diff --git a/radicle-cli/examples/rad-auth.md b/radicle-cli/examples/rad-auth.md
index 6967025b..57984d1c 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/examples/rad-auth.md
+++ b/radicle-cli/examples/rad-auth.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ $ rad auth
 Initializing your 🌱 profile and identity
 
 ✓ Creating your 🌱 Ed25519 keypair...
+! Adding your radicle key to ssh-agent...
 ✓ Your Radicle ID is did:key:z6MknSLrJoTcukLrE435hVNQT4JUhbvWLX4kUzqkEStBU8Vi. This identifies your device.
 
 👉 To create a radicle project, run `rad init` from a git repository.
diff --git a/radicle-cli/src/commands/auth.rs b/radicle-cli/src/commands/auth.rs
index bdea54b7..0595dccb 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/src/commands/auth.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/src/commands/auth.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use std::ffi::OsString;
 use anyhow::anyhow;
 
 use radicle::crypto::ssh;
+use radicle::crypto::ssh::Passphrase;
 use radicle::{profile, Profile};
 
 use crate::terminal as term;
@@ -86,9 +87,16 @@ pub fn init(options: Options) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         term::passphrase_confirm()
     }?;
     let spinner = term::spinner("Creating your 🌱 Ed25519 keypair...");
-    let profile = Profile::init(home, passphrase)?;
+    let profile = Profile::init(home, passphrase.clone())?;
     spinner.finish();
 
+    let spinner = term::spinner("Adding your radicle key to ssh-agent...");
+    if register(&profile, passphrase).is_ok() {
+        spinner.finish();
+    } else {
+        spinner.warn();
+    }
+
     term::success!(
         "Your Radicle ID is {}. This identifies your device.",
         term::format::highlight(profile.did())
@@ -124,12 +132,7 @@ pub fn authenticate(profile: &Profile, options: Options) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             term::passphrase()
         }?;
         let spinner = term::spinner("Unlocking...");
-        let mut agent = ssh::agent::Agent::connect()?;
-        let secret = profile
-            .keystore
-            .secret_key(passphrase)?
-            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("Key not found in {:?}", profile.keystore.path()))?;
-        agent.register(&secret)?;
+        register(profile, passphrase)?;
         spinner.finish();
 
         term::success!("Radicle key added to ssh-agent");
@@ -139,3 +142,16 @@ pub fn authenticate(profile: &Profile, options: Options) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+/// Register key with ssh-agent.
+pub fn register(profile: &Profile, passphrase: Passphrase) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let mut agent = ssh::agent::Agent::connect()?;
+    let secret = profile
+        .keystore
+        .secret_key(passphrase)?
+        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("Key not found in {:?}", profile.keystore.path()))?;
+
+    agent.register(&secret)?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/radicle-cli/src/terminal/io.rs b/radicle-cli/src/terminal/io.rs
index 96e72b39..4856ec1d 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/src/terminal/io.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/src/terminal/io.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use super::Error;
 use super::{style, Paint};
 
 pub const ERROR_PREFIX: Paint<&str> = Paint::red("✗");
+pub const WARNING_PREFIX: Paint<&str> = Paint::yellow("!");
 pub const TAB: &str = "    ";
 
 /// Render configuration.
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ pub fn subcommand(msg: impl fmt::Display) {
 pub fn warning(warning: &str) {
     println!(
         "{} {} {warning}",
-        Paint::yellow("!"),
+        WARNING_PREFIX,
         Paint::yellow("Warning:").bold(),
     );
 }
diff --git a/radicle-cli/src/terminal/spinner.rs b/radicle-cli/src/terminal/spinner.rs
index 02e3e5db..16d44474 100644
--- a/radicle-cli/src/terminal/spinner.rs
+++ b/radicle-cli/src/terminal/spinner.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use std::mem::ManuallyDrop;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::{fmt, io, thread, time};
 
-use crate::terminal::io::ERROR_PREFIX;
+use crate::terminal::io::{ERROR_PREFIX, WARNING_PREFIX};
 use crate::terminal::Paint;
 
 /// How much time to wait between spinner animation updates.
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ enum State {
     Running { cursor: usize },
     Canceled,
     Done,
+    Warn,
     Error,
 }
 
@@ -84,6 +85,13 @@ impl Spinner {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Cancel the spinner with a warning sign.
+    pub fn warn(self) {
+        if let Ok(mut progress) = self.progress.lock() {
+            progress.state = State::Warn;
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Set the spinner's message.
     pub fn message(&mut self, msg: impl fmt::Display) {
         let msg = msg.to_string();
@@ -150,6 +158,13 @@ pub fn spinner(message: impl ToString) -> Spinner {
                         .ok();
                         break;
                     }
+                    Progress {
+                        state: State::Warn,
+                        message,
+                    } => {
+                        writeln!(stdout, "{WARNING_PREFIX} {message}").ok();
+                        break;
+                    }
                     Progress {
                         state: State::Error,
                         message,