diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/UITask.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/UITask.cpp
index b454d939..c42bb094 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/UITask.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/UITask.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ static const uint8_t meshcore_logo [] PROGMEM = {
     0xe3, 0xe3, 0x8f, 0xff, 0x1f, 0xfc, 0x3c, 0x0e, 0x1f, 0xf8, 0xff, 0xf8, 0x70, 0x3c, 0x7f, 0xf8, 
 };
 
-void UITask::begin(const char* node_name, const char* build_date, uint32_t pin_code) {
+void UITask::begin(DisplayDriver* display, const char* node_name, const char* build_date, uint32_t pin_code) {
+  _display = display;
   _auto_off = millis() + AUTO_OFF_MILLIS;
   clearMsgPreview();
   _node_name = node_name;
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/UITask.h b/examples/companion_radio/UITask.h
index 4cea0b8d..a0c60186 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/UITask.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/UITask.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <MeshCore.h>
 #include <helpers/ui/DisplayDriver.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
 
 class UITask {
   DisplayDriver* _display;
@@ -21,13 +22,14 @@ class UITask {
 
 public:
 
-  UITask(mesh::MainBoard* board, DisplayDriver* display) : _board(board), _display(display){ 
+  UITask(mesh::MainBoard* board) : _board(board), _display(NULL) {
       _next_refresh = 0; 
       _connected = false;
   }
-  void begin(const char* node_name, const char* build_date, uint32_t pin_code);
+  void begin(DisplayDriver* display, const char* node_name, const char* build_date, uint32_t pin_code);
 
   void setHasConnection(bool connected) { _connected = connected; }
+  bool hasDisplay() const { return _display != NULL; }
   void clearMsgPreview();
   void msgRead(int msgcount);
   void newMsg(uint8_t path_len, const char* from_name, const char* text, int msgcount);
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp
index 3733470a..03bd1065 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp
@@ -109,12 +109,13 @@
   #include <helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.h>
 
   static DISPLAY_CLASS  display;
-  static UITask ui_task(&board, &display);
   #define HAS_UI
-#elif defined(HAS_UI)
+#endif
+
+#if defined(HAS_UI)
   #include "UITask.h"
 
-  static UITask ui_task(&board, NULL);
+  static UITask ui_task(&board);
 #endif
 
 // Believe it or not, this std C function is busted on some platforms!
@@ -719,7 +720,7 @@ public:
     //_prefs.rx_delay_base = 10.0f;  enable once new algo fixed
   }
 
-  void begin(FILESYSTEM& fs, mesh::RNG& trng) {
+  void begin(FILESYSTEM& fs, mesh::RNG& trng, bool has_display) {
     _fs = &fs;
 
     BaseChatMesh::begin();
@@ -770,8 +771,12 @@ public:
 
   #ifdef BLE_PIN_CODE
     if (_prefs.ble_pin == 0) {
-    #ifdef DISPLAY_CLASS
-      _active_ble_pin = trng.nextInt(100000, 999999);  // random pin each session
+    #ifdef HAS_UI
+      if (has_display) {
+        _active_ble_pin = trng.nextInt(100000, 999999);  // random pin each session
+      } else {
+        _active_ble_pin = BLE_PIN_CODE;  // otherwise static pin
+      }
     #else
       _active_ble_pin = BLE_PIN_CODE;  // otherwise static pin
     #endif
@@ -1432,9 +1437,24 @@ void setup() {
 
   RadioNoiseListener trng(radio);
 
+#ifdef HAS_UI
+  DisplayDriver* disp = NULL;
+ #ifdef DISPLAY_CLASS
+  if (display.begin()) {
+    disp = &display;
+  }
+ #endif
+#endif
+
 #if defined(NRF52_PLATFORM)
   InternalFS.begin();
-  the_mesh.begin(InternalFS, trng);
+  the_mesh.begin(InternalFS, trng,
+    #ifdef HAS_UI
+        disp != NULL
+    #else
+        false
+    #endif
+  );
 
 #ifdef BLE_PIN_CODE
   char dev_name[32+16];
@@ -1446,7 +1466,13 @@ void setup() {
   the_mesh.startInterface(serial_interface);
 #elif defined(ESP32)
   SPIFFS.begin(true);
-  the_mesh.begin(SPIFFS, trng);
+  the_mesh.begin(SPIFFS, trng,
+    #ifdef HAS_UI
+        disp != NULL
+    #else
+        false
+    #endif
+  );
 
 #ifdef WIFI_SSID
   WiFi.begin(WIFI_SSID, WIFI_PWD);
@@ -1463,11 +1489,8 @@ void setup() {
   #error "need to define filesystem"
 #endif
 
-#ifdef DISPLAY_CLASS
-  display.begin();
-#endif
 #ifdef HAS_UI
-  ui_task.begin(the_mesh.getNodeName(), FIRMWARE_BUILD_DATE, the_mesh.getBLEPin());
+  ui_task.begin(disp, the_mesh.getNodeName(), FIRMWARE_BUILD_DATE, the_mesh.getBLEPin());
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.cpp b/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.cpp
index fe5be0ca..4c2699ac 100644
--- a/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 #include "SSD1306Display.h"
 
+bool SSD1306Display::i2c_probe(TwoWire& wire, uint8_t addr) {
+  wire.beginTransmission(addr);
+  uint8_t error = wire.endTransmission();
+  return (error == 0);
+}
+
 bool SSD1306Display::begin() {
-  return display.begin(SSD1306_SWITCHCAPVCC, DISPLAY_ADDRESS, true, false);
+  return display.begin(SSD1306_SWITCHCAPVCC, DISPLAY_ADDRESS, true, false) && i2c_probe(Wire, DISPLAY_ADDRESS);
 }
 
 void SSD1306Display::turnOn() {
diff --git a/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.h b/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.h
index a685eedf..c90a336d 100644
--- a/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.h
+++ b/src/helpers/ui/SSD1306Display.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "DisplayDriver.h"
 #include <Wire.h>
 #include <Adafruit_GFX.h>
+#define SSD1306_NO_SPLASH
 #include <Adafruit_SSD1306.h>
 
 #ifndef PIN_OLED_RESET
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ class SSD1306Display : public DisplayDriver {
   bool _isOn;
   uint8_t _color;
 
+  bool i2c_probe(TwoWire& wire, uint8_t addr);
 public:
   SSD1306Display() : DisplayDriver(128, 64), display(128, 64, &Wire, PIN_OLED_RESET) { _isOn = false; }
   bool begin();