diff --git a/lib/utils.pm b/lib/utils.pm
index 325e5869..9d96e6fd 100644
--- a/lib/utils.pm
+++ b/lib/utils.pm
@@ -302,6 +302,8 @@ sub start_cockpit {
     # run firefox directly in X as root. never do this, kids!
     type_string "startx /usr/bin/firefox -width 1024 -height 768 http://localhost:9090\n";
     assert_screen "cockpit_login";
+    # this happened on early Modular Server composes...
+    record_soft_failure "Unbranded Cockpit" if (match_has_tag "cockpit_login_unbranded");
     wait_still_screen 5;
     if ($login) {
         type_safely "root";
diff --git a/needles/cockpit/login-unbranded-20171107.json b/needles/cockpit/login-unbranded-20171107.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3d024187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/needles/cockpit/login-unbranded-20171107.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "area": [
+    {
+      "xpos": 893,
+      "type": "match",
+      "ypos": 131,
+      "height": 61,
+      "width": 60
+    }
+  ],
+  "properties": [],
+  "tags": [
+    "cockpit_login",
+    "cockpit_login_unbranded"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/needles/cockpit/login-unbranded-20171107.png b/needles/cockpit/login-unbranded-20171107.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7a256df7
Binary files /dev/null and b/needles/cockpit/login-unbranded-20171107.png differ