diff --git a/src/components/SettingsAuthProvider.tsx b/src/components/SettingsAuthProvider.tsx
index fc2ebac16..28ee19c2f 100644
--- a/src/components/SettingsAuthProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SettingsAuthProvider.tsx
@@ -171,7 +171,9 @@ export const SettingsAuthProviderBase = ({
           })
         },
         'Execute AST': () => kclManager.executeCode(true, true),
-        persistSettings: (context) =>
+      },
+      services: {
+        'Persist settings': (context) =>
           saveSettings(context, loadedProject?.project?.path),
       },
     }
diff --git a/src/lib/paths.ts b/src/lib/paths.ts
index 5f0f1794b..91345f39b 100644
--- a/src/lib/paths.ts
+++ b/src/lib/paths.ts
@@ -17,15 +17,17 @@ const prependRoutes =
     )
   }
 
+type OnboardingPaths = {
+  [K in keyof typeof onboardingPaths]: `/onboarding${(typeof onboardingPaths)[K]}`
+}
+
 export const paths = {
   INDEX: '/',
   HOME: '/home',
   FILE: '/file',
   SETTINGS: '/settings',
   SIGN_IN: '/signin',
-  ONBOARDING: prependRoutes(onboardingPaths)(
-    '/onboarding'
-  ) as typeof onboardingPaths,
+  ONBOARDING: prependRoutes(onboardingPaths)('/onboarding') as OnboardingPaths,
 } as const
 export const BROWSER_PATH = `%2F${BROWSER_PROJECT_NAME}%2F${BROWSER_FILE_NAME}${FILE_EXT}`
 
diff --git a/src/machines/settingsMachine.ts b/src/machines/settingsMachine.ts
index bcaee4938..f9fe822f9 100644
--- a/src/machines/settingsMachine.ts
+++ b/src/machines/settingsMachine.ts
@@ -11,98 +11,98 @@ import {
 
 export const settingsMachine = createMachine(
   {
-    /** @xstate-layout N4IgpgJg5mDOIC5QGUwBc0EsB2VYDpMIAbMAYlnXwEMAHW-Ae2wCNHqAnCHKZNatAFdYAbQAMAXUShajWJizNpIAB6IAbAFZN+AOwAWAIwAOYwE4AzGYBM+-ZosAaEAE9Eh62LP51ls+v0LMWt1awMAX3DnVAweAiJSCio6BjQACzAAWzAAYUZiRg5xKSQQWXlFbGU1BA9vQ0N1CwCxdVbdY1DnNwQzPp8zTTFje1D1QwtjSOj0LFx4knJKNHxMxggwYh58DYAzakFiNABVbAVi5XKFTCVSmotNY3w7YysHRuNDTXV1bvdG7w-IKTcbaazWCzTEAxOZ4QiLJIrFL4dJZMAXUpXSrVDTGazPMQPR4GXRBAx-XoGfDWIadMx4n6EqEwuLwxLLVbrTbbNKYKBpLb8tAAUWgcAxMjk11uoHumn0+DEw2sJkMulCgWsFL6YnwfX0ELsYg61jMumZs1ZCXIACU4OgAATLWGiSSXKXYu4aLz4UwWBr6DqBYYUzSePXqUlBLxmyZmC2xeZs8gxB3UYjEJ2W+YSsoem5VL0IKy6z6EsJifQ2Czq0MTHzq8Yjfz6MQmBMu5NkABUuaxBZxCDD+DD5lJgUjxssFP0xl0I+0pm06uMmg8kSiIGwXPgpRZ83dFQHRYAtA0LCO2tZjGIHJNdB5fq5EK3dc1OsNGkrA+oO1bFoe0qFrKiAnlol7BDed5zo+FK+Doc7qhCNaVv4UwbkAA */
+    /** @xstate-layout N4IgpgJg5mDOIC5QGUwBc0EsB2VYDpMIAbMAYlnXwEMAHW-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 */
     id: 'Settings',
     predictableActionArguments: true,
     context: {} as ReturnType<typeof createSettings>,
     initial: 'idle',
     states: {
       idle: {
-        entry: ['setThemeClass', 'setClientSideSceneUnits', 'persistSettings'],
+        entry: ['setThemeClass', 'setClientSideSceneUnits'],
 
         on: {
           '*': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
-            actions: ['setSettingAtLevel', 'toastSuccess', 'persistSettings'],
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+            actions: ['setSettingAtLevel', 'toastSuccess'],
           },
 
           'set.app.onboardingStatus': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
-            actions: ['setSettingAtLevel', 'persistSettings'], // No toast
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+
+            // No toast
+            actions: ['setSettingAtLevel'],
           },
           'set.app.themeColor': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
-            actions: ['setSettingAtLevel', 'persistSettings'], // No toast
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+
+            // No toast
+            actions: ['setSettingAtLevel'],
           },
 
           'set.modeling.defaultUnit': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+
             actions: [
               'setSettingAtLevel',
               'toastSuccess',
               'setClientSideSceneUnits',
               'Execute AST',
-              'persistSettings',
             ],
           },
 
           'set.app.theme': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+
             actions: [
               'setSettingAtLevel',
               'toastSuccess',
               'setThemeClass',
               'setEngineTheme',
-              'persistSettings',
               'setClientTheme',
             ],
           },
 
           'set.modeling.highlightEdges': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
-            actions: [
-              'setSettingAtLevel',
-              'toastSuccess',
-              'setEngineEdges',
-              'persistSettings',
-            ],
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+
+            actions: ['setSettingAtLevel', 'toastSuccess', 'setEngineEdges'],
           },
 
           'Reset settings': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+
             actions: [
               'resetSettings',
               'setThemeClass',
               'setEngineTheme',
               'setClientSideSceneUnits',
               'Execute AST',
-              'persistSettings',
               'setClientTheme',
             ],
           },
 
           'Set all settings': {
-            target: 'idle',
-            internal: true,
+            target: 'persisting settings',
+
             actions: [
               'setAllSettings',
               'setThemeClass',
               'setEngineTheme',
               'setClientSideSceneUnits',
               'Execute AST',
-              'persistSettings',
               'setClientTheme',
             ],
           },
         },
       },
+
+      'persisting settings': {
+        invoke: {
+          src: 'Persist settings',
+          id: 'persistSettings',
+          onDone: 'idle',
+        },
+      },
     },
     tsTypes: {} as import('./settingsMachine.typegen').Typegen0,
     schema: {
diff --git a/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx b/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx
index 9f2c301f4..147ab4e17 100644
--- a/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/Onboarding/index.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { Outlet, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 import Introduction from './Introduction'
 import Camera from './Camera'
 import Sketching from './Sketching'
-import { useCallback } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useEffect } from 'react'
 import makeUrlPathRelative from '../../lib/makeUrlPathRelative'
 import { useSettingsAuthContext } from 'hooks/useSettingsAuthContext'
 import Streaming from './Streaming'
@@ -94,17 +94,31 @@ export function useNextClick(newStatus: string) {
 export function useDismiss() {
   const filePath = useAbsoluteFilePath()
   const {
-    settings: { send },
+    settings: { state, send },
   } = useSettingsAuthContext()
   const navigate = useNavigate()
 
-  return useCallback(() => {
+  const settingsCallback = useCallback(() => {
     send({
       type: 'set.app.onboardingStatus',
       data: { level: 'user', value: 'dismissed' },
     })
-    navigate(filePath)
-  }, [send, navigate, filePath])
+  }, [send])
+
+  /**
+   * A "listener" for the XState to return to "idle" state
+   * when the user dismisses the onboarding, using the callback above
+   */
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (
+      state.context.app.onboardingStatus.user === 'dismissed' &&
+      state.matches('idle')
+    ) {
+      navigate(filePath)
+    }
+  }, [filePath, navigate, state])
+
+  return settingsCallback
 }
 
 // Get the 1-indexed step number of the current onboarding step