diff --git a/cmd/cli/cli.go b/cmd/cli/cli.go
index e7253c2..2009ab5 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/cli.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/cli.go
@@ -259,8 +259,11 @@ func initCLI() {
 				return
 			}
 
+			status, err := s.Status()
+			isCtrldInstalled := !errors.Is(err, service.ErrNotInstalled)
+
 			// If pin code was set, do not allow running start command.
-			if status, _ := s.Status(); status == service.StatusRunning {
+			if status == service.StatusRunning {
 				if err := checkDeactivationPin(s); isCheckDeactivationPinErr(err) {
 					os.Exit(deactivationPinInvalidExitCode)
 				}
@@ -276,8 +279,18 @@ func initCLI() {
 				{func() error { return doGenerateNextDNSConfig(nextdns) }, true},
 				{func() error { return ensureUninstall(s) }, false},
 				{func() error {
+					// If ctrld is installed, we should not save current DNS settings, because:
+					//
+					// - The DNS settings was being set by ctrld already.
+					// - We could not determine the state of DNS settings before installing ctrld.
+					if isCtrldInstalled {
+						return nil
+					}
+
 					// Save current DNS so we can restore later.
-					withEachPhysicalInterfaces("", "save DNS settings", saveCurrentStaticDNS)
+					withEachPhysicalInterfaces("", "save DNS settings", func(i *net.Interface) error {
+						return saveCurrentStaticDNS(i)
+					})
 					return nil
 				}, false},
 				{s.Install, false},
diff --git a/cmd/cli/prog.go b/cmd/cli/prog.go
index 03f2105..2b5accc 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/prog.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/prog.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net"
 	"net/netip"
@@ -729,13 +730,13 @@ func saveCurrentStaticDNS(iface *net.Interface) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 	file := savedStaticDnsSettingsFilePath(iface)
-	if err := os.Remove(file); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		mainLog.Load().Warn().Err(err).Msg("could not remove old static DNS settings file")
-	}
 	ns, _ := currentStaticDNS(iface)
 	if len(ns) == 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if err := os.Remove(file); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		mainLog.Load().Warn().Err(err).Msg("could not remove old static DNS settings file")
+	}
 	mainLog.Load().Debug().Msgf("DNS settings for %s is static, saving ...", iface.Name)
 	if err := os.WriteFile(file, []byte(strings.Join(ns, ",")), 0600); err != nil {
 		mainLog.Load().Err(err).Msgf("could not save DNS settings for iface: %s", iface.Name)