diff --git a/src/renderer/components/custom/control-panel/index.tsx b/src/renderer/components/custom/control-panel/index.tsx
index 45fcdcb..929bf10 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/custom/control-panel/index.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/custom/control-panel/index.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { useAppState } from '@/hooks/use-app-state';
 import { useAssistantService } from '@/hooks/use-assistant-service';
 import { useAudioInputDevices } from '@/hooks/use-audio-devices';
 import { useConfigStore } from '@/hooks/use-config-store';
+import { useConfigurationDialog } from '@/hooks/use-configuration-dialog';
 import useIsStealthMode from '@/hooks/use-is-stealth-mode';
 import { isMac } from '@/lib/consts';
 import { getElectron } from '@/lib/utils';
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ export default function ControlPanel() {
   const { startAssistant, stopAssistant } = useAssistantService();
   const { runningState, appState } = useAppState();
   const { config } = useConfigStore();
+  const { openConfigurationDialog } = useConfigurationDialog();
   const [permGateOpen, setPermGateOpen] = useState(false);
 
   const audioInputDevices = useAudioInputDevices();
@@ -47,10 +49,15 @@ export default function ControlPanel() {
         // retry: without this the same toast repeats forever however often Start is pressed.
         onFail: () => void getElectron()?.account?.refresh(),
       },
-      { ok: !!appState?.interviewConfig?.fullName, message: 'Full name is not set' },
+      {
+        ok: !!appState?.interviewConfig?.fullName,
+        message: 'Full name is not set',
+        onFail: openConfigurationDialog,
+      },
       {
         ok: appState?.interviewConfig?.hasProfileData ?? false,
         message: 'Profile data is not set',
+        onFail: openConfigurationDialog,
       },
       {
         ok: !audioInputDeviceNotFound,
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/custom/main-frame.tsx b/src/renderer/components/custom/main-frame.tsx
index 86d9872..b9b9fc7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/custom/main-frame.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/custom/main-frame.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import React, { useEffect } from 'react';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 
+import { ConfigurationDialogContext } from '@/hooks/use-configuration-dialog';
 import { MainContainerContext } from '@/hooks/use-main-container';
 import usePointerLockGuard from '@/hooks/use-pointer-lock-guard';
 import type { PushNotification } from '@/types/push-notification';
 
+import ConfigurationDialog from './configuration-dialog';
 import Titlebar from './titlebar';
 import { UpdateNotification } from './update-notification';
 
@@ -16,6 +18,14 @@ export default function MainFrame({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
     setContainer(el);
   }, []);
 
+  // Owned here (rather than by the menu that used to be its only opener) so the start-checks
+  // in ControlPanel can also open it when username/profile turn out to be unconfigured.
+  const [isConfigOpen, setIsConfigOpen] = React.useState(false);
+  const configurationDialogValue = React.useMemo(
+    () => ({ openConfigurationDialog: () => setIsConfigOpen(true) }),
+    []
+  );
+
   useEffect(() => {
     const api = window.electronAPI;
     if (!api?.onPushNotification) return;
@@ -39,14 +49,18 @@ export default function MainFrame({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   }, []);
 
   return (
-    <MainContainerContext.Provider value={container}>
-      <main ref={mainRef} className="relative overflow-hidden bg-background">
-        <div className="flex flex-col h-dvh">
-          <Titlebar />
-          <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col overflow-auto hide-scrollbar">{children}</div>
-        </div>
-        <UpdateNotification />
-      </main>
-    </MainContainerContext.Provider>
+    <ConfigurationDialogContext.Provider value={configurationDialogValue}>
+      <MainContainerContext.Provider value={container}>
+        <main ref={mainRef} className="relative overflow-hidden bg-background">
+          <div className="flex flex-col h-dvh">
+            <Titlebar />
+            <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col overflow-auto hide-scrollbar">{children}</div>
+          </div>
+          <UpdateNotification />
+        </main>
+
+        <ConfigurationDialog isOpen={isConfigOpen} onOpenChange={setIsConfigOpen} />
+      </MainContainerContext.Provider>
+    </ConfigurationDialogContext.Provider>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/custom/titlebar-menu.tsx b/src/renderer/components/custom/titlebar-menu.tsx
index f6e572d..683e56d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/custom/titlebar-menu.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/custom/titlebar-menu.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import React, { useState } from 'react';
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 
-import ConfigurationDialog from '@/components/custom/configuration-dialog';
 import DocumentationDialog from '@/components/custom/documentation-dialog';
 import {
   DropdownMenu,
@@ -28,6 +27,7 @@ import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from '@/components/ui/tooltip
 import { useAppState } from '@/hooks/use-app-state';
 import useAuth from '@/hooks/use-auth';
 import { useConfigStore } from '@/hooks/use-config-store';
+import { useConfigurationDialog } from '@/hooks/use-configuration-dialog';
 import { useThemeStore } from '@/hooks/use-theme-store';
 import { Hotkey, HOTKEYS } from '@/lib/hotkeys';
 import { getElectron } from '@/lib/utils';
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ export default function TitlebarMenu({ style }: { style?: React.CSSProperties })
   const { config } = useConfigStore();
   const { isDark, toggleTheme } = useThemeStore();
   const { logout, changePassword, loading, error, setError } = useAuth();
+  const { openConfigurationDialog } = useConfigurationDialog();
   const [isDocsOpen, setIsDocsOpen] = useState(false);
-  const [isConfigOpen, setIsConfigOpen] = useState(false);
   const [isChangePasswordOpen, setIsChangePasswordOpen] = useState(false);
 
   const isLoggedIn = appState?.isLoggedIn ?? false;
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ export default function TitlebarMenu({ style }: { style?: React.CSSProperties })
               </DropdownMenuLabel>
               <DropdownMenuSeparator />
               <DropdownMenuItem
-                onClick={() => !disabled && setIsConfigOpen(true)}
+                onClick={() => !disabled && openConfigurationDialog()}
                 disabled={disabled}
               >
                 <SettingsIcon className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />
@@ -173,8 +173,6 @@ export default function TitlebarMenu({ style }: { style?: React.CSSProperties })
           moment a session ends, stranding the pointer-events lock it holds. */}
       <DocumentationDialog open={isDocsOpen} onOpenChange={setIsDocsOpen} />
 
-      <ConfigurationDialog isOpen={isConfigOpen} onOpenChange={setIsConfigOpen} />
-
       <ChangePasswordDialog
         open={isChangePasswordOpen}
         onOpenChange={setIsChangePasswordOpen}
diff --git a/src/renderer/hooks/use-configuration-dialog.tsx b/src/renderer/hooks/use-configuration-dialog.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7bfaa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/hooks/use-configuration-dialog.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import * as React from 'react';
+
+// Lets any descendant (menu item, start-checks) open the configuration dialog without each
+// owning its own dialog instance - the dialog itself is mounted once in MainFrame.
+interface ConfigurationDialogContextValue {
+  openConfigurationDialog: () => void;
+}
+
+export const ConfigurationDialogContext =
+  React.createContext<ConfigurationDialogContextValue | null>(null);
+
+export function useConfigurationDialog(): ConfigurationDialogContextValue {
+  const ctx = React.useContext(ConfigurationDialogContext);
+  if (!ctx) {
+    throw new Error('useConfigurationDialog must be used within MainFrame');
+  }
+  return ctx;
+}