diff --git a/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.test.ts b/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.test.ts
index c8c689566c..0c83638368 100644
--- a/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.test.ts
+++ b/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.test.ts
@@ -144,6 +144,21 @@ const mountComponent = (props: Record<string, unknown> = {}) => {
     global: {
       plugins: [createTestI18n()],
       stubs: {
+        UInput: {
+          props: ['modelValue', 'placeholder', 'disabled', 'maxlength', 'tabindex'],
+          emits: ['update:modelValue'],
+          template: `
+            <input
+              type="text"
+              :value="modelValue"
+              :placeholder="placeholder"
+              :disabled="disabled"
+              :maxlength="maxlength"
+              :tabindex="tabindex"
+              @input="$emit('update:modelValue', $event.target.value)"
+            />
+          `,
+        },
         USelectMenu: {
           props: ['modelValue', 'items', 'disabled'],
           emits: ['update:modelValue'],
@@ -199,6 +214,17 @@ describe('OnboardingCoreSettingsStep', () => {
     languagesError.value = null;
   });
 
+  it('keeps valid server name controls hidden', async () => {
+    const { wrapper } = mountComponent();
+    await flushPromises();
+
+    const serverNameLabel = wrapper.findAll('label').find((label) => label.text() === 'Server Name');
+    const serverNameControl = serverNameLabel?.element.parentElement;
+    expect(serverNameControl?.classList.contains('hidden')).toBe(true);
+    expect(serverNameControl?.getAttribute('aria-hidden')).toBe('true');
+    expect(wrapper.find('input[placeholder="Tower"]').attributes('tabindex')).toBe('-1');
+  });
+
   it('prefers browser timezone over API on initial setup when draft timezone is empty', async () => {
     onboardingStore.completed.value = false;
 
@@ -593,7 +619,7 @@ describe('OnboardingCoreSettingsStep', () => {
     expect(onComplete).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
-  it('blocks submission with invalid server name', async () => {
+  it('does not block submission with invalid hidden server name', async () => {
     const { wrapper, onComplete } = mountComponent();
     await flushPromises();
 
@@ -612,8 +638,15 @@ describe('OnboardingCoreSettingsStep', () => {
     await submitButton.trigger('click');
     await flushPromises();
 
-    expect(setCoreSettingsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(onComplete).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(setCoreSettingsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      serverName: 'bad name!',
+      serverDescription: '',
+      timeZone: 'UTC',
+      theme: 'white',
+      language: 'en_US',
+      useSsh: false,
+    });
+    expect(onComplete).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
   it('blocks submission with too-long server description', async () => {
@@ -768,7 +801,7 @@ describe('OnboardingCoreSettingsStep', () => {
     expect(onComplete).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
-  it('keeps initialized empty server name invalid even if baseline has a valid name', async () => {
+  it('uses baseline server name when initialized draft server name is empty', async () => {
     draftStore.coreSettingsInitialized = true;
     draftStore.serverName = '';
     draftStore.serverDescription = '';
@@ -795,7 +828,14 @@ describe('OnboardingCoreSettingsStep', () => {
     await submitButton.trigger('click');
     await flushPromises();
 
-    expect(setCoreSettingsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(onComplete).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(setCoreSettingsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      serverName: 'TowerBaseline',
+      serverDescription: '',
+      timeZone: 'UTC',
+      theme: 'white',
+      language: 'en_US',
+      useSsh: false,
+    });
+    expect(onComplete).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 });
diff --git a/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingSummaryStep.test.ts b/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingSummaryStep.test.ts
index 32eb5cdf83..1246449bb7 100644
--- a/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingSummaryStep.test.ts
+++ b/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingSummaryStep.test.ts
@@ -479,6 +479,13 @@ describe('OnboardingSummaryStep', () => {
     refetchInstalledPluginsMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
   });
 
+  it('marks the server name hidden in the summary card', () => {
+    const { wrapper } = mountComponent();
+
+    const serverNameLabel = wrapper.findAll('span').find((span) => span.text() === 'Server Name');
+    expect(serverNameLabel?.element.parentElement?.classList.contains('hidden')).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it.each([
     {
       caseName: 'skips install when plugin is already present',
diff --git a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.vue b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.vue
index a70cf8ba4c..b384540d1a 100644
--- a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.vue
+++ b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingCoreSettingsStep.vue
@@ -355,8 +355,14 @@ const languageItems = computed(() => {
 });
 
 const isLanguageDisabled = computed(() => isLanguagesLoading.value || !!languagesQueryError.value);
+const resolveSubmittedServerName = () =>
+  serverName.value ||
+  coreSettingsResult.value?.server?.name?.trim() ||
+  coreSettingsResult.value?.vars?.name?.trim() ||
+  TRUSTED_DEFAULT_PROFILE.serverName;
+
 const handleSubmit = async () => {
-  if (serverNameValidation.value || serverDescriptionValidation.value) {
+  if (serverDescriptionValidation.value) {
     error.value = t('common.error');
     return;
   }
@@ -366,7 +372,7 @@ const handleSubmit = async () => {
 
   try {
     draftStore.setCoreSettings({
-      serverName: serverName.value,
+      serverName: resolveSubmittedServerName(),
       serverDescription: serverDescription.value,
       timeZone: selectedTimeZone.value,
       theme: selectedTheme.value,
@@ -441,7 +447,8 @@ const isBusy = computed(() => isSaving.value || (props.isSavingStep ?? false));
             <!-- Local Hostname Badge -->
             <div
               v-if="currentHostname"
-              class="flex items-center gap-1 rounded border border-gray-200 bg-gray-100 px-2.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-semibold text-gray-800 dark:border-gray-700 dark:bg-gray-800 dark:text-gray-200"
+              class="hidden items-center gap-1 rounded border border-gray-200 bg-gray-100 px-2.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-semibold text-gray-800 dark:border-gray-700 dark:bg-gray-800 dark:text-gray-200"
+              aria-hidden="true"
             >
               <GlobeAltIcon class="text-primary h-3 w-3" />
               {{ currentHostname }}
@@ -455,7 +462,7 @@ const isBusy = computed(() => isSaving.value || (props.isSavingStep ?? false));
       <!-- Top Grid: Server Identity & Region -->
       <div class="mb-8 grid grid-cols-1 gap-x-6 gap-y-8 md:grid-cols-2">
         <!-- Server Name -->
-        <div class="flex flex-col gap-2">
+        <div class="hidden flex-col gap-2" aria-hidden="true">
           <label class="text-highlighted text-base font-bold">
             {{ t('onboarding.coreSettings.serverName') }}
           </label>
@@ -468,6 +475,7 @@ const isBusy = computed(() => isSaving.value || (props.isSavingStep ?? false));
               size="lg"
               class="w-full"
               :class="{ '!border-red-500 focus:!border-red-500': !!serverNameValidation }"
+              tabindex="-1"
             />
             <p v-if="serverNameValidation" class="text-sm font-medium text-red-500">
               {{ serverNameValidation }}
@@ -619,7 +627,7 @@ const isBusy = computed(() => isSaving.value || (props.isSavingStep ?? false));
         <BrandButton
           :text="t('onboarding.coreSettings.next')"
           class="!bg-primary hover:!bg-primary/90 w-full min-w-[160px] !text-white shadow-md transition-all hover:shadow-lg sm:w-auto"
-          :disabled="isBusy || !!serverNameValidation || !!serverDescriptionValidation"
+          :disabled="isBusy || !!serverDescriptionValidation"
           :loading="isBusy"
           @click="handleSubmit"
           :icon-right="ChevronRightIcon"
diff --git a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingNextStepsStep.vue b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingNextStepsStep.vue
index db56b00a73..bce24a82c1 100644
--- a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingNextStepsStep.vue
+++ b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingNextStepsStep.vue
@@ -354,7 +354,8 @@ const handleCancelPowerAction = () => {
                 <div class="flex flex-col gap-0.5">
                   <span
                     v-if="activationCode?.system?.serverName"
-                    class="text-highlighted text-lg font-bold"
+                    class="text-highlighted hidden text-lg font-bold"
+                    aria-hidden="true"
                     >{{ activationCode.system.serverName }}</span
                   >
                   <span v-if="activationCode?.system?.model" class="text-muted font-medium">{{
diff --git a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingSummaryStep.vue b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingSummaryStep.vue
index e26e6a4899..d195105fa5 100644
--- a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingSummaryStep.vue
+++ b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingSummaryStep.vue
@@ -591,7 +591,6 @@ const handleComplete = async () => {
   try {
     const promises = [];
     const baselineLoaded = isApplyDataReady.value;
-    const targetCoreSettings = resolveTargetCoreSettings();
     let hadNonOptimisticFailures = false;
     let hadWarnings = !baselineLoaded;
     let hadSshVerificationUncertainty = false;
@@ -619,6 +618,7 @@ const handleComplete = async () => {
       ? Boolean(coreSettingsResult.value?.vars?.useSsh || false)
       : TRUSTED_DEFAULT_PROFILE.useSsh;
     const currentSysModel = baselineLoaded ? coreSettingsResult.value?.vars?.sysModel || '' : '';
+    const targetCoreSettings = resolveTargetCoreSettings();
     const serverNameChanged = baselineLoaded ? targetCoreSettings.serverName !== currentName : false;
     const shouldApplyPartnerSysModel = Boolean(
       isFreshInstall.value &&
@@ -1113,7 +1113,10 @@ const handleBack = () => {
             </h3>
           </div>
           <div class="space-y-3">
-            <div class="flex flex-col gap-1 text-sm sm:flex-row sm:items-start sm:justify-between">
+            <div
+              class="hidden flex-col gap-1 text-sm sm:flex-row sm:items-start sm:justify-between"
+              aria-hidden="true"
+            >
               <span class="text-muted">{{ t('onboarding.coreSettings.serverName') }}</span>
               <span class="text-highlighted font-medium break-all sm:text-right">{{ serverName }}</span>
             </div>