diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/onboarding-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/onboarding-page.tsx
index 6ecfb4c61..667b1a89a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/onboarding-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/onboarding-page.tsx
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export function OnboardingPage({ user }: { readonly user: SessionUser }) {
     return (
       <OnboardingLayout step={1}>
         <div className="onboarding-phase onboarding-phase--credential" key="provider-setup">
-          <h1 className="onboarding-title">Connect a brain</h1>
+          <h1 className="onboarding-title">Choose your AI model</h1>
           <p className="onboarding-subtitle">
             Pick a provider and connect it, or skip for now and connect one later in Settings.
           </p>
diff --git a/e2e/browser/composer-layout.test.ts b/e2e/browser/composer-layout.test.ts
index 9af68d98e..7d64f07f3 100644
--- a/e2e/browser/composer-layout.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/browser/composer-layout.test.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ describeBrowser("composer layout", () => {
 
       // A placeholder key is enough: connecting stores a credential without
       // calling the provider, and creating a bench needs no inference.
-      await waitForText(page, "Connect a brain");
+      await waitForText(page, "Choose your AI model");
       await clickText(page, "label", "Anthropic");
       await page.waitForSelector("input[type=password]");
       await page.type("input[type=password]", "sk-ant-placeholder");
diff --git a/e2e/browser/first-run.test.ts b/e2e/browser/first-run.test.ts
index b6e41a9b9..d65e68d1a 100644
--- a/e2e/browser/first-run.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/browser/first-run.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ async function signUp(page: Page, origin: string): Promise<void> {
   await page.type("input[type=email]", `alice+${String(Date.now())}@example.com`);
   await page.type("input[type=password]", "correct-horse-battery-staple");
   await page.click("button[type=submit]");
-  await waitForText(page, "Connect a brain");
+  await waitForText(page, "Choose your AI model");
   await clickText(page, "label", "Anthropic");
   await page.waitForSelector("input[type=password]");
   await page.type("input[type=password]", "sk-ant-placeholder");
diff --git a/e2e/browser/ollama-chat.test.ts b/e2e/browser/ollama-chat.test.ts
index 9c9447d85..322ccb1e2 100644
--- a/e2e/browser/ollama-chat.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/browser/ollama-chat.test.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describeBrowser("ollama chat", () => {
 
       // The Ollama option takes a base URL and offers the models the local
       // server reports as pulled — no key anywhere.
-      await waitForText(page, "Connect a brain");
+      await waitForText(page, "Choose your AI model");
       await clickText(page, "label", "Ollama (local)");
       await page.waitForFunction(
         `Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('select[aria-label="Model"] option')).length > 1`,
diff --git a/e2e/browser/reply.test.ts b/e2e/browser/reply.test.ts
index 0cdffb4b6..3842f65be 100644
--- a/e2e/browser/reply.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/browser/reply.test.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describeBrowser("worker reply", () => {
       await page.click("button[type=submit]");
 
       // The Anthropic option pins api.anthropic.com; only Custom takes a base URL.
-      await waitForText(page, "Connect a brain");
+      await waitForText(page, "Choose your AI model");
       await clickText(page, "label", "Custom");
       await page.waitForSelector("input[type=password]");
       const inputs = await page.$$("form input:not([type=radio])");
diff --git a/e2e/browser/setup.test.ts b/e2e/browser/setup.test.ts
index dea91697e..cf9edb970 100644
--- a/e2e/browser/setup.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/browser/setup.test.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describeBrowser("client setup", () => {
     await page.type("input[type=password]", "correct-horse-battery-staple");
     await page.click("button[type=submit]");
 
-    await waitForText(page, "Connect a brain");
+    await waitForText(page, "Choose your AI model");
     await clickText(page, "label", "Anthropic");
     await page.waitForSelector("input[type=password]");
     await page.type("input[type=password]", "sk-ant-placeholder");
diff --git a/e2e/browser/zero-to-one.test.ts b/e2e/browser/zero-to-one.test.ts
index 59bbe236b..ed1d5dea5 100644
--- a/e2e/browser/zero-to-one.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/browser/zero-to-one.test.ts
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ describeBrowser("0-to-1 gate", () => {
       await page.click("button[type=submit]");
 
       // Only the Custom option takes a base URL.
-      await waitForText(page, "Connect a brain");
+      await waitForText(page, "Choose your AI model");
       await clickText(page, "label", "Custom");
       await page.waitForSelector("input[type=password]");
       await page.type("form input:not([type=radio]):not([type=password])", `${aimock().url}/v1`);
diff --git a/e2e/lib/first-run.ts b/e2e/lib/first-run.ts
index 3366b9bca..dd5749252 100644
--- a/e2e/lib/first-run.ts
+++ b/e2e/lib/first-run.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export async function runFirstRunFlow(page: Page, origin: string): Promise<void>
 
   // Provider connect is the only onboarding step; a placeholder key is
   // enough because connecting stores a credential without calling the provider.
-  await waitForText(page, "Connect a brain");
+  await waitForText(page, "Choose your AI model");
   await clickText(page, "label", "Anthropic");
   await page.waitForSelector("input[type=password]");
   await page.type("input[type=password]", "sk-ant-placeholder");