px; }
+
       .drawer-scrim { position: fixed; inset: 0; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
         backdrop-filter: blur(2px); z-index: 40; animation: fade 0.18s ease; }
       .drawer { position: fixed; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; width: 360px; overflow-y: auto;
diff --git a/crates/rkvm-web/src/app.rs b/crates/rkvm-web/src/app.rs
index c42532c..fc501bf 100644
--- a/crates/rkvm-web/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/rkvm-web/src/app.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ pub fn App() -> impl IntoView {
     let checking = RwSignal::new(true);
     let is_setup = RwSignal::new(true);
     let needs_login = RwSignal::new(false);
+    let no_password = RwSignal::new(false);
+    let nopw_dismissed = RwSignal::new(false);
     let conn_state = RwSignal::new("idle".to_string());
     let error = RwSignal::new(Option::<String>::None);
     let password = RwSignal::new(String::new());
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ pub fn App() -> impl IntoView {
             is_setup.set(setup_done);
             if setup_done {
                 needs_login.set(rest::auth_required().await);
+                no_password.set(rest::no_password().await);
             }
             checking.set(false);
         });
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ pub fn App() -> impl IntoView {
                 Ok(()) => {
                     is_setup.set(true);
                     needs_login.set(rest::auth_required().await);
+                    no_password.set(rest::no_password().await);
                 }
                 Err(e) => error.set(Some(e)),
             }
@@ -296,7 +300,7 @@ pub fn App() -> impl IntoView {
                 <button on:click=send_cad title="Send Ctrl+Alt+Del">"C·A·D"</button>
                 <button on:click=go_fullscreen title="Fullscreen">"⛶"</button>
                 <button on:click=do_ocr title="Copy text from screen (OCR)">"OCR"</button>
-                <button on:click=move |_| show_terminal.update(|s| *s = !*s) title="Serial terminal">"›_"</button>
+                <button on:click=move |_| show_terminal.update(|s| *s = !*s) title="Device shell (root)">"›_"</button>
                 <button on:click=move |_| show_settings.update(|s| *s = !*s) title="Settings">"⚙"</button>
 
                 <span class="tb-sep"></span>
@@ -305,7 +309,22 @@ pub fn App() -> impl IntoView {
                 <span class="tb-err">{move || error.get().unwrap_or_default()}</span>
             </div>
 
-            <crate::settings::Settings open=show_settings rpc=rpc_store peer=peer_store />
+            <Show when=move || no_password.get() && !nopw_dismissed.get()>
+                <div class="nopw-banner" role="alert">
+                    <span>
+                        "⚠ No password set: anyone on this network can control this machine and open a root shell on the device. Set one in ⚙ Settings → Password."
+                    </span>
+                    <button title="Hide until reload" on:click=move |_| nopw_dismissed.set(true)>
+                        "✕"
+                    </button>
+                </div>
+            </Show>
+            <crate::settings::Settings
+                open=show_settings
+                rpc=rpc_store
+                peer=peer_store
+                no_password=no_password
+            />
             <crate::terminal::Terminal open=show_terminal peer=peer_store />
             <Show when=move || ocr_text.get().is_some()>
                 <div class="panel">
@@ -370,6 +389,11 @@ pub fn App() -> impl IntoView {
             <div class="panel">
                 <div class="card">
                     <h1>"rustkvm"</h1>
+                    <Show when=move || no_password.get()>
+                        <div class="nopw-card">
+                            "No password is set. Anyone on this network can connect, control this machine and open a root shell on the device. After connecting, set a password in ⚙ Settings → Password."
+                        </div>
+                    </Show>
                     <button
                         on:click=do_connect
                         disabled=move || conn_state.get() == "connecting"
diff --git a/crates/rkvm-web/src/net/rest.rs b/crates/rkvm-web/src/net/rest.rs
index cd24e6e..9f31782 100644
--- a/crates/rkvm-web/src/net/rest.rs
+++ b/crates/rkvm-web/src/net/rest.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,20 @@ pub async fn auth_required() -> bool {
     }
 }
 
+/// Whether the device runs without a password (`authMode: "noPassword"`), in
+/// which case anyone who can reach the web UI gets full control.
+pub async fn no_password() -> bool {
+    match Request::get("/device").credentials(RequestCredentials::Include).send().await {
+        Ok(resp) if resp.ok() => resp
+            .json::<serde_json::Value>()
+            .await
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|v| v.get("authMode").and_then(|m| m.as_str().map(|m| m == "noPassword")))
+            .unwrap_or(false),
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
 pub async fn is_setup() -> bool {
     match Request::get("/device/status").credentials(RequestCredentials::Include).send().await {
         Ok(resp) => resp
@@ -36,6 +50,18 @@ pub async fn setup(mode: &str, password: Option<&str>) -> Result<(), String> {
     if resp.ok() { Ok(()) } else { Err(format!("setup HTTP {}", resp.status())) }
 }
 
+/// Sets the first password on a device in no-password mode.
+pub async fn set_password(password: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let resp = Request::post("/auth/password-local")
+        .credentials(RequestCredentials::Include)
+        .json(&json!({ "password": password }))
+        .map_err(|e| format!("set-password serialize: {e}"))?
+        .send()
+        .await
+        .map_err(|e| format!("set-password request failed: {e}"))?;
+    if resp.ok() { Ok(()) } else { Err(format!("set-password HTTP {}", resp.status())) }
+}
+
 pub async fn change_password(old: &str, new: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
     let resp = Request::put("/auth/password-local")
         .credentials(RequestCredentials::Include)
diff --git a/crates/rkvm-web/src/settings.rs b/crates/rkvm-web/src/settings.rs
index 1149ff9..d8d68e9 100644
--- a/crates/rkvm-web/src/settings.rs
+++ b/crates/rkvm-web/src/settings.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ pub fn Settings(
     open: RwSignal<bool>,
     rpc: StoredValue<Option<Rc<RpcClient>>, LocalStorage>,
     peer: StoredValue<Option<Rc<Peer>>, LocalStorage>,
+    no_password: RwSignal<bool>,
 ) -> impl IntoView {
     let codec = RwSignal::new(String::new());
     let rotation = RwSignal::new(String::new());
@@ -385,10 +386,17 @@ pub fn Settings(
             pw_msg.set("New password too short".to_string());
             return;
         }
+        let first = no_password.get_untracked();
         spawn_local(async move {
-            match rest::change_password(&o, &n).await {
+            let result = if first {
+                rest::set_password(&n).await
+            } else {
+                rest::change_password(&o, &n).await
+            };
+            match result {
                 Ok(()) => {
-                    pw_msg.set("Password updated".to_string());
+                    no_password.set(false);
+                    pw_msg.set(if first { "Password set" } else { "Password updated" }.to_string());
                     old_pw.set(String::new());
                     new_pw.set(String::new());
                 }
@@ -470,20 +478,24 @@ pub fn Settings(
                 </section>
 
                 <section>
-                    <h3>"Change password"</h3>
-                    <input
-                        type="password"
-                        placeholder="Current password"
-                        prop:value=move || old_pw.get()
-                        on:input=move |ev| old_pw.set(event_target_value(&ev))
-                    />
+                    <h3>"Password"</h3>
+                    <Show when=move || !no_password.get()>
+                        <input
+                            type="password"
+                            placeholder="Current password"
+                            prop:value=move || old_pw.get()
+                            on:input=move |ev| old_pw.set(event_target_value(&ev))
+                        />
+                    </Show>
                     <input
                         type="password"
                         placeholder="New password"
                         prop:value=move || new_pw.get()
                         on:input=move |ev| new_pw.set(event_target_value(&ev))
                     />
-                    <button on:click=submit_password>"Update password"</button>
+                    <button on:click=submit_password>
+                        {move || if no_password.get() { "Set password" } else { "Update password" }}
+                    </button>
                     <div class="muted">{move || pw_msg.get()}</div>
                 </section>
 
diff --git a/crates/rkvm-web/src/terminal.rs b/crates/rkvm-web/src/terminal.rs
index d041ef6..0dd0a12 100644
--- a/crates/rkvm-web/src/terminal.rs
+++ b/crates/rkvm-web/src/terminal.rs
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ pub fn Terminal(
         <Show when=move || open.get()>
             <div class="term">
                 <header>
-                    <span>"Serial / Terminal"</span>
+                    <span>"Device shell (root)"</span>
                     <button title="Close" on:click=move |_| open.set(false)>
                         "✕"
                     </button>