diff --git a/src/admin/AdminCTA.tsx b/src/admin/AdminCTA.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 589bc20d..00000000
--- a/src/admin/AdminCTA.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-'use client';
-
-import PhotoUploadWithStatus from '@/photo/PhotoUploadWithStatus';
-import { PATH_ADMIN_PHOTOS } from '@/app/paths';
-import { useAppState } from '@/state/AppState';
-import Link from 'next/link';
-import { FaArrowRight } from 'react-icons/fa';
-
-export default function AdminCTA({
-  shouldResize,
-  onLastUpload,
-}: {
-  shouldResize: boolean
-  onLastUpload: () => Promise<void>
-}) {
-  const { isUserSignedIn } = useAppState();
-
-  return (
-    <div className="flex justify-center pt-4">
-      {isUserSignedIn
-        ? <PhotoUploadWithStatus
-          inputId="admin-cta"
-          shouldResize={shouldResize}
-          onLastUpload={onLastUpload}
-          showStatusText={false}
-        />
-        : <Link
-          href={PATH_ADMIN_PHOTOS}
-          className="button primary"
-        >
-          <span>Admin Dashboard</span>
-          <FaArrowRight size={10} />
-        </Link>}
-    </div>
-  );
-}
diff --git a/src/admin/SignInOrUploadClient.tsx b/src/admin/SignInOrUploadClient.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6823f0f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/admin/SignInOrUploadClient.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+'use client';
+
+import { useAppState } from '@/state/AppState';
+import SignInForm from '@/auth/SignInForm';
+import clsx from 'clsx';
+import PhotoUploadWithStatus from '@/photo/PhotoUploadWithStatus';
+
+export default function SignInOrUploadClient({
+  shouldResize,
+  onLastUpload,
+}: {
+  shouldResize: boolean
+  onLastUpload: () => Promise<void>
+}) {
+  const { isUserSignedIn, isCheckingAuth } = useAppState();
+
+  return (
+    <div className={clsx(
+      'flex justify-center items-center flex-col gap-4',
+    )}>
+      <div>
+        {isCheckingAuth
+          ? 'Loading ...'
+          : isUserSignedIn
+            ? 'Add your first photo'
+            : 'Sign in to upload photos'}
+      </div>
+      {!isCheckingAuth && isUserSignedIn === false &&
+        <div className="flex justify-center my-2 sm:my-4">
+          <SignInForm
+            className="max-w-[90%] sm:max-w-none"
+            includeTitle={false}
+            shouldRedirect={false}
+          />
+        </div>}
+      {isUserSignedIn === true &&
+        <PhotoUploadWithStatus
+          inputId="admin-cta"
+          shouldResize={shouldResize}
+          onLastUpload={onLastUpload}
+          showStatusText={false}
+        />}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/auth/SignInForm.tsx b/src/auth/SignInForm.tsx
index 8adef8af..041f8863 100644
--- a/src/auth/SignInForm.tsx
+++ b/src/auth/SignInForm.tsx
@@ -11,13 +11,26 @@ import {
 } from 'react';
 import { getAuthAction, signInAction } from './actions';
 import ErrorNote from '@/components/ErrorNote';
-import { KEY_CALLBACK_URL, KEY_CREDENTIALS_SIGN_IN_ERROR } from '.';
+import {
+  KEY_CALLBACK_URL,
+  KEY_CREDENTIALS_SIGN_IN_ERROR,
+  KEY_CREDENTIALS_SUCCESS,
+} from '.';
 import { useSearchParams } from 'next/navigation';
 import { useAppState } from '@/state/AppState';
 import { clsx } from 'clsx/lite';
 import { FiLock } from 'react-icons/fi';
+import { PATH_ADMIN_PHOTOS } from '@/app/paths';
 
-export default function SignInForm() {
+export default function SignInForm({
+  includeTitle = true,
+  shouldRedirect = true,
+  className,
+}: {
+  includeTitle?: boolean
+  shouldRedirect?: boolean
+  className?: string
+}) {
   const params = useSearchParams();
 
   const { setUserEmail } = useAppState();
@@ -33,12 +46,15 @@ export default function SignInForm() {
   }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (response === KEY_CREDENTIALS_SUCCESS) {
+      setUserEmail?.(email);
+    }
     return () => {
       // Capture user email before unmounting
       getAuthAction().then(auth =>
         setUserEmail?.(auth?.user?.email ?? undefined));
     };
-  }, [setUserEmail]);
+  }, [setUserEmail, response, email]);
 
   const isFormValid =
     email.length > 0 &&
@@ -48,20 +64,19 @@ export default function SignInForm() {
     <Container className={clsx(
       'w-[calc(100vw-1.5rem)] sm:w-[min(360px,90vw)]',
       'px-6 py-5',
+      className,
     )}>
-      <h1 className={clsx(
-        'flex gap-3 items-center justify-center',
-        'self-start text-2xl mb-3.5',
-      )}>
-        <FiLock className="text-main translate-y-[0.5px]" />
-        <span className="text-main">
-          Sign in
-        </span>
-      </h1>
-      <form
-        action={action}
-        className="w-full"
-      >
+      {includeTitle &&
+        <h1 className={clsx(
+          'flex gap-3 items-center justify-center',
+          'self-start text-2xl mb-3.5',
+        )}>
+          <FiLock className="text-main translate-y-[0.5px]" />
+          <span className="text-main">
+            Sign in
+          </span>
+        </h1>}
+      <form action={action} className="w-full">
         <div className="space-y-6 w-full -translate-y-0.5">
           {response === KEY_CREDENTIALS_SIGN_IN_ERROR &&
             <ErrorNote>
@@ -83,11 +98,12 @@ export default function SignInForm() {
               value={password}
               onChange={setPassword}
             />
-            <input
-              type="hidden"
-              name={KEY_CALLBACK_URL}
-              value={params.get(KEY_CALLBACK_URL) ?? ''}
-            />
+            {shouldRedirect &&
+              <input
+                type="hidden"
+                name={KEY_CALLBACK_URL}
+                value={params.get(KEY_CALLBACK_URL) || PATH_ADMIN_PHOTOS}
+              />}
           </div>
           <SubmitButtonWithStatus disabled={!isFormValid}>
             Sign in
diff --git a/src/auth/actions.ts b/src/auth/actions.ts
index 60a4c0fe..e2a61d1f 100644
--- a/src/auth/actions.ts
+++ b/src/auth/actions.ts
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ import {
   KEY_CREDENTIALS_CALLBACK_ROUTE_ERROR_URL,
   KEY_CREDENTIALS_SIGN_IN_ERROR,
   KEY_CREDENTIALS_SIGN_IN_ERROR_URL,
+  KEY_CREDENTIALS_SUCCESS,
   auth,
   generateAuthSecret,
   signIn,
   signOut,
 } from '@/auth';
-import { PATH_ADMIN_PHOTOS } from '@/app/paths';
 import type { Session } from 'next-auth';
 import { redirect } from 'next/navigation';
 
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@ export const signInAction = async (
       throw error;
     }
   }
-  redirect(formData.get(KEY_CALLBACK_URL) as string || PATH_ADMIN_PHOTOS);
+  if (formData.get(KEY_CALLBACK_URL)) {
+    redirect(formData.get(KEY_CALLBACK_URL) as string);
+  }
+  return KEY_CREDENTIALS_SUCCESS;
 };
 
 export const signOutAction = async () =>
diff --git a/src/auth/index.ts b/src/auth/index.ts
index a207d8cd..b1978b19 100644
--- a/src/auth/index.ts
+++ b/src/auth/index.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export const KEY_CREDENTIALS_SIGN_IN_ERROR_URL =
   'https://errors.authjs.dev#credentialssignin';
 export const KEY_CREDENTIALS_CALLBACK_ROUTE_ERROR_URL =
   'https://errors.authjs.dev#callbackrouteerror';
+export const KEY_CREDENTIALS_SUCCESS = 'success';
 export const KEY_CALLBACK_URL = 'callbackUrl';
 
 export const {
diff --git a/src/photo/PhotosEmptyState.tsx b/src/photo/PhotosEmptyState.tsx
index c8377e23..bdd01be5 100644
--- a/src/photo/PhotosEmptyState.tsx
+++ b/src/photo/PhotosEmptyState.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-import AdminCTA from '@/admin/AdminCTA';
 import Container from '@/components/Container';
 import SiteGrid from '@/components/SiteGrid';
 import { IS_SITE_READY, PRESERVE_ORIGINAL_UPLOADS } from '@/app/config';
-import { PATH_ADMIN_CONFIGURATION } from '@/app/paths';
 import AdminAppConfiguration from '@/admin/AdminAppConfiguration';
 import { clsx } from 'clsx/lite';
-import Link from 'next/link';
 import { HiOutlinePhotograph } from 'react-icons/hi';
 import { revalidatePath } from 'next/cache';
+import SignInOrUploadClient from '@/admin/SignInOrUploadClient';
+import Link from 'next/link';
+import { PATH_ADMIN_CONFIGURATION } from '@/app/paths';
 
 export default function PhotosEmptyState() {
   return (
@@ -30,19 +30,14 @@ export default function PhotosEmptyState() {
           {!IS_SITE_READY
             ? <AdminAppConfiguration simplifiedView />
             : <div className="max-w-md text-center space-y-6">
-              <div className="space-y-2">
-                <div>
-                  Add your first photo:
-                </div>
-                <AdminCTA
-                  shouldResize={!PRESERVE_ORIGINAL_UPLOADS}
-                  onLastUpload={async () => {
-                    'use server';
-                    // Update upload count in admin nav
-                    revalidatePath('/admin', 'layout');
-                  }}
-                />
-              </div>
+              <SignInOrUploadClient
+                shouldResize={!PRESERVE_ORIGINAL_UPLOADS}
+                onLastUpload={async () => {
+                  'use server';
+                  // Update upload count in admin nav
+                  revalidatePath('/admin', 'layout');
+                }}
+              />
               <div>
                 Change the name of this blog and other configuration
                 by editing environment variables referenced in
diff --git a/src/state/AppState.ts b/src/state/AppState.ts
index 65ecb848..47578319 100644
--- a/src/state/AppState.ts
+++ b/src/state/AppState.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export type AppStateContext = {
   isUserSignedInEager?: boolean
   clearAuthStateAndRedirect?: () => void
   // ADMIN
+  isCheckingAuth?: boolean
   adminUpdateTimes?: Date[]
   registerAdminUpdate?: () => void
   refreshAdminData?: () => void
diff --git a/src/state/AppStateProvider.tsx b/src/state/AppStateProvider.tsx
index f17b7b16..5dae4a2f 100644
--- a/src/state/AppStateProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/state/AppStateProvider.tsx
@@ -91,7 +91,11 @@ export default function AppStateProvider({
 
   const invalidateSwr = useCallback(() => setSwrTimestamp(Date.now()), []);
 
-  const { data: auth, error: authError } = useSWR('getAuth', getAuthAction);
+  const {
+    data: auth,
+    error: authError,
+    isLoading: isCheckingAuth,
+  } = useSWR('getAuth', getAuthAction);
   useEffect(() => {
     setIsUserSignedInEager(hasAuthEmailCookie());
     if (!authError) {
@@ -176,6 +180,7 @@ export default function AppStateProvider({
         recipeModalProps,
         setRecipeModalProps,
         // AUTH
+        isCheckingAuth,
         userEmail,
         setUserEmail,
         isUserSignedIn,