diff --git a/src/commands/auth/signup.ts b/src/commands/auth/signup.ts
index 488d206..17add42 100644
--- a/src/commands/auth/signup.ts
+++ b/src/commands/auth/signup.ts
@@ -157,10 +157,7 @@ async function oauthSignup(config: Config, provider: 'google' | 'github'): Promi
     ].join('\n'),
     `Sign up with ${label}`
   );
-  await promptEnter(
-    { nonInteractive: config.nonInteractive },
-    'Press Enter to create your account, or Ctrl-C to cancel.'
-  );
+  await promptEnter({ nonInteractive: config.nonInteractive }, 'Create your account?');
   await oauthLogin(config, true, { signupEntry: true, provider });
 }
 
@@ -201,17 +198,31 @@ async function persistDefaultWorkspace(config: Config): Promise<void> {
   }
 }
 
+// Raw envelopes (user object, session token, landing) are output only in
+// JSON mode, where they are the data contract for scripts. In a terminal
+// the token already lives in credentials.json and the tables are noise.
+function emitResult(config: Config, data: unknown): void {
+  if (config.output === 'json') formatOutput(config, data);
+}
+
+// The installer owns the post-sign-in journey (connects, mapping, topology
+// link), so the CLI's own next-steps box would contradict it mid-flow. The
+// env var is set per-invocation by the installer, never persisted.
+function underInstaller(): boolean {
+  return Boolean(process.env.POLYLANE_ONBOARDING_RUN);
+}
+
 async function finishEmailSignIn(config: Config, email: string, session: VerifiedSession): Promise<void> {
   if (!session.token) {
-    formatOutput(config, { landing: session.landing });
+    emitResult(config, { landing: session.landing });
     outro('Email verified, but no session was returned. Run `polylane auth login`.');
     return;
   }
   writeSessionCredential(session.token, session.expiresAt, email);
   await persistDefaultWorkspace(config);
-  formatOutput(config, { token: session.token, landing: session.landing });
-  note(nextSteps(session.expiresAt, session.landing), 'Next steps');
-  outro('Signed in.');
+  emitResult(config, { token: session.token, landing: session.landing });
+  if (!underInstaller()) note(nextSteps(session.expiresAt, session.landing), 'Next steps');
+  outro(`Signed in as ${email}.`);
 }
 
 // Also the CLI's email sign-in path: signup is idempotent for an existing
@@ -245,10 +256,7 @@ export async function emailSignup(config: Config, args: Record<string, unknown>)
   // scripted consent: print the notice, never block on Enter.
   if (passwordArg === undefined && isInteractive(config.nonInteractive)) {
     note(TERMS_NOTICE);
-    await promptEnter(
-      { nonInteractive: config.nonInteractive },
-      'Press Enter to continue, or Ctrl-C to cancel.'
-    );
+    await promptEnter({ nonInteractive: config.nonInteractive }, 'Continue?');
   } else {
     process.stderr.write(`\n${TERMS_NOTICE}\n\n`);
   }
@@ -283,7 +291,7 @@ export async function emailSignup(config: Config, args: Record<string, unknown>)
   const { user, token } = json.result;
   if (!user) {
     // dry-run stub or unexpected server response
-    formatOutput(config, json.result);
+    emitResult(config, json.result);
     outro('Account created, but no session returned. Run `polylane auth login`.');
     return;
   }
@@ -291,15 +299,16 @@ export async function emailSignup(config: Config, args: Record<string, unknown>)
   if (user.emailVerified) {
     // Existing account re-authenticated: the session works immediately.
     if (!token) {
-      formatOutput(config, json.result);
+      emitResult(config, json.result);
       outro('Account created, but no session returned. Run `polylane auth login`.');
       return;
     }
     const expiresAt = parseSessionExpiresAt(res.headers.get('set-cookie')) ?? new Date().toISOString();
     writeSessionCredential(token, expiresAt, user.email ?? user.id);
-    formatOutput(config, json.result);
-    note(nextSteps(expiresAt), 'Next steps');
-    outro('Signed in.');
+    await persistDefaultWorkspace(config);
+    emitResult(config, json.result);
+    if (!underInstaller()) note(nextSteps(expiresAt), 'Next steps');
+    outro(`Signed in as ${user.email ?? user.id}.`);
     return;
   }
 
@@ -319,7 +328,7 @@ export async function emailSignup(config: Config, args: Record<string, unknown>)
   }
 
   if (!isInteractive(config.nonInteractive)) {
-    formatOutput(config, json.result);
+    emitResult(config, json.result);
     outro(
       `Check ${email} for a verification code, then run: polylane auth signup --email ${email} --code <code>`
     );
diff --git a/src/utils/prompt.ts b/src/utils/prompt.ts
index fdae7c8..3863676 100644
--- a/src/utils/prompt.ts
+++ b/src/utils/prompt.ts
@@ -102,8 +102,11 @@ export async function promptSelectOrBack<T extends string>(
 
 export async function promptEnter(ctx: PromptContext, message: string): Promise<void> {
   ensureInteractive(ctx, message);
-  const result = await p.text({ message });
-  if (p.isCancel(result)) {
+  // Not p.text: a text prompt submitted empty renders a dim "undefined" as
+  // its final value. A confirm keeps Enter-to-continue and renders the
+  // chosen label instead.
+  const result = await p.confirm({ message, active: 'Continue', inactive: 'Cancel' });
+  if (p.isCancel(result) || result === false) {
     throw new CLIError('Cancelled', ExitCode.GENERAL);
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/signup.test.ts b/test/signup.test.ts
index e358d48..fc4d94c 100644
--- a/test/signup.test.ts
+++ b/test/signup.test.ts
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ describe('auth signup terms notice', () => {
     assert.equal(output.split(TERMS_LINE).length - 1, 1);
     assert.ok(output.includes('https://polylane.com/terms/'));
     assert.ok(output.includes('https://polylane.com/privacy/'));
-    assert.deepEqual(promptEnterCalls, ['Press Enter to continue, or Ctrl-C to cancel.']);
+    assert.deepEqual(promptEnterCalls, ['Continue?']);
   });
 
   it('prints the notice without gating on a non-interactive scripted signup', async () => {
@@ -205,6 +205,82 @@ describe('auth signup terms notice', () => {
   });
 });
 
+// The existing-verified-account (re-auth) path: the signup POST returns a
+// verified user plus a session token immediately, no --code round-trip.
+describe('auth signup existing-account re-auth', () => {
+  const reauthRoutes = {
+    '/v1/auth/signup': signupResponse,
+    '/v1/auth/whoami': (): Response =>
+      jsonResponse({ success: true, error: null, result: { id: 'user_1', email: 'dev@acme.com' } }),
+    '/v1/workspaces': (): Response =>
+      jsonResponse({
+        success: true,
+        error: null,
+        result: { items: [{ id: WORKSPACE_ID, name: 'Acme', slug: 'acme' }], count: 1 },
+      }),
+  };
+
+  before(() => {
+    delete process.env.POLYLANE_API_KEY;
+    delete process.env.POLYLANE_WORKSPACE_ID;
+    delete process.env.POLYLANE_API_DOMAIN;
+  });
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    rmSync(CONFIG_FILE, { force: true });
+    rmSync(CREDENTIALS_FILE, { force: true });
+    delete process.env.POLYLANE_ONBOARDING_RUN;
+  });
+
+  async function run(overrides: Parameters<typeof mockConfig>[0] = {}): Promise<void> {
+    mockApi(reauthRoutes);
+    captureOutput();
+    try {
+      await authSignupCommand.execute(
+        mockConfig({ telemetry: false, ...overrides }),
+        {} as GlobalFlags,
+        { email: 'dev@acme.com', password: 'hunter2-hunter2' }
+      );
+    } finally {
+      restoreOutput();
+    }
+  }
+
+  it('text mode never prints the token, the raw user object, or "undefined"', async () => {
+    await run({ output: 'text' });
+    assert.ok(!output.includes('tok_signup'), 'session token leaked to text output');
+    assert.ok(!output.includes('emailVerified'), 'raw user object dumped to text output');
+    assert.ok(!output.includes('undefined'));
+    assert.ok(output.includes('Signed in as dev@acme.com.'));
+  });
+
+  it('JSON mode still emits the full envelope for scripts', async () => {
+    await run({ output: 'json' });
+    assert.ok(output.includes('tok_signup'));
+    assert.ok(output.includes('emailVerified'));
+  });
+
+  it('persists workspace_id to config.json on re-auth', async () => {
+    await run({ output: 'text' });
+    const config = JSON.parse(readFileSync(CONFIG_FILE, 'utf-8')) as { workspace_id?: string };
+    assert.equal(config.workspace_id, WORKSPACE_ID);
+  });
+
+  it('prints next steps standalone but suppresses them under the installer', async () => {
+    await run({ output: 'text' });
+    assert.ok(output.includes('Onboarding (in order)'));
+
+    process.env.POLYLANE_ONBOARDING_RUN = 'run_test';
+    try {
+      await run({ output: 'text' });
+    } finally {
+      delete process.env.POLYLANE_ONBOARDING_RUN;
+    }
+    assert.ok(!output.includes('Onboarding (in order)'));
+    assert.ok(output.includes('Signed in as dev@acme.com.'));
+  });
+});
+
 describe('auth signup --code (email verification)', () => {
   before(() => {
     delete process.env.POLYLANE_API_KEY;