diff --git a/app/layouts/shell.tsx b/app/layouts/shell.tsx
index eb0c85d..5ec00be 100644
--- a/app/layouts/shell.tsx
+++ b/app/layouts/shell.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-import { Outlet, redirect } from "react-router";
+import { Form, Outlet, redirect } from "react-router";
 
+import Button from "~/components/Button";
+import Card from "~/components/Card";
 import Footer from "~/components/Footer";
 import Header from "~/components/Header";
 import { Capabilities } from "~/server/web/roles";
@@ -25,10 +27,6 @@ export async function loader({ request, context }: Route.LoaderArgs) {
     const api = context.hsApi.getRuntimeClient(apiKey);
     const check = context.auth.can(principal, Capabilities.ui_access);
 
-    if (!check && principal.kind === "oidc" && !request.url.endsWith("/onboarding")) {
-      throw new Error("You do not have permission to access the UI");
-    }
-
     const user =
       principal.kind === "oidc"
         ? {
@@ -55,6 +53,7 @@ export async function loader({ request, context }: Route.LoaderArgs) {
         settings: context.auth.can(principal, Capabilities.read_feature),
       },
       onboarding: request.url.endsWith("/onboarding"),
+      pendingApproval: !check && principal.kind === "oidc",
       healthy: await api.isHealthy(),
     };
   } catch {
@@ -67,6 +66,34 @@ export async function loader({ request, context }: Route.LoaderArgs) {
 }
 
 export default function Shell({ loaderData }: Route.ComponentProps) {
+  if (loaderData.pendingApproval && !loaderData.onboarding) {
+    return (
+      <>
+        <Header {...loaderData} />
+        <main className="container mx-auto mt-4 mb-24 overscroll-contain">
+          <div className="mx-auto mt-24 max-w-lg">
+            <Card variant="flat">
+              <Card.Title className="mb-4">Pending Approval</Card.Title>
+              <Card.Text>
+                Your account has been created but you don't have access to the UI yet. An
+                administrator needs to assign you a role before you can continue.
+              </Card.Text>
+              <Card.Text className="mt-2">
+                If you believe this is a mistake, please contact your administrator.
+              </Card.Text>
+              <Form action="/logout" className="mt-6" method="POST">
+                <Button className="w-full" type="submit" variant="light">
+                  Sign out
+                </Button>
+              </Form>
+            </Card>
+          </div>
+        </main>
+        <Footer {...loaderData} />
+      </>
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <>
       <Header {...loaderData} />
diff --git a/app/routes/users/onboarding.tsx b/app/routes/users/onboarding.tsx
index 48beb6e..d2d1d10 100644
--- a/app/routes/users/onboarding.tsx
+++ b/app/routes/users/onboarding.tsx
@@ -55,12 +55,15 @@ export async function loader({ request, context }: Route.LoaderArgs) {
   const hsUserId = principal.user.headscaleUserId;
   let firstMachine: Machine | undefined;
   let needsUserLink = false;
+  let linkedUserName: string | undefined;
   let headscaleUsers: { id: string; name: string }[] = [];
 
   try {
     const [nodes, apiUsers] = await Promise.all([api.getNodes(), api.getUsers()]);
 
     if (hsUserId) {
+      const hsUser = apiUsers.find((u) => u.id === hsUserId);
+      linkedUserName = hsUser ? getUserDisplayName(hsUser) : undefined;
       firstMachine = nodes.find((n) => n.user?.id === hsUserId);
     } else {
       const matched = findHeadscaleUserBySubject(
@@ -71,6 +74,7 @@ export async function loader({ request, context }: Route.LoaderArgs) {
 
       if (matched) {
         await context.auth.linkHeadscaleUser(principal.user.id, matched.id);
+        linkedUserName = getUserDisplayName(matched);
         firstMachine = nodes.find((n) => n.user?.id === matched.id);
       } else {
         needsUserLink = true;
@@ -98,12 +102,13 @@ export async function loader({ request, context }: Route.LoaderArgs) {
     osValue,
     firstMachine,
     needsUserLink,
+    linkedUserName,
     headscaleUsers,
   };
 }
 
 export default function Page({
-  loaderData: { user, osValue, firstMachine, needsUserLink, headscaleUsers },
+  loaderData: { user, osValue, firstMachine, needsUserLink, linkedUserName, headscaleUsers },
 }: Route.ComponentProps) {
   const { pause, resume } = useLiveData();
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -168,6 +173,13 @@ export default function Page({
             </p>
           </Card>
         ) : undefined}
+        {linkedUserName && !needsUserLink ? (
+          <Card className="col-span-2 mx-auto max-w-lg" variant="flat">
+            <p className="text-sm">
+              ✓ Your account has been linked to Headscale user <strong>{linkedUserName}</strong>.
+            </p>
+          </Card>
+        ) : undefined}
         <Card className="max-w-lg" variant="flat">
           <Card.Title className="mb-8">
             Welcome!