diff --git a/.lane/memory/apps/app/src/app.tsx/01M4YT6XB7NQ89E6F4P375REE7-all-projects-and-project-vie.md b/.lane/memory/apps/app/src/app.tsx/01M4YT6XB7NQ89E6F4P375REE7-all-projects-and-project-vie.md
index f3478689..348be767 100644
--- a/.lane/memory/apps/app/src/app.tsx/01M4YT6XB7NQ89E6F4P375REE7-all-projects-and-project-vie.md
+++ b/.lane/memory/apps/app/src/app.tsx/01M4YT6XB7NQ89E6F4P375REE7-all-projects-and-project-vie.md
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ anchor: function App
 created: 2026-10-15T03:38:04Z
 norm: '1'
 sig: 063d0f00fea02511
-body_hash: e05dde251a7f4b1a
-raw_hash: f16de82a81e3c77d
-vouched: 2026-10-22T15:24:24Z
+body_hash: 70b144740681d82c
+raw_hash: 2962395e6c4e618a
+vouched: 2026-10-22T15:45:21Z
 lines: 235-824
 ---
 
diff --git a/apps/app/src/app.tsx b/apps/app/src/app.tsx
index 330bba53..217d0859 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/app.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/app.tsx
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ import {
 	useDirectory,
 	Welcome,
 } from "./onboarding";
-import { TeamSetup } from "./team-setup";
+import { TEAM_SETUP, TeamSetup, TeamSetupItem } from "./team-setup";
 import { UpdateNotice } from "./updates";
 import { useWindowStorage } from "./window-storage";
 
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ export function App() {
 		const add = () => setTeammate(true);
 		window.addEventListener(CREATE_DIRECTORY, create);
 		window.addEventListener("ace:add-teammate", add);
-		window.addEventListener("ace:team-setup", open);
+		window.addEventListener(TEAM_SETUP, open);
 		window.addEventListener("ace:team-invite", invite);
 		window.addEventListener("ace:join", joining);
 		const fragment = new URLSearchParams(location.hash.slice(1)).get("join");
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ export function App() {
 		return () => {
 			window.removeEventListener(CREATE_DIRECTORY, create);
 			window.removeEventListener("ace:add-teammate", add);
-			window.removeEventListener("ace:team-setup", open);
+			window.removeEventListener(TEAM_SETUP, open);
 			window.removeEventListener("ace:team-invite", invite);
 			window.removeEventListener("ace:join", joining);
 		};
@@ -858,7 +858,7 @@ export function App() {
 							side="left"
 							id="sidebar"
 							className="-my-2 h-[calc(100%+1rem)]"
-							innerClassName={card ? "flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col" : "h-full min-h-0"}
+							innerClassName="flex h-full min-h-0 flex-col"
 						>
 							{page === "channels"
 								? (
@@ -947,6 +947,7 @@ export function App() {
 									/>
 								)}
 							{card && <DirectoryCard onDismiss={() => setDismissed(true)} />}
+							<TeamSetupItem />
 						</Sidebar>
 					)}
 					<Main
diff --git a/apps/app/src/directory-settings.tsx b/apps/app/src/directory-settings.tsx
index 15fae9a1..d0a949d3 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/directory-settings.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/directory-settings.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { useDiagnostics } from "./host-settings";
 import { parse } from "./invite";
 import { CREATE_DIRECTORY, DIRECTORY_CHANGED, People, useRoster } from "./onboarding";
 import { Confirm, Group, Page, Problem, Row, Status, Value } from "./settings-layout";
+import { TEAM_SETUP } from "./team-setup";
 
 const SETUP = "https://github.com/githubnext/ace/blob/main/docs/setup.md#team-directory";
 
@@ -95,6 +96,14 @@ export function TeamSettings({ active }: { active: boolean }) {
 							)}
 						</Row>
 						<TeamDirectory directory={checked.directory} onChange={() => checks.refresh()} />
+						<Row
+							label="Team setup"
+							description="Ask a teammate's host to let you in, or deploy a directory to Cloudflare or Fly.io."
+						>
+							<Button variant="outline" onClick={() => window.dispatchEvent(new Event(TEAM_SETUP))}>
+								Set up…
+							</Button>
+						</Row>
 					</>
 				)}
 			</Group>
diff --git a/apps/app/src/team-setup.tsx b/apps/app/src/team-setup.tsx
index ac890501..8a238526 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/team-setup.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/team-setup.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
 	DialogTitle,
 	Input,
 } from "@ace/ui";
-import { IconArrowUpRight, IconCheck, IconCopy, IconLoader } from "@ace/ui/icons";
+import { IconArrowUpRight, IconCheck, IconCopy, IconLoader, IconUsers } from "@ace/ui/icons";
 import type { TeamPeer } from "@ace/host/protocol";
 
 import { host } from "./host";
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { useDiagnostics } from "./host-settings";
 import { type Invite as Team, link, page, parse } from "./invite";
 
 const DOCS = "https://github.com/githubnext/ace/blob/main/docs/setup.md";
+export const TEAM_SETUP = "ace:team-setup";
 const PROVIDERS = {
 	cloudflare: { label: "Cloudflare" },
 	fly: { label: "Fly.io" },
@@ -40,6 +41,20 @@ const STEPS: Partial<Record<Step, string>> = {
  * Membership stays the tailnet's: this only decides where the team's channels are listed.
  * `invite` opens on joining with an invite link's values; `inviting` opens on this team's invite.
  */
+/** Sidebar footer entry to team setup, where Ask to join and deploying a directory live. */
+export function TeamSetupItem() {
+	return (
+		<button
+			type="button"
+			onClick={() => window.dispatchEvent(new Event(TEAM_SETUP))}
+			className="mx-2 mb-2 flex h-7 shrink-0 items-center gap-2 rounded-md px-2 text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground outline-none transition-colors hover:bg-foreground/10 hover:text-foreground focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring/30"
+		>
+			<IconUsers className="size-3.5" aria-hidden />
+			Team setup
+		</button>
+	);
+}
+
 export function TeamSetup({ github, invite, inviting, onClose }: {
 	github?: string;
 	invite?: Team;
diff --git a/docs/setup.md b/docs/setup.md
index b2877d98..3845f4ba 100644
--- a/docs/setup.md
+++ b/docs/setup.md
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ tailnet finds it in this host's hello and joins it on its own, unless it left a
 
 Teams that set up a directory before can keep it deployed as a cell. Whoever sets up the team
 deploys the services once from a checkout; everyone else joins in `Settings → Team` (Join…) with
-the directory's URL and the team's secret, shared privately. Refresh there syncs at once. From a
+the directory's URL and the team's secret, shared privately, or uses **Ask to join** next to a
+teammate's host in **Team setup** (at the bottom of the sidebar, or `Settings → Team → Set up…`),
+which their owner approves in their Ace. Refresh in `Settings → Team` syncs at once. From a
 checkout, `printf %s "$SECRET" | bun ace key set ACE_SECRET` then `bun ace directory <url>` does
 the same.
 
@@ -107,8 +109,10 @@ printf %s https://ace-app.<your-subdomain>.workers.dev | bunx wrangler secret pu
 
 ### From the app
 
-**Get your team started** (also under `Settings → Team`) can deploy to Cloudflare for you, with
-no checkout. **Deploy** does this, and nothing else:
+**Team setup**, at the bottom of the sidebar or `Settings → Team → Set up…`, can deploy to
+Cloudflare for you, with no checkout: choose **Get your team started**, then a hosted directory on
+Cloudflare. For Fly.io it shows the command to run from a checkout and joins with what it prints.
+**Deploy** does this, and nothing else:
 
 - Signs in with your own `wrangler login`. If you aren't signed in, it opens Cloudflare's sign-in
   page in your browser. Ace never sees a Cloudflare password or token.