diff --git a/site/src/lib/manifest.ts b/site/src/lib/manifest.ts
index 3071bc3..2dc52f2 100644
--- a/site/src/lib/manifest.ts
+++ b/site/src/lib/manifest.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@ export interface ShardHandle {
   url: string;
 }
 
+export function isInstancePrivate(): boolean {
+  try {
+    const dataDir = findDataDir();
+    if (!dataDir) return false;
+    const root = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(dataDir, 'index.json'), 'utf-8'));
+    return root?.instance?.private === true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 export function readShardHandles(): ShardHandle[] {
   try {
     const dataDir = findDataDir();
diff --git a/site/src/pages/index.astro b/site/src/pages/index.astro
index eac5563..2adc560 100644
--- a/site/src/pages/index.astro
+++ b/site/src/pages/index.astro
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 ---
 import Base from '../layouts/Base.astro';
 import ActivityFeed from '../components/ActivityFeed.svelte';
-import { readShardHandles } from '../lib/manifest';
+import { readShardHandles, isInstancePrivate } from '../lib/manifest';
 
 const base = import.meta.env.BASE_URL;
 const shards = readShardHandles();
-const isSingleUser = shards.length === 1;
+const isSingleUser = shards.length === 1 && !isInstancePrivate();
 const singleHandle = isSingleUser ? shards[0].handle : null;
 ---
 {isSingleUser ? (