diff --git a/bin/core/src/connection/server.rs b/bin/core/src/connection/server.rs
index fb15d6912..9edd10498 100644
--- a/bin/core/src/connection/server.rs
+++ b/bin/core/src/connection/server.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ pub async fn handler(
     );
   }
 
-  // Handle regular / creation flow.
+  // Handle connection vs. onboarding flow.
   match Server::coll()
     .find_one(id_or_name_filter(&server_query))
     .await
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ pub async fn handler(
         .await
     }
     None if ObjectId::from_str(&server_query).is_err() => {
-      create_server_handler(server_query, identifiers, ws).await
+      onboard_server_handler(server_query, identifiers, ws).await
     }
     None => Err(
       anyhow!("Must provide name based Server specifier for onboarding flow, name cannot be valid ObjectId (hex)")
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ async fn existing_server_handler(
   }))
 }
 
-async fn create_server_handler(
+async fn onboard_server_handler(
   server_query: String,
   identifiers: HeaderConnectionIdentifiers,
   ws: WebSocketUpgrade,
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ async fn create_server_handler(
       }
     };
 
-    // TODO: Get actual public key from Periphery, maybe freshly generated
+    // Post onboarding login 1: Receive public key
     let periphery_public_key = match socket
       .recv_bytes_with_timeout(Duration::from_secs(2))
       .await
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ async fn create_server_handler(
         return;
       }
     };
+    
     let config = ServerConfig {
       periphery_public_key,
       enabled: true,
diff --git a/bin/periphery/src/connection/client.rs b/bin/periphery/src/connection/client.rs
index 94a76580a..571fc870d 100644
--- a/bin/periphery/src/connection/client.rs
+++ b/bin/periphery/src/connection/client.rs
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ use tokio_tungstenite::tungstenite;
 use transport::{
   MessageState,
   auth::{
-    AddressConnectionIdentifiers, ClientLoginFlow, LoginFlow,
-    LoginFlowArgs,
+    AddressConnectionIdentifiers, ClientLoginFlow,
+    ConnectionIdentifiers, LoginFlow, LoginFlowArgs,
   },
   fix_ws_address,
   websocket::{Websocket, tungstenite::TungsteniteWebsocket},
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ pub async fn handler(
 
   let mut already_logged_connection_error = false;
   let mut already_logged_login_error = false;
-  let mut already_logged_creation_error = false;
-  let mut already_logged_dne_error = false;
+  let mut already_logged_onboarding_error = false;
 
   let args = Arc::new(Args {
     core: identifiers.host().to_string(),
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ pub async fn handler(
             // If error transitions from login to connection,
             // set to false to see login error after reconnect.
             already_logged_login_error = false;
-            already_logged_creation_error = false;
+            already_logged_onboarding_error = false;
           }
           tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(
             CONNECTION_RETRY_SECONDS,
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ pub async fn handler(
         }
       };
 
-    // Receive whether to use Server connection flow vs Server creation flow.
+    // Receive whether to use Server connection flow vs Server onboarding flow.
 
     let flow_bytes = match socket
       .recv_bytes_with_timeout(Duration::from_secs(2))
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ pub async fn handler(
           // If error transitions from login to connection,
           // set to false to see login error after reconnect.
           already_logged_login_error = false;
-          already_logged_creation_error = false;
+          already_logged_onboarding_error = false;
         }
         tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(
           CONNECTION_RETRY_SECONDS,
@@ -130,14 +129,12 @@ pub async fn handler(
       }
       // Creation
       &[1] => {
-        let Some(onboarding_key) =
-          periphery_config().onboarding_key.as_deref()
-        else {
-          if !already_logged_dne_error {
-            error!(
-              "Server {connect_as} does not exist, and no PERIPHERY_ONBOARDING_KEY is provided."
-            );
-            already_logged_dne_error = true;
+        if let Err(e) =
+          handle_onboarding(connect_as, socket, identifiers).await
+        {
+          if !already_logged_onboarding_error {
+            error!("{e:#}");
+            already_logged_onboarding_error = true;
           }
           tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(
             CONNECTION_RETRY_SECONDS,
@@ -145,74 +142,6 @@ pub async fn handler(
           .await;
           continue;
         };
-        if let Err(e) = ClientLoginFlow::login(LoginFlowArgs {
-          private_key: onboarding_key,
-          identifiers,
-          public_key_validator: CorePublicKeyValidator,
-          socket: &mut socket,
-        })
-        .await
-        {
-          if !already_logged_creation_error {
-            warn!("Failed to onboard Server | {e:#}");
-            already_logged_creation_error = true;
-          }
-          tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(
-            CONNECTION_RETRY_SECONDS,
-          ))
-          .await;
-          continue;
-        }
-
-        already_logged_creation_error = false;
-
-        if let Err(e) = socket
-          .send(Bytes::from_static(periphery_public_key().as_bytes()))
-          .await
-          .context("Failed to send public key bytes")
-        {
-          warn!("Failed to onboard Server | {e:#}");
-          tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(
-            CONNECTION_RETRY_SECONDS,
-          ))
-          .await;
-          continue;
-        }
-
-        let res = match socket
-          .recv_bytes_with_timeout(Duration::from_secs(2))
-          .await
-          .context("Failed to receive Server creation result")
-        {
-          Ok(res) => res,
-          Err(e) => {
-            warn!("Failed to onboard Server | {e:#}");
-            tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(
-              CONNECTION_RETRY_SECONDS,
-            ))
-            .await;
-            continue;
-          }
-        };
-
-        match res.last().map(|byte| MessageState::from_byte(*byte)) {
-          Some(MessageState::Successful) => {
-            info!(
-              "Server onboarding flow for '{connect_as}' successful ✅"
-            );
-          }
-          Some(MessageState::Failed) => {
-            error!(
-              "Server onboarding flow for '{connect_as}' failed | {:#}",
-              deserialize_error_bytes(&res[..(res.len() - 1)])
-            );
-          }
-          other => {
-            warn!(
-              "Got unrecognized onboarding flow response: {other:?}"
-            )
-          }
-        }
       }
       // Other (error)
       other => {
@@ -232,6 +161,51 @@ pub async fn handler(
   }
 }
 
+async fn handle_onboarding(
+  connect_as: &str,
+  mut socket: TungsteniteWebsocket,
+  identifiers: ConnectionIdentifiers<'_>,
+) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+  let onboarding_key = periphery_config()
+    .onboarding_key
+    .as_deref()
+    .with_context(|| format!("Server {connect_as} does not exist, and no PERIPHERY_ONBOARDING_KEY is provided."))?;
+
+  ClientLoginFlow::login(LoginFlowArgs {
+    private_key: onboarding_key,
+    identifiers,
+    public_key_validator: CorePublicKeyValidator,
+    socket: &mut socket,
+  })
+  .await?;
+
+  // Post onboarding login 1: Send public key
+  socket
+    .send(Bytes::from_static(periphery_public_key().as_bytes()))
+    .await
+    .context("Failed to send public key bytes")?;
+
+  let res = socket
+    .recv_bytes_with_timeout(Duration::from_secs(2))
+    .await
+    .context("Failed to receive Server creation result")?;
+
+  match res.last().map(|byte| MessageState::from_byte(*byte)) {
+    Some(MessageState::Successful) => {
+      info!(
+        "Server onboarding flow for '{connect_as}' successful ✅"
+      );
+      Ok(())
+    }
+    Some(MessageState::Failed) => {
+      Err(deserialize_error_bytes(&res[..(res.len() - 1)]))
+    }
+    other => Err(anyhow!(
+      "Got unrecognized onboarding flow response: {other:?}"
+    )),
+  }
+}
+
 async fn connect_websocket(
   url: &str,
   connect_as: &str,