diff --git a/.changeset/mdns-first-device-install.md b/.changeset/mdns-first-device-install.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0cfb9253
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/mdns-first-device-install.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+"ftw": patch
+---
+
+The setup wizard now installs a discovered device by its self-broadcast mDNS
+(.local) name instead of its raw IP when the device advertises one, so the
+connection survives DHCP lease changes. When only an IP address is used, the
+wizard and device settings now tell the operator to reserve that IP for the
+device in the router's DHCP settings.
diff --git a/web/settings/tabs/devices.js b/web/settings/tabs/devices.js
index 07218ec1..9fef2bdb 100644
--- a/web/settings/tabs/devices.js
+++ b/web/settings/tabs/devices.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
         if (modbus) {
           html += '<fieldset><legend>Modbus TCP</legend>' +
             '<div class="field-row"><div>' +
-            '<label>Host ' + help('IP of the Modbus-TCP device (e.g. Sungrow inverter LAN port).') + '</label>' +
+            '<label>Host ' + help('IP or hostname of the Modbus-TCP device (e.g. Sungrow inverter LAN port). If you use a raw IP, reserve it for the device in your router\'s DHCP settings so it can\'t change.') + '</label>' +
             '<input type="text" data-path="drivers.' + idx + '.capabilities.modbus.host" value="' + escHtml(modbus.host) + '">' +
             '</div><div>' +
             '<label>Port</label><input type="number" data-path="drivers.' + idx + '.capabilities.modbus.port" value="' + (modbus.port || 502) + '">' +
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
           // post-render DOM edit mirrors the site-meter pattern above
           // and avoids a re-render race with the async catalog fetch.
           html += '<fieldset><legend>HTTP</legend>' +
-            '<label>Host / IP ' + help('Hostname (e.g. zap.local) or IP address of the device. mDNS names work when your OS resolver supports them; otherwise use the LAN IP.') + '</label>' +
+            '<label>Host / IP ' + help('Hostname (e.g. zap.local) or IP address of the device. Prefer the device\'s mDNS (.local) name when it broadcasts one — it survives DHCP lease changes. If you use a raw IP, reserve it for the device in your router\'s DHCP settings so it can\'t change.') + '</label>' +
             '<input type="text" data-path="drivers.' + idx + '.config.host" value="' + escHtml(lcfg.host || '') + '" placeholder="zap.local">' +
             '<div class="drv-local-creds" data-drv-lua="' + escHtml(d.lua || '') + '"' + (localCreds ? '' : ' hidden') + '>' +
               '<label style="margin-top:8px">Username ' + help('Username for the device\'s local API (HTTP Basic auth). For NIBE this is the local-API account you set up in the myUplink app.') + '</label>' +
diff --git a/web/setup.html b/web/setup.html
index c99ab597..5c4c92f7 100644
--- a/web/setup.html
+++ b/web/setup.html
@@ -353,6 +353,21 @@
       margin: 1rem 0;
     }
 
+    /* ---- Host addressing hint (mDNS name vs fixed IP) ---- */
+    .host-hint {
+      margin: 0 0 1rem;
+      padding: 10px 12px;
+      background: var(--ink-raised);
+      border: 1px solid var(--line);
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      font-size: 0.78rem;
+      color: var(--fg-dim);
+      line-height: 1.5;
+    }
+
+    .host-hint.mdns { border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--green-e) 45%, var(--line)); }
+    .host-hint.dhcp { border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--yellow) 55%, var(--line)); }
+
     /* ---- Driver picker ---- */
     .driver-desc {
       margin-top: 0.5rem;
@@ -595,8 +610,8 @@ <h2>Find devices</h2>
     <div id="manual-ip-form" style="display:none">
       <div class="form-row">
         <div class="form-group">
-          <label for="manual-ip">IP address</label>
-          <input type="text" id="manual-ip" placeholder="192.168.1.10">
+          <label for="manual-ip">IP address or hostname</label>
+          <input type="text" id="manual-ip" placeholder="192.168.1.10 or inverter.local">
         </div>
         <div class="form-group">
           <label for="manual-port">Port</label>
@@ -644,7 +659,7 @@ <h2>Configure driver</h2>
 
     <div class="form-row">
       <div class="form-group">
-        <label for="drv-ip">IP address</label>
+        <label for="drv-ip">IP address or hostname</label>
         <input type="text" id="drv-ip" placeholder="192.168.1.10">
       </div>
       <div class="form-group">
@@ -653,6 +668,8 @@ <h2>Configure driver</h2>
       </div>
     </div>
 
+    <p class="host-hint" id="drv-host-hint" style="display:none"></p>
+
     <div class="form-group" id="drv-unitid-group">
       <label for="drv-unitid">Unit ID (Modbus)</label>
       <input type="number" id="drv-unitid" value="1" min="0" max="255">
diff --git a/web/setup.js b/web/setup.js
index c1fc6fbf..dbf2e33c 100644
--- a/web/setup.js
+++ b/web/setup.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
   // Collected state
   var configuredDrivers = [];    // array of driver objects ready for config.drivers
-  var selectedDevice = null;     // { ip, port, protocol } from scan or manual entry
+  var selectedDevice = null;     // { ip, port, protocol, hostname } from scan or manual entry
   var selectedCatalog = null;    // CatalogEntry from /api/drivers/catalog
   var driverCatalog = [];        // full catalog cache
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
             '<td>' + identity + '</td>' +
             '<td><button class="btn-use">Use this device</button></td>';
           tr.querySelector('.btn-use').addEventListener('click', function () {
-            useScanDevice(d.ip, d.port, proto, match && match.driver);
+            useScanDevice(d, proto, match && match.driver);
           });
           tbody.appendChild(tr);
         });
@@ -112,16 +112,22 @@
     document.getElementById('manual-ip-toggle').style.display = 'none';
   };
 
-  function useScanDevice(ip, port, protocol, matchedFilename) {
-    selectedDevice = { ip: ip, port: port, protocol: protocol, matchedFilename: matchedFilename || '' };
+  function useScanDevice(dev, protocol, matchedFilename) {
+    selectedDevice = {
+      ip: dev.ip,
+      port: dev.port,
+      protocol: protocol,
+      hostname: dev.hostname || '',
+      matchedFilename: matchedFilename || ''
+    };
     goStep(4);
   }
 
   window.useManualDevice = function () {
-    var ip = document.getElementById('manual-ip').value.trim();
+    var host = document.getElementById('manual-ip').value.trim();
     var port = parseInt(document.getElementById('manual-port').value, 10) || 502;
-    if (!ip) return;
-    selectedDevice = { ip: ip, port: port, protocol: guessProtocol(port) };
+    if (!host) return;
+    selectedDevice = { ip: host, port: port, protocol: guessProtocol(port), hostname: '' };
     goStep(4);
   };
 
@@ -241,9 +247,15 @@
     document.getElementById('drv-name').value = name;
 
     if (selectedDevice) {
-      document.getElementById('drv-ip').value = selectedDevice.ip;
+      // Prefer the device's self-broadcast mDNS (.local) name over the raw
+      // IP: the name follows the device across DHCP lease changes, the IP
+      // doesn't. Other reverse-DNS names stay display-only — resolving them
+      // at runtime depends on the router, so the IP is the safer default.
+      var host = isMDNSName(selectedDevice.hostname) ? selectedDevice.hostname : selectedDevice.ip;
+      document.getElementById('drv-ip').value = host;
       document.getElementById('drv-port').value = selectedDevice.port;
     }
+    updateHostHint();
 
     // Show/hide unit ID for modbus
     var isModbus = !selectedCatalog.protocols || selectedCatalog.protocols.length === 0 ||
@@ -290,11 +302,51 @@
     });
   }
 
+  // A self-broadcast mDNS name (RFC 6762 .local). Only these are safe to
+  // prefer over the IP — any other hostname needs the router's DNS to
+  // resolve, which FTW can't verify from here.
+  function isMDNSName(host) {
+    return /\.local\.?$/i.test(host || '');
+  }
+
+  function isIPv4Literal(host) {
+    return /^\d{1,3}(\.\d{1,3}){3}$/.test(host || '');
+  }
+
+  // Addressing hint under the host field: a .local name survives DHCP
+  // lease changes; a raw IP only stays valid if the operator reserves it
+  // for the device in the router's DHCP pool. Tracks user edits live.
+  function updateHostHint() {
+    var el = document.getElementById('drv-host-hint');
+    var input = document.getElementById('drv-ip');
+    if (!el || !input) return;
+    var host = input.value.trim();
+    el.style.display = 'none';
+    el.className = 'host-hint';
+    if (isMDNSName(host)) {
+      var discovered = '';
+      if (selectedDevice && selectedDevice.ip &&
+          host.toLowerCase() === (selectedDevice.hostname || '').toLowerCase()) {
+        discovered = ' (discovered at ' + selectedDevice.ip + ')';
+      }
+      el.textContent = 'Connecting by the device’s mDNS name' + discovered +
+        ' — it keeps working even if your router assigns the device a new IP address.';
+      el.className = 'host-hint mdns';
+      el.style.display = 'block';
+    } else if (isIPv4Literal(host)) {
+      el.textContent = 'No mDNS (.local) name in use — FTW will connect to this fixed IP address. ' +
+        'Reserve it for the device in your router’s DHCP settings so a new ' +
+        'DHCP lease can’t move the device and break the connection.';
+      el.className = 'host-hint dhcp';
+      el.style.display = 'block';
+    }
+  }
+
   window.saveDriver = function () {
     var name = document.getElementById('drv-name').value.trim();
     if (!name) { alert('Driver name is required.'); return; }
 
-    var ip = document.getElementById('drv-ip').value.trim();
+    var host = document.getElementById('drv-ip').value.trim();
     var port = parseInt(document.getElementById('drv-port').value, 10);
     var unitId = parseInt(document.getElementById('drv-unitid').value, 10) || 1;
     var isSiteMeter = document.getElementById('drv-site-meter').checked;
@@ -310,7 +362,7 @@
       ? (parseFloat(document.getElementById('drv-battery-kwh').value) || 0)
       : 0;
 
-    if (!ip) { alert('IP address is required.'); return; }
+    if (!host) { alert('IP address or hostname is required.'); return; }
 
     // Determine protocol from catalog entry
     var protocol = 'modbus';
@@ -336,11 +388,11 @@
     }
 
     if (protocol === 'modbus') {
-      driver.capabilities.modbus = { host: ip, port: port, unit_id: unitId };
+      driver.capabilities.modbus = { host: host, port: port, unit_id: unitId };
     } else if (protocol === 'mqtt') {
-      driver.capabilities.mqtt = { host: ip, port: port };
+      driver.capabilities.mqtt = { host: host, port: port };
     } else if (protocol === 'http') {
-      driver.capabilities.http = { allowed_hosts: [ip] };
+      driver.capabilities.http = { allowed_hosts: [host] };
       // connection_defaults.host is declared only by drivers that take a
       // user-configurable local endpoint — seed config.host from the IP the
       // user just entered. Cloud drivers (Easee etc.) declare http_hosts
@@ -353,7 +405,7 @@
       // Cloud drivers don't declare it and key off email/password.
       if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(connDefaults, 'host')) {
         driver.config = driver.config || {};
-        driver.config.host = ip;
+        driver.config.host = host;
       }
     }
 
@@ -784,6 +836,8 @@
     return n;
   }
 
+  document.getElementById('drv-ip').addEventListener('input', updateHostHint);
+
   renderDots();
   goStep(initialStep());
 })();
diff --git a/web/setup.test.mjs b/web/setup.test.mjs
index 606b48bc..9249f166 100644
--- a/web/setup.test.mjs
+++ b/web/setup.test.mjs
@@ -137,3 +137,26 @@ describe("price provider defaults", () => {
     assert.match(PRICE_JS, /\["sourceful", "elprisetjustnu", "entsoe", "none"\], "sourceful"/);
   });
 });
+
+describe("setup wizard — mDNS-first device addressing", () => {
+  it("carries the discovered hostname into the selected device", () => {
+    assert.match(JS, /hostname:\s*dev\.hostname/,
+      "useScanDevice must not drop the scan's mDNS/DNS hostname");
+  });
+
+  it("prefers a self-broadcast .local name over the raw IP when prefilling", () => {
+    assert.match(JS, /isMDNSName\(selectedDevice\.hostname\)\s*\?\s*selectedDevice\.hostname\s*:\s*selectedDevice\.ip/,
+      "the host field must prefill the mDNS name when the device broadcasts one");
+    assert.match(JS, /\\\.local\\\.\?\$/,
+      "only RFC 6762 .local names qualify — other DNS names depend on the router");
+  });
+
+  it("tells the operator to reserve a raw IP in the router's DHCP pool", () => {
+    assert.match(HTML, /id=["']drv-host-hint["']/,
+      "the addressing hint element must exist under the host field");
+    assert.match(JS, /Reserve it for the device in your router/,
+      "an IP-literal host must surface the DHCP-reservation warning");
+    assert.match(JS, /addEventListener\(['"]input['"],\s*updateHostHint\)/,
+      "the hint must track manual edits of the host field");
+  });
+});