diff --git a/apps/pwa/src/routes/SetupPage.tsx b/apps/pwa/src/routes/SetupPage.tsx
index 2d310d4..fcb9c5b 100644
--- a/apps/pwa/src/routes/SetupPage.tsx
+++ b/apps/pwa/src/routes/SetupPage.tsx
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@
  *   Step 3: Calendar Credential (Fastmail email + app password; CalDAV validation)
  *   Terminal: "Setup complete" (Surface 7) — replaces wizard card after step 3 completes
  *
- * Step 2 validates DB connectivity (POST /api/setup/validate/db) and OIDC discovery
- * (POST /api/setup/validate/oidc) AFTER writing config (POST /api/setup/config).
+ * Step 2 validates DB connectivity (POST /api/setup/validate/db), OIDC discovery
+ * (POST /api/setup/validate/oidc), and VAPID key pair (POST /api/setup/validate/vapid)
+ * AFTER writing config (POST /api/setup/config). All three must pass to proceed.
  * Step 3 validates CalDAV PROPFIND (POST /api/setup/credential), then calls
  * POST /api/setup/complete to flip setup_complete.
  *
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ import {
   postSetupConfig,
   validateSetupDb,
   validateSetupOidc,
+  validateSetupVapid,
   postSetupCredential,
   postSetupComplete,
   SetupAlreadyLockedError,
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ type ValidationRowState = 'idle' | 'pending' | 'success' | 'failure';
 interface ValidationRowStatus {
   db: ValidationRowState;
   oidc: ValidationRowState;
+  vapid: ValidationRowState;
   caldav: ValidationRowState;
 }
 
@@ -439,9 +442,10 @@ function Step2Config({ onBack, onSuccess, stepHeadingRef }: Step2Props) {
   const [vapidPublicKey, setVapidPublicKey] = useState('');
   const [fieldError, setFieldError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
-  const [validationRows, setValidationRows] = useState<Pick<ValidationRowStatus, 'db' | 'oidc'>>({
+  const [validationRows, setValidationRows] = useState<Pick<ValidationRowStatus, 'db' | 'oidc' | 'vapid'>>({
     db: 'idle',
     oidc: 'idle',
+    vapid: 'idle',
   });
 
   // Track overall state: null = not yet run, 'running', 'done' (both pass), 'failed'
@@ -453,15 +457,26 @@ function Step2Config({ onBack, onSuccess, stepHeadingRef }: Step2Props) {
     onSuccess: async () => {
       setConfigSaved(true);
       setFieldError(null);
-      // Now run DB validation
-      setValidationRows({ db: 'pending', oidc: 'idle' });
+      // Sequential validation: DB → OIDC → VAPID
+      setValidationRows({ db: 'pending', oidc: 'idle', vapid: 'idle' });
       try {
         await validateSetupDb();
-        setValidationRows({ db: 'success', oidc: 'pending' });
+        setValidationRows({ db: 'success', oidc: 'pending', vapid: 'idle' });
         try {
           await validateSetupOidc();
-          setValidationRows({ db: 'success', oidc: 'success' });
-          setBothPassed(true);
+          setValidationRows({ db: 'success', oidc: 'success', vapid: 'pending' });
+          try {
+            await validateSetupVapid();
+            setValidationRows({ db: 'success', oidc: 'success', vapid: 'success' });
+            setBothPassed(true);
+          } catch (vapidErr) {
+            setValidationRows((prev) => ({ ...prev, vapid: 'failure' }));
+            setFieldError(
+              vapidErr instanceof Error
+                ? vapidErr.message
+                : 'VAPID validation failed. Check that your VAPID keys were generated with `npm run generate-secrets`.',
+            );
+          }
         } catch (oidcErr) {
           setValidationRows((prev) => ({ ...prev, oidc: 'failure' }));
           setFieldError(
@@ -471,7 +486,7 @@ function Step2Config({ onBack, onSuccess, stepHeadingRef }: Step2Props) {
           );
         }
       } catch (dbErr) {
-        setValidationRows({ db: 'failure', oidc: 'idle' });
+        setValidationRows({ db: 'failure', oidc: 'idle', vapid: 'idle' });
         setFieldError(
           dbErr instanceof Error
             ? dbErr.message
@@ -487,14 +502,17 @@ function Step2Config({ onBack, onSuccess, stepHeadingRef }: Step2Props) {
   });
 
   const isSaveValidating = configMutation.isPending;
-  const isValidating = validationRows.db === 'pending' || validationRows.oidc === 'pending';
+  const isValidating =
+    validationRows.db === 'pending' ||
+    validationRows.oidc === 'pending' ||
+    validationRows.vapid === 'pending';
   const anyPending = isSaveValidating || isValidating;
 
   function handleSaveAndValidate() {
     setFieldError(null);
     setBothPassed(false);
     setConfigSaved(false);
-    setValidationRows({ db: 'idle', oidc: 'idle' });
+    setValidationRows({ db: 'idle', oidc: 'idle', vapid: 'idle' });
 
     if (!appUrl.trim() || !oidcIssuer.trim() || !oidcClientId.trim() || !vapidPublicKey.trim()) {
       setFieldError('All fields are required.');
@@ -644,9 +662,18 @@ function Step2Config({ onBack, onSuccess, stepHeadingRef }: Step2Props) {
           'OIDC discovery failed. Check the issuer URL and that Authelia is reachable from the server.'
         }
       />
+      <ValidationRow
+        state={validationRows.vapid}
+        pendingText="Validating VAPID key pair…"
+        successText="VAPID keys verified."
+        failureText={
+          fieldError ??
+          'VAPID validation failed. Check that your VAPID keys were generated with `npm run generate-secrets`.'
+        }
+      />
 
       {/* General field error (before validation rows show) */}
-      {fieldError && validationRows.db === 'idle' && validationRows.oidc === 'idle' && (
+      {fieldError && validationRows.db === 'idle' && validationRows.oidc === 'idle' && validationRows.vapid === 'idle' && (
         <div
           role="status"
           aria-live="polite"