diff --git a/electrum/gui/qml/components/wizard/WCWelcome.qml b/electrum/gui/qml/components/wizard/WCWelcome.qml
index 56754b774..7d440e58c 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qml/components/wizard/WCWelcome.qml
+++ b/electrum/gui/qml/components/wizard/WCWelcome.qml
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ WizardComponent {
 
     function apply() {
         wizard_data['use_defaults'] = use_defaults.checked
+        wizard_data['want_proxy'] = false
         if (use_defaults.checked) {
             wizard_data['autoconnect'] = true
-            wizard_data['want_proxy'] = false
+        } else {
+            wizard_data['autoconnect'] = undefined
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/electrum/gui/qt/wizard/server_connect.py b/electrum/gui/qt/wizard/server_connect.py
index 4b0d3a739..5ff56d764 100644
--- a/electrum/gui/qt/wizard/server_connect.py
+++ b/electrum/gui/qt/wizard/server_connect.py
@@ -66,9 +66,11 @@ class WCWelcome(WizardComponent):
 
     def apply(self):
         self.wizard_data['use_defaults'] = self.use_defaults_w.isChecked()
+        self.wizard_data['want_proxy'] = False
         if self.use_defaults_w.isChecked():
             self.wizard_data['autoconnect'] = True
-            self.wizard_data['want_proxy'] = False
+        else:
+            self.wizard_data['autoconnect'] = None
 
 
 class WCAutoConnect(WizardComponent):
diff --git a/electrum/wizard.py b/electrum/wizard.py
index c32c9d855..3b714a1a5 100644
--- a/electrum/wizard.py
+++ b/electrum/wizard.py
@@ -656,6 +656,7 @@ class ServerConnectWizard(AbstractWizard):
         self.navmap = {
             'welcome': {
                 'next': 'proxy_ask',
+                'accept': self.do_configure_autoconnect,
                 'last': lambda d: d['use_defaults']
             },
             'proxy_ask': {
@@ -704,7 +705,8 @@ class ServerConnectWizard(AbstractWizard):
     def do_configure_autoconnect(self, wizard_data: dict):
         self._logger.debug(f'configuring autoconnect: {wizard_data!r}')
         if self._daemon.config.cv.NETWORK_AUTO_CONNECT.is_modifiable():
-            self._daemon.config.NETWORK_AUTO_CONNECT = wizard_data['autoconnect']
+            if autoconnect := wizard_data.get('autoconnect') is not None:
+                self._daemon.config.NETWORK_AUTO_CONNECT = autoconnect
 
     def start(self, initial_data: dict = None) -> WizardViewState:
         if initial_data is None: