diff --git a/caprover_deploy.sh b/caprover_deploy.sh
index 23a89760..f31cdba0 100755
--- a/caprover_deploy.sh
+++ b/caprover_deploy.sh
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ echo "$BRANCH_NAME_SLUG"
 DEFAULT_APP_NAME="vbv-$BRANCH_NAME_SLUG"
 APP_NAME=${1:-$DEFAULT_APP_NAME}
 
-# remove multiple dashes and make sure it does not end with a dash
-APP_NAME=$(echo "$APP_NAME" | sed -E 's/-+/-/g')
-APP_NAME=$(echo "$APP_NAME" | sed 's/-\+$//')
-
 # shorten APP_NAME to 32 characters
 # app names with more character seem to fail in some steps in CapRover
 # CapRover generates longer names out from the app name and there
@@ -29,6 +25,10 @@ if (( ${#APP_NAME} > 32 )); then
   APP_NAME=$(echo -n "${APP_NAME:0:28}-${hash}")
 fi
 
+# remove multiple dashes and make sure it does not end with a dash
+APP_NAME=$(echo "$APP_NAME" | sed -E 's/-+/-/g')
+APP_NAME=$(echo "$APP_NAME" | sed 's/-\+$//')
+
 echo "Deploy to $APP_NAME"
 
 VITE_GRAPHQL_URL="/server/graphql/"
diff --git a/client/src/components/header/MainNavigationBar.vue b/client/src/components/header/MainNavigationBar.vue
index 7ebbe0e7..5a7f599b 100644
--- a/client/src/components/header/MainNavigationBar.vue
+++ b/client/src/components/header/MainNavigationBar.vue
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ onMounted(() => {
                   v-if="
                     inCourse() &&
                     courseSessionsStore.currentCourseSession &&
-                    courseSessionsStore.hasCockpit
+                    courseSessionsStore.currentCourseSessionHasCockpit
                   "
                   :to="`${courseSessionsStore.currentCourseSession.course_url}/cockpit`"
                   class="nav-item"
diff --git a/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.vue b/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.vue
index d8ad0606..f9b20c08 100644
--- a/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.vue
+++ b/client/src/pages/DashboardPage.vue
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 import LearningPathDiagramSmall from "@/components/learningPath/LearningPathDiagramSmall.vue";
 import { useCourseSessionsStore } from "@/stores/courseSessions";
 import { useUserStore } from "@/stores/user";
+import type { CourseSession } from "@/types";
 import log from "loglevel";
-import { onMounted } from "vue";
+import { computed, onMounted } from "vue";
 
 log.debug("DashboardPage created");
 
@@ -13,6 +14,15 @@ const courseSessionsStore = useCourseSessionsStore();
 onMounted(async () => {
   log.debug("DashboardPage mounted");
 });
+
+const getNextStepLink = (courseSession: CourseSession) => {
+  return computed(() => {
+    if (courseSessionsStore.hasCockpit(courseSession)) {
+      return courseSession.cockpit_url;
+    }
+    return courseSession.learning_path_url;
+  });
+};
 </script>
 
 <template>
@@ -44,7 +54,7 @@ onMounted(async () => {
                 <div>
                   <router-link
                     class="btn-blue"
-                    :to="courseSession.learning_path_url"
+                    :to="getNextStepLink(courseSession).value"
                     :data-cy="`continue-course-${courseSession.course.id}`"
                   >
                     {{ $t("general.nextStep") }}
diff --git a/client/src/router/__tests__/guards.spec.ts b/client/src/router/__tests__/guards.spec.ts
index 9b095f8d..ee9cb473 100644
--- a/client/src/router/__tests__/guards.spec.ts
+++ b/client/src/router/__tests__/guards.spec.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ describe("Guards", () => {
 
   it("cannot route to cockpit", () => {
     vi.spyOn(courseSessions, "useCourseSessionsStore").mockReturnValue({
-      hasCockpit: false,
+      currentCourseSessionHasCockpit: false,
     });
     const slug = "test";
     expect(expertRequired({ params: { courseSlug: "test" } })).toEqual(
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ describe("Guards", () => {
 
   it("can route to cockpit", () => {
     vi.spyOn(courseSessions, "useCourseSessionsStore").mockReturnValue({
-      hasCockpit: true,
+      currentCourseSessionHasCockpit: true,
     });
     const to = {
       params: {
diff --git a/client/src/router/guards.ts b/client/src/router/guards.ts
index 65bc1a32..f23091ee 100644
--- a/client/src/router/guards.ts
+++ b/client/src/router/guards.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const loginRequired = (to: RouteLocationNormalized) => {
 
 export const expertRequired: NavigationGuard = (to: RouteLocationNormalized) => {
   const courseSessionsStore = useCourseSessionsStore();
-  if (courseSessionsStore.hasCockpit) {
+  if (courseSessionsStore.currentCourseSessionHasCockpit) {
     return true;
   } else {
     const courseSlug = to.params.courseSlug as string;
diff --git a/client/src/stores/__tests__/courseSession.spec.ts b/client/src/stores/__tests__/courseSession.spec.ts
index 05ef71a1..dec82031 100644
--- a/client/src/stores/__tests__/courseSession.spec.ts
+++ b/client/src/stores/__tests__/courseSession.spec.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ describe("CourseSession Store", () => {
     courseSessionsStore._currentCourseSlug = "test-course";
     courseSessionsStore.allCourseSessions = courseSessions;
 
-    expect(courseSessionsStore.hasCockpit).toBeFalsy();
+    expect(courseSessionsStore.currentCourseSessionHasCockpit).toBeFalsy();
   });
 
   it("superuser has cockpit", () => {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ describe("CourseSession Store", () => {
     courseSessionsStore._currentCourseSlug = "test-course";
     courseSessionsStore.allCourseSessions = courseSessions;
 
-    expect(courseSessionsStore.hasCockpit).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(courseSessionsStore.currentCourseSessionHasCockpit).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
   it("expert has cockpit", () => {
@@ -90,6 +90,6 @@ describe("CourseSession Store", () => {
     courseSessionsStore._currentCourseSlug = "test-course";
     courseSessionsStore.allCourseSessions = courseSessions;
 
-    expect(courseSessionsStore.hasCockpit).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(courseSessionsStore.currentCourseSessionHasCockpit).toBeTruthy();
   });
 });
diff --git a/client/src/stores/courseSessions.ts b/client/src/stores/courseSessions.ts
index 42af91b9..32bc982d 100644
--- a/client/src/stores/courseSessions.ts
+++ b/client/src/stores/courseSessions.ts
@@ -124,13 +124,9 @@ export const useCourseSessionsStore = defineStore("courseSessions", () => {
     return allCourseSessionsForCourse(_currentCourseSlug.value);
   });
 
-  const hasCockpit = computed(() => {
+  const currentCourseSessionHasCockpit = computed(() => {
     if (currentCourseSession.value) {
-      const userStore = useUserStore();
-      return (
-        userStore.course_session_experts.includes(currentCourseSession.value.id) ||
-        userStore.is_superuser
-      );
+      return hasCockpit(currentCourseSession.value);
     }
 
     return false;
@@ -182,6 +178,14 @@ export const useCourseSessionsStore = defineStore("courseSessions", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  function hasCockpit(couseSession: CourseSession) {
+    const userStore = useUserStore();
+    return (
+      userStore.course_session_experts.includes(couseSession.id) ||
+      userStore.is_superuser
+    );
+  }
+
   function addDocument(document: CircleDocument) {
     currentCourseSession.value?.documents.push(document);
   }
@@ -232,6 +236,7 @@ export const useCourseSessionsStore = defineStore("courseSessions", () => {
     courseSessionForCourse,
     switchCourseSession,
     hasCockpit,
+    currentCourseSessionHasCockpit,
     canUploadCircleDocuments,
     circleDocuments,
     circleExperts,
diff --git a/client/src/types.ts b/client/src/types.ts
index 47edcf78..1a090d74 100644
--- a/client/src/types.ts
+++ b/client/src/types.ts
@@ -417,6 +417,7 @@ export interface CourseSession {
   start_date: string;
   end_date: string;
   learning_path_url: string;
+  cockpit_url: string;
   competence_url: string;
   course_url: string;
   media_library_url: string;
diff --git a/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/models.py b/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/models.py
index 71a94fe3..f0bd86b2 100644
--- a/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/models.py
+++ b/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/models.py
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ class Course(models.Model):
     def get_learning_path_url(self):
         return self.get_learning_path().get_frontend_url()
 
+    def get_cockpit_url(self):
+        return self.get_learning_path().get_cockpit_url()
+
     def get_competence_url(self):
         from vbv_lernwelt.competence.models import CompetenceProfilePage
 
diff --git a/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/serializers.py b/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/serializers.py
index 579e667f..d92365fd 100644
--- a/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/serializers.py
+++ b/server/vbv_lernwelt/course/serializers.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class CourseSessionSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
     course = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     course_url = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     learning_path_url = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
+    cockpit_url = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     competence_url = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     media_library_url = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
     documents = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
@@ -59,6 +60,9 @@ class CourseSessionSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
     def get_learning_path_url(self, obj):
         return obj.course.get_learning_path_url()
 
+    def get_cockpit_url(self, obj):
+        return obj.course.get_cockpit_url()
+
     def get_media_library_url(self, obj):
         return obj.course.get_media_library_url()
 
@@ -85,6 +89,7 @@ class CourseSessionSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
             "attendance_courses",
             "assignment_details_list",
             "learning_path_url",
+            "cockpit_url",
             "competence_url",
             "media_library_url",
             "course_url",
diff --git a/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/models.py b/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/models.py
index a4dfd5bb..61c8de62 100644
--- a/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/models.py
+++ b/server/vbv_lernwelt/learnpath/models.py
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ class LearningPath(CourseBasePage):
     def get_frontend_url(self):
         return f"/course/{self.slug.replace('-lp', '')}/learn"
 
+    def get_cockpit_url(self):
+        return f"/course/{self.slug.replace('-lp', '')}/cockpit"
+
 
 class Topic(CourseBasePage):
     serialize_field_names = ["is_visible"]