diff --git a/Models/SessionStartDecision.cs b/Models/SessionStartDecision.cs
index 9498b39..20fabee 100644
--- a/Models/SessionStartDecision.cs
+++ b/Models/SessionStartDecision.cs
@@ -29,6 +29,24 @@ public static class SessionStartDecision
         return editing ? SessionStartKind.Test : SessionStartKind.Live;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>What pressing the button actually does, given whether YouTube is connected.
+    /// A signed-out ON-AIR press must start the SIGN-IN flow, not sit there disabled — a dead
+    /// primary button is the dead end the design principle forbids (creator, 2026-10-30).</summary>
+    public enum Route
+    {
+        SignIn,
+        Record,
+        Live,
+        Test,
+    }
+
+    public static Route RouteFor(SessionStartKind kind, bool connected) => kind switch
+    {
+        SessionStartKind.Record => Route.Record,
+        SessionStartKind.Test => connected ? Route.Test : Route.SignIn,
+        _ => connected ? Route.Live : Route.SignIn,
+    };
+
     public static string LabelFor(SessionStartKind kind) => kind switch
     {
         SessionStartKind.Record => "Start Recording",
diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.cs
index 4f4b5ae..11a5047 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.cs
@@ -188,11 +188,30 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
 
     public string PrimaryStartButtonLabel => SessionStartDecision.LabelFor(PrimaryStartKind);
 
-    /// <summary>The button's action follows its label: Test runs the same go-live pipeline with
-    /// `IsTestStream` set, Go Live runs it for real.</summary>
-    public ICommand PrimaryStartCommand => PrimaryStartKind == SessionStartKind.Test
-        ? StartTestCommand
-        : StartStreamCommand;
+    private ICommand? _primaryStartCommand;
+
+    /// <summary>The button's action follows its label — and a signed-out ON-AIR press starts the
+    /// SIGN-IN flow instead of disabling the control (which is what binding straight to
+    /// <see cref="StartTestCommand"/> did: its CanExecute needs a connection, so the button the
+    /// creator was told to press could not be pressed).</summary>
+    public ICommand PrimaryStartCommand =>
+        _primaryStartCommand ??= new RelayCommand(_ => StartFromPrimaryButton(), _ => ShowPrimaryStartButton);
+
+    private void StartFromPrimaryButton()
+    {
+        switch (SessionStartDecision.RouteFor(PrimaryStartKind, IsConnected))
+        {
+            case SessionStartDecision.Route.SignIn:
+                _ = SignInAsync();
+                return;
+            case SessionStartDecision.Route.Test:
+                BeginTestStream();
+                return;
+            default:
+                StartSession();
+                return;
+        }
+    }
 
     /// <summary>The End button shows while recording OR live.</summary>
     public bool ShowEndStreamButton => IsLive || IsRecording;
diff --git a/ytLive.Tests/SessionStartDecisionTests.cs b/ytLive.Tests/SessionStartDecisionTests.cs
index 2860f46..d77a484 100644
--- a/ytLive.Tests/SessionStartDecisionTests.cs
+++ b/ytLive.Tests/SessionStartDecisionTests.cs
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ public class SessionStartDecisionTests
         Assert.Equal(SessionStartKind.Record, SessionStartDecision.For(true, false, true));
         Assert.Equal("Start Recording", SessionStartDecision.LabelFor(SessionStartKind.Record));
 
+        // Signed out: an ON-AIR press (live OR test) routes to the sign-in flow, never a dead
+        // button. Recording never needs an account.
+        Assert.Equal(SessionStartDecision.Route.SignIn, SessionStartDecision.RouteFor(SessionStartKind.Live, connected: false));
+        Assert.Equal(SessionStartDecision.Route.SignIn, SessionStartDecision.RouteFor(SessionStartKind.Test, connected: false));
+        Assert.Equal(SessionStartDecision.Route.Live, SessionStartDecision.RouteFor(SessionStartKind.Live, connected: true));
+        Assert.Equal(SessionStartDecision.Route.Test, SessionStartDecision.RouteFor(SessionStartKind.Test, connected: true));
+        Assert.Equal(SessionStartDecision.Route.Record, SessionStartDecision.RouteFor(SessionStartKind.Record, connected: false));
+
         // Unarmed start records locally (the no-dead-ends rule).
         Assert.Equal(SessionStartKind.Record, SessionStartDecision.For(false, false, false));
     }