diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/AutoUnlocker.java b/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/AutoUnlocker.java
index 973d919fc..e99cd6680 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/AutoUnlocker.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/AutoUnlocker.java
@@ -1,30 +1,85 @@
 package org.cryptomator.ui.fxapp;
 
 import org.cryptomator.common.vaults.Vault;
+import org.cryptomator.common.vaults.VaultListManager;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import javafx.collections.ObservableList;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletionStage;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.function.Predicate;
+import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 @FxApplicationScoped
 public class AutoUnlocker {
 
+	private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(AutoUnlocker.class);
+
 	private final ObservableList<Vault> vaults;
 	private final FxApplicationWindows appWindows;
+	private final ScheduledExecutorService scheduler;
+	private ScheduledFuture<?> unlockMissingFuture;
+	private ScheduledFuture<?> timeoutFuture;
 
 	@Inject
-	public AutoUnlocker(ObservableList<Vault> vaults, FxApplicationWindows appWindows) {
+	public AutoUnlocker(ObservableList<Vault> vaults, FxApplicationWindows appWindows, ScheduledExecutorService scheduler) {
 		this.vaults = vaults;
 		this.appWindows = appWindows;
+		this.scheduler = scheduler;
 	}
 
-	public void unlock() {
-		vaults.stream().filter(Vault::isLocked) //
-				.filter(v -> v.getVaultSettings().unlockAfterStartup().get()) //
-				.<CompletionStage<Void>>reduce(CompletableFuture.completedFuture(null), //
-						(unlockFlow, v) -> unlockFlow.handle((voit, ex) -> appWindows.startUnlockWorkflow(v, null)).thenCompose(stage -> stage), //we don't care here about the exception, logged elsewhere
-						(unlockChain1, unlockChain2) -> unlockChain1.handle((voit, ex) -> unlockChain2).thenCompose(stage -> stage));
+	public void tryUnlockForTimespan(int timespan, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
+		// Unlock all available auto unlock vaults
+		Predicate<Vault> shouldAutoUnlock = v -> v.getVaultSettings().unlockAfterStartup().get();
+		unlockSequentially(vaults.stream().filter(shouldAutoUnlock)).thenRun(() -> startUnlockMissing(timespan, timeUnit));
 	}
 
+	private CompletionStage<Void> unlockSequentially(Stream<Vault> vaultStream) {
+		// this is an attempt to run all the unlock workflows sequentially, i.e. start the next workflow only after completing/failing the previous workflow.
+		return vaultStream.filter(Vault::isLocked).reduce(CompletableFuture.completedFuture(null),
+				(prevUnlock, nextVault) -> prevUnlock.thenCompose(unused -> appWindows.startUnlockWorkflow(nextVault, null)),
+				(prevUnlock, nextUnlock) -> nextUnlock.exceptionally(e -> null) // we don't care here about the exception, logged elsewhere
+				);
+	}
+
+	private void startUnlockMissing(int timespan, TimeUnit timeUnit) {
+		// Start a temporary service if there are missing auto unlock vaults
+		if (getMissingAutoUnlockVaults().findAny().isPresent()) {
+			LOG.info("Found MISSING vaults, starting periodic check");
+			unlockMissingFuture = scheduler.scheduleWithFixedDelay(this::unlockMissing, 0, 1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+			timeoutFuture = scheduler.schedule(this::timeout, timespan, timeUnit);
+		}
+	}
+
+	private void unlockMissing() {
+		List<Vault> missingAutoUnlockVaults = getMissingAutoUnlockVaults().toList();
+		missingAutoUnlockVaults.forEach(VaultListManager::redetermineVaultState);
+		unlockSequentially(missingAutoUnlockVaults.stream()).thenRun(this::stopUnlockMissing);
+	}
+
+	private void stopUnlockMissing() {
+		// Stop checking if there are no more missing vaults
+		if (getMissingAutoUnlockVaults().findAny().isEmpty()) {
+			LOG.info("No more MISSING vaults, stopping periodic check");
+			unlockMissingFuture.cancel(false);
+			timeoutFuture.cancel(false);
+		}
+	}
+
+	private void timeout() {
+		LOG.info("MISSING vaults periodic check timed out");
+		unlockMissingFuture.cancel(false);
+	}
+
+	private Stream<Vault> getMissingAutoUnlockVaults() {
+		return vaults.stream()
+				.filter(Vault::isMissing)
+				.filter(v -> v.getVaultSettings().unlockAfterStartup().get());
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplication.java b/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplication.java
index 3ddb7cba6..cfc7ba62b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplication.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplication.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import javax.inject.Inject;
 import javax.inject.Named;
 import javafx.application.Platform;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 @FxApplicationScoped
 public class FxApplication {
@@ -68,7 +69,6 @@ public class FxApplication {
 		});
 
 		launchEventHandler.startHandlingLaunchEvents();
-		autoUnlocker.unlock();
+		autoUnlocker.tryUnlockForTimespan(2, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
 	}
-
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplicationWindows.java b/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplicationWindows.java
index 2b4f8e7bc..000954bd5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplicationWindows.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cryptomator/ui/fxapp/FxApplicationWindows.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import org.cryptomator.ui.preferences.PreferencesComponent;
 import org.cryptomator.ui.preferences.SelectedPreferencesTab;
 import org.cryptomator.ui.quit.QuitComponent;
 import org.cryptomator.ui.unlock.UnlockComponent;
+import org.cryptomator.ui.unlock.UnlockWorkflow;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ public class FxApplicationWindows {
 					LOG.debug("Start unlock workflow for {}", vault.getDisplayName());
 					return unlockWorkflowFactory.create(vault, owner).unlockWorkflow();
 				}, Platform::runLater) //
-				.thenCompose(unlockWorkflow -> CompletableFuture.runAsync(unlockWorkflow, executor)) //
+				.thenAcceptAsync(UnlockWorkflow::run, executor)
 				.exceptionally(e -> {
 					showErrorWindow(e, owner == null ? primaryStage : owner, null);
 					return null;