diff --git a/cmd/antares/main.go b/cmd/antares/main.go
index ba362240..0f6fe5e9 100644
--- a/cmd/antares/main.go
+++ b/cmd/antares/main.go
@@ -171,6 +171,11 @@ func cmdTUI() error {
 		}
 		rt.cfg = cfg
 		rt.agent.SetConfig(cfg)
+		// Setup (web or terminal) creates the chosen workspace; ensure it
+		// exists before the TUI starts in case the path was only written.
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(cfg.Agent.Workspace, 0o755); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("preparing workspace: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	return tui.New(rt.agent, rt.cfg, rt.db).Run(ctx)
@@ -201,8 +206,13 @@ func bootstrap(ctx context.Context) (*runtimeServices, error) {
 	if err := logx.Setup(cfg.Logging.Level, cfg.Logging.File, cfg.Logging.JSON); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("setting up logging: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(cfg.Agent.Workspace, 0o755); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("preparing workspace: %w", err)
+	// Defer workspace creation until setup finishes. Creating the default
+	// path here leaves a leftover ~/antares-workspace when the user picks a
+	// custom directory in the wizard.
+	if !needsSetup(cfg) {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(cfg.Agent.Workspace, 0o755); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("preparing workspace: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	db, err := store.Open(ctx, cfg.Database.Driver, cfg.Database.DSN,
diff --git a/cmd/antares/setup.go b/cmd/antares/setup.go
index e71741a1..045b5f79 100644
--- a/cmd/antares/setup.go
+++ b/cmd/antares/setup.go
@@ -317,13 +317,11 @@ func runTerminalSetup(ctx context.Context, rt *runtimeServices) error {
 	}
 	cfg.Model.Default = model
 
-	// 5. Workspace
+	// 5. Workspace — only record the path here; create the directory after the
+	// full wizard finishes so a cancelled run does not leave an empty folder.
 	fmt.Println()
 	ws := promptLine(fmt.Sprintf("  Workspace directory (default %s): ", cfg.Agent.Workspace), cfg.Agent.Workspace)
 	cfg.Agent.Workspace = config.Expand(ws)
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(cfg.Agent.Workspace, 0o755); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("creating workspace: %w", err)
-	}
 
 	// 5b. Storage. SQLite is the default and needs nothing; Postgres asks for a
 	// DSN and is verified now so a bad string surfaces here, not on next start.
@@ -392,6 +390,9 @@ func runTerminalSetup(ctx context.Context, rt *runtimeServices) error {
 	if err := config.Save(cfg); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("saving configuration: %w", err)
 	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(cfg.Agent.Workspace, 0o755); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("creating workspace: %w", err)
+	}
 	rt.cfg = cfg
 	rt.agent.SetConfig(cfg)