diff --git a/cli/src/api/open-api/api.ts b/cli/src/api/open-api/api.ts
index 824dd38835..2be639a0f1 100644
--- a/cli/src/api/open-api/api.ts
+++ b/cli/src/api/open-api/api.ts
@@ -2582,6 +2582,12 @@ export interface SearchResponseDto {
  * @interface ServerConfigDto
  */
 export interface ServerConfigDto {
+    /**
+     * 
+     * @type {boolean}
+     * @memberof ServerConfigDto
+     */
+    'isInitialized': boolean;
     /**
      * 
      * @type {string}
@@ -15081,6 +15087,15 @@ export const UserApiAxiosParamCreator = function (configuration?: Configuration)
             const localVarHeaderParameter = {} as any;
             const localVarQueryParameter = {} as any;
 
+            // authentication cookie required
+
+            // authentication api_key required
+            await setApiKeyToObject(localVarHeaderParameter, "x-api-key", configuration)
+
+            // authentication bearer required
+            // http bearer authentication required
+            await setBearerAuthToObject(localVarHeaderParameter, configuration)
+
             if (admin !== undefined) {
                 localVarQueryParameter['admin'] = admin;
             }
diff --git a/mobile/lib/shared/providers/server_info.provider.dart b/mobile/lib/shared/providers/server_info.provider.dart
index b4e05ffc93..ce431e7ab0 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/shared/providers/server_info.provider.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/shared/providers/server_info.provider.dart
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class ServerInfoNotifier extends StateNotifier<ServerInfoState> {
               mapTileUrl: "https://tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png",
               oauthButtonText: "",
               trashDays: 30,
+              isInitialized: false,
             ),
             isVersionMismatch: false,
             versionMismatchErrorMessage: "",
diff --git a/mobile/openapi/doc/ServerConfigDto.md b/mobile/openapi/doc/ServerConfigDto.md
index 6b0029c992..cbe56d2f49 100644
Binary files a/mobile/openapi/doc/ServerConfigDto.md and b/mobile/openapi/doc/ServerConfigDto.md differ
diff --git a/mobile/openapi/doc/UserApi.md b/mobile/openapi/doc/UserApi.md
index 638c59fa3c..165a543352 100644
Binary files a/mobile/openapi/doc/UserApi.md and b/mobile/openapi/doc/UserApi.md differ
diff --git a/mobile/openapi/lib/model/server_config_dto.dart b/mobile/openapi/lib/model/server_config_dto.dart
index 3f4950ec50..25bdeb6d55 100644
Binary files a/mobile/openapi/lib/model/server_config_dto.dart and b/mobile/openapi/lib/model/server_config_dto.dart differ
diff --git a/mobile/openapi/test/server_config_dto_test.dart b/mobile/openapi/test/server_config_dto_test.dart
index 44e947a44b..0aa581b13d 100644
Binary files a/mobile/openapi/test/server_config_dto_test.dart and b/mobile/openapi/test/server_config_dto_test.dart differ
diff --git a/server/immich-openapi-specs.json b/server/immich-openapi-specs.json
index 5a5ecd9adf..19b553b9e9 100644
--- a/server/immich-openapi-specs.json
+++ b/server/immich-openapi-specs.json
@@ -5004,6 +5004,17 @@
             "description": ""
           }
         },
+        "security": [
+          {
+            "bearer": []
+          },
+          {
+            "cookie": []
+          },
+          {
+            "api_key": []
+          }
+        ],
         "tags": [
           "User"
         ]
@@ -7340,6 +7351,9 @@
       },
       "ServerConfigDto": {
         "properties": {
+          "isInitialized": {
+            "type": "boolean"
+          },
           "loginPageMessage": {
             "type": "string"
           },
@@ -7357,7 +7371,8 @@
           "trashDays",
           "oauthButtonText",
           "loginPageMessage",
-          "mapTileUrl"
+          "mapTileUrl",
+          "isInitialized"
         ],
         "type": "object"
       },
diff --git a/server/src/domain/repositories/user.repository.ts b/server/src/domain/repositories/user.repository.ts
index 984a7bebaf..3e546c05eb 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/repositories/user.repository.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/repositories/user.repository.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export const IUserRepository = 'IUserRepository';
 export interface IUserRepository {
   get(id: string, withDeleted?: boolean): Promise<UserEntity | null>;
   getAdmin(): Promise<UserEntity | null>;
+  hasAdmin(): Promise<boolean>;
   getByEmail(email: string, withPassword?: boolean): Promise<UserEntity | null>;
   getByStorageLabel(storageLabel: string): Promise<UserEntity | null>;
   getByOAuthId(oauthId: string): Promise<UserEntity | null>;
diff --git a/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.dto.ts b/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.dto.ts
index 9bbda0f875..2b9ac95cc5 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.dto.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.dto.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ export class ServerConfigDto {
   mapTileUrl!: string;
   @ApiProperty({ type: 'integer' })
   trashDays!: number;
+  isInitialized!: boolean;
 }
 
 export class ServerFeaturesDto implements FeatureFlags {
diff --git a/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.service.ts b/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.service.ts
index 69a925e86f..d68b484735 100644
--- a/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.service.ts
+++ b/server/src/domain/server-info/server-info.service.ts
@@ -74,11 +74,14 @@ export class ServerInfoService {
     // TODO move to system config
     const loginPageMessage = process.env.PUBLIC_LOGIN_PAGE_MESSAGE || '';
 
+    const isInitialized = await this.userRepository.hasAdmin();
+
     return {
       loginPageMessage,
       mapTileUrl: config.map.tileUrl,
       trashDays: config.trash.days,
       oauthButtonText: config.oauth.buttonText,
+      isInitialized,
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/server/src/immich/controllers/user.controller.ts b/server/src/immich/controllers/user.controller.ts
index 925fcf2e2f..01bc676c5e 100644
--- a/server/src/immich/controllers/user.controller.ts
+++ b/server/src/immich/controllers/user.controller.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import {
 } from '@nestjs/common';
 import { ApiBody, ApiConsumes, ApiTags } from '@nestjs/swagger';
 import { Response as Res } from 'express';
-import { AdminRoute, AuthUser, Authenticated, PublicRoute } from '../app.guard';
+import { AdminRoute, AuthUser, Authenticated } from '../app.guard';
 import { FileUploadInterceptor, Route } from '../app.interceptor';
 import { UseValidation } from '../app.utils';
 import { UUIDParamDto } from './dto/uuid-param.dto';
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export class UserController {
     return this.service.create(createUserDto);
   }
 
-  @PublicRoute()
+  @AdminRoute()
   @Get('count')
   getUserCount(@Query() dto: CountDto): Promise<UserCountResponseDto> {
     return this.service.getCount(dto);
diff --git a/server/src/infra/repositories/user.repository.ts b/server/src/infra/repositories/user.repository.ts
index 0fa1121289..559f16aa26 100644
--- a/server/src/infra/repositories/user.repository.ts
+++ b/server/src/infra/repositories/user.repository.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ export class UserRepository implements IUserRepository {
     return this.userRepository.findOne({ where: { isAdmin: true } });
   }
 
+  async hasAdmin(): Promise<boolean> {
+    return this.userRepository.exist({ where: { isAdmin: true } });
+  }
+
   async getByEmail(email: string, withPassword?: boolean): Promise<UserEntity | null> {
     let builder = this.userRepository.createQueryBuilder('user').where({ email });
 
diff --git a/server/test/e2e/server-info.e2e-spec.ts b/server/test/e2e/server-info.e2e-spec.ts
index efdbbe5218..43cf471f40 100644
--- a/server/test/e2e/server-info.e2e-spec.ts
+++ b/server/test/e2e/server-info.e2e-spec.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ describe(`${ServerInfoController.name} (e2e)`, () => {
         oauthButtonText: 'Login with OAuth',
         mapTileUrl: 'https://tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png',
         trashDays: 30,
+        isInitialized: true,
       });
     });
   });
diff --git a/server/test/e2e/user.e2e-spec.ts b/server/test/e2e/user.e2e-spec.ts
index 9b976bc267..af0cbde745 100644
--- a/server/test/e2e/user.e2e-spec.ts
+++ b/server/test/e2e/user.e2e-spec.ts
@@ -311,10 +311,10 @@ describe(`${UserController.name}`, () => {
   });
 
   describe('GET /user/count', () => {
-    it('should not require authentication', async () => {
+    it('should require authentication', async () => {
       const { status, body } = await request(server).get(`/user/count`);
-      expect(status).toBe(200);
-      expect(body).toEqual({ userCount: 1 });
+      expect(status).toBe(401);
+      expect(body).toEqual(errorStub.unauthorized);
     });
 
     it('should start with just the admin', async () => {
diff --git a/server/test/repositories/user.repository.mock.ts b/server/test/repositories/user.repository.mock.ts
index 09e2ef7bf1..30017e758e 100644
--- a/server/test/repositories/user.repository.mock.ts
+++ b/server/test/repositories/user.repository.mock.ts
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ export const newUserRepositoryMock = (): jest.Mocked<IUserRepository> => {
     delete: jest.fn(),
     getDeletedUsers: jest.fn(),
     restore: jest.fn(),
+    hasAdmin: jest.fn(),
   };
 };
diff --git a/web/src/api/open-api/api.ts b/web/src/api/open-api/api.ts
index 824dd38835..2be639a0f1 100644
--- a/web/src/api/open-api/api.ts
+++ b/web/src/api/open-api/api.ts
@@ -2582,6 +2582,12 @@ export interface SearchResponseDto {
  * @interface ServerConfigDto
  */
 export interface ServerConfigDto {
+    /**
+     * 
+     * @type {boolean}
+     * @memberof ServerConfigDto
+     */
+    'isInitialized': boolean;
     /**
      * 
      * @type {string}
@@ -15081,6 +15087,15 @@ export const UserApiAxiosParamCreator = function (configuration?: Configuration)
             const localVarHeaderParameter = {} as any;
             const localVarQueryParameter = {} as any;
 
+            // authentication cookie required
+
+            // authentication api_key required
+            await setApiKeyToObject(localVarHeaderParameter, "x-api-key", configuration)
+
+            // authentication bearer required
+            // http bearer authentication required
+            await setBearerAuthToObject(localVarHeaderParameter, configuration)
+
             if (admin !== undefined) {
                 localVarQueryParameter['admin'] = admin;
             }
diff --git a/web/src/lib/stores/server-config.store.ts b/web/src/lib/stores/server-config.store.ts
index 0cc9911e07..723ad49bd9 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/stores/server-config.store.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/stores/server-config.store.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export const serverConfig = writable<ServerConfig>({
   mapTileUrl: '',
   loginPageMessage: '',
   trashDays: 30,
+  isInitialized: false,
 });
 
 export const loadConfig = async () => {
diff --git a/web/src/routes/+page.server.ts b/web/src/routes/+page.server.ts
index 51a6ef71d0..b469170bed 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/+page.server.ts
+++ b/web/src/routes/+page.server.ts
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ export const load = (async ({ parent, locals: { api } }) => {
     throw redirect(302, AppRoute.PHOTOS);
   }
 
-  const { data } = await api.userApi.getUserCount({ admin: true });
+  const { data } = await api.serverInfoApi.getServerConfig();
 
-  if (data.userCount > 0) {
-    // Redirect to login page if an admin is already registered.
+  if (data.isInitialized) {
+    // Redirect to login page if there exists an admin account (i.e. server is initialized)
     throw redirect(302, AppRoute.AUTH_LOGIN);
   }
 
diff --git a/web/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.ts b/web/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.ts
index f325c7cd2e..a294173b72 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.ts
+++ b/web/src/routes/auth/login/+page.server.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import { redirect } from '@sveltejs/kit';
 import type { PageServerLoad } from './$types';
 
 export const load = (async ({ locals: { api } }) => {
-  const { data } = await api.userApi.getUserCount({ admin: true });
-  if (data.userCount === 0) {
+  const { data } = await api.serverInfoApi.getServerConfig();
+  if (!data.isInitialized) {
     // Admin not registered
     throw redirect(302, AppRoute.AUTH_REGISTER);
   }
diff --git a/web/src/routes/auth/register/+page.server.ts b/web/src/routes/auth/register/+page.server.ts
index 85b4d9bc72..186ab2e3d8 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/auth/register/+page.server.ts
+++ b/web/src/routes/auth/register/+page.server.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import { redirect } from '@sveltejs/kit';
 import type { PageServerLoad } from './$types';
 
 export const load = (async ({ locals: { api } }) => {
-  const { data } = await api.userApi.getUserCount({ admin: true });
-  if (data.userCount != 0) {
+  const { data } = await api.serverInfoApi.getServerConfig();
+  if (data.isInitialized) {
     // Admin has been registered, redirect to login
     throw redirect(302, AppRoute.AUTH_LOGIN);
   }