diff --git a/src/basic/terminal-util.c b/src/basic/terminal-util.c
index 678cd4ed4d..b2cbadb579 100644
--- a/src/basic/terminal-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/terminal-util.c
@@ -103,22 +103,25 @@ int chvt(int vt) {
         return RET_NERRNO(ioctl(fd, VT_ACTIVATE, vt));
 }
 
-int read_one_char(FILE *f, char *ret, usec_t t, bool *need_nl) {
+int read_one_char(FILE *f, char *ret, usec_t t, bool echo, bool *need_nl) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *line = NULL;
         struct termios old_termios;
         int r, fd;
 
-        assert(f);
         assert(ret);
 
+        if (!f)
+                f = stdin;
+
         /* If this is a terminal, then switch canonical mode off, so that we can read a single
          * character. (Note that fmemopen() streams do not have an fd associated with them, let's handle that
-         * nicely.) */
+         * nicely.) If 'echo' is false we'll also disable ECHO mode so that the pressed key is not made
+         * visible to the user. */
         fd = fileno(f);
         if (fd >= 0 && tcgetattr(fd, &old_termios) >= 0) {
                 struct termios new_termios = old_termios;
 
-                new_termios.c_lflag &= ~ICANON;
+                new_termios.c_lflag &= ~(ICANON|(echo ? 0 : ECHO));
                 new_termios.c_cc[VMIN] = 1;
                 new_termios.c_cc[VTIME] = 0;
 
@@ -201,7 +204,7 @@ int ask_char(char *ret, const char *replies, const char *fmt, ...) {
 
                 fflush(stdout);
 
-                r = read_one_char(stdin, &c, DEFAULT_ASK_REFRESH_USEC, &need_nl);
+                r = read_one_char(stdin, &c, DEFAULT_ASK_REFRESH_USEC, /* echo= */ true, &need_nl);
                 if (r < 0) {
 
                         if (r == -ETIMEDOUT)
@@ -257,20 +260,23 @@ int ask_string(char **ret, const char *text, ...) {
 }
 
 bool any_key_to_proceed(void) {
+
+        /* Insert a new line here as well as to when the user inputs, as this is also used during the boot up
+         * sequence when status messages may be interleaved with the current program output. This ensures
+         * that the status messages aren't appended on the same line as this message. */
+
+        fputc('\n', stdout);
+        fputs(ansi_highlight_magenta(), stdout);
+        fputs("-- Press any key to proceed --", stdout);
+        fputs(ansi_normal(), stdout);
+        fflush(stdout);
+
         char key = 0;
-        bool need_nl = true;
+        (void) read_one_char(stdin, &key, USEC_INFINITY, /* echo= */ false, /* need_nl= */ NULL);
 
-        /*
-         * Insert a new line here as well as to when the user inputs, as this is also used during the
-         * boot up sequence when status messages may be interleaved with the current program output.
-         * This ensures that the status messages aren't appended on the same line as this message.
-         */
-        puts("-- Press any key to proceed --");
-
-        (void) read_one_char(stdin, &key, USEC_INFINITY, &need_nl);
-
-        if (need_nl)
-                putchar('\n');
+        fputc('\n', stdout);
+        fputc('\n', stdout);
+        fflush(stdout);
 
         return key != 'q';
 }
@@ -312,10 +318,9 @@ int show_menu(char **x, unsigned n_columns, unsigned width, unsigned percentage)
                 putchar('\n');
 
                 /* on the first screen we reserve 2 extra lines for the title */
-                if (i % break_lines == break_modulo) {
+                if (i % break_lines == break_modulo)
                         if (!any_key_to_proceed())
                                 return 0;
-                }
         }
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/basic/terminal-util.h b/src/basic/terminal-util.h
index d6dd394bcf..d11daefb56 100644
--- a/src/basic/terminal-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/terminal-util.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ int proc_cmdline_tty_size(const char *tty, unsigned *ret_rows, unsigned *ret_col
 
 int chvt(int vt);
 
-int read_one_char(FILE *f, char *ret, usec_t timeout, bool *need_nl);
+int read_one_char(FILE *f, char *ret, usec_t timeout, bool echo, bool *need_nl);
 int ask_char(char *ret, const char *replies, const char *text, ...) _printf_(3, 4);
 int ask_string(char **ret, const char *text, ...) _printf_(2, 3);
 bool any_key_to_proceed(void);
diff --git a/src/cgtop/cgtop.c b/src/cgtop/cgtop.c
index 08eae5988b..ce73599d90 100644
--- a/src/cgtop/cgtop.c
+++ b/src/cgtop/cgtop.c
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@ static int loop(const char *root) {
                 if (arg_batch)
                         (void) usleep_safe(usec_add(usec_sub_unsigned(last_refresh, t), arg_delay));
                 else {
-                        r = read_one_char(stdin, &key, usec_add(usec_sub_unsigned(last_refresh, t), arg_delay), NULL);
+                        r = read_one_char(stdin, &key, usec_add(usec_sub_unsigned(last_refresh, t), arg_delay), /* echo= */ false, /* need_nl= */ NULL);
                         if (r == -ETIMEDOUT)
                                 continue;
                         if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/firstboot/firstboot.c b/src/firstboot/firstboot.c
index d00886fb80..aaff8a8e88 100644
--- a/src/firstboot/firstboot.c
+++ b/src/firstboot/firstboot.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ static void print_welcome(int rfd) {
         else
                 printf("\nWelcome to your new installation of %s!\n", pn);
 
-        printf("\nPlease configure your system!\n\n");
+        printf("\nPlease configure your system!\n");
 
         any_key_to_proceed();
 
diff --git a/src/home/homectl.c b/src/home/homectl.c
index bfd4b3b574..89e9c8b82b 100644
--- a/src/home/homectl.c
+++ b/src/home/homectl.c
@@ -2485,7 +2485,12 @@ static int create_interactively(void) {
                 return 0;
         }
 
-        any_key_to_proceed();
+        printf("\nPlease create your user account!\n");
+
+        if (!any_key_to_proceed()) {
+                log_notice("Skipping.");
+                return 0;
+        }
 
         (void) terminal_reset_defensive_locked(STDOUT_FILENO, /* switch_to_text= */ false);
 
diff --git a/src/journal/bsod.c b/src/journal/bsod.c
index 2f06808cd4..68361b084a 100644
--- a/src/journal/bsod.c
+++ b/src/journal/bsod.c
@@ -228,9 +228,9 @@ static int display_emergency_message_fullscreen(const char *message) {
                 goto cleanup;
         }
 
-        r = read_one_char(f, &read_character_buffer, USEC_INFINITY, NULL);
+        r = read_one_char(f, &read_character_buffer, USEC_INFINITY, /* echo= */ true, /* need_nl= */ NULL);
         if (r < 0 && r != -EINTR)
-                log_error_errno(r, "Failed to read character: %m");
+                log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to read character, ignoring: %m");
 
         r = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-terminal-util.c b/src/test/test-terminal-util.c
index ac7eacb01a..87304346e9 100644
--- a/src/test/test-terminal-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-terminal-util.c
@@ -55,20 +55,20 @@ TEST(read_one_char) {
 
         assert_se(fputs("c\n", file) >= 0);
         rewind(file);
-        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, &need_nl) >= 0);
+        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, /* echo= */ true, &need_nl) >= 0);
         assert_se(!need_nl);
         assert_se(r == 'c');
-        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, &need_nl) < 0);
+        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, /* echo= */ true, &need_nl) < 0);
 
         rewind(file);
         assert_se(fputs("foobar\n", file) >= 0);
         rewind(file);
-        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, &need_nl) < 0);
+        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, /* echo= */ true, &need_nl) < 0);
 
         rewind(file);
         assert_se(fputs("\n", file) >= 0);
         rewind(file);
-        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, &need_nl) < 0);
+        assert_se(read_one_char(file, &r, 1000000, /* echo= */ true, &need_nl) < 0);
 }
 
 TEST(getttyname_malloc) {