diff --git a/.changeset/ocpp-ui-honest-toggle.md b/.changeset/ocpp-ui-honest-toggle.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..258772fc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/ocpp-ui-honest-toggle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+"ftw": patch
+---
+
+Enabling the OCPP server from the Chargers panel now works on the first
+try: the username field carries the real default ("ftw") instead of a
+placeholder that validation then rejected, and saving an OCPP change
+honestly reports that a restart is required — the central system
+listener only starts at boot, so the previous "no restart needed"
+answer left the port silently closed after an apparently successful
+save.
diff --git a/go/internal/config/restart_required.go b/go/internal/config/restart_required.go
index 48e12ce67..79582b35b 100644
--- a/go/internal/config/restart_required.go
+++ b/go/internal/config/restart_required.go
@@ -77,6 +77,14 @@ func RestartRequiredFor(oldCfg, newCfg *Config) []string {
 	if oldCfg.FleetPing.Resolved() != newCfg.FleetPing.Resolved() {
 		reasons = append(reasons, "fleet_ping.endpoint — the sender resolves its endpoint at startup")
 	}
+	// The OCPP central system is started once in main.go; the config
+	// applier neither starts, stops nor re-arms it. Without this entry
+	// the Chargers panel's enable toggle saved cleanly, reported no
+	// restart needed, and the listener never opened — the exact silent
+	// failure the comment at the top of this file warns about.
+	if !pointerEqual(oldCfg.OCPP, newCfg.OCPP) {
+		reasons = append(reasons, "ocpp — the central system listener is started at startup")
+	}
 	if !pointerEqual(oldCfg.EVCharger, newCfg.EVCharger) {
 		reasons = append(reasons, "ev_charger — EV charger client is constructed once at startup")
 	}
diff --git a/go/internal/config/restart_required_test.go b/go/internal/config/restart_required_test.go
index 0a3f1286e..b51ef189e 100644
--- a/go/internal/config/restart_required_test.go
+++ b/go/internal/config/restart_required_test.go
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ func TestRestartRequiredFor_BootSections(t *testing.T) {
 		{"ev_charger added", func(c *Config) {
 			c.EVCharger = &EVCharger{Provider: "easee", Username: "a@b.c"}
 		}, "ev_charger"},
+		{"ocpp enabled", func(c *Config) {
+			c.OCPP = &OCPP{Enabled: true, Port: 8887, Username: "ftw", Password: "long-random-string"}
+		}, "ocpp"},
 		{"caldav credentials changed", func(c *Config) {
 			c.CalDAV = &CalDAV{Enabled: true, Username: "calendar-user", Password: "rotated"}
 		}, "caldav"},
diff --git a/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.js b/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.js
index b195f499a..01bb1bfc7 100644
--- a/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.js
+++ b/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.js
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
       '</div>' +
       '<div>' +
       '<label>Username ' + h("The username every charger presents, unless it has a credential of its own in config.yaml.") + '</label>' +
-      '<input type="text" data-path="ocpp.username" value="' + escHtml(o.username || "") + '" placeholder="ftw">' +
+      '<input type="text" data-path="ocpp.username" value="' + escHtml(o.username || "ftw") + '">' +
       '</div>' +
       '</div>' +
       '<div class="field-row">' +
diff --git a/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.test.mjs b/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.test.mjs
index 3befb0274..ab2ecf95a 100644
--- a/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.test.mjs
+++ b/web/settings/tabs/loadpoints.test.mjs
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@ describe("OCPP server form", () => {
     // Defaults an operator would otherwise have to go and look up.
     assert.match(html, /data-path="ocpp\.port" value="8887"/);
     assert.match(html, /data-path="ocpp\.path" value="\/"/);
+    // The username default is a real value, not a placeholder: validation
+    // requires it when the server is enabled, so a field that only hinted
+    // "ftw" made every first enable fail with a 400.
+    assert.match(html, /data-path="ocpp\.username" value="ftw"/);
   });
 
   it("never renders the stored password back into the page", () => {