diff --git a/apps/client/src/setup.css b/apps/client/src/setup.css
index a30591847d..a567f8f1b9 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/setup.css
+++ b/apps/client/src/setup.css
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ body.setup {
                 display: flex;
                 flex-direction: column;
                 padding-top: 1em;
+                overflow: auto;
             }
 
             >footer {
@@ -102,6 +103,10 @@ body.setup {
             gap: 1rem;
             width: 80%;
             margin: auto;
+
+            .admonition {
+                margin: 0;
+            }
         }
 
         .form-item-with-icon {
diff --git a/apps/client/src/setup.tsx b/apps/client/src/setup.tsx
index 95e3fe665b..21803aad64 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/setup.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/setup.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import "./setup.css";
 
+import { SetupSyncFromServerResponse } from "@triliumnext/commons";
 import { ComponentChildren, render } from "preact";
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "preact/hooks";
 
 import { initLocale, t } from "./services/i18n";
 import server from "./services/server";
+import Admonition from "./widgets/react/Admonition";
 import Button from "./widgets/react/Button";
 import { Card, CardFrame, CardSection } from "./widgets/react/Card";
 import Collapsible from "./widgets/react/Collapsible";
@@ -212,15 +214,25 @@ function SyncFromServer({ setState }: { setState: (state: State) => void }) {
     const [ syncServerHost, setSyncServerHost ] = useState("");
     const [ password, setPassword ] = useState("");
     const [ syncProxy, setSyncProxy ] = useState("");
+    const [ error, setError ] = useState<string | null>(null);
     const isValid = syncServerHost.trim() !== "" && password !== "";
 
     async function handleFinishSetup() {
-        await server.post("setup/sync-from-server", {
-            syncServerHost: syncServerHost.trim(),
-            syncProxy: syncProxy.trim(),
-            password
-        });
-        setState("syncInProgress");
+        try {
+            const resp = await server.post<SetupSyncFromServerResponse>("setup/sync-from-server", {
+                syncServerHost: syncServerHost.trim(),
+                syncProxy: syncProxy.trim(),
+                password
+            });
+
+            if (resp.result === "success") {
+                setState("syncInProgress");
+            } else {
+                setError(t("setup.sync-failed", { message: resp.error }));
+            }
+        } catch (e) {
+            setError(e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e));
+        }
     }
 
     return (
@@ -230,7 +242,7 @@ function SyncFromServer({ setState }: { setState: (state: State) => void }) {
             <p>{t("setup.sync-from-server-page-description")}</p>
 
             <main>
-                <form onSubmit={handleFinishSetup}>
+                <form>
                     <FormItemWithIcon icon="bx bx-server">
                         <FormTextBox placeholder="https://example.com" currentValue={syncServerHost} onChange={setSyncServerHost} required />
                     </FormItemWithIcon>
@@ -244,6 +256,8 @@ function SyncFromServer({ setState }: { setState: (state: State) => void }) {
                             <FormTextBox placeholder="http://my-proxy.com:8080" currentValue={syncProxy} onChange={setSyncProxy} />
                         </FormItemWithIcon>
                     </Collapsible>
+
+                    {error && <Admonition className="error" type="caution">{error}</Admonition>}
                 </form>
             </main>
 
diff --git a/apps/client/src/setup_old.ts b/apps/client/src/setup_old.ts
index 02aa5bcca4..c04435475a 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/setup_old.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/setup_old.ts
@@ -101,16 +101,6 @@ class SetupController {
         const syncProxy = this.syncProxyInput.value.trim();
         const password = this.passwordInput.value;
 
-        if (!syncServerHost) {
-            showAlert("Trilium server address can't be empty");
-            return;
-        }
-
-        if (!password) {
-            showAlert("Password can't be empty");
-            return;
-        }
-
         if (resp.result === "success") {
             hideAlert();
             this.setStep("sync-in-progress");
diff --git a/apps/client/src/translations/en/translation.json b/apps/client/src/translations/en/translation.json
index 12771a86df..cd96de81ec 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/translations/en/translation.json
+++ b/apps/client/src/translations/en/translation.json
@@ -2264,6 +2264,7 @@
     "sync-from-desktop-step5": "Click \"Test sync\" button to verify connection is successful.",
     "sync-from-desktop-final": "Once you've completed these steps, you can proceed to the next step.",
     "sync-from-desktop-waiting": "Waiting for connection...",
-    "advanced-options": "Advanced options"
+    "advanced-options": "Advanced options",
+    "sync-failed": "Failed to sync: {{message}}"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/commons/src/lib/server_api.ts b/packages/commons/src/lib/server_api.ts
index e55d22d1a2..bf5c173cfe 100644
--- a/packages/commons/src/lib/server_api.ts
+++ b/packages/commons/src/lib/server_api.ts
@@ -370,3 +370,10 @@ export interface SetupSyncSeedResponse {
     syncVersion: number;
     options: OptionRow[];
 }
+
+export type SetupSyncFromServerResponse = {
+    result: "success";
+} | {
+    result: "failure";
+    error: string;
+}
diff --git a/packages/trilium-core/src/routes/api/setup.ts b/packages/trilium-core/src/routes/api/setup.ts
index 6a929d6d57..26739aa4e2 100644
--- a/packages/trilium-core/src/routes/api/setup.ts
+++ b/packages/trilium-core/src/routes/api/setup.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import setupService from "../../services/setup.js";
 import { getLog } from "../../services/log.js";
 import appInfo from "../../services/app_info.js";
 import type { Request } from "express";
+import { SetupSyncFromServerResponse } from "@triliumnext/commons";
 
 function getStatus() {
     return {
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ async function setupNewDocument() {
     await sqlInit.createInitialDatabase();
 }
 
-function setupSyncFromServer(req: Request) {
+function setupSyncFromServer(req: Request): Promise<SetupSyncFromServerResponse> {
     const { syncServerHost, syncProxy, password } = req.body;
 
     return setupService.setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost, syncProxy, password);
diff --git a/packages/trilium-core/src/services/setup.ts b/packages/trilium-core/src/services/setup.ts
index 046738dbd6..023b7b0fcf 100644
--- a/packages/trilium-core/src/services/setup.ts
+++ b/packages/trilium-core/src/services/setup.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import syncOptions from "./sync_options.js";
 import appInfo from "./app_info.js";
 import { timeLimit } from "./utils/index.js";
 import becca from "../becca/becca.js";
-import type { SetupStatusResponse, SetupSyncSeedResponse } from "@triliumnext/commons";
+import type { SetupStatusResponse, SetupSyncFromServerResponse, SetupSyncSeedResponse } from "@triliumnext/commons";
 import request from "./request.js";
 
 async function hasSyncServerSchemaAndSeed() {
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ async function requestToSyncServer<T>(method: string, path: string, body?: strin
     )) as T;
 }
 
-async function setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost: string, syncProxy: string, password: string) {
+async function setupSyncFromSyncServer(syncServerHost: string, syncProxy: string, password: string): Promise<SetupSyncFromServerResponse> {
     if (sqlInit.isDbInitialized()) {
         return {
             result: "failure",