diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 6a024ca..2f1de85 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -212,22 +212,16 @@ void setup() {
         return;
     }
 
-    // Attempt to join saved network
+    // Attempt to join saved network — uses the shared attempt_wifi() so the
+    // fast-fail-on-WL_CONNECT_FAILED behavior covers boot-with-stored-creds
+    // too, not just the captive-portal submission path.
     Serial.println("[wifi] connecting to ssid=" + ssid);
-    WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
-    WiFi.begin(ssid.c_str(), pass.c_str());
-    uint32_t start = millis();
-    while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
-        if (millis() - start > WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS) break;
-        delay(200);
-    }
-
-    if (WiFi.status() == WL_CONNECTED) {
+    if (attempt_wifi(ssid, pass)) {
         Serial.println("[wifi] connected ip=" + WiFi.localIP().toString());
         normal_operation(mac);
         // normal_operation calls deep_sleep — never returns
     } else {
-        Serial.println("[wifi] failed after " + String(WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS) + " ms — entering provisioning");
+        Serial.println("[wifi] failed — entering provisioning");
         enter_provisioning(mac);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/operation.h b/src/operation.h
index 80979c7..d369507 100644
--- a/src/operation.h
+++ b/src/operation.h
@@ -80,11 +80,17 @@ inline bool attempt_wifi(const char* ssid, const char* pass) {
     WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
     WiFi.begin(ssid, pass);
     uint32_t start = millis();
-    while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
+    while (true) {
+        int s = WiFi.status();
+        if (s == WL_CONNECTED) return true;
+        // Bail the moment the radio reports a terminal failure — bad PSK
+        // surfaces as WL_CONNECT_FAILED and missing SSID as WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL
+        // within a few seconds. Without this the user stares at the yellow
+        // Step 1/2 for the full WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS before the red retry repaints.
+        if (s == WL_CONNECT_FAILED || s == WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL) return false;
         if (millis() - start > WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS) return false;
         delay(200);
     }
-    return true;
 }
 
 // ── Reset button hold detection ───────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/test/mocks/WiFi.h b/test/mocks/WiFi.h
index c763ac5..db8791d 100644
--- a/test/mocks/WiFi.h
+++ b/test/mocks/WiFi.h
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 #include "Arduino.h"
 #define WIFI_STA 0
 #define WIFI_AP  1
-#define WL_CONNECTED 3
+#define WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL  1
+#define WL_CONNECTED      3
+#define WL_CONNECT_FAILED 4
 
 extern int g_wifi_status;
 
diff --git a/test/test_provisioning/test_main.cpp b/test/test_provisioning/test_main.cpp
index cab2bb3..c55a808 100644
--- a/test/test_provisioning/test_main.cpp
+++ b/test/test_provisioning/test_main.cpp
@@ -40,10 +40,32 @@ void test_fw14_attempt_wifi_returns_true_on_connect() {
 // millis() auto-increments by 10 on each call; after enough iterations the
 // elapsed time exceeds WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS (30000 ms).
 void test_fw15_attempt_wifi_returns_false_on_timeout() {
-    g_wifi_status  = 0;  // never WL_CONNECTED
+    g_wifi_status  = 6;  // WL_DISCONNECTED — never connects, never terminal-fails
     g_millis_value = 0;
     bool result = attempt_wifi("myssid", "mypass");
     TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(result);
+    // Sanity: we actually waited the full timeout, not bailed early
+    TEST_ASSERT_GREATER_THAN(WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS, g_millis_value);
+}
+
+// ── FW-15a: attempt_wifi bails fast on WL_CONNECT_FAILED (bad PSK) ────────────
+// Without fast-fail the user would wait the full 30 s before the red retry
+// screen repaints; with it, failure surfaces in seconds.
+void test_fw15a_attempt_wifi_returns_false_on_auth_fail() {
+    g_wifi_status  = WL_CONNECT_FAILED;
+    g_millis_value = 0;
+    bool result = attempt_wifi("myssid", "wrongpass");
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(result);
+    TEST_ASSERT_LESS_THAN(WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS, g_millis_value);
+}
+
+// ── FW-15b: attempt_wifi bails fast on WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL (network not visible) ─
+void test_fw15b_attempt_wifi_returns_false_on_no_ssid() {
+    g_wifi_status  = WL_NO_SSID_AVAIL;
+    g_millis_value = 0;
+    bool result = attempt_wifi("notthere", "anypass");
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(result);
+    TEST_ASSERT_LESS_THAN(WIFI_TIMEOUT_MS, g_millis_value);
 }
 
 // ── FW-16: loop() state-machine (WiFi-credential submission path) ─────────────
@@ -77,6 +99,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     UNITY_BEGIN();
     RUN_TEST(test_fw14_attempt_wifi_returns_true_on_connect);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw15_attempt_wifi_returns_false_on_timeout);
+    RUN_TEST(test_fw15a_attempt_wifi_returns_false_on_auth_fail);
+    RUN_TEST(test_fw15b_attempt_wifi_returns_false_on_no_ssid);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw16_loop_state_machine_deferred);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw17_reset_button_held_returns_true);
     RUN_TEST(test_fw18_reset_button_not_pressed_returns_false);