diff --git a/src/domain/AccountSetupViewModel.js b/src/domain/AccountSetupViewModel.js
index c1f9d41b..7930b87d 100644
--- a/src/domain/AccountSetupViewModel.js
+++ b/src/domain/AccountSetupViewModel.js
@@ -16,16 +16,25 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 import {ViewModel} from "./ViewModel.js";
 import {KeyType} from "../matrix/ssss/index.js";
+import {Status} from "./session/settings/SessionBackupViewModel.js";
 
 export class AccountSetupViewModel extends ViewModel {
     constructor(accountSetup) {
         super();
         this._accountSetup = accountSetup;
         this._dehydratedDevice = undefined;
+        this._decryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel = undefined;
+        if (this._accountSetup.encryptedDehydratedDevice) {
+            this._decryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel = new DecryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel(this, dehydratedDevice => {
+                this._dehydratedDevice = dehydratedDevice;
+                this._decryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel = undefined;
+                this.emitChange("deviceDecrypted");
+            });
+        }
     }
 
-    get canDehydrateDevice() {
-        return !!this._accountSetup.encryptedDehydratedDevice;
+    get decryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel() {
+        return this._decryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel;
     }
 
     get deviceDecrypted() {
@@ -36,15 +45,92 @@ export class AccountSetupViewModel extends ViewModel {
         return this._accountSetup.encryptedDehydratedDevice.deviceId;
     }
 
-    async tryDecryptDehydratedDevice(password) {
-        const {encryptedDehydratedDevice} = this._accountSetup;
-        if (encryptedDehydratedDevice) {
-            this._dehydratedDevice = await encryptedDehydratedDevice.decrypt(KeyType.RecoveryKey, password);
-            this.emitChange("deviceDecrypted");
-        }
-    }
-
     finish() {
         this._accountSetup.finish(this._dehydratedDevice);
     }
 }
+
+// this vm adopts the same shape as SessionBackupViewModel so the same view can be reused.
+class DecryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel extends ViewModel {
+    constructor(accountSetupViewModel, decryptedCallback) {
+        super();
+        this._accountSetupViewModel = accountSetupViewModel;
+        this._isBusy = false;
+        this._status = Status.SetupKey;
+        this._error = undefined;
+        this._decryptedCallback = decryptedCallback;
+    }
+
+    get decryptAction() {
+        return this.i18n`Restore`;
+    }
+
+    get purpose() {
+        return this.i18n`claim your dehydrated device`;
+    }
+
+    get offerDehydratedDeviceSetup() {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    get dehydratedDeviceId() {
+        return this._accountSetupViewModel._dehydratedDevice?.deviceId;
+    }
+    
+    get isBusy() {
+        return this._isBusy;
+    }
+
+    get backupVersion() { return 0; }
+
+    get status() {
+        return this._status;
+    }
+
+    get error() {
+        return this._error?.message;
+    }
+
+    showPhraseSetup() {
+        if (this._status === Status.SetupKey) {
+            this._status = Status.SetupPhrase;
+            this.emitChange("status");
+        }
+    }
+
+    showKeySetup() {
+        if (this._status === Status.SetupPhrase) {
+            this._status = Status.SetupKey;
+            this.emitChange("status");
+        }
+    }
+
+    async _enterCredentials(keyType, credential) {
+        if (credential) {
+            try {
+                this._isBusy = true;
+                this.emitChange("isBusy");
+                const {encryptedDehydratedDevice} = this._accountSetupViewModel._accountSetup;
+                const dehydratedDevice = await encryptedDehydratedDevice.decrypt(keyType, credential);
+                this._decryptedCallback(dehydratedDevice);
+            } catch (err) {
+                console.error(err);
+                this._error = err;
+                this.emitChange("error");
+            } finally {
+                this._isBusy = false;
+                this.emitChange("");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    enterSecurityPhrase(passphrase) {
+        this._enterCredentials(KeyType.Passphrase, passphrase);
+    }
+
+    enterSecurityKey(securityKey) {
+        this._enterCredentials(KeyType.RecoveryKey, securityKey);
+    }
+
+    disable() {}
+}
diff --git a/src/domain/SessionLoadViewModel.js b/src/domain/SessionLoadViewModel.js
index eec7c2fb..c798bc67 100644
--- a/src/domain/SessionLoadViewModel.js
+++ b/src/domain/SessionLoadViewModel.js
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export class SessionLoadViewModel extends ViewModel {
                 case LoadStatus.QueryAccount:
                     return `Querying account encryption setup…`;
                 case LoadStatus.AccountSetup:
-                    return `Do you want to restore this dehydrated device?`;
+                    return ""; // we'll show a header ing AccountSetupView
                 case LoadStatus.SessionSetup:
                     return `Setting up your encryption keys…`;
                 case LoadStatus.Loading:
diff --git a/src/domain/session/settings/SessionBackupViewModel.js b/src/domain/session/settings/SessionBackupViewModel.js
index 014fc99f..533d0f6d 100644
--- a/src/domain/session/settings/SessionBackupViewModel.js
+++ b/src/domain/session/settings/SessionBackupViewModel.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {ViewModel} from "../../ViewModel.js";
 import {KeyType} from "../../../matrix/ssss/index.js";
 import {createEnum} from "../../../utils/enum.js";
 
-const Status = createEnum("Enabled", "SetupKey", "SetupPhrase", "Pending"); 
+export const Status = createEnum("Enabled", "SetupKey", "SetupPhrase", "Pending"); 
 
 export class SessionBackupViewModel extends ViewModel {
     constructor(options) {
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ export class SessionBackupViewModel extends ViewModel {
         return this.i18n`Set up`;
     }
 
+    get purpose() {
+        return this.i18n`set up session backup`;
+    }
+
     offerDehydratedDeviceSetup() {
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/login/AccountSetupView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/login/AccountSetupView.js
index 2438a6df..1855e82f 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/login/AccountSetupView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/login/AccountSetupView.js
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 import {TemplateView} from "../general/TemplateView";
+import {SessionBackupSettingsView} from "../session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js";
 
 export class AccountSetupView extends TemplateView {
     render(t, vm) {
@@ -25,21 +26,22 @@ export class AccountSetupView extends TemplateView {
             placeholder: keyLabel,
         });
         const status = t.output({for: password.id}, vm => vm.deviceDecrypted ? "Key matches, good to go!" : "");
-        return t.div({className: "form"}, [
-            t.form({
-                onSubmit: evt => {
-                    evt.preventDefault();
-                    vm.tryDecryptDehydratedDevice(password.value);
+        return t.div({className: "Settings" /* hack for now to get the layout right*/}, [
+            t.h3(vm.i18n`Restore your encrypted history?`),
+            t.ifView(vm => vm.decryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel, vm => new SessionBackupSettingsView(vm.decryptDehydratedDeviceViewModel)),
+            t.map(vm => vm.deviceDecrypted, (decrypted, t) => {
+                if (decrypted) {
+                    return t.p(vm.i18n`That worked out, you're good to go!`);
+                } else {
+                    return t.p(vm.i18n`This will claim the dehydrated device ${vm.dehydratedDeviceId}, and will set up a new one.`);
                 }
-            }, [
-                t.div({ className: "form-row" }, [t.label({ for: password.id }, keyLabel), password, status]),
-            ]),
+            }),
             t.div({ className: "button-row" }, [
                 t.button({
                     className: "button-action primary",
                     onClick: () => { vm.finish(); },
                     type: "button",
-                }, vm.i18n`Continue`),
+                }, vm => vm.deviceDecrypted ? vm.i18n`Continue` : vm.i18n`Continue without restoring`),
             ]),
         ]);
     }
diff --git a/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js b/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js
index 25d8b944..e989f8ea 100644
--- a/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js
+++ b/src/platform/web/ui/session/settings/SessionBackupSettingsView.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function renderEnabled(t, vm) {
 function renderEnableFromKey(t, vm) {
     const useASecurityPhrase = t.button({className: "link", onClick: () => vm.showPhraseSetup()}, vm.i18n`use a security phrase`);
     return t.div([
-        t.p(vm.i18n`Enter your secret storage security key below to set up session backup, which will enable you to decrypt messages received before you logged into this session. The security key is a code of 12 groups of 4 characters separated by a space that Element created for you when setting up security.`),
+        t.p(vm.i18n`Enter your secret storage security key below to ${vm.purpose}, which will enable you to decrypt messages received before you logged into this session. The security key is a code of 12 groups of 4 characters separated by a space that Element created for you when setting up security.`),
         renderError(t),
         renderEnableFieldRow(t, vm, vm.i18n`Security key`, (key, setupDehydratedDevice) => vm.enterSecurityKey(key, setupDehydratedDevice)),
         t.p([vm.i18n`Alternatively, you can `, useASecurityPhrase, vm.i18n` if you have one.`]),
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function renderEnableFromKey(t, vm) {
 function renderEnableFromPhrase(t, vm) {
     const useASecurityKey = t.button({className: "link", onClick: () => vm.showKeySetup()}, vm.i18n`use your security key`);
     return t.div([
-        t.p(vm.i18n`Enter your secret storage security phrase below to set up session backup, which will enable you to decrypt messages received before you logged into this session. The security phrase is a freeform secret phrase you optionally chose when setting up security in Element. It is different from your password to login, unless you chose to set them to the same value.`),
+        t.p(vm.i18n`Enter your secret storage security phrase below to ${vm.purpose}, which will enable you to decrypt messages received before you logged into this session. The security phrase is a freeform secret phrase you optionally chose when setting up security in Element. It is different from your password to login, unless you chose to set them to the same value.`),
         renderError(t),
         renderEnableFieldRow(t, vm, vm.i18n`Security phrase`, (phrase, setupDehydratedDevice) => vm.enterSecurityPhrase(phrase, setupDehydratedDevice)),
         t.p([vm.i18n`You can also `, useASecurityKey, vm.i18n`.`]),