diff --git a/tests/tui_gateway/test_free_tier_task_done.py b/tests/tui_gateway/test_free_tier_task_done.py
index bc72435f91..62f221acec 100644
--- a/tests/tui_gateway/test_free_tier_task_done.py
+++ b/tests/tui_gateway/test_free_tier_task_done.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import pytest
 
 import tui_gateway.server as server
 from hermes_cli import anon_auth, free_tier_offer
+from hermes_cli.profiles import SETUP_PROFILE_MARKER
 from tui_gateway.free_tier_task_done import note_task_done
 
 CLEAN = {"completed": True, "final_response": "Here is your plan.", "user_intervened": False}
@@ -56,6 +57,17 @@ def test_disqualified_turns_record_nothing(result, anonymous, display_kind, user
     assert not _recorded()
 
 
+def test_a_setup_chat_turn_is_not_a_task(tmp_path):
+    """The setup chat's turns (its last one ends with the handoff) do not start the offer clock: it would
+    otherwise come due three minutes into the first real task."""
+    setup_home = tmp_path / "home" / "profiles" / "hermes-setup"
+    setup_home.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (setup_home / SETUP_PROFILE_MARKER).write_text("{}", encoding="utf-8")
+    session = _session(profile_home=str(setup_home))
+    note_task_done(session, dict(CLEAN), session["agent"], None)
+    assert not _recorded()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("method,params", [
     ("session.steer", {"text": "also check my calendar"}),
     ("session.redirect", {"text": "actually only Monday"}),
diff --git a/tui_gateway/free_tier_task_done.py b/tui_gateway/free_tier_task_done.py
index 275e258d40..c7c39b86a3 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/free_tier_task_done.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/free_tier_task_done.py
@@ -27,9 +27,21 @@ def is_clean_task(result: Any, agent: Any, *, user_input: bool, display_kind: st
     return is_anonymous_agent(agent)
 
 
+def _in_setup_profile(session: dict) -> bool:
+    # The setup chat is not a task: counting its last turn made the offer come due during the first real task.
+    from pathlib import Path
+
+    from hermes_cli.profiles import SETUP_PROFILE_MARKER
+    from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home
+    home = session.get("profile_home")
+    return ((Path(home) if home else get_hermes_home()) / SETUP_PROFILE_MARKER).is_file()
+
+
 def note_task_done(session: dict, result: Any, agent: Any, display_kind: str | None) -> None:
     """Record a clean free-tier task for the sign-in offer. Never fails the turn."""
     try:
+        if _in_setup_profile(session):
+            return
         if is_clean_task(result, agent, user_input=bool(session.get("_turn_user_input")), display_kind=display_kind):
             from hermes_cli.free_tier_offer import record_task_done
             record_task_done()