diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/controllers/.gitkeep b/ui/desktop/app/controllers/.gitkeep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb..000000000
diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/controllers/application.js b/ui/desktop/app/controllers/application.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0eb5226e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/controllers/application.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import Controller from '@ember/controller';
+import { inject as service } from '@ember/service';
+import config from '../config/environment';
+
+export default class ApplicationController extends Controller {
+  // =services
+
+  @service session;
+
+  // =attributes
+
+  notifyTimeout = config.notifyTimeout;
+}
diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/router.js b/ui/desktop/app/router.js
index 67ec24b1d..98626ddce 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/app/router.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/router.js
@@ -15,4 +15,5 @@ Router.map(function () {
       });
     });
   });
+  this.route('origin');
 });
diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/routes/application.js b/ui/desktop/app/routes/application.js
index 3c5a507fb..1c1211c89 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/app/routes/application.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/routes/application.js
@@ -16,11 +16,37 @@ export default class ApplicationRoute extends Route.extend(
   // =services
 
   @service session;
+  @service ipc;
 
   // =attributes
 
+  /**
+   * @type {string}
+   */
   routeIfUnauthenticated = 'index';
 
+  /**
+   * @type {ApplicationAdapter}
+   */
+  get adapter() {
+    return this.store.adapterFor('application');
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Check that the origin specified in the renderer matches the origin
+   * reported by the main process.  If they differ, update the main process
+   * origin so that the renderer's CSP can be rewritten to allow requests.
+   */
+  async beforeModel() {
+    const rendererOrigin = this.session.data.origin;
+    const mainOrigin = await this.ipc.invoke('getOrigin');
+    const isMatch = rendererOrigin === mainOrigin;
+    this.adapter.host = rendererOrigin;
+    if (rendererOrigin && !isMatch) {
+      await this.ipc.invoke('setOrigin', rendererOrigin);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * After becoming authenticated, does nothing.  This overrides the default
    * behavior of the ApplicationRouteMixin, which is to redirect after auth.
diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/routes/index.js b/ui/desktop/app/routes/index.js
index 3ce2a42e1..1bc0a0f02 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/app/routes/index.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/routes/index.js
@@ -1,12 +1,23 @@
 import Route from '@ember/routing/route';
+import { inject as service } from '@ember/service';
 
 export default class IndexRoute extends Route {
+
+  // =services
+
+  @service session;
+
   // =methods
 
   /**
-   * Redirects to scopes route for further processing.
+   * If no origin is specified yet, redirects to origin, otherwise scopes.
    */
   redirect() {
-    this.replaceWith('scopes');
+    const rendererOrigin = this.session.data.origin;
+    if (!rendererOrigin) {
+      this.replaceWith('origin');
+    } else {
+      this.replaceWith('scopes');
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/routes/origin.js b/ui/desktop/app/routes/origin.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb5ba961e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/routes/origin.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import Route from '@ember/routing/route';
+import { inject as service } from '@ember/service';
+import { action } from '@ember/object';
+
+export default class OriginRoute extends Route {
+
+  // =services
+
+  @service session;
+  @service ipc;
+  @service intl;
+  @service notify;
+
+  // =attributes
+
+  /**
+   * @type {ApplicationAdapter}
+   */
+  get adapter() {
+    return this.store.adapterFor('application');
+  }
+
+  // =methods
+
+  /**
+   * Points the API to the specified origin and persists it to the session,
+   * as well as the main process.  When the main process receives the origin,
+   * it is expected that the renderer will be restarted.
+   * @param {string} origin
+   */
+  @action
+  async setOrigin(origin) {
+    this.adapter.host = origin;
+    // Check if we have a Boundary endpoint...
+    try {
+      // If scopes load, this could be a Boundary API
+      await this.store.query('scope', {});
+      this.session.set('data.origin', origin);
+      await this.ipc.invoke('setOrigin', origin);
+      this.replaceWith('index');
+    } catch (e) {
+      // If scopes don't load, we assume this is not a Boundary API
+      const errorMessage =
+        this.intl.t('errors.origin-verification-failed.description');
+      this.notify.error(errorMessage, { closeAfter: null });
+    }
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/templates/application.hbs b/ui/desktop/app/templates/application.hbs
index 8f1034fb1..eb09a8cef 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/app/templates/application.hbs
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/templates/application.hbs
@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@
     <Rose::Header class="{{if (is-loading) " loading"}}" as |header|>
       <header.brand @logo="logo-app" @text={{app-name}} />
 
-      <header.nav>
-        {{outlet "header-nav"}}
-      </header.nav>
+      {{#if this.session.isAuthenticated}}
+        <header.nav>
+          {{outlet "header-nav"}}
+        </header.nav>
+      {{/if}}
+
     </Rose::Header>
   </layout.header>
 
@@ -17,3 +20,14 @@
   </layout.body>
 
 </Rose::Layout::Global>
+
+<EmberNotify @closeAfter={{this.notifyTimeout}} as |message close|>
+  <Rose::Notification
+    @style={{message.type}}
+    @heading={{t (concat 'states.' message.type)}}
+    @dismiss={{close}}
+    @dismissText={{t 'actions.dismiss'}}
+  >
+    {{message.text}}
+  </Rose::Notification>
+</EmberNotify>
diff --git a/ui/desktop/app/templates/origin.hbs b/ui/desktop/app/templates/origin.hbs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5616eccb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/app/templates/origin.hbs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<Rose::Form
+  class="full-width"
+  @onSubmit={{route-action "setOrigin" this.origin}}
+  @cancel={{false}}
+  as |form|
+>
+
+  <form.input
+    @name="host"
+    @type="text"
+    @value={{this.origin}}
+    @label={{t "form.origin.label"}}
+    @helperText={{t "form.origin.description"}} />
+
+  <form.actions
+    @submitText="Set Origin"
+    @showCancel={{false}} />
+
+</Rose::Form>
diff --git a/ui/desktop/config/ember-intl.js b/ui/desktop/config/ember-intl.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..783bb4032
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/config/ember-intl.js
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/*jshint node:true*/
+
+module.exports = function (/* environment */) {
+  return {
+    /**
+     * Merges the fallback locale's translations into all other locales as a
+     * build-time fallback strategy.
+     *
+     * This will **not** prevent missing translation warnings or errors from occurring.
+     * It's meant as safety net when warning are enabled.
+     * When enabled along with `errorOnMissingTranslations` any fallback attempts will result in an error.
+     *
+     * @property fallbackLocale
+     * @type {String?}
+     * @default "null"
+     */
+    fallbackLocale: null,
+
+    /**
+     * Path where translations are kept.  This is relative to the project root.
+     * For example, if your translations are an npm dependency, set this to:
+     *`'./node_modules/path/to/translations'`
+     *
+     * @property inputPath
+     * @type {String}
+     * @default "'translations'"
+     */
+    inputPath: 'translations',
+
+    /**
+     * Prevents the translations from being bundled with the application code.
+     * This enables asynchronously loading the translations for the active locale
+     * by fetching them from the asset folder of the build.
+     *
+     * See: https://ember-intl.github.io/ember-intl/docs/guide/asynchronously-loading-translations
+     *
+     * @property publicOnly
+     * @type {Boolean}
+     * @default "false"
+     */
+    publicOnly: false,
+
+    /**
+     * Add the subdirectories of the translations as a namespace for all keys.
+     *
+     * @property wrapTranslationsWithNamespace
+     * @type {Boolean}
+     * @default "false"
+     */
+    wrapTranslationsWithNamespace: true,
+
+    /**
+     * Cause a build error if ICU argument mismatches are detected.
+     *
+     * @property errorOnNamedArgumentMismatch
+     * @type {Boolean}
+     * @default "false"
+     */
+    errorOnNamedArgumentMismatch: false,
+
+    /**
+     * Cause a build error if missing translations are detected.
+     *
+     * See https://ember-intl.github.io/ember-intl/docs/guide/missing-translations#throwing-a-build-error-on-missing-required-translation
+     *
+     * @property errorOnMissingTranslations
+     * @type {Boolean}
+     * @default "false"
+     */
+    errorOnMissingTranslations: false,
+
+    /**
+     * removes empty translations from the build output.
+     *
+     * @property stripEmptyTranslations
+     * @type {Boolean}
+     * @default "false"
+     */
+    stripEmptyTranslations: false,
+
+    /**
+     * Filter missing translations to ignore expected missing translations.
+     *
+     * See https://ember-intl.github.io/ember-intl/docs/guide/missing-translations#requiring-translations
+     *
+     * @property requiresTranslation
+     * @type {Function}
+     * @default "function(key,locale) { return true }"
+     */
+    requiresTranslation(/* key, locale */) {
+      return true;
+    },
+  };
+};
diff --git a/ui/desktop/config/environment.js b/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
index e358c0cac..57a61e665 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/config/environment.js
@@ -26,12 +26,16 @@ module.exports = function (environment) {
       // when it is created
     },
 
+    isElectron: Boolean(process.env.EMBER_CLI_ELECTRON),
+
     api: {
       host: API_HOST,
       namespace: 'v1',
     },
 
     appName: APP_NAME,
+
+    notifyTimeout: 4000,
   };
 
   if (environment === 'development') {
@@ -52,6 +56,9 @@ module.exports = function (environment) {
 
     ENV.APP.rootElement = '#ember-testing';
     ENV.APP.autoboot = false;
+
+    // Notification timeout should be 0 for fast tests
+    ENV.notifyTimeout = 0;
   }
 
   if (environment === 'production') {
diff --git a/ui/desktop/electron-app/src/handlers.js b/ui/desktop/electron-app/src/handlers.js
index f5bcf175b..e6a35ba9e 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/electron-app/src/handlers.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/electron-app/src/handlers.js
@@ -1,17 +1,30 @@
 const { ipcMain } = require('electron');
 const isDev = require('electron-is-dev');
-
 const log = (method, request) => {
   if (isDev) console.log(`[ipc-main](${method}): `, request);
 }
 
+let origin = 'serve://boundary';
 
 /**
- * A demonstration method `getFoobars` which returns an object with a message.
+ * Returns the current runtime origin, which is used by the main thread to
+ * rewrite the CSP to allow requests.
  */
-ipcMain.handle('getFoobars', async (event, request) => {
-  log('getFoobars', request);
-  return {
-    message: 'this is a response from an ipcMain handler'
-  };
+ipcMain.handle('getOrigin', async (event, request) => {
+  log('getOrigin', request);
+  return origin;
+});
+
+/**
+ * TODO:  sets the main process origin to the specified value.  This value will
+ * be used to rewrite the CSP to allow requests to that origin.  If the origin
+ * was not previously set, the main process will set it and restart
+ * the renderer.
+ *
+ * For now, we update the internal origin but do not yet rewrite the CSP.
+ */
+ipcMain.handle('setOrigin', async (event, request) => {
+  log('setOrigin', request);
+  origin = request.data;
+  return origin;
 });
diff --git a/ui/desktop/tests/unit/controllers/application-test.js b/ui/desktop/tests/unit/controllers/application-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e4b814b28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/tests/unit/controllers/application-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { module, test } from 'qunit';
+import { setupTest } from 'ember-qunit';
+
+module('Unit | Controller | application', function(hooks) {
+  setupTest(hooks);
+
+  // TODO: Replace this with your real tests.
+  test('it exists', function(assert) {
+    let controller = this.owner.lookup('controller:application');
+    assert.ok(controller);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/desktop/tests/unit/routes/origin-test.js b/ui/desktop/tests/unit/routes/origin-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..93e187a4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/tests/unit/routes/origin-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { module, test } from 'qunit';
+import { setupTest } from 'ember-qunit';
+
+module('Unit | Route | origin', function(hooks) {
+  setupTest(hooks);
+
+  test('it exists', function(assert) {
+    let route = this.owner.lookup('route:origin');
+    assert.ok(route);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/desktop/translations/form/en-us.yaml b/ui/desktop/translations/form/en-us.yaml
index b126880d9..a4c393943 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/translations/form/en-us.yaml
+++ b/ui/desktop/translations/form/en-us.yaml
@@ -11,3 +11,6 @@ type:
   help: The type of the resource, to help differentiate schemas
 project:
   label: Project
+origin:
+  label: Origin
+  description: The Boundary server origin (e.g. protocol://host)