wowlet: first-run 'be your own node' welcome + deferred startup + non-blocking node toggle. On first launch a welcome dialog lets the user choose own-node vs remote BEFORE any node starts (gated on firstRun; later launches use the saved choice); node start moved past it in WindowManager. Settings toggle now stops wownerod non-blocking (no UI freeze while it flushes LMDB). Copy: 'many recommended', no em-dash

src/SettingsDialog.cpp

@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ void Settings::setupNetworkTab() {
             if (enabled)
                 daemonManager()->start();
             else
-                daemonManager()->stop();
+                daemonManager()->stop(false);   // non-blocking: don't freeze Settings while wownerod flushes
             m_nodes->autoConnect(true);
         });
     } else {

src/WindowManager.cpp

@@ -3,9 +3,15 @@
 
 #include "WindowManager.h"
 
+#include <QCheckBox>
+#include <QDialog>
 #include <QDialogButtonBox>
+#include <QFont>
 #include <QInputDialog>
+#include <QLabel>
 #include <QMessageBox>
+#include <QPushButton>
+#include <QVBoxLayout>
 #include <QWindow>
 
 #include "Application.h"
@@ -48,16 +54,22 @@ WindowManager::WindowManager(QObject *parent)
     this->buildTrayMenu();
     m_tray->setVisible(conf()->get(Config::showTrayIcon).toBool());
 
-    // wowlet: boot the embedded wownerod node early so it syncs while the user opens their wallet.
-    // No-op if the user disabled the local node (Config::runLocalNode) or no daemon is bundled.
-    daemonManager()->init();
-    daemonManager()->start();
-
     this->initSkins();
     this->patchMacStylesheet();
 
     this->showCrashLogs();
 
+    // wowlet: on the very first launch, let the user choose their own node vs a remote one BEFORE anything
+    // connects. No node — local or remote — starts until they hit Continue. Later launches use the saved choice.
+    if (conf()->get(Config::firstRun).toBool()) {
+        this->showNodeWelcome();
+    }
+
+    // wowlet: boot the embedded wownerod (shouldStartDaemon() makes this a no-op if the user chose a remote
+    // node), so it syncs while the user opens their wallet.
+    daemonManager()->init();
+    daemonManager()->start();
+
     // wowlet: the embedded local node is configured automatically — skip the first-run network wizard.
     this->onInitialNetworkConfigured();
 
@@ -68,6 +80,45 @@ WindowManager::WindowManager(QObject *parent)
     }
 }
 
+// wowlet: first-run "be your own node" welcome. Shown before any node starts; records the user's choice
+// in Config::runLocalNode, which start()/autoConnect then honour.
+void WindowManager::showNodeWelcome() {
+    QDialog dlg;
+    dlg.setWindowTitle("Welcome to wowlet");
+    dlg.setMinimumWidth(440);
+
+    auto *title = new QLabel("🐕 Welcome to wowlet", &dlg);
+    QFont tf = title->font();
+    tf.setPointSize(tf.pointSize() + 4);
+    tf.setBold(true);
+    title->setFont(tf);
+
+    auto *intro = new QLabel("wowlet runs your own Wownero node by default: be your own boss and help run the network.", &dlg);
+    intro->setWordWrap(true);
+
+    auto *check = new QCheckBox("Run your own Wownero node (many recommended)", &dlg);
+    check->setChecked(conf()->get(Config::runLocalNode).toBool());
+
+    auto *hint = new QLabel("(untick to use a remote node instead)", &dlg);
+    hint->setStyleSheet("color: gray;");
+
+    auto *btn = new QPushButton("Continue", &dlg);
+    btn->setDefault(true);
+    connect(btn, &QPushButton::clicked, &dlg, &QDialog::accept);
+
+    auto *layout = new QVBoxLayout(&dlg);
+    layout->addWidget(title);
+    layout->addWidget(intro);
+    layout->addSpacing(8);
+    layout->addWidget(check);
+    layout->addWidget(hint);
+    layout->addSpacing(8);
+    layout->addWidget(btn, 0, Qt::AlignRight);
+
+    dlg.exec();   // modal — blocks until Continue
+    conf()->set(Config::runLocalNode, check->isChecked());
+}
+
 QPointer<WindowManager> WindowManager::m_instance(nullptr);
 
 void WindowManager::setEventFilter(EventFilter *ef) {

src/WindowManager.h

@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ private:
     bool autoOpenWallet();
 
     void initWizard();
+    void showNodeWelcome();   // wowlet: first-run "be your own node" choice, before any node starts
     WalletWizard* createWizard(WalletWizard::Page startPage);
 
     void handleWalletError(const Utils::Message &message);

src/utils/DaemonManager.cpp

@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ void DaemonManager::start() {
     m_started = true;
 }
 
-void DaemonManager::stop() {
+void DaemonManager::stop(bool wait) {
     m_stopping = true;
     if (m_process->state() == QProcess::ProcessState::NotRunning) {
         m_started = false;
@@ -107,12 +107,14 @@ void DaemonManager::stop() {
     // wownerod owns an LMDB database. Send SIGTERM so it flushes and exits cleanly; only hard-kill
     // if it refuses to shut down, to avoid blockchain database corruption.
     m_process->terminate();
+    m_started = false;
+    if (!wait)
+        return;   // toggle/live use: let it flush + exit in the background instead of freezing the UI thread.
     if (!m_process->waitForFinished(30000)) {
         qWarning() << "wownerod did not exit gracefully within 30s; killing";
         m_process->kill();
         m_process->waitForFinished(5000);
     }
-    m_started = false;
 }
 
 void DaemonManager::onStateChanged(QProcess::ProcessState state) {

src/utils/DaemonManager.h

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public:
 
     void init();
     void start();
-    void stop();
+    void stop(bool wait = true);   // wait=false: non-blocking (don't freeze the UI on a settings toggle)
     bool unpackBins();
 
     bool isStarted() const { return m_started; }

src/widgets/NodeWidget.cpp

@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@ NodeWidget::NodeWidget(QWidget *parent)
     // wowlet: built-in node toggle + the "why run your own node" messaging. Running your own node is
     // a privacy win (no remote operator sees your wallet) AND it strengthens the Wownero network by
     // adding a peer — a deliberate differentiator we surface clearly here.
-    m_localNodeCheck = new QCheckBox(tr("Run your own Wownero node (much recommended)"), this);
+    m_localNodeCheck = new QCheckBox(tr("Run your own Wownero node (many recommended)"), this);
     m_localNodeCheck->setChecked(conf()->get(Config::runLocalNode).toBool());
     auto *localNodeInfo = new QLabel(
-        tr("wowlet bundles its own node so you can be your own boss — and every node keeps the Wownero "
-           "network strong + decentralized. 🐕 Uncheck to use a remote node instead."), this);
+        tr("wowlet runs your own Wownero node by default: be your own boss and help run the network. "
+           "🐕 Uncheck to use a remote node instead."), this);
     localNodeInfo->setWordWrap(true);
     localNodeInfo->setStyleSheet("color: gray;");