diff --git a/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/services/settings_store.py b/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/services/settings_store.py
index 9332cb3..8016779 100644
--- a/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/services/settings_store.py
+++ b/backend/src/media_library_viewer_api/services/settings_store.py
@@ -16,11 +16,41 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
 import paramiko
+from media_library_viewer_api.config import get_settings
+
 DEFAULT_SETTINGS_PATH = Path(".cache/media_library_viewer/settings.sqlite")
 LOCAL_MACHINE_ID = "local"
 DEFAULT_SERVICES = ["monitoring", "files", "jellyfin"]
 
 
+def _default_local_machine() -> dict[str, Any]:
+    settings = get_settings()
+    return {
+        "id": LOCAL_MACHINE_ID,
+        "name": "This machine",
+        "mode": "local",
+        "enabled": True,
+        "services": list(DEFAULT_SERVICES),
+        "host": "",
+        "port": 22,
+        "username": "",
+        "key_directory": "",
+        "key_name": "",
+        "ssh_key_id": "",
+        "ssh_private_key": "",
+        "ssh_private_key_passphrase": "",
+        "password": "",
+        "media_root": settings.media_root,
+        "path_prefix": settings.path_prefix,
+        "jellyfin_url": settings.jellyfin_url,
+        "jellyfin_user_id": settings.jellyfin_user_id,
+        "jellyfin_api_key": settings.jellyfin_api_key or "",
+        "jellyseerr_url": settings.jellyseerr_url,
+        "jellyseerr_api_key": settings.jellyseerr_api_key or "",
+        "notes": "",
+    }
+
+
 class SettingsStore:
     """SQLite-backed settings store for machine definitions and history."""
 
@@ -281,6 +311,48 @@ class SettingsStore:
 
     def ensure_defaults(self) -> None:
         self.init_schema()
+        with self.connect() as conn:
+            row = conn.execute("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM monitoring_machines").fetchone()
+            if row and int(row[0]) > 0:
+                return
+        machine = _default_local_machine()
+        now = int(time.time())
+        config = {
+            "services": machine["services"],
+            "host": machine["host"],
+            "port": machine["port"],
+            "username": machine["username"],
+            "key_directory": machine["key_directory"],
+            "key_name": machine["key_name"],
+            "ssh_key_id": machine.get("ssh_key_id", ""),
+            "ssh_private_key": "",
+            "ssh_private_key_passphrase": "",
+            "password": "",
+            "media_root": machine["media_root"],
+            "path_prefix": machine["path_prefix"],
+            "jellyfin_url": machine["jellyfin_url"],
+            "jellyfin_user_id": machine["jellyfin_user_id"],
+            "jellyfin_api_key": machine["jellyfin_api_key"],
+            "jellyseerr_url": machine["jellyseerr_url"],
+            "jellyseerr_api_key": machine["jellyseerr_api_key"],
+            "notes": machine["notes"],
+        }
+        with self.connect() as conn:
+            conn.execute(
+                """
+                INSERT INTO monitoring_machines (id, name, mode, enabled, config_json, created_at, updated_at)
+                VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+                """,
+                (
+                    machine["id"],
+                    machine["name"],
+                    machine["mode"],
+                    1,
+                    json.dumps(config),
+                    now,
+                    now,
+                ),
+            )
 
     def list_machines(self) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
         self.ensure_defaults()