diff --git a/api/transformerlab/routers/auth.py b/api/transformerlab/routers/auth.py
index 3dd47796b..468ea7c2d 100644
--- a/api/transformerlab/routers/auth.py
+++ b/api/transformerlab/routers/auth.py
@@ -205,6 +205,7 @@ async def get_user_teams(user: User = Depends(current_active_user), session: Asy
     user_teams = result.scalars().all()
 
     # If user has no team associations, create personal team as owner
+    # (dont seed experiment as existing user may already have experiments from old workspace)
     if not user_teams:
         personal_team = await create_personal_team(session, user)
         user_team = UserTeam(user_id=str(user.id), team_id=personal_team.id, role=TeamRole.OWNER.value)
diff --git a/api/transformerlab/routers/teams.py b/api/transformerlab/routers/teams.py
index 24a4617fa..e9651906c 100644
--- a/api/transformerlab/routers/teams.py
+++ b/api/transformerlab/routers/teams.py
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from os import getenv
 
+from lab import Experiment
+from lab.dirs import set_organization_id
+
 
 class TeamCreate(BaseModel):
     name: str
@@ -76,6 +79,23 @@ async def create_team(
     session.add(user_team)
     await session.commit()
 
+    # Create default experiment "alpha" for the new team
+    # Temporarily set the organization context to the new team ID
+    # so the experiment is created in the correct workspace
+    try:
+        # Set organization context to the new team ID
+        # The middleware will handle context for the next request
+        set_organization_id(team.id)
+
+        # Create the default experiment
+        Experiment("alpha", create_new=True)
+    except Exception as e:
+        # Log error but don't fail team creation if experiment creation fails
+        print(f"Warning: Failed to create default experiment 'alpha' for team {team.id}: {e}")
+    finally:
+        # Clear the organization context (middleware will set it for next request)
+        set_organization_id(None)
+
     return TeamResponse(id=team.id, name=team.name)
 
 
diff --git a/api/transformerlab/services/experiment_init.py b/api/transformerlab/services/experiment_init.py
index ff94f0be9..9192a50f0 100644
--- a/api/transformerlab/services/experiment_init.py
+++ b/api/transformerlab/services/experiment_init.py
@@ -225,8 +225,10 @@ async def migrate_workspace_to_org(team_id: str):
             # Directory not empty or other error, leave it
             pass
 
-        # make the directory again (because default sdk behaviour is to create this directory again when auth isnt dont -- which will happen at startup)
-        os.makedirs(old_workspace, exist_ok=True)
+        # Recreate workspace directory (default sdk behaviour is to create this directory again when auth isnt done -- which will happen at startup)
+        if not storage.exists(old_workspace):
+            storage.makedirs(old_workspace, exist_ok=True)
+
         # Add a text file in the old workspace saying where the migration happened
         with open(os.path.join(old_workspace, "migration.txt"), "w") as f:
             f.write(f"Migration happened from {old_workspace} to {new_workspace}")