diff --git a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
index 3711866477b4..e86ce2a5fa77 100644
--- a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
+++ b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
@@ -3970,11 +3970,16 @@ export default class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
           await this.keyringController.addNewAccount(count));
       }
 
+      const { completedOnboarding } =
+        this.onboardingController.store.getState();
+
       // This must be set as soon as possible to communicate to the
       // keyring's iframe and have the setting initialized properly
       // Optimistically called to not block MetaMask login due to
       // Ledger Keyring GitHub downtime
-      this.setLedgerTransportPreference();
+      if (completedOnboarding) {
+        this.setLedgerTransportPreference();
+      }
 
       return vault;
     } finally {
@@ -4043,6 +4048,7 @@ export default class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
    * @param {string} password - The user's password
    */
   async submitPassword(password) {
+    const { completedOnboarding } = this.onboardingController.store.getState();
     await this.keyringController.submitPassword(password);
 
     ///: BEGIN:ONLY_INCLUDE_IF(build-mmi)
@@ -4061,7 +4067,9 @@ export default class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
     // keyring's iframe and have the setting initialized properly
     // Optimistically called to not block MetaMask login due to
     // Ledger Keyring GitHub downtime
-    this.setLedgerTransportPreference();
+    if (completedOnboarding) {
+      this.setLedgerTransportPreference();
+    }
   }
 
   async _loginUser(password) {
@@ -4221,6 +4229,10 @@ export default class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
   async connectHardware(deviceName, page, hdPath) {
     const keyring = await this.getKeyringForDevice(deviceName, hdPath);
 
+    if (deviceName === HardwareDeviceNames.ledger) {
+      await this.setLedgerTransportPreference(keyring);
+    }
+
     let accounts = [];
     switch (page) {
       case -1:
@@ -5879,14 +5891,16 @@ export default class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
   /**
    * Sets the Ledger Live preference to use for Ledger hardware wallet support
    *
+   * @param _keyring
    * @deprecated This method is deprecated and will be removed in the future.
    * Only webhid connections are supported in chrome and u2f in firefox.
    */
-  async setLedgerTransportPreference() {
+  async setLedgerTransportPreference(_keyring) {
     const transportType = window.navigator.hid
       ? LedgerTransportTypes.webhid
       : LedgerTransportTypes.u2f;
-    const keyring = await this.getKeyringForDevice(HardwareDeviceNames.ledger);
+    const keyring =
+      _keyring || (await this.getKeyringForDevice(HardwareDeviceNames.ledger));
     if (keyring?.updateTransportMethod) {
       return keyring.updateTransportMethod(transportType).catch((e) => {
         throw e;