diff --git a/go/internal/cli/cli.go b/go/internal/cli/cli.go
index eb9c971..5d0eb5e 100644
--- a/go/internal/cli/cli.go
+++ b/go/internal/cli/cli.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func RunAgentCompat(argv []string, stdout, stderr io.Writer) int {
 
 func (a *app) run(argv []string) int {
 	if len(argv) == 0 {
-		a.usage()
+		a.guide()
 		return 2
 	}
 	switch argv[0] {
@@ -85,3 +85,38 @@ func (a *app) exit(err error) int {
 func (a *app) usage() {
 	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut, "usage: "+a.binary+" <up|attach|list|pair|enroll|pair-dev|keygen|wallet|add-machine|run|self-update|--version> [flags]")
 }
+
+// guide is the no-argument landing: a friendly walkthrough of the core flow, with a
+// first-run welcome when there is no config yet. It goes to stdout (it's help the
+// user asked for), while terse usage on an unknown command stays on stderr.
+func (a *app) guide() {
+	b := a.binary
+	p := func(s string) { fmt.Fprintln(a.out, s) }
+	if freshSetup() {
+		p("👋  Welcome to " + b + ". Looks like a fresh setup.")
+		p("")
+		p(b + " opens a real shell on your own machines from anywhere — no SSH, fully")
+		p("end-to-end encrypted. Your identity is a wallet created locally the first time")
+		p("you run a command; keep its 24-word phrase safe and you can restore it anywhere.")
+		p("")
+	}
+	p(b + " — a real shell on your machines, from anywhere. Every node is symmetric: it")
+	p("can serve and it can attach.")
+	p("")
+	p("  Serve a machine (on the box you want to reach):")
+	p("    " + b + " up                keep it reachable (persistent tmux sessions)")
+	p("    " + b + " pair              make it pairable — prints a code + QR, then waits")
+	p("")
+	p("  Reach your machines (where you are):")
+	p("    " + b + " pair <code>       pair to a machine (compare the safety numbers)")
+	p("    " + b + " attach <name>     open its shell, peer-to-peer")
+	p("    " + b + " attach a b c      several at once — Ctrl-O then 1–9 to switch")
+	p("")
+	p("  Identity & machines:")
+	p("    " + b + " wallet address    your wallet — this is your owner id")
+	p("    " + b + " wallet export-phrase   back it up (24 words; restores everything)")
+	p("    " + b + " list              machines you've paired")
+	p("")
+	p("On the same network, " + b + " attach connects directly over the LAN (no relay) and")
+	p("falls back to the relay automatically. Full help for any command: " + b + " <command> -h")
+}
diff --git a/go/internal/cli/cli_test.go b/go/internal/cli/cli_test.go
index 0ec4a2b..e1b4587 100644
--- a/go/internal/cli/cli_test.go
+++ b/go/internal/cli/cli_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -60,6 +62,36 @@ func TestRunNoArgs(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// No-args prints the getting-started guide (not just a terse usage line).
+func TestNoArgsShowsGuide(t *testing.T) {
+	var out, errb bytes.Buffer
+	Run(nil, &out, &errb)
+	g := out.String()
+	for _, want := range []string{"mir attach", "mir pair", "wallet", "LAN"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(g, want) {
+			t.Fatalf("guide missing %q:\n%s", want, g)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// A legacy (pre-wallet) identity attaching is guided to `mir keygen --wallet`
+// rather than failing with a cryptic handshake/usage error.
+func TestAttachLegacyIdentityGuidesToKeygen(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("MIR_NO_UPDATE_CHECK", "1")
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	legacy := `{"owner_priv":"` + strings.Repeat("aa", 32) + `","owner_pub":"` + strings.Repeat("bb", 32) + `"}`
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "owner.json"), []byte(legacy), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var out, errb bytes.Buffer
+	if code := Run([]string{"attach", "--dir", dir, "box"}, &out, &errb); code == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("attach with a wallet-less identity should fail")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(errb.String(), "keygen --wallet") || !strings.Contains(errb.String(), "re-paired") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected a keygen + re-pair migration hint, got:\n%s", errb.String())
+	}
+}
+
 func TestKeygenPrintsOwnerKey(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv("MIR_NO_UPDATE_CHECK", "1")
 	dir := t.TempDir()
diff --git a/go/internal/cli/client_cmds.go b/go/internal/cli/client_cmds.go
index a69f798..ca8ce9d 100644
--- a/go/internal/cli/client_cmds.go
+++ b/go/internal/cli/client_cmds.go
@@ -20,6 +20,41 @@ import (
 	"github.com/srcful/terminal-relay/go/internal/version"
 )
 
+// identity loads the client owner identity (creating it on first use), printing a
+// one-time intro when it was just created so a new user learns they have a wallet
+// identity and how to back it up. The intro goes to stderr, keeping command stdout
+// clean for scripts.
+func (a *app) identity(dir string) (*client.Identity, error) {
+	fresh := !client.IdentityExists(dir)
+	id, err := client.LoadOrCreateIdentity(dir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if fresh && id.HasWallet() {
+		fmt.Fprintf(a.errOut, "✓ created your %s identity — wallet %s\n", a.binary, id.WalletAddress)
+		fmt.Fprintf(a.errOut, "  back it up anytime: %s wallet export-phrase  (24 words restore your whole identity)\n\n", a.binary)
+	}
+	return id, nil
+}
+
+// requireWallet returns a guided error when a legacy (pre-wallet) identity tries to
+// attach, spelling out the one-time keygen + re-pair migration so the user isn't
+// surprised when re-pairing turns out to be necessary.
+func (a *app) requireWallet(id *client.Identity) error {
+	if id.HasWallet() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	b := a.binary
+	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut, "This identity predates wallets, so it can't attach on this version of "+b+".")
+	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut)
+	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut, "Upgrade it (one-time):")
+	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut, "    "+b+" keygen --wallet")
+	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut)
+	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut, "That mints a NEW identity (new owner id + wallet), so each machine you paired")
+	fmt.Fprintln(a.errOut, "before must be re-paired: run `"+b+" pair` on the machine and `"+b+" pair <code>` here.")
+	return fmt.Errorf("no wallet identity — run `%s keygen --wallet`", b)
+}
+
 // cmdSelfUpdate replaces the running binary with the latest GitHub Release
 // (verified by SHA256) when a newer version exists. a.binary selects the asset
 // (mir / mir-agent), so the deprecated shim updates its own binary.
@@ -63,10 +98,13 @@ func (a *app) cmdRun(args []string) error {
 	name := rest[0]
 	cmd := strings.Join(rest[1:], " ")
 
-	idn, err := client.LoadOrCreateIdentity(*dir)
+	idn, err := a.identity(*dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := a.requireWallet(idn); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	m, err := client.GetMachine(*dir, name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -91,7 +129,7 @@ func (a *app) cmdKeygen(args []string) error {
 	dir := fs.String("dir", defaultDir(), "config directory")
 	wallet := fs.Bool("wallet", false, "re-key a legacy identity into a prf-rooted wallet identity (changes owner_id; re-pair needed)")
 	_ = fs.Parse(args)
-	id, err := client.LoadOrCreateIdentity(*dir)
+	id, err := a.identity(*dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -172,10 +210,13 @@ func (a *app) cmdAttach(args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	servers := ice()
-	idn, err := client.LoadOrCreateIdentity(*dir)
+	idn, err := a.identity(*dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := a.requireWallet(idn); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	// attach is long-lived, so the backgrounded refresh has time to land for the
 	// next run; surface any cached newer version now (non-blocking).
 	selfupdate.New(repoSlug, a.binary).MaybeNotify(a.errOut, updateCachePath(*dir), version.Version, 24*time.Hour)
diff --git a/go/internal/cli/pair.go b/go/internal/cli/pair.go
index 9c1f2b2..dc983cd 100644
--- a/go/internal/cli/pair.go
+++ b/go/internal/cli/pair.go
@@ -138,13 +138,16 @@ func (a *app) pairInitiate(dir, codeStr string, gate sasGate) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	idn, err := client.LoadOrCreateIdentity(dir)
+	idn, err := a.identity(dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := a.requireWallet(idn); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	w, err := idn.Wallet()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("pairing needs a wallet; run `mir keygen --wallet`: %w", err)
+		return err
 	}
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Minute)
 	defer cancel()
diff --git a/go/internal/cli/shared.go b/go/internal/cli/shared.go
index 77bace3..1c260d7 100644
--- a/go/internal/cli/shared.go
+++ b/go/internal/cli/shared.go
@@ -20,6 +20,18 @@ func defaultDir() string {
 
 func updateCachePath(dir string) string { return filepath.Join(dir, "update-check.json") }
 
+// freshSetup reports whether the default config dir holds no mir state yet, so the
+// no-argument guide can lead with a one-time welcome.
+func freshSetup() bool {
+	dir := defaultDir()
+	for _, f := range []string{"owner.json", "config.json", "machines.json"} {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, f)); err == nil {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
 func hostname() string {
 	h, err := os.Hostname()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/go/internal/client/store.go b/go/internal/client/store.go
index be0d8b9..4898f10 100644
--- a/go/internal/client/store.go
+++ b/go/internal/client/store.go
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ type Machine struct {
 func identityPath(dir string) string { return filepath.Join(dir, "owner.json") }
 func machinesPath(dir string) string { return filepath.Join(dir, "machines.json") }
 
+// IdentityExists reports whether an owner identity is already stored in dir, so the
+// CLI can show a one-time intro the first time it creates one.
+func IdentityExists(dir string) bool {
+	_, err := os.Stat(identityPath(dir))
+	return err == nil
+}
+
 // LoadOrCreateIdentity reads owner.json, creating a fresh owner keypair on first use.
 func LoadOrCreateIdentity(dir string) (*Identity, error) {
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0o700); err != nil {