diff --git a/js/services/storageService.js b/js/services/storageService.js
index 03ba20c9..f4cbdb01 100644
--- a/js/services/storageService.js
+++ b/js/services/storageService.js
@@ -526,6 +526,23 @@ export class StorageService {
     return this.masterKeys.has(pubkey);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * True if an encrypted storage account already exists for this pubkey. Lets
+   * callers auto-unlock existing storage WITHOUT unlock() creating a brand-new
+   * account for users who never set storage up (e.g. magnet/URL-only uploaders).
+   */
+  async hasStoredAccount(pubkey) {
+    if (!pubkey) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    try {
+      const account = await this._getAccount(pubkey);
+      return Boolean(account && account.encryptedMasterKey);
+    } catch (error) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Saves a connection configuration.
    * Requires unlock() to be called first.
diff --git a/js/ui/components/UploadModal.js b/js/ui/components/UploadModal.js
index e144adea..e4028689 100644
--- a/js/ui/components/UploadModal.js
+++ b/js/ui/components/UploadModal.js
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ export class UploadModal {
       // Initial State
       if (this.storageService) {
         const pubkey = this.getCurrentPubkey ? this.getCurrentPubkey() : null;
+        await this.maybeAutoUnlockStorage(pubkey);
         this.isStorageUnlocked = pubkey ? this.storageService.isUnlocked(pubkey) : false;
         await this.loadFromStorage();
       }
@@ -713,6 +714,7 @@ export class UploadModal {
   async refreshState() {
     if (this.storageService) {
       const pubkey = this.getCurrentPubkey ? this.getCurrentPubkey() : null;
+      await this.maybeAutoUnlockStorage(pubkey);
       this.isStorageUnlocked = pubkey ? this.storageService.isUnlocked(pubkey) : false;
       this.updateLockUi();
 
@@ -720,6 +722,43 @@ export class UploadModal {
     }
   }
 
+  // Silently unlock existing storage when a decrypt-capable signer is already
+  // available (e.g. a kept-unlocked nsec restored on refresh, TODO #51) so the
+  // upload modal opens Unlocked instead of Locked. Guarded on an EXISTING account
+  // so it never creates storage for magnet/URL-only uploaders, and on the signer
+  // already being present so it never triggers a fresh permission prompt.
+  async maybeAutoUnlockStorage(pubkey) {
+    if (!this.storageService || !pubkey) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (this.storageService.isUnlocked(pubkey)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const signer = getActiveSigner();
+    if (
+      !signer ||
+      (typeof signer.nip44Decrypt !== "function" &&
+        typeof signer.nip04Decrypt !== "function")
+    ) {
+      return;
+    }
+    try {
+      const hasAccount =
+        typeof this.storageService.hasStoredAccount === "function"
+          ? await this.storageService.hasStoredAccount(pubkey)
+          : false;
+      if (!hasAccount) {
+        return;
+      }
+      await this.storageService.unlock(pubkey, { signer });
+    } catch (error) {
+      devLogger?.log?.(
+        "[UploadModal] Auto-unlock storage skipped:",
+        error?.message || error,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   async loadFromStorage() {
       if (!this.storageService) return;
       const pubkey = this.getCurrentPubkey ? this.getCurrentPubkey() : null;
@@ -1222,9 +1261,11 @@ export class UploadModal {
     this.setGlobalModalState("upload", true);
     this.isVisible = true;
 
-    // Refresh lock state on open
+    // Refresh lock state on open. Auto-unlock first so a kept-unlocked nsec
+    // (restored on refresh) opens Unlocked instead of Locked (TODO #51).
     if (this.storageService) {
         const pubkey = this.getCurrentPubkey ? this.getCurrentPubkey() : null;
+        await this.maybeAutoUnlockStorage(pubkey);
         this.isStorageUnlocked = pubkey ? this.storageService.isUnlocked(pubkey) : false;
         this.updateLockUi();
         // Always attempt load to refresh configuration status (even if locked)
diff --git a/tests/storage-service.test.mjs b/tests/storage-service.test.mjs
index 10322541..d08f02bd 100644
--- a/tests/storage-service.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/storage-service.test.mjs
@@ -277,4 +277,29 @@ describe("StorageService", () => {
       /Storage is locked/,
     );
   });
+
+  // hasStoredAccount lets the upload modal auto-unlock EXISTING storage on refresh
+  // without unlock() creating a fresh account for users who never set it up (#51).
+  test("hasStoredAccount() is false before setup, true after, and never creates an account", async () => {
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      await storageService.hasStoredAccount(pubkey),
+      false,
+      "no account before any unlock",
+    );
+    // A read-only existence check must not create an account.
+    assert.strictEqual(await storageService.hasStoredAccount(pubkey), false);
+
+    await storageService.unlock(pubkey, { signer: mockSigner });
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      await storageService.hasStoredAccount(pubkey),
+      true,
+      "account exists after unlock persisted the encrypted master key",
+    );
+
+    // Survives a lock (existence is on-disk, not the in-memory master key).
+    storageService.lock(pubkey);
+    assert.strictEqual(await storageService.hasStoredAccount(pubkey), true);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(await storageService.hasStoredAccount(""), false);
+  });
 });