diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index f076a4a..1232288 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # vmxr 0.1.1.9000 (development)
 
+* `vmx_login()` device-code prompt now matches the actual flow (GEN-2378).
+  Because the browser is opened at `verification_uri_complete` (the URL that
+  already embeds the `user_code`), the consent page shows the code **pre-filled**
+  and never asks the user to paste it. `vmx_login()` now prints its own guidance
+  before the flow — "check the code shown in the browser matches, then approve",
+  plus a note that you may not be prompted to paste it — reframing the misleading
+  "copy … and paste when requested" line that upstream `httr2` prints. The
+  guidance shows only in the interactive/browser branch; the non-interactive
+  fallback (plain `verification_uri`, where you *do* enter the code) is left to
+  httr2's accurate "Visit … and enter code" message.
 * OIDC access tokens now self-heal on a reused client (GEN-2344). `vmx_client()`
   no longer freezes the OIDC access token at construction: the bearer token is
   resolved **per request** via a provider closure, so a long-lived
diff --git a/R/oidc.R b/R/oidc.R
index 9f9f622..fd6f188 100644
--- a/R/oidc.R
+++ b/R/oidc.R
@@ -276,6 +276,39 @@ vmx_oidc_config <- function(issuer = NULL, client_id = NULL, scopes = NULL) {
   httr2::oauth_client(id = config$client_id, token_url = token_endpoint, auth = "body")
 }
 
+# Pre-frame httr2's device-code prompt so it matches what actually happens here
+# (GEN-2378). httr2::oauth_flow_device() hard-codes, in its *interactive* branch,
+#   "Copy <code> and paste when requested by the browser"
+# (r-lib/httr2 R/oauth-flow-device.R) -- but it opens `verification_uri_complete`,
+# the URL that already embeds the `user_code`, so Authentik's consent page shows
+# the code pre-filled and never asks the user to paste it. That "copy ... and
+# paste" line therefore describes a step that doesn't happen. We can't reword or
+# suppress httr2's line (no override argument; it wraps a bare readline), so we
+# print our own guidance immediately before it, reframing the step as "verify the
+# code matches, then approve" and warning that no paste prompt may appear.
+#
+# Only the interactive/browser branch is misleading. When httr2 runs
+# non-interactively it instead prints "Visit <url> and enter code <code>" against
+# the plain `verification_uri` (no embedded code), where entering the code IS the
+# real step -- so we stay silent there and let httr2's accurate instruction stand
+# (the paste/enter guidance belongs only on that fallback branch). We gate on the
+# same predicate httr2 uses for `open_browser` (rlang::is_interactive()) so our
+# framing tracks its branch exactly.
+.vmx_oidc_device_prompt <- function(interactive = rlang::is_interactive()) {
+  if (!isTRUE(interactive)) {
+    return(invisible())
+  }
+  cli::cli_bullets(c(
+    "i" = "A browser window will open to confirm your VeloMetrix sign-in.",
+    "*" = "Check that the security code shown in the browser matches the code printed below, then approve the request.",
+    "i" = paste0(
+      "You may not be prompted to enter or paste the code \u2014 it's ",
+      "already included in the sign-in URL, so the page may show it pre-filled."
+    )
+  ))
+  invisible()
+}
+
 # Wrap httr2's RFC 8628 device-code flow in a mockable binding. Kept minimal so
 # tests can stub it (the real flow opens a browser and blocks on polling).
 .vmx_oidc_device_flow <- function(oauth_client, device_url, scopes) {
@@ -356,6 +389,10 @@ vmx_login <- function(issuer = NULL, client_id = NULL, scopes = NULL,
   cache_path <- cache_path %||% .vmx_oidc_cache_path()
   endpoints <- .vmx_oidc_discover(config)
   oauth_client <- .vmx_oidc_client(config, endpoints$token)
+  # Reframe httr2's misleading "copy & paste the code" prompt before it prints
+  # (GEN-2378): the browser opens the pre-filled URL, so the user verifies and
+  # approves rather than pasting.
+  .vmx_oidc_device_prompt()
   raw <- tryCatch(
     .vmx_oidc_device_flow(oauth_client, endpoints$device, config$scopes),
     error = function(e) {
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-oidc.R b/tests/testthat/test-oidc.R
index 098216b..3caaf90 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-oidc.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-oidc.R
@@ -318,3 +318,51 @@ test_that("device-flow failures are wrapped as vmx_auth_error", {
   expect_s3_class(err, "vmx_auth_error")
   expect_match(conditionMessage(err), "device-code login failed")
 })
+
+# -- GEN-2378: device-code prompt wording ------------------------------------
+# httr2::oauth_flow_device() hard-codes a "Copy <code> and paste when requested"
+# line, but it opens the pre-filled verification_uri_complete, so no paste ever
+# happens. .vmx_oidc_device_prompt() pre-frames that as verify-and-approve in the
+# interactive/browser branch, and stays silent in the non-interactive branch
+# (where httr2's own "Visit <url> and enter code" instruction is accurate).
+
+test_that("device prompt reframes the browser flow as verify-and-approve (GEN-2378)", {
+  # Widen cli + collapse whitespace so console line-wrapping can't split a phrase
+  # mid-word and break the substring matches below.
+  withr::local_options(cli.width = 10000)
+  out <- gsub("\\s+", " ", paste(cli::cli_fmt(.vmx_oidc_device_prompt(interactive = TRUE)), collapse = " "))
+  # Tells the user to verify the code matches and approve -- not to paste it.
+  expect_match(out, "matches", ignore.case = TRUE)
+  expect_match(out, "approve", ignore.case = TRUE)
+  # The modified note: warn that no paste/enter prompt may appear (code pre-filled).
+  expect_match(out, "pre-filled", ignore.case = TRUE)
+  expect_match(out, "may not be prompted", ignore.case = TRUE)
+  # It must NOT instruct copy-and-paste (the misleading step this issue removes).
+  expect_false(grepl("paste when requested", out, ignore.case = TRUE))
+})
+
+test_that("device prompt stays silent in the non-interactive fallback branch (GEN-2378)", {
+  # httr2 prints "Visit <url> and enter code <code>" there, which is accurate, so
+  # vmxr adds nothing (the paste/enter instruction belongs only on that branch).
+  expect_identical(cli::cli_fmt(.vmx_oidc_device_prompt(interactive = FALSE)), character(0))
+})
+
+test_that("vmx_login shows the reframed device guidance before running the flow (GEN-2378)", {
+  cache <- withr::local_tempfile(fileext = ".json")
+  local_oidc_env(cache)
+  seen <- character(0)
+  testthat::local_mocked_bindings(
+    .vmx_oidc_discover = function(config) list(device = "https://auth.test/device", token = "https://auth.test/token"),
+    # Record ordering: the guidance must precede the (browser-opening) flow.
+    .vmx_oidc_device_prompt = function(interactive = rlang::is_interactive()) {
+      seen <<- c(seen, "prompt")
+      invisible()
+    },
+    .vmx_oidc_device_flow = function(oauth_client, device_url, scopes) {
+      seen <<- c(seen, "flow")
+      list(access_token = "acc", refresh_token = "ref", expires_in = 600, token_type = "Bearer")
+    }
+  )
+  suppressMessages(vmx_login())
+  expect_identical(seen, c("prompt", "flow"))
+})