diff --git a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index 519342d..69b3566 100644
--- a/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "../node_modules/@tauri-apps/cli/config.schema.json",
   "productName": "ODIAN Launcher",
-  "version": "0.1.41",
+  "version": "0.1.42",
   "identifier": "fr.odian.launcher",
   "build": {
     "frontendDist": "../dist",
diff --git a/src/components/ActionPanel.svelte b/src/components/ActionPanel.svelte
index 27f68b6..326ae55 100644
--- a/src/components/ActionPanel.svelte
+++ b/src/components/ActionPanel.svelte
@@ -98,6 +98,12 @@
   // like the real one on screen, and mistaking the two is how a bug gets chased in the
   // wrong tree - or a demo gets given from an unbuilt branch.
   const devOn = $derived(launcher.devOn);
+  // Dev mode's controls follow DEV MODE, not whatever the hub is currently offering. They
+  // used to live inside the "launch" branch, so a PC with nothing installed was told to name
+  // its checkout folder and given nowhere on screen to name it - the dead end that made a
+  // fresh dev PC look like it could only install.
+  const TRANSIENT = ["loading", "signing_in", "installing", "restoring", "syncing", "building", "removing", "pulling_tiles", "stack"];
+  const showDev = $derived(devOn && !TRANSIENT.includes(action));
   const devRun = $derived(launcher.devReady);
   const devRoot = $derived(launcher.settings?.dev_root ?? "");
   const devTarget = $derived(launcher.settings?.dev_target ?? "client");
@@ -266,98 +272,6 @@
         <button class="btn-link" disabled={blocked} onclick={() => launcher.openSync()}>Sync</button>
       </p>
     {/if}
-    {#if devOn}
-      <!-- Dev mode's own controls, where the launching happens. Everything that decides
-           what Launch does is here rather than behind Settings: the target, the checkout,
-           and whether it builds first. -->
-      <section class="dev" aria-label="Dev mode">
-        <header class="dev-head">
-          <Icon name="code" size={13} />
-          <span class="dev-title">DEV</span>
-          <!-- What Launch will actually start, in three words. The folder is not repeated
-               here: it is in the field two rows down. -->
-          <span class="dev-from mono">{devRun ? TARGETS.find((o) => o.key === devTarget)?.name ?? "" : "no checkout"}</span>
-        </header>
-
-        <div class="dev-targets" role="radiogroup" aria-label="Launch starts">
-          {#each TARGETS as option (option.key)}
-            <label class="dev-target" class:on={devTarget === option.key}>
-              <input
-                type="radio"
-                name="dev-target"
-                value={option.key}
-                checked={devTarget === option.key}
-                disabled={blocked || savingDev}
-                onchange={() => launcher.setDev({ dev_target: option.key })}
-              />
-              <span class="dev-target-name">{option.name}</span>
-              <span class="dev-target-note mono">{option.note}</span>
-            </label>
-          {/each}
-        </div>
-
-        <div class="dev-row">
-          <input
-            class="dev-path"
-            type="text"
-            spellcheck="false"
-            placeholder="Folder holding ODIAN_Engine"
-            value={devRoot}
-            disabled={blocked || savingDev}
-            onchange={(e) => launcher.setDev({ dev_root: e.currentTarget.value.trim() })}
-          />
-          <button type="button" class="btn" disabled={blocked || savingDev} onclick={browseCheckout}>Browse…</button>
-        </div>
-
-        <div class="dev-row">
-          <label class="dev-label" for="dev-run-as">Run as</label>
-          <input
-            id="dev-run-as"
-            class="dev-path"
-            type="text"
-            spellcheck="false"
-            autocomplete="off"
-            placeholder={s?.operator ?? "the operator who signed in"}
-            value={devUserField}
-            disabled={blocked || savingDev}
-            onchange={(e) => launcher.setDev({ dev_user: e.currentTarget.value.trim() })}
-          />
-        </div>
-
-        <div class="dev-row">
-          {#if releasing}
-            <button class="btn dev-release" onclick={() => launcher.showConsole()}>Release running…</button>
-          {:else}
-            <button class="btn dev-release" disabled={blocked || !s?.online} onclick={openRelease}>
-              Build &amp; deploy…
-            </button>
-          {/if}
-          {#if hasOutput && !releasing}
-            <button class="btn-link" onclick={() => launcher.showConsole()}>last output</button>
-          {:else if !s?.online}
-            <span class="dev-note">needs the DHP</span>
-          {/if}
-        </div>
-
-        <label class="dev-check">
-          <input
-            type="checkbox"
-            checked={devBuild}
-            disabled={blocked || savingDev}
-            onchange={(e) => launcher.setDev({ dev_build: e.currentTarget.checked })}
-          />
-          <span>Build first</span>
-        </label>
-
-        {#if !devRun}
-          <p class="dev-note">Name the folder that holds <code>ODIAN_Engine</code> and Launch runs from it.</p>
-        {:else if devUser}
-          <p class="dev-note attention">
-            Running as <strong>{devUser}</strong> — this PC will not sync with the DHP.
-          </p>
-        {/if}
-      </section>
-    {/if}
 
     {#if unfinished}
       <p class="secondary attention">
@@ -492,6 +406,99 @@
     </p>
   {/if}
 
+  {#if showDev}
+    <!-- Dev mode's own controls, where the launching happens. Everything that decides
+         what Launch does is here rather than behind Settings: the target, the checkout,
+         and whether it builds first. -->
+    <section class="dev" aria-label="Dev mode">
+      <header class="dev-head">
+        <Icon name="code" size={13} />
+        <span class="dev-title">DEV</span>
+        <!-- What Launch will actually start, in three words. The folder is not repeated
+             here: it is in the field two rows down. -->
+        <span class="dev-from mono">{devRun ? TARGETS.find((o) => o.key === devTarget)?.name ?? "" : "no checkout"}</span>
+      </header>
+
+      <div class="dev-targets" role="radiogroup" aria-label="Launch starts">
+        {#each TARGETS as option (option.key)}
+          <label class="dev-target" class:on={devTarget === option.key}>
+            <input
+              type="radio"
+              name="dev-target"
+              value={option.key}
+              checked={devTarget === option.key}
+              disabled={blocked || savingDev}
+              onchange={() => launcher.setDev({ dev_target: option.key })}
+            />
+            <span class="dev-target-name">{option.name}</span>
+            <span class="dev-target-note mono">{option.note}</span>
+          </label>
+        {/each}
+      </div>
+
+      <div class="dev-row">
+        <input
+          class="dev-path"
+          type="text"
+          spellcheck="false"
+          placeholder="Folder holding ODIAN_Engine"
+          value={devRoot}
+          disabled={blocked || savingDev}
+          onchange={(e) => launcher.setDev({ dev_root: e.currentTarget.value.trim() })}
+        />
+        <button type="button" class="btn" disabled={blocked || savingDev} onclick={browseCheckout}>Browse…</button>
+      </div>
+
+      <div class="dev-row">
+        <label class="dev-label" for="dev-run-as">Run as</label>
+        <input
+          id="dev-run-as"
+          class="dev-path"
+          type="text"
+          spellcheck="false"
+          autocomplete="off"
+          placeholder={s?.operator ?? "the operator who signed in"}
+          value={devUserField}
+          disabled={blocked || savingDev}
+          onchange={(e) => launcher.setDev({ dev_user: e.currentTarget.value.trim() })}
+        />
+      </div>
+
+      <div class="dev-row">
+        {#if releasing}
+          <button class="btn dev-release" onclick={() => launcher.showConsole()}>Release running…</button>
+        {:else}
+          <button class="btn dev-release" disabled={blocked || !s?.online} onclick={openRelease}>
+            Build &amp; deploy…
+          </button>
+        {/if}
+        {#if hasOutput && !releasing}
+          <button class="btn-link" onclick={() => launcher.showConsole()}>last output</button>
+        {:else if !s?.online}
+          <span class="dev-note">needs the DHP</span>
+        {/if}
+      </div>
+
+      <label class="dev-check">
+        <input
+          type="checkbox"
+          checked={devBuild}
+          disabled={blocked || savingDev}
+          onchange={(e) => launcher.setDev({ dev_build: e.currentTarget.checked })}
+        />
+        <span>Build first</span>
+      </label>
+
+      {#if !devRun}
+        <p class="dev-note">Name the folder that holds <code>ODIAN_Engine</code> and Launch runs from it.</p>
+      {:else if devUser}
+        <p class="dev-note attention">
+          Running as <strong>{devUser}</strong> — this PC will not sync with the DHP.
+        </p>
+      {/if}
+    </section>
+  {/if}
+
   {#if showNotice}
     <div class="notice" role="alert">
       <Icon name="alert" size={14} />
diff --git a/src/lib/mock.ts b/src/lib/mock.ts
index 2d13722..30bb6d0 100644
--- a/src/lib/mock.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mock.ts
@@ -311,6 +311,19 @@ function initialStatus(scenario: MockScenario): Status {
         dev: { machine: "ODIAN-DEV-01", install_id: null, expires_at: "2027-01-31", note: "test kit" },
       });
       break;
+    case "dev-no-checkout":
+      // A fresh dev PC: launcher downloaded, licence dropped in, DHP reachable - but no
+      // ODIAN_Engine checkout yet. It used to show Install and no way to point at one.
+      Object.assign(s, {
+        installed: null,
+        operator: OPERATOR,
+        signed_in: true,
+        dev_run: false,
+        dhp_direct: false,
+        dhp_blocked: "dev mode has no checkout folder yet: name the folder that holds ODIAN_Engine.",
+        dev: { machine: "ODIAN-DEV-02", install_id: null, expires_at: "2027-01-31", note: "test kit" },
+      });
+      break;
     case "error":
       Object.assign(s, {
         operator: OPERATOR,
@@ -370,6 +383,7 @@ class MockBackend implements Backend {
     // Already pointed at a checkout and switched on, so the dev controls and the dev-run
     // marker show as they do on the real thing.
     if (scenario === "dev" || scenario === "dev-dhp") Object.assign(this.settings, { dev_root: "E:" + String.fromCharCode(92) + "ODIAN_Dev", dev_mode: true });
+    if (scenario === "dev-no-checkout") Object.assign(this.settings, { dev_root: "", dev_mode: true });
     if (this.status.installed) {
       // An installed mock PC has the basemap, Dark V2 and a stopped satellite download.
       for (const item of MOCK_MARKET) if (item.required) this.marketPresent.set(item.key, "installed");
diff --git a/src/lib/types.ts b/src/lib/types.ts
index ad7dfd6..3bf3700 100644
--- a/src/lib/types.ts
+++ b/src/lib/types.ts
@@ -338,6 +338,7 @@ export const MOCK_SCENARIOS = [
   "error",
   "dev",
   "dev-dhp",
+  "dev-no-checkout",
 ] as const;
 
 export type MockScenario = (typeof MOCK_SCENARIOS)[number];