diff --git a/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/Welcome/VTCommandPageView.swift b/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/Welcome/VTCommandPageView.swift
index 04f4c1dd..d6e09e6e 100644
--- a/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/Welcome/VTCommandPageView.swift
+++ b/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/Welcome/VTCommandPageView.swift
@@ -92,12 +92,8 @@ struct VTCommandPageView: View {
         .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, maxHeight: .infinity)
         .padding()
         .onAppear {
-            Task {
-                // This happens on startup, but we wanna refresh before showing.
-                await MainActor.run {
-                    cliInstaller.checkInstallationStatus()
-                }
-            }
+            // Check installation status synchronously on appear
+            cliInstaller.checkInstallationStatus()
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/WelcomeView.swift b/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/WelcomeView.swift
index 8a34d338..189a7b24 100644
--- a/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/WelcomeView.swift
+++ b/VibeTunnel/Presentation/Views/WelcomeView.swift
@@ -123,10 +123,19 @@ struct WelcomeView: View {
                 currentPage += 1
             }
         } else {
-            // Finish action - open Settings
+            // Finish action - save welcome version and close window
             welcomeVersion = AppConstants.currentWelcomeVersion
-            dismiss()
-            SettingsOpener.openSettings()
+            
+            // Close the window properly through the window controller
+            if let window = NSApp.windows.first(where: { $0.contentViewController is NSHostingController<WelcomeView> }) {
+                window.close()
+            }
+            
+            // Open settings after a delay to ensure the window is fully closed
+            Task { @MainActor in
+                try? await Task.sleep(for: .milliseconds(200))
+                SettingsOpener.openSettings()
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/VibeTunnel/Utilities/WelcomeWindowController.swift b/VibeTunnel/Utilities/WelcomeWindowController.swift
index 68806ef2..f2b3b965 100644
--- a/VibeTunnel/Utilities/WelcomeWindowController.swift
+++ b/VibeTunnel/Utilities/WelcomeWindowController.swift
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ final class WelcomeWindowController: NSWindowController, NSWindowDelegate {
         window.isReleasedWhenClosed = false
         // Use normal window level instead of floating
         window.level = .normal
+        
+        // Set content view mode to ensure proper cleanup
+        hostingController.sizingOptions = [.preferredContentSize]
 
         super.init(window: window)
 
@@ -76,6 +79,16 @@ final class WelcomeWindowController: NSWindowController, NSWindowDelegate {
     private func handleShowWelcomeNotification() {
         show()
     }
+    
+    // MARK: - NSWindowDelegate
+    
+    func windowWillClose(_ notification: Notification) {
+        // Ensure any async tasks are cancelled
+        Task { @MainActor in
+            // Give SwiftUI time to clean up
+            try? await Task.sleep(for: .milliseconds(100))
+        }
+    }
 
 }