diff --git a/client/dashboard/sites/settings-site-visibility/launch-form.tsx b/client/dashboard/sites/settings-site-visibility/launch-form.tsx
index 574cffec10e1..beb30bbed62e 100644
--- a/client/dashboard/sites/settings-site-visibility/launch-form.tsx
+++ b/client/dashboard/sites/settings-site-visibility/launch-form.tsx
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ export function LaunchForm( { site }: { site: Site } ) {
 					<SiteLaunchButton
 						site={ site }
 						tracksContext="site_settings"
-						backTo={ `/sites/${ site.slug }` }
+						flowDestination={ `/sites/${ site.slug }` }
 					/>
 				}
 			>
diff --git a/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/index.tsx b/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/index.tsx
index 752d0459bdc5..fcfa4ad73dd5 100644
--- a/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/index.tsx
+++ b/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/index.tsx
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@ export function SiteLaunchButton( {
 	tracksContext,
 	launchUrl,
 	LaunchModal,
-	backTo,
+	flowDestination,
 }: {
 	site: Site;
 	tracksContext: string;
 	launchUrl?: string;
 	LaunchModal?: A4aLaunchModalComponent;
-	backTo?: string;
+	flowDestination?: string;
 } ) {
 	const { queries } = useAppContext();
 	const { recordTracksEvent } = useAnalytics();
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export function SiteLaunchButton( {
 	const { isLoading, isExperimentLoading, isHidden, isDisabled, isBusy, href, onClick, modal } =
 		useSiteLaunch( site, {
 			tracksContext,
-			backTo,
+			flowDestination,
 			a4aLaunchUrl: launchUrl,
 			a4aLaunchModal: LaunchModal,
 			domainsOptions: queries.domainsQuery(),
diff --git a/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/test/index.test.tsx b/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/test/index.test.tsx
index 12ed79c7acd0..f5290c33eecd 100644
--- a/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/test/index.test.tsx
+++ b/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/test/index.test.tsx
@@ -173,6 +173,87 @@ describe( '<SiteLaunchButton>', () => {
 		expect( screen.queryByRole( 'dialog' ) ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
 	} );
 
+	test( 'points Back at the page the launch started from, and post-launch elsewhere', async () => {
+		mockDomainsApi( [ createMockDomain( 'kaonashi.wordpress.com', false ) ] );
+		window.history.pushState( {}, '', '/sites/kaonashi.wordpress.com/settings/site-visibility' );
+
+		render(
+			<SiteLaunchButton
+				site={ createMockSite( {
+					plan: {
+						product_slug: 'free_plan',
+						product_name: 'Free',
+						is_free: true,
+					},
+				} as Partial< Site > ) }
+				tracksContext="test"
+				flowDestination="/sites/kaonashi.wordpress.com"
+			/>
+		);
+
+		const launchLink = await screen.findByRole( 'link', { name: 'Launch your site' } );
+		const query = new URL( launchLink.getAttribute( 'href' ) ?? '', window.location.origin )
+			.searchParams;
+
+		expect( query.get( 'back_to' ) ).toContain(
+			'/sites/kaonashi.wordpress.com/settings/site-visibility'
+		);
+		expect( query.get( 'redirect_to' ) ).toContain( '/sites/kaonashi.wordpress.com' );
+		expect( query.get( 'redirect_to' ) ).not.toContain( 'site-visibility' );
+
+		window.history.pushState( {}, '', '/' );
+	} );
+
+	test( 'an immediate launch stays on the page even when a flow destination is set', async () => {
+		const user = userEvent.setup();
+		mockDomainsApi( [ createMockDomain( 'kaonashi.wordpress.com', false ) ] );
+		const launchScope = mockLaunchApi();
+
+		const originalLocation = window.location;
+		const assign = jest.fn();
+		Object.defineProperty( window, 'location', {
+			writable: true,
+			value: {
+				href: 'http://localhost/sites/kaonashi.wordpress.com/settings/site-visibility',
+				origin: 'http://localhost',
+				pathname: '/sites/kaonashi.wordpress.com/settings/site-visibility',
+				search: '',
+				assign,
+			},
+		} );
+		const replaceState = jest
+			.spyOn( window.history, 'replaceState' )
+			.mockImplementation( () => {} );
+
+		try {
+			render(
+				<SiteLaunchButton
+					site={ createMockSite( {
+						plan: {
+							product_slug: 'wp_bundle_hosting_trial_monthly',
+							product_name: 'Hosting Trial',
+							is_free: false,
+						},
+					} as Partial< Site > ) }
+					tracksContext="test"
+					flowDestination="/sites/kaonashi.wordpress.com"
+				/>
+			);
+
+			const launchButton = await screen.findByRole( 'button', { name: 'Launch your site' } );
+			replaceState.mockClear();
+
+			await user.click( launchButton );
+
+			await waitFor( () => expect( launchScope.isDone() ).toBe( true ) );
+			await waitFor( () => expect( replaceState ).toHaveBeenCalled() );
+			expect( assign ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		} finally {
+			replaceState.mockRestore();
+			Object.defineProperty( window, 'location', { writable: true, value: originalLocation } );
+		}
+	} );
+
 	test( 'renders a link to the launch flow for a free site without an immediate launch', async () => {
 		mockDomainsApi( [ createMockDomain( 'kaonashi.wordpress.com', false ) ] );
 
diff --git a/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/use-site-launch.tsx b/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/use-site-launch.tsx
index 243fa4fed0f7..48cf6a17f945 100644
--- a/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/use-site-launch.tsx
+++ b/client/dashboard/sites/site-launch-button/use-site-launch.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ type RecordTracksEvent = ( eventName: string, properties?: Record< string, unkno
 
 export interface UseSiteLaunchOptions {
 	tracksContext: string;
+	/** Where the launch flow's Back button returns to. Defaults to the current page. */
 	backTo?: string;
+	/** Where the launch flow leaves the user once the site is live. Defaults to `backTo`. */
+	flowDestination?: string;
+	/** Where an immediate launch leaves the user. Defaults to staying on the current page. */
 	postLaunchUrl?: string;
 	a4aLaunchUrl?: string;
 	a4aLaunchModal?: A4aLaunchModalComponent;
@@ -51,6 +55,7 @@ export function useSiteLaunch(
 	{
 		tracksContext,
 		backTo,
+		flowDestination,
 		postLaunchUrl,
 		a4aLaunchUrl,
 		a4aLaunchModal: A4aLaunchModal,
@@ -98,9 +103,10 @@ export function useSiteLaunch(
 			back_to: backTo
 				? dashboardLinkWithBackport( backTo )
 				: redirectToDashboardLink( { supportBackport: true } ),
+			...( flowDestination ? { redirect_to: dashboardLinkWithBackport( flowDestination ) } : {} ),
 			dashboard: getCurrentDashboard(),
 		} );
-	}, [ site, backTo ] );
+	}, [ site, backTo, flowDestination ] );
 
 	const track = () => {
 		recordTracksEvent( 'calypso_dashboard_site_launch_button_click', { context: tracksContext } );
diff --git a/client/signup/config/flows-pure.js b/client/signup/config/flows-pure.js
index 51c3fec9b964..bdf74116806e 100644
--- a/client/signup/config/flows-pure.js
+++ b/client/signup/config/flows-pure.js
@@ -310,8 +310,8 @@ export function generateFlows( {
 			steps: [ 'domains-launch', 'plans-launch', 'launch' ],
 			destination: getLaunchDestination,
 			description: 'A flow to launch a private site.',
-			providesDependenciesInQuery: [ 'siteSlug', 'back_to' ],
-			optionalDependenciesInQuery: [ 'back_to' ],
+			providesDependenciesInQuery: [ 'siteSlug', 'back_to', 'redirect_to' ],
+			optionalDependenciesInQuery: [ 'back_to', 'redirect_to' ],
 			hideProgressIndicator: true,
 			lastModified: '2019-11-22',
 			excludeFromManageSiteFlows: true,
diff --git a/client/signup/config/flows.js b/client/signup/config/flows.js
index 710fa8123b70..9259733b0d4d 100644
--- a/client/signup/config/flows.js
+++ b/client/signup/config/flows.js
@@ -157,6 +157,12 @@ export function getLaunchReturnUrl( dependencies ) {
 }
 
 function getLaunchDestination( dependencies ) {
+	// `redirect_to` lands the user somewhere other than where they came from once the site is live,
+	// so `back_to` is free to keep meaning "the page the Back button returns to".
+	if ( dependencies.redirect_to ) {
+		return addQueryArgs( { celebrateLaunch: 'true' }, dependencies.redirect_to );
+	}
+
 	const { url, celebrateArgs } = getLaunchReturnTarget( dependencies );
 
 	return addQueryArgs( celebrateArgs, url );
diff --git a/client/signup/controller.js b/client/signup/controller.js
index d6eb6708d3f5..4f197c407eb8 100644
--- a/client/signup/controller.js
+++ b/client/signup/controller.js
@@ -306,6 +306,13 @@ export default {
 			context.store.dispatch( updateDependencies( additionalDependencies ) );
 		}
 
+		if ( 'launch-site' === flowName ) {
+			// The dependency store persists between visits, and `redirect_to` is optional, so an
+			// abandoned launch would otherwise decide where the next one leaves the user. Re-read it
+			// from the query the flow was entered with.
+			context.store.dispatch( updateDependencies( { redirect_to: query?.redirect_to ?? null } ) );
+		}
+
 		context.primary = createElement( SignupComponent, {
 			store: context.store,
 			path: context.path,
diff --git a/client/signup/test/flows.js b/client/signup/test/flows.js
index 5e932a4c8fba..0541953493d4 100644
--- a/client/signup/test/flows.js
+++ b/client/signup/test/flows.js
@@ -55,6 +55,45 @@ describe( 'Signup Flows Configuration', () => {
 		} );
 	} );
 
+	describe( 'launch-site destination', () => {
+		beforeAll( () => {
+			// The suites above stub `getFlows` with fixtures; these assertions need the real config.
+			jest.restoreAllMocks();
+		} );
+
+		const getDestination = ( dependencies ) =>
+			flows.getFlows()[ 'launch-site' ].destination( dependencies );
+
+		test( 'returns the user to where the flow was started from', () => {
+			expect(
+				getDestination( {
+					siteSlug: 'test-site',
+					back_to: '/sites/test-site/settings/site-visibility',
+				} )
+			).toBe( '/sites/test-site/settings/site-visibility?celebrateLaunch=true' );
+		} );
+
+		test( 'prefers redirect_to, so the post-launch landing can differ from where Back goes', () => {
+			expect(
+				getDestination( {
+					siteSlug: 'test-site',
+					back_to: '/sites/test-site/settings/site-visibility',
+					redirect_to: '/sites/test-site',
+				} )
+			).toBe( '/sites/test-site?celebrateLaunch=true' );
+		} );
+
+		test( 'falls back to back_to when redirect_to was cleared on flow entry', () => {
+			expect(
+				getDestination( {
+					siteSlug: 'test-site',
+					back_to: '/sites/test-site/settings/site-visibility',
+					redirect_to: null,
+				} )
+			).toBe( '/sites/test-site/settings/site-visibility?celebrateLaunch=true' );
+		} );
+	} );
+
 	describe( 'filterDestination with checkout URLs', () => {
 		// Mock the required modules
 		beforeAll( () => {