diff --git a/src/public/app/setup.js b/src/public/app/setup.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 0c12534a8..000000000
--- a/src/public/app/setup.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,107 +0,0 @@
-import utils from "./services/utils.js";
-import macInit from "./services/mac_init.js";
-
-macInit.init();
-
-function SetupModel() {
-    if (syncInProgress) {
-        setInterval(checkOutstandingSyncs, 1000);
-    }
-
-    const serverAddress = `${location.protocol}//${location.host}`;
-
-    $("#current-host").html(serverAddress);
-
-    this.step = ko.observable(syncInProgress ? "sync-in-progress" : "setup-type");
-    this.setupType = ko.observable();
-
-    this.setupNewDocument = ko.observable(false);
-    this.setupSyncFromDesktop = ko.observable(false);
-    this.setupSyncFromServer = ko.observable(false);
-
-    this.syncServerHost = ko.observable();
-    this.syncProxy = ko.observable();
-    this.password = ko.observable();
-
-    this.setupTypeSelected = () => !!this.setupType();
-
-    this.selectSetupType = () => {
-        if (this.setupType() === "new-document") {
-            this.step("new-document-in-progress");
-
-            $.post("api/setup/new-document").then(() => {
-                window.location.replace("./setup");
-            });
-        } else {
-            this.step(this.setupType());
-        }
-    };
-
-    this.back = () => {
-        this.step("setup-type");
-
-        this.setupType("");
-    };
-
-    this.finish = async () => {
-        const syncServerHost = this.syncServerHost();
-        const syncProxy = this.syncProxy();
-        const password = this.password();
-
-        if (!syncServerHost) {
-            showAlert("Trilium server address can't be empty");
-            return;
-        }
-
-        if (!password) {
-            showAlert("Password can't be empty");
-            return;
-        }
-
-        // not using server.js because it loads too many dependencies
-        const resp = await $.post("api/setup/sync-from-server", {
-            syncServerHost: syncServerHost,
-            syncProxy: syncProxy,
-            password: password
-        });
-
-        if (resp.result === "success") {
-            this.step("sync-in-progress");
-
-            setInterval(checkOutstandingSyncs, 1000);
-
-            hideAlert();
-        } else {
-            showAlert(`Sync setup failed: ${resp.error}`);
-        }
-    };
-}
-
-async function checkOutstandingSyncs() {
-    const { outstandingPullCount, initialized } = await $.get("api/sync/stats");
-
-    if (initialized) {
-        if (utils.isElectron()) {
-            const remote = utils.dynamicRequire("@electron/remote");
-            remote.app.relaunch();
-            remote.app.exit(0);
-        } else {
-            utils.reloadFrontendApp();
-        }
-    } else {
-        $("#outstanding-syncs").html(outstandingPullCount);
-    }
-}
-
-function showAlert(message) {
-    $("#alert").html(message);
-    $("#alert").show();
-}
-
-function hideAlert() {
-    $("#alert").hide();
-}
-
-ko.applyBindings(new SetupModel(), document.getElementById("setup-dialog"));
-
-$("#setup-dialog").show();
diff --git a/src/public/app/setup.ts b/src/public/app/setup.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e88d44e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/public/app/setup.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+import utils from "./services/utils.js";
+import macInit from "./services/mac_init.js";
+import ko from "knockout";
+
+macInit.init();
+
+// TriliumNextTODO: properly make use of below types
+// type SetupModelSetupType = "new-document" | "sync-from-desktop" | "sync-from-server" | "";
+// type SetupModelStep = "sync-in-progress" | "setup-type" | "new-document-in-progress" | "sync-from-desktop";
+
+class SetupModel {
+    syncInProgress: boolean;
+    step: ko.Observable<string>;
+    setupType: ko.Observable<string>;
+    setupNewDocument: ko.Observable<boolean>;
+    setupSyncFromDesktop: ko.Observable<boolean>;
+    setupSyncFromServer: ko.Observable<boolean>;
+    syncServerHost: ko.Observable<string|undefined>;
+    syncProxy: ko.Observable<string|undefined>;
+    password: ko.Observable<string|undefined>;
+
+    constructor(syncInProgress: boolean) {
+        this.syncInProgress = syncInProgress;
+        this.step = ko.observable(syncInProgress ? "sync-in-progress" : "setup-type");
+        this.setupType = ko.observable("");
+        this.setupNewDocument = ko.observable(false);
+        this.setupSyncFromDesktop = ko.observable(false);
+        this.setupSyncFromServer = ko.observable(false);
+        this.syncServerHost = ko.observable();
+        this.syncProxy = ko.observable();
+        this.password = ko.observable();
+
+        if (this.syncInProgress) {
+            setInterval(checkOutstandingSyncs, 1000);
+        }
+        const serverAddress = `${location.protocol}//${location.host}`;
+        $("#current-host").html(serverAddress);
+
+    }
+
+    // this is called in setup.ejs
+    setupTypeSelected() {
+        return !!this.setupType();
+    }
+
+    selectSetupType() {
+        if (this.setupType() === "new-document") {
+            this.step("new-document-in-progress");
+
+            $.post("api/setup/new-document").then(() => {
+                window.location.replace("./setup");
+            });
+        } else {
+            this.step(this.setupType());
+        }
+    };
+
+    back() {
+        this.step("setup-type");
+        this.setupType("");
+    };
+
+
+    async finish () {
+        const syncServerHost = this.syncServerHost();
+        const syncProxy = this.syncProxy();
+        const password = this.password();
+
+        if (!syncServerHost) {
+            showAlert("Trilium server address can't be empty");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (!password) {
+            showAlert("Password can't be empty");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // not using server.js because it loads too many dependencies
+        const resp = await $.post("api/setup/sync-from-server", {
+            syncServerHost: syncServerHost,
+            syncProxy: syncProxy,
+            password: password
+        });
+
+        if (resp.result === "success") {
+            this.step("sync-in-progress");
+
+            setInterval(checkOutstandingSyncs, 1000);
+
+            hideAlert();
+        } else {
+            showAlert(`Sync setup failed: ${resp.error}`);
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+async function checkOutstandingSyncs() {
+    const { outstandingPullCount, initialized } = await $.get("api/sync/stats");
+
+    if (initialized) {
+        if (utils.isElectron()) {
+            const remote = utils.dynamicRequire("@electron/remote");
+            remote.app.relaunch();
+            remote.app.exit(0);
+        } else {
+            utils.reloadFrontendApp();
+        }
+    } else {
+        $("#outstanding-syncs").html(outstandingPullCount);
+    }
+}
+
+function showAlert(message: string) {
+    $("#alert").html(message);
+    $("#alert").show();
+}
+
+function hideAlert() {
+    $("#alert").hide();
+}
+
+function getSyncInProgress() {
+    const el = document.getElementById('syncInProgress');
+    if (!el || !(el instanceof HTMLMetaElement)) return false;
+    return !!parseInt(el.content);
+}
+
+addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", (event) => {
+    ko.applyBindings(new SetupModel(getSyncInProgress()), document.getElementById("setup-dialog"));
+    $("#setup-dialog").show();
+});
+
+