diff --git a/app/components/EmptyState.tsx b/app/components/EmptyState.tsx
index f692946..4593cf3 100644
--- a/app/components/EmptyState.tsx
+++ b/app/components/EmptyState.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+
 type EmptyStateProps = {
   eyebrow: string;
   title: string;
   description: string;
   actionLabel: string;
   onAction?: () => void;
+  /** Optional secondary CTA/help content shown with the primary action. */
+  children?: ReactNode;
   /** Optional first-time guidance steps to display below the description. */
   guidanceSteps?: string[];
 };
 
-export function EmptyState({ eyebrow, title, description, actionLabel, onAction, guidanceSteps }: EmptyStateProps) {
+export function EmptyState({ eyebrow, title, description, actionLabel, onAction, children, guidanceSteps }: EmptyStateProps) {
   return (
     <section className="empty-state" aria-labelledby="empty-state-title">
       <p className="empty-state__eyebrow">{eyebrow}</p>
@@ -28,6 +32,7 @@ export function EmptyState({ eyebrow, title, description, actionLabel, onAction,
       <button className="button button--primary" type="button" onClick={onAction}>
         {actionLabel}
       </button>
+      {children}
     </section>
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/components/StreamPrimer.tsx b/app/components/StreamPrimer.tsx
index 96da27a..caf9cbc 100644
--- a/app/components/StreamPrimer.tsx
+++ b/app/components/StreamPrimer.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export const StreamPrimer = ({ onClose }: StreamPrimerProps) => {
 
   return (
     <div
+      id="stream-primer-dialog"
       role="dialog"
       aria-modal="true"
       aria-labelledby="primer-title"
diff --git a/app/streams/StreamsPageContent.tsx b/app/streams/StreamsPageContent.tsx
index 3a38cb9..8f819e6 100644
--- a/app/streams/StreamsPageContent.tsx
+++ b/app/streams/StreamsPageContent.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useCallback, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { EmptyState } from "../components/EmptyState";
 import { PageError } from "../components/PageError";
+import { StreamPrimer } from "../components/StreamPrimer";
 import { StreamRow, type StreamRowData } from "../components/StreamRow";
 
 export type StreamsViewState = "empty" | "loading" | "populated" | "error";
@@ -11,6 +15,7 @@ const streamListCopy = {
     actionLabel: "Create Your First Stream",
     description: "No streams yet. Create one to start paying collaborators and vendors on a steady schedule.",
     eyebrow: "Streams",
+    primerLabel: "What is a payment stream?",
     title: "Your streams list is empty",
   },
   heading: "Streams",
@@ -103,6 +108,13 @@ export function StreamsPageContent({
   onRetry,
 }: StreamsPageContentProps) {
   const isEmpty = state === "empty" || streams.length === 0;
+  const [isPrimerOpen, setIsPrimerOpen] = useState(false);
+  const primerLinkRef = useRef<HTMLAnchorElement>(null);
+
+  const closePrimer = useCallback(() => {
+    setIsPrimerOpen(false);
+    primerLinkRef.current?.focus();
+  }, []);
 
   return (
     <main className="page-shell">
@@ -147,12 +159,29 @@ export function StreamsPageContent({
             onRetry={onRetry}
           />
         ) : isEmpty ? (
-          <EmptyState
-            actionLabel={streamListCopy.empty.actionLabel}
-            description={streamListCopy.empty.description}
-            eyebrow={streamListCopy.empty.eyebrow}
-            title={streamListCopy.empty.title}
-          />
+          <>
+            <EmptyState
+              actionLabel={streamListCopy.empty.actionLabel}
+              description={streamListCopy.empty.description}
+              eyebrow={streamListCopy.empty.eyebrow}
+              title={streamListCopy.empty.title}
+            >
+              <a
+                aria-controls={isPrimerOpen ? "stream-primer-dialog" : undefined}
+                aria-haspopup="dialog"
+                className="button button--secondary"
+                href="#stream-primer-dialog"
+                onClick={(event) => {
+                  event.preventDefault();
+                  setIsPrimerOpen(true);
+                }}
+                ref={primerLinkRef}
+              >
+                {streamListCopy.empty.primerLabel}
+              </a>
+            </EmptyState>
+            {isPrimerOpen && <StreamPrimer onClose={closePrimer} />}
+          </>
         ) : (
           <section aria-label="Streams list" className="stream-list">
             {streams.map((stream) => (
diff --git a/app/streams/page.test.tsx b/app/streams/page.test.tsx
index 7482f7f..9183b26 100644
--- a/app/streams/page.test.tsx
+++ b/app/streams/page.test.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  * @jest-environment jsdom
  */
 
-import { render } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { fireEvent, render, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
 const { screen } = require("@testing-library/react") as any;
 import { StreamsPageContent } from "./StreamsPageContent";
 
@@ -12,6 +12,24 @@ describe("StreamsPageContent", () => {
 
     expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { name: /your streams list is empty/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /create your first stream/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("link", { name: /what is a payment stream/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("opens the stream primer from the empty state and restores focus on close", async () => {
+    render(<StreamsPageContent state="empty" streams={[]} />);
+
+    const primerLink = screen.getByRole("link", { name: /what is a payment stream/i });
+    primerLink.focus();
+    fireEvent.click(primerLink);
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("dialog")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    const closeButton = screen.getByRole("button", { name: /close onboarding/i });
+    expect(closeButton).toHaveFocus();
+
+    fireEvent.click(closeButton);
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).not.toBeInTheDocument());
+    expect(primerLink).toHaveFocus();
   });
 
   it("renders the loading skeleton state", () => {