@@ -95,7 +95,9 @@ components, named exports from `src/index.ts`) and
   `FirstRunWizard` (`src/components/first-run/`). `src/lib/bootstrap.ts` keeps the session secret
   in module memory only and sends it as the `Fleetos-Bootstrap-Session` header; never put it in
   web storage, a cookie or a URL. Mock mode keeps first run closed; set
-  `VITE_BOOTSTRAP_MOCK_STATE=open` to try the wizard offline.
+  `VITE_BOOTSTRAP_MOCK_STATE=open` to try the wizard offline. With it open, finishing or skipping
+  the admin step calls `closeMockBootstrap()` and the install step's button signs straight in as
+  the mock admin, since mock mode has no browser certificate for a reload to pick up.
 - Operator CA registration is a preview then a confirm with `confirm_sha256`.
   `OperatorCARegisterForm` takes the submit call as a prop, so the admin page and first run share
   it; `registerRequestFields()` builds the body both RegisterOperatorCA RPCs take.
 
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ import { fireEvent, render, screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import { FirstRunWizard } from "@/components/first-run/first-run-wizard";
-import { __resetBootstrap } from "@/lib/bootstrap";
+import { AuthProvider, useAuth } from "@/context/auth";
+import { __resetBootstrap, isMockFirstRunOpen } from "@/lib/bootstrap";
 import { base64 } from "@/lib/crypto/leaf-key";
 import { colonFingerprint } from "@/lib/fingerprint";
 import * as modeMod from "@/lib/fleet/mode";
@@ -91,6 +92,14 @@ const signLeaf = async (ca: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof makeCA>>, publicKey: Crypt
 const fill = (label: RegExp, value: string, root: HTMLElement = document.body) =>
   fireEvent.change(within(root).getByLabelText(label), { target: { value } });
 
+// Reads the auth status next to the wizard, the way the real console gates on
+// it, so a test can prove the install step actually signs the operator in
+// rather than only checking which button it renders.
+const AuthStatusProbe = () => {
+  const { status } = useAuth();
+  return <span data-testid="auth-status">{status}</span>;
+};
+
 const captureKeys = () => {
   const generated: CryptoKeyPair[] = [];
   const real = crypto.subtle.generateKey.bind(crypto.subtle);
@@ -218,10 +227,15 @@ describe("FirstRunWizard (mock mode)", () => {
     await expectNoA11yViolations(container);
   }, 30_000);
 
-  it("path A: token, CA with fingerprint confirm, key backup before the CSR, upload, PKCS#12, install", async () => {
+  it("path A: token, CA with fingerprint confirm, key backup before the CSR, upload, PKCS#12, install, then continue signs in", async () => {
     const generated = captureKeys();
     const ca = await makeCA();
-    render(<FirstRunWizard inProgress={false} tokenExpiresAt="" />);
+    render(
+      <AuthProvider>
+        <AuthStatusProbe />
+        <FirstRunWizard inProgress={false} tokenExpiresAt="" />
+      </AuthProvider>,
+    );
     await startSession();
     await registerCA(ca);
     const passphrase = await pathA(ca, generated);
@@ -234,12 +248,23 @@ describe("FirstRunWizard (mock mode)", () => {
     expect(args.friendlyName).toBe(`FleetOS admin (${EMAIL})`);
     expect(downloadBytes.mock.calls[0][0]).toBe(`${EMAIL}.p12`);
     expect(screen.getByText(/Current User/)).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /reload/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    // Finishing path A already closed mock first run (#198): no reload is
+    // needed, and continuing signs straight in as the mock admin.
+    expect(isMockFirstRunOpen()).toBe(false);
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("auth-status")).toHaveTextContent("anonymous");
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /continue to the console/i }));
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("auth-status")).toHaveTextContent("authenticated");
   }, 60_000);
 
-  it("path B: the recipe, an optional pre-flight, then install", async () => {
+  it("path B: the recipe, an optional pre-flight, then skipping to install closes mock first run too", async () => {
     const ca = await makeCA();
-    render(<FirstRunWizard inProgress={false} tokenExpiresAt="" />);
+    render(
+      <AuthProvider>
+        <AuthStatusProbe />
+        <FirstRunWizard inProgress={false} tokenExpiresAt="" />
+      </AuthProvider>,
+    );
     await startSession();
     await registerCA(ca);
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByLabelText(/path b/i));
@@ -250,6 +275,10 @@ describe("FirstRunWizard (mock mode)", () => {
     ).toContain("op_admin");
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /skip to install/i }));
     await screen.findByRole("heading", { name: /install your admin certificate/i });
+
+    expect(isMockFirstRunOpen()).toBe(false);
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /continue to the console/i }));
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("auth-status")).toHaveTextContent("authenticated");
   }, 60_000);
 });
 
@@ -307,5 +336,9 @@ describe("FirstRunWizard (live mode)", () => {
     ].join("\n");
     expect(stored).not.toContain("fos_bsess_live");
     expect(stored).not.toContain(passphrase);
+
+    // Live mode keeps needing a real reload for the browser to present the
+    // newly installed certificate (#198 is mock-only).
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /reload and sign in/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
   }, 60_000);
 });
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ import { AdminStep } from "@/components/first-run/admin-step";
 import { CaStep } from "@/components/first-run/ca-step";
 import { TokenStep } from "@/components/first-run/token-step";
 import { CertificateHelp } from "@/components/layout/certificate-help";
-import { endBootstrapSession } from "@/lib/bootstrap";
+import { useOptionalAuth } from "@/context/auth";
+import { closeMockBootstrap, endBootstrapSession } from "@/lib/bootstrap";
+import { fleetMode } from "@/lib/fleet/mode";
 import { levelExtfileSection } from "@/lib/operators";
 
 type Step = "admin" | "ca" | "install" | "token";
@@ -33,24 +35,33 @@ const STEPS: { id: Step; label: string }[] = [
   { id: "install", label: "Install" },
 ];
 
-const InstallStep = () => (
-  <div className="space-y-4">
-    <h2 className="text-lg font-bold">Install your admin certificate</h2>
-    <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-      Import the PKCS#12 with its passphrase (the key backup&apos;s), then reload this page and
-      choose the FleetOS certificate when the browser asks. If it doesn&apos;t ask, quit the browser
-      fully and start it again: Chrome remembers a &quot;no certificate&quot; answer per site. Your
-      first sign-in as admin closes first run.
-    </p>
-    <CertificateHelp />
-    <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-      Keep the key backup somewhere safe, or delete it once the PKCS#12 is imported.
-    </p>
-    <Button onClick={() => globalThis.location.reload()} size="sm">
-      Reload and sign in
-    </Button>
-  </div>
-);
+// In mock mode there is no browser certificate for a reload to pick up, so
+// finishing or skipping the admin step (FirstRunWizard's onDone) already
+// closed mock first run; the button here signs straight in instead of
+// reloading, which would only reset the mock state back to open.
+const InstallStep = () => {
+  const auth = useOptionalAuth();
+  const mock = fleetMode() === "mock";
+
+  return (
+    <div className="space-y-4">
+      <h2 className="text-lg font-bold">Install your admin certificate</h2>
+      <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+        Import the PKCS#12 with its passphrase (the key backup&apos;s), then reload this page and
+        choose the FleetOS certificate when the browser asks. If it doesn&apos;t ask, quit the
+        browser fully and start it again: Chrome remembers a &quot;no certificate&quot; answer per
+        site. Your first sign-in as admin closes first run.
+      </p>
+      <CertificateHelp />
+      <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+        Keep the key backup somewhere safe, or delete it once the PKCS#12 is imported.
+      </p>
+      <Button onClick={() => (mock ? auth?.login() : globalThis.location.reload())} size="sm">
+        {mock ? "Continue to the console" : "Reload and sign in"}
+      </Button>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
 
 // FirstRunWizard stands a Fleet Manager up from nothing: the bootstrap token,
 // then the external operator CA (with the fingerprint confirm), then the
@@ -115,7 +126,10 @@ export const FirstRunWizard = ({
             <AdminStep
               adminExtfile={adminExtfile}
               anchorDer={anchorDer}
-              onDone={() => setStep("install")}
+              onDone={() => {
+                if (fleetMode() === "mock") closeMockBootstrap();
+                setStep("install");
+              }}
             />
           </>
         ) : null}
 
@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 import { Code, ConnectError } from "@connectrpc/connect";
+import { BootstrapState } from "@cryptos-pki/api-client/cryptos/fleet/v1/bootstrap_pb";
 import { render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import { AuthProvider, useAuth } from "@/context/auth";
+import { __resetBootstrap, __setMockBootstrapState, closeMockBootstrap } from "@/lib/bootstrap";
 
 const whoAmI = vi.fn();
 const fleetMode = vi.fn(() => "live");
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ describe("AuthProvider", () => {
     probe.mockReset();
     fleetMode.mockReturnValue("live");
     vi.stubGlobal("fetch", probe);
+    __resetBootstrap();
   });
 
   // The point of #68: arriving at the page must not sign you in, even holding a
@@ -231,4 +234,43 @@ describe("AuthProvider", () => {
     await waitFor(() => expect(state()).toBe("authenticated:admin:none"));
     expect(whoAmI).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  // #198: with mock first run forced open, login used to always act like a
+  // browser holding no certificate, even after the wizard finished, so a
+  // reviewer could never get past it.
+  it("acts like a missing certificate while mock first run is open", async () => {
+    fleetMode.mockReturnValue("mock");
+    __setMockBootstrapState(BootstrapState.OPEN);
+    renderProbe();
+
+    screen.getByRole("button", { name: /sign in/i }).click();
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(state()).toBe("denied:none:no-certificate"));
+  });
+
+  it("signs in as the mock admin once the wizard closes mock first run", async () => {
+    fleetMode.mockReturnValue("mock");
+    __setMockBootstrapState(BootstrapState.OPEN);
+    renderProbe();
+
+    screen.getByRole("button", { name: /sign in/i }).click();
+    await waitFor(() => expect(state()).toBe("denied:none:no-certificate"));
+
+    closeMockBootstrap();
+    screen.getByRole("button", { name: /sign in/i }).click();
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(state()).toBe("authenticated:admin:none"));
+  });
+
+  // Live mode never reads the mock bootstrap state: closing it has no effect
+  // here, and a real certificate is still required.
+  it("ignores mock first-run state in live mode", async () => {
+    closeMockBootstrap();
+    whoAmI.mockRejectedValue(new ConnectError("no cert", Code.Unauthenticated));
+    renderProbe();
+
+    screen.getByRole("button", { name: /sign in/i }).click();
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(state()).toBe("denied:none:certificate-not-sent"));
+  });
 });
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 import { Code, ConnectError } from "@connectrpc/connect";
 import { createContext, type ReactNode, useCallback, useContext, useState } from "react";
 
+import { isMockFirstRunOpen } from "@/lib/bootstrap";
 import { fleetClient } from "@/lib/fleet/client";
 import { fleetMode } from "@/lib/fleet/mode";
 
@@ -162,9 +163,11 @@ export const AuthProvider = ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => {
     setReason(null);
 
     if (fleetMode() === "mock") {
-      // With mock first run open, act like a browser holding no certificate,
-      // so the first-run wizard can be tried offline.
-      if (import.meta.env.VITE_BOOTSTRAP_MOCK_STATE === "open") {
+      // With mock first run still open, act like a browser holding no
+      // certificate, so the first-run wizard can be tried offline. Once the
+      // wizard closes it (closeMockBootstrap, on finishing or skipping the
+      // admin step), sign in below like any other mock login.
+      if (isMockFirstRunOpen()) {
         setOperator(null);
         setReason("no-certificate");
         setStatus("denied");
 
@@ -97,6 +97,22 @@ export const getBootstrapState = async (): Promise<BootstrapStatus> => {
 
 export const hasBootstrapSession = (): boolean => sessionSecret !== null;
 
+// isMockFirstRunOpen tells mock-mode sign-in whether first run is still open,
+// so it knows to act like a browser holding no certificate. Reading the live
+// mockState rather than the env var means it reflects closeMockBootstrap()
+// once the wizard reaches the end.
+export const isMockFirstRunOpen = (): boolean =>
+  mockState === BootstrapState.OPEN || mockState === BootstrapState.OPEN_IN_PROGRESS;
+
+// closeMockBootstrap closes mock first run the way a live admin's first
+// authenticated sign-in closes the real thing. Mock mode has no browser
+// certificate to present on a reload, so the wizard calls this directly once
+// the operator finishes or skips the admin step, instead of relying on a
+// reload that would only reset the mock state back to open.
+export const closeMockBootstrap = (): void => {
+  mockState = BootstrapState.CLOSED;
+};
+
 export const endBootstrapSession = (): void => {
   sessionSecret = null;
 };