diff --git a/docker/main/rootfs/usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf b/docker/main/rootfs/usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf
index 32099771d..0fd95f145 100644
--- a/docker/main/rootfs/usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf
+++ b/docker/main/rootfs/usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf
@@ -274,6 +274,18 @@ http {
                 include proxy.conf;
             }
 
+            # Allow unauthenticated access to the first_time_login endpoint
+            # so the login page can load help text before authentication.
+            location /api/auth/first_time_login {
+                auth_request off;
+                limit_except GET {
+                    deny all;
+                }
+                rewrite ^/api(/.*)$ $1 break;
+                proxy_pass http://frigate_api;
+                include proxy.conf;
+            }
+
             location /api/stats {
                 include auth_request.conf;
                 access_log off;
diff --git a/frigate/api/auth.py b/frigate/api/auth.py
index 14fd804f7..1c1371f51 100644
--- a/frigate/api/auth.py
+++ b/frigate/api/auth.py
@@ -35,6 +35,23 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 router = APIRouter(tags=[Tags.auth])
 
 
+@router.get("/auth/first_time_login")
+def first_time_login(request: Request):
+    """Return whether the admin first-time login help flag is set in config.
+
+    This endpoint is intentionally unauthenticated so the login page can
+    query it before a user is authenticated.
+    """
+    auth_config = request.app.frigate_config.auth
+
+    return JSONResponse(
+        content={
+            "admin_first_time_login": auth_config.admin_first_time_login
+            or auth_config.reset_admin_password
+        }
+    )
+
+
 class RateLimiter:
     _limit = ""
 
@@ -515,6 +532,11 @@ def login(request: Request, body: AppPostLoginBody):
         set_jwt_cookie(
             response, JWT_COOKIE_NAME, encoded_jwt, expiration, JWT_COOKIE_SECURE
         )
+        # Clear admin_first_time_login flag after successful admin login so the
+        # UI stops showing the first-time login documentation link.
+        if role == "admin":
+            request.app.frigate_config.auth.admin_first_time_login = False
+
         return response
     return JSONResponse(content={"message": "Login failed"}, status_code=401)
 
diff --git a/frigate/app.py b/frigate/app.py
index 858247866..30259ad3d 100644
--- a/frigate/app.py
+++ b/frigate/app.py
@@ -488,6 +488,8 @@ class FrigateApp:
                     }
                 ).execute()
 
+                self.config.auth.admin_first_time_login = True
+
                 logger.info("********************************************************")
                 logger.info("********************************************************")
                 logger.info("***    Auth is enabled, but no users exist.          ***")
diff --git a/frigate/config/auth.py b/frigate/config/auth.py
index fd5d0e394..fced20620 100644
--- a/frigate/config/auth.py
+++ b/frigate/config/auth.py
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ class AuthConfig(FrigateBaseModel):
         default_factory=dict,
         title="Role to camera mappings. Empty list grants access to all cameras.",
     )
+    admin_first_time_login: Optional[bool] = Field(
+        default=False,
+        title="Internal field to expose first-time admin login flag to the UI",
+        description=(
+            "When true the UI may show a help link on the login page informing users how to sign in after an admin password reset. "
+        ),
+    )
 
     @field_validator("roles")
     @classmethod
diff --git a/web/public/locales/en/components/auth.json b/web/public/locales/en/components/auth.json
index 05c2a779f..56b750070 100644
--- a/web/public/locales/en/components/auth.json
+++ b/web/public/locales/en/components/auth.json
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
     "user": "Username",
     "password": "Password",
     "login": "Login",
+    "firstTimeLogin": "Trying to log in for the first time? Credentials are printed in the Frigate logs.",
     "errors": {
       "usernameRequired": "Username is required",
       "passwordRequired": "Password is required",
diff --git a/web/src/components/auth/AuthForm.tsx b/web/src/components/auth/AuthForm.tsx
index 12e8f777e..8798b5d00 100644
--- a/web/src/components/auth/AuthForm.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/auth/AuthForm.tsx
@@ -22,14 +22,24 @@ import { zodResolver } from "@hookform/resolvers/zod";
 import { z } from "zod";
 import { AuthContext } from "@/context/auth-context";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
+import useSWR from "swr";
+import { LuExternalLink } from "react-icons/lu";
+import { useDocDomain } from "@/hooks/use-doc-domain";
+import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
 
 interface UserAuthFormProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {}
 
 export function UserAuthForm({ className, ...props }: UserAuthFormProps) {
-  const { t } = useTranslation(["components/auth"]);
+  const { t } = useTranslation(["components/auth", "common"]);
+  const { getLocaleDocUrl } = useDocDomain();
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = React.useState<boolean>(false);
   const { login } = React.useContext(AuthContext);
 
+  // need to use local fetcher because useSWR default fetcher is not set up in this context
+  const fetcher = (path: string) => axios.get(path).then((res) => res.data);
+  const { data } = useSWR("/auth/first_time_login", fetcher);
+  const showFirstTimeLink = data?.admin_first_time_login === true;
+
   const formSchema = z.object({
     user: z.string().min(1, t("form.errors.usernameRequired")),
     password: z.string().min(1, t("form.errors.passwordRequired")),
@@ -136,6 +146,24 @@ export function UserAuthForm({ className, ...props }: UserAuthFormProps) {
           </div>
         </form>
       </Form>
+      {showFirstTimeLink && (
+        <Card className="mt-4 p-4 text-center text-sm">
+          <CardContent className="p-2">
+            <p className="mb-2 text-primary-variant">
+              {t("form.firstTimeLogin")}
+            </p>
+            <a
+              href={getLocaleDocUrl("configuration/authentication#onboarding")}
+              target="_blank"
+              rel="noopener noreferrer"
+              className="inline-flex items-center text-primary"
+            >
+              {t("readTheDocumentation", { ns: "common" })}
+              <LuExternalLink className="ml-2 size-3" />
+            </a>
+          </CardContent>
+        </Card>
+      )}
       <Toaster />
     </div>
   );