diff --git a/apps/api/src/admin/user-admin.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/admin/user-admin.e2e.db.test.ts
index 731c123..5fb17f8 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/admin/user-admin.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/admin/user-admin.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { PondsService } from '../ponds/ponds.service';
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 
 /**
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('user admin (e2e, issue #59)', () => {
   afterAll(async () => {
     const all = Object.values(ids);
     await prisma.session.deleteMany({ where: { userId: { in: all } } });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { ownerId: { in: all } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { ownerId: { in: all } });
     await prisma.userIdentity.deleteMany({ where: { userId: { in: all } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { id: { in: all } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/auth/auth.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/auth/auth.e2e.db.test.ts
index e92a8f2..067159a 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/auth/auth.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/auth/auth.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import request from 'supertest';
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 
 describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('auth flows (e2e)', () => {
   let app: INestApplication;
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('auth flows (e2e)', () => {
 
   afterAll(async () => {
     // Verified users own a personal pond (#21) — remove it before them.
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.mailOutbox.deleteMany({ where: { toAddress: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts
index aa8972a..e9fd249 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { AuthTokensService } from '../auth/auth-tokens.service';
 import { createTestApp } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 
 import { FileStorageService } from './file-storage.service';
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('attachment integrity (e2e, issue #199)', () => {
     await prisma.attachment.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
     const where = { pond: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } };
     await prisma.roleGrant.deleteMany({ where });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
     await app.close();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/i18n/api-i18n.ts b/apps/api/src/i18n/api-i18n.ts
index c22fa4f..bcbc4b5 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/i18n/api-i18n.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/i18n/api-i18n.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import deErrors from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/errors.json';
 import deLegal from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/legal.json';
 import deMails from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/mails.json';
+import dePonds from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/ponds.json';
 import deTasks from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/tasks.json';
 import enErrors from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/errors.json';
 import enLegal from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/legal.json';
 import enMails from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/mails.json';
+import enPonds from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/ponds.json';
 import enTasks from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/tasks.json';
 import { createInstance, type i18n as I18n } from 'i18next';
 
@@ -17,8 +19,8 @@ export const apiI18n: I18n = createInstance();
 
 void apiI18n.init({
   resources: {
-    en: { errors: enErrors, mails: enMails, legal: enLegal, tasks: enTasks },
-    de: { errors: deErrors, mails: deMails, legal: deLegal, tasks: deTasks },
+    en: { errors: enErrors, mails: enMails, legal: enLegal, tasks: enTasks, ponds: enPonds },
+    de: { errors: deErrors, mails: deMails, legal: deLegal, tasks: deTasks, ponds: dePonds },
   },
   fallbackLng: 'en',
   supportedLngs: ['de', 'en'],
diff --git a/apps/api/src/import-export/conversion-job.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/import-export/conversion-job.e2e.db.test.ts
index c829278..d51f992 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/import-export/conversion-job.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/import-export/conversion-job.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { AuthTokensService } from '../auth/auth-tokens.service';
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 
 import { ConversionJobService } from './conversion-job.service';
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('conversion job queue (e2e, issue #62)', () => {
     // grant); clear those before the users they reference.
     const where = { pond: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } };
     await prisma.roleGrant.deleteMany({ where });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
     await app.close();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/members/members.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/members/members.e2e.db.test.ts
index 0fbbf40..4549e1c 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/members/members.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/members/members.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { PondsService } from '../ponds/ponds.service';
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 
 /**
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('pond members (e2e, issue #54)', () => {
     const ids = Object.values(userIds);
     await prisma.roleGrant.deleteMany({ where: { pond: { ownerId: { in: ids } } } });
     await prisma.quotaOverride.deleteMany({ where: { subjectId: { in: [...ids, pondId] } } });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { ownerId: { in: ids } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { ownerId: { in: ids } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { id: { in: ids } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
     await app.close();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/pages/pages.module.ts b/apps/api/src/pages/pages.module.ts
index ab9eace..0a3c640 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/pages/pages.module.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/pages/pages.module.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
 
-import { PondsModule } from '../ponds/ponds.module';
 import { WatchesModule } from '../watches/watches.module';
 import { SearchModule } from '../search/search.module';
 
@@ -10,7 +9,7 @@ import { PluginApiController } from './plugin-api.controller';
 import { TasksService } from './tasks.service';
 
 @Module({
-  imports: [PondsModule, SearchModule, WatchesModule],
+  imports: [SearchModule, WatchesModule],
   controllers: [PagesController, PluginApiController],
   providers: [PagesService, TasksService],
   exports: [PagesService, TasksService],
diff --git a/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.e2e.db.test.ts
index bd71d32..af94409 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { PondsService } from '../ponds/ponds.service';
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 
 /**
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('plugin API (e2e, issue #74)', () => {
   const userIds: Record<string, string> = {};
   const cookies: Record<string, string> = {};
   let pondId: string;
+  let startPageId: string;
   let openPageId: string;
   let secretPageId: string;
 
@@ -71,6 +72,10 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('plugin API (e2e, issue #74)', () => {
       .send({ name: `PlugApi Pond ${suffix}` })
       .expect(201);
     pondId = pond.body.id;
+    // Every pond created through the api starts with a page (issue #302);
+    // a "full reader sees everything" assertion has to include it rather
+    // than pretend the pond began empty.
+    startPageId = pond.body.settings.startPageId as string;
 
     const open = await api()
       .post(`/api/v1/ponds/${pondId}/pages`)
@@ -128,10 +133,10 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('plugin API (e2e, issue #74)', () => {
     await prisma.pageContentCache.deleteMany({ where: { page: { pondId } } });
     await prisma.pageUpdate.deleteMany({ where: { page: { pondId } } });
     await prisma.page.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { id: pondId } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { id: pondId });
     const ids = Object.values(userIds);
     await prisma.roleGrant.deleteMany({ where: { pond: { ownerId: { in: ids } } } });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { ownerId: { in: ids } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { ownerId: { in: ids } });
     await prisma.quotaOverride.deleteMany({ where: { subjectId: { in: ids } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { id: { in: ids } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
@@ -144,7 +149,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('plugin API (e2e, issue #74)', () => {
       .set('Cookie', cookies.owner!)
       .expect(200);
     expect(res.body.map((p: { id: string }) => p.id).sort()).toEqual(
-      [openPageId, secretPageId].sort(),
+      [startPageId, openPageId, secretPageId].sort(),
     );
     expect(res.body[0]).toMatchObject({ title: expect.any(String), slug: expect.any(String) });
     // Label *names* travel with each summary (issue #77, page-index filter).
diff --git a/apps/api/src/permissions/permissions.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/permissions/permissions.e2e.db.test.ts
index 08ebe2e..3ac6055 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/permissions/permissions.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/permissions/permissions.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { PondsService } from '../ponds/ponds.service';
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 
 /**
@@ -120,11 +120,11 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('permission enforcement (e2e, issue #52)', () => {
     await prisma.pageContentCache.deleteMany({ where: { page: { pondId } } });
     await prisma.pageUpdate.deleteMany({ where: { page: { pondId } } });
     await prisma.page.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { id: pondId } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { id: pondId });
     // Personal ponds (and their grants) before their users.
     const ids = Object.values(userIds);
     await prisma.roleGrant.deleteMany({ where: { pond: { ownerId: { in: ids } } } });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { ownerId: { in: ids } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { ownerId: { in: ids } });
     await prisma.quotaOverride.deleteMany({ where: { subjectId: { in: ids } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { id: { in: ids } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/plugins/plugins.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/plugins/plugins.e2e.db.test.ts
index fc013fd..4fd9433 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/plugins/plugins.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/plugins/plugins.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 
 import { AuthTokensService } from '../auth/auth-tokens.service';
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 
 import { PluginStorageService } from './plugin-storage.service';
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('plugins kill switch (e2e, issue #200)', () => {
     await prisma.plugin.deleteMany({ where: { id: pluginId } });
     const where = { pond: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } };
     await prisma.roleGrant.deleteMany({ where });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await app.close();
   });
diff --git a/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.e2e.db.test.ts
index 390b305..7464b30 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 
 import { AuthTokensService } from '../auth/auth-tokens.service';
 import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
-import { createTestPrisma, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { createTestPrisma, deletePondsWhere, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
 import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
 import { PondAccessNotifier } from './pond-access-notifier.service';
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('ponds (e2e, issue #21)', () => {
     await prisma.quotaOverride.deleteMany({
       where: { subjectId: { in: users.map((u) => u.id) } },
     });
-    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } } });
+    await deletePondsWhere(prisma, { owner: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { username: { contains: suffix } } });
     await prisma.$disconnect();
     await app.close();
@@ -106,6 +106,107 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('ponds (e2e, issue #21)', () => {
     expect(res.body.filter((p: { type: string }) => p.type === 'personal')).toHaveLength(1);
   });
 
+  it('gives a new shared pond a start page and points settings at it (issue #302)', async () => {
+    const created = await api()
+      .post('/api/v1/ponds')
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ name: `Startseitenteich ${suffix}` })
+      .expect(201);
+
+    const pages = await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/ponds/${created.body.id}/pages`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    expect(pages.body).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    // The title follows the creator's stored locale — this owner is 'de'.
+    expect(pages.body[0].title).toBe('Startseite');
+
+    const pond = await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/ponds/${created.body.slug}`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    expect(pond.body.settings.startPageId).toBe(pages.body[0].id);
+  });
+
+  it("titles the start page in the creator's locale (issue #302)", async () => {
+    // The owner is 'de' and got "Startseite" above; an 'en' account must get
+    // the English title. Without both halves the test would pass on a
+    // hardcoded string just as happily.
+    const users = app.get(UsersService);
+    const tokens = app.get(AuthTokensService);
+    const username = `ellie-${suffix}`;
+    const user = await users.createUser({
+      username,
+      email: `${username}@example.org`,
+      displayName: `Ellie English ${suffix}`,
+      password,
+      locale: 'en',
+    });
+    const token = await tokens.issue(user.id, 'EMAIL_VERIFICATION', 600);
+    await api().post('/api/v1/auth/verify-email').send({ token }).expect(204);
+
+    const pond = await prisma.pond.findFirstOrThrow({
+      where: { ownerId: user.id, type: 'PERSONAL' },
+    });
+    const pages = await prisma.page.findMany({ where: { pondId: pond.id } });
+    expect(pages.map((page) => page.title)).toEqual(['Home']);
+  });
+
+  it('gives the personal pond a start page too (issue #302)', async () => {
+    const res = await api().get('/api/v1/ponds').set('Cookie', ownerCookie).expect(200);
+    const personal = res.body.find((p: { type: string }) => p.type === 'personal');
+    const pages = await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/ponds/${personal.id}/pages`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    expect(pages.body).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(personal.settings.startPageId).toBe(pages.body[0].id);
+  });
+
+  it('changes the start page without losing other settings (issue #302)', async () => {
+    const created = await api()
+      .post('/api/v1/ponds')
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ name: `Wechselteich ${suffix}` })
+      .expect(201);
+    await api()
+      .patch(`/api/v1/ponds/${created.body.id}`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ commentPolicy: 'editors' })
+      .expect(200);
+
+    const second = await api()
+      .post(`/api/v1/ponds/${created.body.id}/pages`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ title: `Zweite ${suffix}` })
+      .expect(201);
+    const updated = await api()
+      .patch(`/api/v1/ponds/${created.body.id}`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ startPageId: second.body.id })
+      .expect(200);
+
+    expect(updated.body.settings.startPageId).toBe(second.body.id);
+    // The neighbouring key must survive the merge — settings hold only
+    // deviations, so an assigning write would silently reset it.
+    expect(updated.body.settings.commentPolicy).toBe('editors');
+  });
+
+  it('clears the start page back to the sort-order default (issue #302)', async () => {
+    const created = await api()
+      .post('/api/v1/ponds')
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ name: `Leerteich ${suffix}` })
+      .expect(201);
+    const cleared = await api()
+      .patch(`/api/v1/ponds/${created.body.id}`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ startPageId: null })
+      .expect(200);
+    expect(cleared.body.settings.startPageId).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it('creates shared ponds with deterministic slug suffixes', async () => {
     const name = `Gartenteich ${suffix}`;
     const first = await api()
diff --git a/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.module.ts b/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.module.ts
index 5e4f696..4389687 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.module.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.module.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { Module } from '@nestjs/common';
 
+import { PagesModule } from '../pages/pages.module';
 import { QuotasModule } from '../quotas/quotas.module';
 import { SearchModule } from '../search/search.module';
 
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ import { PondsController } from './ponds.controller';
 import { PondsService } from './ponds.service';
 
 @Module({
-  imports: [QuotasModule, SearchModule],
+  imports: [PagesModule, QuotasModule, SearchModule],
   controllers: [PondsController],
   providers: [PondsService, PondAccessNotifier],
   exports: [PondsService, PondAccessNotifier],
diff --git a/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.service.ts b/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.service.ts
index 8d38dea..e62d4cb 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/ponds/ponds.service.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import {
 import { Pond, Prisma, User } from '@prisma/client';
 import { PinoLogger } from 'nestjs-pino';
 
+import { apiI18n } from '../i18n/api-i18n';
+import { PagesService } from '../pages/pages.service';
 import { PermissionService } from '../permissions/permission.service';
 import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
 import { QuotaService } from '../quotas/quota.service';
@@ -23,11 +25,52 @@ export class PondsService {
     private readonly quotas: QuotaService,
     private readonly accessNotifier: PondAccessNotifier,
     private readonly search: SearchProvider,
+    private readonly pages: PagesService,
     private readonly logger: PinoLogger,
   ) {
     this.logger.setContext(PondsService.name);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Every new pond opens on a start page instead of the empty-pond hint
+   * (issue #302). Deliberately AFTER the creating transaction commits: the
+   * owner's POND_ADMIN grant is written inside it and the permission layer
+   * caches per pond, so creating the page in the same transaction would ask
+   * about rights the grant has not yet published.
+   *
+   * Goes through PagesService so the page carries every invariant a page
+   * needs — unique slug, appended sort key, derived content cache, search
+   * indexing, and an `emptyPageState()` the collab server can bind to. A
+   * hand-rolled insert here would produce a page the editor cannot open.
+   *
+   * Failure is logged, not fatal: a pond without a start page simply falls
+   * back to the historical behaviour, which is a working state. Losing the
+   * whole pond over its first page would not be.
+   */
+  private async createStartPage(owner: User, pondId: string): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      const title = apiI18n.t('ponds:startPage.title', {
+        lng: owner.locale === 'de' ? 'de' : 'en',
+      });
+      const page = await this.pages.create(owner, pondId, { title });
+      const pond = await this.prisma.pond.findUniqueOrThrow({
+        where: { id: pondId },
+        select: { settings: true },
+      });
+      // Merge rather than assign: stored settings hold only deviations from
+      // the defaults, and overwriting the object would drop them.
+      await this.prisma.pond.update({
+        where: { id: pondId },
+        data: { settings: { ...(pond.settings as object), startPageId: page.id } },
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      this.logger.error(
+        { pondId, err: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error) },
+        'start page for new pond could not be created',
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   viewOf(pond: Pond): PondView {
     return {
       id: pond.id,
@@ -105,7 +148,12 @@ export class PondsService {
       return created;
     });
     this.logger.info({ pondId: pond.id, ownerId: owner.id }, 'audit: pond created');
-    return this.viewOf(pond);
+    await this.createStartPage(owner, pond.id);
+    // Re-read: the row captured in the transaction predates the start page,
+    // so returning it would hand the caller `startPageId: null` for a pond
+    // that has one.
+    const withStartPage = await this.prisma.pond.findUniqueOrThrow({ where: { id: pond.id } });
+    return this.viewOf(withStartPage);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -128,6 +176,7 @@ export class PondsService {
       return created;
     });
     this.logger.info({ pondId: pond.id, ownerId: user.id }, 'audit: personal pond created');
+    await this.createStartPage(user, pond.id);
   }
 
   async listVisible(user: User): Promise<PondView[]> {
@@ -157,7 +206,8 @@ export class PondsService {
       input.commentPolicy !== undefined ||
       input.apiEnabled !== undefined ||
       input.mcpEnabled !== undefined ||
-      input.theme !== undefined;
+      input.theme !== undefined ||
+      input.startPageId !== undefined;
     const settings = !settingsChanged
       ? undefined
       : {
@@ -169,6 +219,7 @@ export class PondsService {
           ...(input.apiEnabled !== undefined ? { apiEnabled: input.apiEnabled } : {}),
           ...(input.mcpEnabled !== undefined ? { mcpEnabled: input.mcpEnabled } : {}),
           ...(input.theme !== undefined ? { theme: input.theme } : {}),
+          ...(input.startPageId !== undefined ? { startPageId: input.startPageId } : {}),
         };
     const updated = await this.prisma.pond.update({
       where: { id },
diff --git a/apps/api/src/testing/test-db.ts b/apps/api/src/testing/test-db.ts
index 5d57c76..e0a8de9 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/testing/test-db.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/testing/test-db.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
+import { Prisma, PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
 
 /** True when database-backed tests can run (see vitest.global-setup.ts). */
 export const hasTestDb = Boolean(process.env.TEST_DATABASE_URL);
@@ -40,3 +40,27 @@ export async function grantOwnerAdmin(
     },
   });
 }
+
+/**
+ * Deletes the ponds matching `where`, their pages first.
+ *
+ * `Page.pond` deliberately carries no `onDelete: Cascade` — a real purge
+ * (TrashService) removes a pond's contents explicitly and audits it, and a
+ * silent database cascade would hide that. Since issue #302 every pond
+ * created through the api starts with a page, so teardowns that went
+ * straight for `pond.deleteMany` now hit the foreign key.
+ *
+ * Page-owned rows (updates, comments, links, …) do cascade from the page.
+ */
+export async function deletePondsWhere(
+  prisma: PrismaClient,
+  where: Prisma.PondWhereInput,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const pondIds = (await prisma.pond.findMany({ where, select: { id: true } })).map(
+    (pond) => pond.id,
+  );
+  if (pondIds.length === 0) return;
+  await prisma.attachment.deleteMany({ where: { pondId: { in: pondIds } } });
+  await prisma.page.deleteMany({ where: { pondId: { in: pondIds } } });
+  await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { id: { in: pondIds } } });
+}
diff --git a/apps/api/src/trash/pond-purge.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/trash/pond-purge.e2e.db.test.ts
index 6a7a974..d58b6fc 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/trash/pond-purge.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/trash/pond-purge.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -231,7 +231,10 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('pond purge (e2e, issue #193)', () => {
       where: { action: 'pond.purged', targetId: pondId },
     });
     expect(audit).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(audit!.details).toMatchObject({ trigger: 'manual', pages: 2, attachments: 1 });
+    // Two pages created here plus the pond's own start page (issue #302) —
+    // the audit records what was actually removed, so the count moves with
+    // the pond's real contents rather than with what the test typed out.
+    expect(audit!.details).toMatchObject({ trigger: 'manual', pages: 3, attachments: 1 });
   });
 
   it('purges due ponds on the retention path with an audit event', async () => {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/i18n/index.ts b/apps/web/src/i18n/index.ts
index e7ff8e8..c35905a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/i18n/index.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/i18n/index.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import deLegal from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/legal.json';
 import deLinks from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/links.json';
 import deMembers from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/members.json';
 import deNotifications from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/notifications.json';
+import dePonds from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/ponds.json';
 import dePlugins from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/plugins.json';
 import dePublic from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/public.json';
 import deQuotas from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/de/quotas.json';
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ import enLegal from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/legal.json';
 import enLinks from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/links.json';
 import enMembers from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/members.json';
 import enNotifications from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/notifications.json';
+import enPonds from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/ponds.json';
 import enPlugins from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/plugins.json';
 import enPublic from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/public.json';
 import enQuotas from '@dorfteich/shared/i18n/en/quotas.json';
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ void i18n
         links: enLinks,
         members: enMembers,
         notifications: enNotifications,
+        ponds: enPonds,
         plugins: enPlugins,
         public: enPublic,
         quotas: enQuotas,
@@ -114,6 +117,7 @@ void i18n
         links: deLinks,
         members: deMembers,
         notifications: deNotifications,
+        ponds: dePonds,
         plugins: dePlugins,
         public: dePublic,
         quotas: deQuotas,
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/PondHomePage.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/PondHomePage.tsx
index 77ae254..8c73b6a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/PondHomePage.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/PondHomePage.tsx
@@ -31,10 +31,19 @@ export function PondHomePage(): React.JSX.Element {
   });
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (pages.data && pages.data.length > 0) {
-      navigate(`/p/${pondSlug}/${pages.data[0]!.slug}`, { replace: true });
-    }
-  }, [pages.data, pondSlug, navigate]);
+    if (!pages.data || pages.data.length === 0) return;
+    // The pond's chosen start page wins (issue #302), but only when it is in
+    // this user's page list. That list already holds just what they may see,
+    // so a start page hidden from them by a page-scoped grant falls back
+    // silently instead of landing them on a 404 — and it costs no extra
+    // request. A trashed start page is a stale id, not an error: it simply
+    // is not in the list either.
+    const startPageId = pond.data?.settings.startPageId ?? null;
+    const target =
+      (startPageId ? pages.data.find((page) => page.id === startPageId) : undefined) ??
+      pages.data[0]!;
+    navigate(`/p/${pondSlug}/${target.slug}`, { replace: true });
+  }, [pages.data, pond.data, pondSlug, navigate]);
 
   if (pond.error || pages.error) return <FormError error={pond.error ?? pages.error} />;
   if (!pond.data || !pages.data || pages.data.length > 0) return <></>;
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/PondSettingsPage.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/PondSettingsPage.tsx
index 91e6361..70c82d9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/PondSettingsPage.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/PondSettingsPage.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { EffectivePermissionsInspector } from '../access/EffectivePermissionsIns
 import { PondFileManager } from '../files/PondFileManager';
 import { apiGet } from '../lib/api';
 import { VaultImportSection } from '../import/VaultImportSection';
+import { StartPageSetting } from '../ponds/StartPageSetting';
 import { SidebarViewSetting } from '../layout/SidebarViewSetting';
 import { MemberManager } from '../members/MemberManager';
 import { DeletePondSection } from '../ponds/DeletePondSection';
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ export function PondSettingsPage(): React.JSX.Element {
   const { t: tFont } = useTranslation('font');
   const { t: tCommon } = useTranslation();
   const { t: tImport } = useTranslation('import');
+  const { t: tPonds } = useTranslation('ponds');
   const { pondSlug = '' } = useParams<{ pondSlug: string }>();
   const { user } = useAuth();
 
@@ -115,6 +117,16 @@ export function PondSettingsPage(): React.JSX.Element {
           </section>
         )}
         {canModify && <PondPluginSettings pondId={pond.data.id} />}
+        {canModify && (
+          <section>
+            <h2>{tPonds('startPage.label')}</h2>
+            <StartPageSetting
+              pondId={pond.data.id}
+              pondSlug={pondSlug}
+              value={pond.data.settings.startPageId}
+            />
+          </section>
+        )}
         {canModify && (
           <section>
             <h2>{tCommon('layout.sidebar.view.defaultTitle')}</h2>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/ponds/StartPageSetting.tsx b/apps/web/src/ponds/StartPageSetting.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed374ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/ponds/StartPageSetting.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import type { PageView } from '@dorfteich/shared';
+import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { useState } from 'react';
+import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
+
+import { FormError, FormSuccess } from '../components/forms';
+import { apiGet, apiPatch } from '../lib/api';
+
+/**
+ * Which page the pond opens on (issue #302). Before this, `/p/:pondSlug`
+ * always redirected to the first page in the sidebar's sort order — stable,
+ * but a rule nobody could see, and one whose target moved as soon as someone
+ * added a page that sorted ahead of it.
+ *
+ * The empty option is a real choice, not a blank entry: it restores exactly
+ * that historical behaviour. A pond whose stored start page has since been
+ * trashed shows the same empty state, because the id no longer resolves —
+ * `PondHomePage` falls back for the same reason.
+ */
+export function StartPageSetting({
+  pondId,
+  pondSlug,
+  value,
+}: {
+  pondId: string;
+  pondSlug: string;
+  value: string | null;
+}): React.JSX.Element {
+  const { t } = useTranslation('ponds');
+  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
+  const [error, setError] = useState<unknown>(null);
+  const [saved, setSaved] = useState(false);
+
+  const pages = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['pages', pondId],
+    queryFn: () => apiGet<PageView[]>(`/ponds/${pondId}/pages`),
+  });
+
+  const save = async (next: string): Promise<void> => {
+    setError(null);
+    setSaved(false);
+    try {
+      await apiPatch(`/ponds/${pondId}`, { startPageId: next === '' ? null : next });
+      await queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['pond', pondSlug] });
+      setSaved(true);
+    } catch (err) {
+      setError(err);
+    }
+  };
+
+  // A stored id that is not among the pond's pages (trashed, or not visible
+  // to this user) must not silently select the first option — show the
+  // fallback state instead, which is what the pond actually does.
+  const known = (pages.data ?? []).some((page) => page.id === value);
+  const selected = value && known ? value : '';
+
+  return (
+    <div className="start-page-setting">
+      <FormError error={error} />
+      <p className="start-page-setting__hint">{t('startPage.hint')}</p>
+      <label>
+        {t('startPage.label')}{' '}
+        <select
+          value={selected}
+          disabled={pages.isLoading}
+          onChange={(event) => void save(event.target.value)}
+        >
+          <option value="">{t('startPage.none')}</option>
+          {(pages.data ?? []).map((page) => (
+            <option key={page.id} value={page.id}>
+              {page.title}
+            </option>
+          ))}
+        </select>
+      </label>
+      {value && !known && !pages.isLoading && (
+        <p className="start-page-setting__hint" role="status">
+          {t('startPage.missing')}
+        </p>
+      )}
+      {saved && <FormSuccess message={t('startPage.saved')} />}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/shared/i18n/de/ponds.json b/packages/shared/i18n/de/ponds.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d927ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared/i18n/de/ponds.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "startPage": {
+    "title": "Startseite",
+    "label": "Seite beim Öffnen des Teichs",
+    "hint": "Legt fest, welche Seite erscheint, wenn der Teich ausgewählt wird.",
+    "none": "Keine — erste Seite der Sortierung",
+    "missing": "Die gespeicherte Startseite gibt es nicht mehr. Der Teich öffnet die erste Seite der Sortierung.",
+    "saved": "Startseite gespeichert."
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/shared/i18n/en/ponds.json b/packages/shared/i18n/en/ponds.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3cd93b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared/i18n/en/ponds.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "startPage": {
+    "title": "Home",
+    "label": "Page shown when the pond opens",
+    "hint": "Decides which page appears when the pond is selected.",
+    "none": "None — first page by sort order",
+    "missing": "The saved start page no longer exists. The pond opens the first page by sort order.",
+    "saved": "Start page saved."
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/ponds.ts b/packages/shared/src/ponds.ts
index 295a4ac..9b93760 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/ponds.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/ponds.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ export const pondSettingsSchema = z.object({
    * every member can override it locally (`ui.sidebar.view.<pondId>`). */
   sidebarView: z.enum(SIDEBAR_VIEW_MODES).default('folders'),
   fonts: pondFontsSchema.default({}),
+  /** Which page the pond opens on (issue #302). `null` keeps the historical
+   * behaviour — the first page in the sidebar's sort order, which is stable
+   * but invisible to the user and moves when a page sorts ahead of it. Held
+   * as an id, not a slug, so renaming or moving the page does not break it;
+   * a dangling id (page trashed) falls back rather than erroring. */
+  startPageId: z.string().uuid().nullable().default(null),
   /** Who may write comments (issue #91): every reader, or editors only. */
   commentPolicy: z.enum(COMMENT_POLICIES).default('readers'),
   /** Per-pond opt-in to the public REST API (issue #104, default off):
@@ -103,6 +109,7 @@ export const updatePondInputSchema = z
     apiEnabled: z.boolean(),
     mcpEnabled: z.boolean(),
     theme: pondThemeSchema,
+    startPageId: z.string().uuid().nullable(),
   })
   .partial();
 export type UpdatePondInput = z.infer<typeof updatePondInputSchema>;