diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/auth/ui/ServerUrlScreen.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/auth/ui/ServerUrlScreen.kt
index 5a95d863..04d90763 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/auth/ui/ServerUrlScreen.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/fabledsword/minstrel/auth/ui/ServerUrlScreen.kt
@@ -51,7 +51,17 @@ class ServerUrlViewModel @Inject constructor(
 ) : ViewModel() {
 
     private val internal = MutableStateFlow(
-        ServerUrlFormState(url = authStore.baseUrl.value),
+        // Pre-fill ONLY if the user has previously saved a real URL —
+        // the DEFAULT_BASE_URL placeholder (`http://localhost:8080`) is
+        // an internal HTTP-client fallback, not something a user
+        // typed. Leaving the field empty lets the OutlinedTextField's
+        // placeholder ("https://minstrel.example.com") show through
+        // so the user can just type without first having to clear.
+        ServerUrlFormState(
+            url = authStore.baseUrl.value
+                .takeIf { it != AuthStore.DEFAULT_BASE_URL }
+                .orEmpty(),
+        ),
     )
     val state: StateFlow<ServerUrlFormState> = internal.asStateFlow()